While the vegetables cook, in a bowl, whisk the eggs with the soy sauce, ginger, and a tablespoon of water. Make the sauce in a small saucepan: Whisk the cornstarch into 1 cup of water. Add the soy sauce and sesame oil. Bring to a boil on high heat, stirring often. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring constantly until the sauce is clear and thickened. Set aside.
Stir the vegetables in the skillet and add additional oil if necessary to prevent sticking. Pour the beaten eggs over the vegetables, lower the heat, cover, and cook until the eggs are set, about 5 minutes.
Fold the omelet in half and serve topped with the sauce.
Spinach Polenta
pineapple fried rice with tofu
This is a sweet fried rice with a pleasing bite of ginger. Before you begin to stir-fry, cook rice if you don’t have any left over, and have everything prepped and close at hand.
SERVES 4
TIME: 30 MINUTES
½ cake firm tofu (about 8 ounces)
⅓ cup soy sauce
1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 tablespoon grated peeled ginger root
½ teaspoon Chinese chili paste (optional)
1 red or orange bell pepper, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
2 scallions, minced
1 20-ounce can of unsweetened pineapple chunks, drained, or 2 cups fresh pineapple chunks
4 cups cooked jasmine, sushi, or brown rice
toasted cashews
Cut the tofu into ½-inch cubes and place them in a bowl. Pour the soy sauce and sesame oil over the cubes and stir gently. Set aside.
In a wok or large skillet, heat the vegetable oil. Add the garlic, ginger, and chili paste and stir-fry on medium heat for a minute. Add the peppers, celery, scallions, and the tofu with the marinade, and continue to stir-fry until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Add the pineapple and rice and stir-fry until the rice is hot, about 3 minutes. Serve topped with toasted cashews.
serving & menu ideas
This spicy-sweet fried rice is enough, but if you want a side dish, choose Sesame Broccoli. Pass a plate of Butterscotch Icebox Cookies for dessert.
beans & greens risotto
Beans, grains, vegetables, cheese—this healthy, hearty dish has it all.
SERVES 4
TIME: 40 MINUTES
1 quart vegetable broth
1 15-ounce can of diced tomatoes
4 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1½ cups arborio rice
1 15-ounce can of small red beans or pinto beans, drained
1 small head escarole, chopped (about 3 cups)
¼ cup grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper
lemon wedges (optional)
In a saucepan, bring the broth and tomatoes to a boil and then reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer.
Meanwhile, in a large, heavy saucepan on medium-high heat, cook the garlic in the oil until just golden, a few seconds. Add the rice and stir until the grains are well coated with oil. Ladle in the hot broth and tomatoes a cup at a time, stirring often. After each addition, let the rice absorb most of the broth before adding more. Add the beans with the last cup of broth.
When most of the broth is absorbed and the rice is tender but still al dente, stir in the escarole, in batches if necessary, until it wilts but is still bright green. Stir in the cheese and season with salt and pepper. Serve hot, with wedges of lemon if you wish.
serving & menu ideas
A crisp, cold fruit salad is a good accompaniment for this simple supper. Or try one of our Two Sweet Sauces on vanilla ice cream.
rarebit risotto
Beer and Cheddar aren’t typical ingredients for risotto, but this dish sure is good!
SERVES 4
TIME: 40 MINUTES
1 quart vegetable broth
1 tablespoon olive oil
1½ cups arborio rice
12 ounces beer (1½ cups)
3 cups chopped broccoli
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
4 cups loosely packed grated sharp Cheddar cheese (about 10 ounces)
2 cups chopped tomatoes or halved cherry tomatoes
sprinkling of black pepper
In a saucepan, bring the broth to a boil and then reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer.
Meanwhile, in a large, heavy saucepan on medium-high heat, warm the olive oil. Add the rice and stir until well coated with oil. Add the beer and stir until the rice has absorbed the liquid, a couple of minutes. Ladle in the simmering broth a cup at a time, stirring often. Let the rice absorb most of the broth before adding the next cup, usually about 5 minutes between additions.
While the risotto is cooking, steam the broccoli until bright green and just tender. Set aside.
When the last of the broth is absorbed, the kernels of rice should be al dente and the risotto moist. Add the mustard and cheese to the risotto and stir until the cheese is melted. Stir in the broccoli and tomatoes, season with black pepper, and serve hot.
serving & menu ideas
Serve something crisp with this silky risotto.
spinach artichoke risotto
1 quart vegetable broth
3 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1½ cups arborio rice
1 cup dry white wine
1 14-ounce can of artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
1 tablespoon dried dill (2 tablespoons chopped fresh)
10 ounces baby spinach, rinsed and drained
½ cup chopped scallions
1 cup crumbled feta cheese (4 ounces)
In a saucepan, bring the broth to a boil and then reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer.
In a large, heavy saucepan on medium-high heat, cook the garlic in the oil until golden, just a few seconds. Add the rice, stirring to coat each grain with oil. Stir in the wine, artichoke hearts, and dill if using dried. Cook, stirring often, until the wine is absorbed. Ladle in the hot broth a cup at a time, stirring frequently. After each addition, cook until the rice has absorbed most of the broth before adding the next ladleful.
When most of the broth is absorbed and the rice is tender but still al dente, stir in the spinach, in batches if necessary. When the spinach is wilted but
