Breaded Tofu: Tofu Parmesan Recipe

Tofu parmigiana is one of the many variations on meat dishes I make, so I'm able to share a similar meal with my husband Lulu, who is a vegetarian. The last time I prepared this dish was to celebrate our wedding anniversary with a romantic dinner. It was a perfect date-night menu: I had chicken and he had tofu.

For this version, I breaded firm tofu with Japanese bread crumbs (panko). First, I flavored the panko with dried oregano and garlic powder. Then, I pan-fried the panko-dredged tofu, layered it with a creamy tomato sauce and a few slices of fresh mozzarella cheese and topped it all with Parmesan cheese. The cheese finished melting in the oven, and with a garnish of sweet basil the dish was complete. I served it with a side of linguine pasta. I guarantee you this dish is as delicious as the meat version!

Shirataki Yam Noodles: Noodle Salad Recipe (+ Giveaway)

Similar to tofu, shirataki noodles can look and taste pretty bland on their own. When I received the package from AsianFoodGrocer.com, I knew I had to enhance the flavor with a sauce. I made a peanut salad dressing that I've used often to flavor tofu, but this time I made it with oyster sauce, miso paste and hot sauce. I added colors to the noodle salad with red bell pepper, pickled garlic, cilantro and green onions. I topped the salad with crushed nori, for a briny flavor and  also sesame seeds and crushed peanuts for texture. We eat with our eyes first, and I think the dark color of the bowl serves as a very attractive contrast to the noodles.

The noodles themselves are very healthy (almost no calories, gluten and cholesterol free). So if you're looking for a light meal, this recipe might be it!

Asian-Style Cioppino Recipe (Seafood Stew)

The weather is getting cold and damp, so I thought a cioppino-style soup was a good solution to fight the low temperatures we've been having. I didn't really make the authentic San Franciscan fish stew, nor the traditional Provençal version of bouillabaisse, but a more Asian adaptation of the seafood soup using ingredients I recently received from our friends at AsianFoodGrocer.com. The major change is that I made the broth using bonito flakes, Asian mushrooms and miso paste. Otherwise, the seafood soup is cooked with the more common ingredients such as fresh tomatoes, corn, fish and shellfish and flavored with fennel, mushrooms, garlic, lime peel, dill and saffron.



I also cracked one separately cooked Dungeness crab and gathered the meat at the last minute to add to the bass fillets, mussels, clams and small shrimp already cooking in the soup. I served it just the way I would bouillabaisse (the Southern-French stew originated in Marseille) with garlic bread and rouille sauce, which is a saffron-flavored mayonnaise. To bouillabaisse purists, the addition of bonito flakes and miso paste may seem sacrilegious, but I think it was a refreshing twist with an Asian flair.


If you’re considering making this dish, I have some good news: our friend Gustavo from AsianFoodGrocer.com is kindly giving away a $50 gift card that you can win this week on Pham Fatale! The deadline is Sunday, October 16th, 2011. And for those of you who can't wait to try AsianFoodGrocer.com products, head over to their online store, enter coupon code PHAMFATALE during checkout (exclusively for Pham Fatale readers) and get 10% off your entire order; the coupon expires on October 22nd, 2011 so make the most of it!

Paneer Masala Pizza (Indian Style Pizza Recipe)

I ventured into the world of fusion and decided to break the rules by making pizza with Indian toppings. I prepared a traditional paneer butter masala with a mixture of flavorful, bold spices. I used the spicy sauce as the primary flavor for the pizza. In addition, I sprinkled a little Parmesan cheese to hold everything together and finished it with fresh cilantro.

The trick to coming up with your own fusion dishes is to use one recipe as the “base” and then replace a key ingredient with something from another culture. The sauce and cheese used on pizza are perfect targets and paneer butter masala takes care of both. If you wanted to make it even more Indian, you could replace the pizza crust with a naan. It’s a great way to introduce new foods to kids in a way that’s familiar but fresh.

Vegetarian Nihari (Spicy Tofu Recipe)

One of my most favorite Indian dishes is nihari. It's a goat (or any other meat) stew dish. It's spicy, flavorful and the meat is extremely tender. I love dipping naans (flat Indian bread) in the sauce. But I always end up feeling so bad when I see my husband Lulu, who is a vegetarian, staring at me. So this time, I also made a tofu version using the same gravy sauce.

I chose medium-firm tofu and Japanese eggplants and deep-fried them. The texture is perfect once they are soaked in the spicy sauce. I also added broccoli for a balanced meal. The advantage of the veggie version is it's just as tasty, much healthier (I omitted the bhaghar, a typical final layer of red oil in a lot of Indian dishes) and it cooks a lot faster than the meat version.