Vegetable Honey Tofu Stir-Fry Recipe

While in Paris, my mother taught me a new trick for enhancing the flavor of vegetarian meals. She uses honey to caramelize tofu, then deglazes the dish with Maggi (or soy sauce). My parents aren't vegetarian but my mother used to cook a lot of vegetarian dishes for my grandparents who were. My husband Lulu was pleased to eat at my mom's because he got to discover new tofu dishes using these techniques. For this particular recipe, Mom and I sautéed some broccoli and bok choy along with tofu. Delicious!

Since I had to find the best honey available for this dish, it gave me another excuse to explore more Parisian open air markets. I found this wonderful creamy honey from a beekeeper who had come from the south of France to sell his wares. He was very passionate about his products. Lulu and I sampled several kinds, which were all fabulous. We got an absolutely delicious education in honey and brought many jars back with us.

Fresh Ginger Apple Celery Carrot Juice

When I look back at my New Year's resolutions, you know, those lies we tell ourselves at the beginning of each year, I realize that I haven't made good on my resolution to use our juicer more. I think the only time I used it this year was to make plum juice for a tofu recipe.

My other resolution has gone pretty well. I started this food website on January 1st of this year as our way of keeping track of what we eat and helping the girls have easy access to my recipes when they want to make them on their own. I thought it would help me be more mindful of my family's diet and maybe lose weight. It seemed like a great way to add some discipline to my life.

There are fewer than 90 days left in 2009, so today I decided to break out the juicer and make us some juice. I recently bought a lot of carrots, celery and Fuji apples. All three are perfect for juicing. I combined them in the juicer, and I threw in a touch of ginger to give it a little zing. It tastes delicious and makes a great breakfast.

So clearly I'm not on my way to becoming the next Jack Lalanne, but at least I've made good on another resolution. Now if I could just figure out how to lose 5 pounds before our 5-year-anniversary trip to Cancun at the end of the month...

Poached Figs in Puff Pastry

Our garden is very abundant with figs this season. I gathered a full basket of large brown Turkey figs; they're re fairly wide and about 3 inches long. I love their flavor; they have a copper-colored skin, pinkish pulp and very few seeds. They are simply delicious and perfect for baking.

I poached them first in heavy syrup and wrapped them in puff pastry. It's a pretty easy dessert to make but sure to wow your guests.

Peanut Butter Caramel Dip with Sliced Apples

Yesterday, I packed some grapes for the girls when packing their school lunches. I thought I would make something different today. I had a little leftover caramel au beurre salé from the weekend. It's a sweet caramel  sauce with salted butter. We drizzle it over ice cream. I decided to mix a little creamy peanut butter into the caramel, along with some raw honey that I just discovered at the local market.

Peanut butter caramel is a great dip with any fruit, drizzled over ice cream or even on celery. Enjoy!

Summer Vegetables and Hummus Pizza

Hummus pizza breaks the traditional rules by using a garbanzo bean spread instead of the standard tomato sauce. I added some Mediterranean ingredients to keep the flavor fresh, such as asparagus, garlic, roasted red bell peppers and artichoke hearts.

It's the perfect recipe for a light summer meal; the few shavings of parmesan cheese is the only sinful ingredient in an otherwise very healthy pizza.