Spicy Corn Bread with Roasted Red Pepper Chutney

I've been craving corn bread for some time. It's pretty easy to make. A cast iron skillet ensures a golden crust. Feel free to tweak this recipe to your liking. The roasted red pepper chutney provides a fresh balance to the spiciness of the bread.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 tbs brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 egg
1/2 cup yogurt
6 tsp corn oil or any vegetable oil
1/2 tbs minced green chiles
1/2 cup sharp white cheddar cheese, shredded

Instructions:

Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees. Most ovens do not have an accurate temperature gauge, so hang an oven thermometer on the middle rack and use it to determine when the oven is preheated.

Grease an 8 in. cast iron skillet (do not place it in the oven).

Mix the cornmeal, flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, sugar, and cheese together in a bowl. Whip together the yogurt, egg, oil, and chiles in a cup. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix well to obtain an even consistency. Then, pour the batter into the skillet and immediately place into the oven.

Bake for about 20 minutes until golden brown on top. Insert a toothpick to see if the bread is done (nothing should stick when you pull the toothpick out). Serve with red pepper chutney and black bean soup.

Basil Tofu

Wow. It has been a while since I've posted on here. My apologies for the two people reading this blog. Ha. Well, the other day I had a hankering for some Basil Tofu. I can never get my Thai food to taste like our favorite restaurant's dishes, but I try anyway.

Basil Tofu is something that we really came to love while traveling in Thailand. It is simple in preparation, but packs a unique and addictive flavor. No heavy coconut curry here. Key is to use Thai Basil (no other kind will do) and some Nam Pla. I have heard that you can use mushroom sauce as a substitute for the Nam Pla, but it does not have the same pungency. Still, if you're a pure vegetarian, you'll have to make do.

Ingredients:

1 20 oz. package frozen tofu, thawed (freezing tofu makes it chewier)
1 small onion, sliced
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 cup vegetable stock (or less if you want it drier)
1 1/2 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp minced bird's eye chilis
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp black soy sauce (it must be black for the sweetness; adjust to taste)

2 tsp Nam Pla (or less to taste)
3/4 cup thai basil leaves

Instructions:

Heat a large pan with some oil on medium-high. While it is heating up, cube the tofu into bite size pieces. Saute the tofu in the heated pan until golden brown all over. Push tofu to the side.

Heat some oil in the same pan. Add the garlic and chilis. Saute until you smell the garlic (ten second or so), and then add in the onions and bell pepper. Mix the tofu in with the vegetables and cook for a couple of minutes.

Now add the stock, sugar, and soy sauce. Be careful with the soy sauce - if your stock is salty, the soy sauce may make the overall dish too salty. Use your judgment. After the stock reduces a little (after a few minutes), turn off the heat. Throw in the basil leaves, stir well, and serve immediately with fragrant jasmine rice.