Mapo Tofu Recipe

I made a variation of mapo tofu using ingredients I had available in the kitchen today. Instead of using fermented black bean sauce, I prepared a thick and spicy sauce with tomatoes, chili bean sauce and dried red chiles. I also added diced carrots and peas to the traditional silken tofu for a bit more nutrition. If you want to tone down the spiciness, you could replace it with sweet and sour sauce instead.

This is a quick and easy vegetarian meal when we’re running out of ingredients and I'm just too lazy to run to the grocery store. Onions, carrots and frozen peas are always on hand in our kitchen and they go great together, so I often use them when I make mapo tofu. You can use pretty much whatever veggies are in your pantry though, so be creative!

Prickly Pear Juice Recipe (Cactus Fruit)

Prickly pears are the fruit of the nopales cactus plant. They're named for their pear-like shape and size. The texture and aroma of the fruit is very similar to grainy watermelon, with a mild sweetness. The seeds from the prickly pears look the same as the ones from kiwis.

This weekend, my father-in-law (I call him Daddy), my husband Lulu and I were sitting on the swing in the garden. Daddy noticed the fruit on the cactus plants in the corner of our garden. When we got closer we realized that the prickly pears were fully ripe. Daddy got so excited that I didn't have time to run and get leather gardening gloves; he just picked the fruit with his bare hands. Poor Daddy! I had to spend quite a bit of time to remove all of the almost invisible hair-thin spines.

We were able to gather a fair amount of ripe fruit. Even though the fruit is quite bland, the flesh has a very rich color. I used some for making vinaigrette and with the rest I made little cocktails with raspberries. I placed fresh raspberries in the freezer and used them as ice cubes to chill the drink. If you can get your hands on some prickly pears at your local market, give them a try. They're a wonderful treat.

Dolmades (Stuffed Grape Leaves Recipe)

Dolmades, also known as dolmas, are stuffed grape leaves. They're typically filled with round-grained rice, but for more flavor I added diced roasted bell peppers and tomato paste. You could also use grilled eggplant, zucchini, mushrooms or even tomatoes if they're in season.

Like many rolled dishes (eggplant rollatini, egg rolls, sushi), making dolmades is quite labor intensive, so get some help to go through the process. I served them as appetizers with my fusion raita dipping sauce on the side. If you're planning a party, this dish can be prepared two days in advance, stored in the refrigerator and served at room temperature.

Fruit and Yogurt Parfait Recipe (Grapes and Granola Parfait)

Fruit and yogurt parfaits are a great breakfast food or late-night snack. They’re very filling and are easy to make. You can use pretty much any fruit you have on hand. For this particular parfait, I used Kyoho grapes. The sweetness, meaty flesh and softness of the fruit contrast well with the crunchy granola. I added Concord grape jelly to repeat the same flavor and condensed milk to give the yogurt a velvety texture.

The result is a tasty, yet still healthy treat. I can't get enough of it. We're stilling make our own yogurt weekly, and the girls just helped me make granola last weekend, but we're already running our of both. Our family is addicted!

Bo Luc Lac Recipe: Vietnamese Beef Dish

I find thịt bò lúc lắc to be a fun-sounding dish. Thịt bò means beef meat in Vietnamese, but the rest of the name of this popular Vietnamese beef dish, "lúc lắc", translates to "shaking" and "moving back and forth".

This dish calls for very tender beef. I chose to use small cubes of sirloin beef; you could also use filet mignon. The meat is first immersed in a very traditional Vietnamese marinade, then tossed back and forth in a wok. The cooking time is fairly rapid, so it's perfect when you're looking for a quick and easy dinner menu item.

I served the cubed beef on a bed of lettuce, along with caramelized onions and sliced chile peppers. All you need to add is a bowl of steamed jasmine rice and a mixture of lime juice, salt and pepper (the typical dipping sauce that goes with every Vietnamese meal). Enjoy!