Satay, Soup & Slaw - Thai Style

Before I tell you about food, first let me tell you there’s a rumor going around that the homeless man who accidentally set fire to Mother’s Café was going to cook himself a steak. Our local columnist (NOT my favorite person!) wrote “Ultimate Irony: Meat Fire Brings Down Tofu Joint,” “A fire at a veghead place? Have you ever tried to set fire to a zucchini?” and “first steak ever done at Mother’s.” Mother’s owner said he doesn’t believe that. (Do homeless people carry around steaks?) He also said he has had to run this man off several times because he’s very ornery and likes to berate his patrons. I’m still glad he didn’t get ticketed or fined.

Back to food. Chase came over last tonight for a Thai dinner. I made Tofu Satay from my new cookbook Foods That Don’t Bite Back. It is thinly sliced tofu marinated (the night before) in a peanut sauce and then baked. Since it’s peanutty, we loved it.


For our sides, we made this recipe for Thai Lemongrass-Coconut Noodle Soup, a delicious broth with fresh broccoli, napa cabbage, and carrots, and served over rice noodles. I left the tofu out since it was elsewhere on the menu, and doubled up on the broccoli. This was a very mellow soup, more suited for cold weather or healing. We added some lime juice to bring out more flavor, and also spiced it up with some sriracha. It's topped with lots of fresh basil.

I also made Tofu Mom’s Thai Style Cole Slaw. I used a package of broccoli slaw instead of cabbage and carrots, and also added in some salad greens. I served diced cucumber, tomatoes, and jalapenos on the side for add-ins. The slaw is cold and spicy and the dressing is sweet and delicious!

I had time to make Susan V’s Pineapple Coffee Cake before I started dinner, a recipe many of you have made and has been on my "must make" list. It turned out perfectly and was just as Susan described – a little dense and not too sweet.

Chase said it was great to have a Sunday dinner in the middle of the week. I said it was just soup and salad, but actually it turned out to be quite a nice meal!


Earlier this week I made Leslie’s Sloppy Lentils, finally. I can’t believe I haven’t made these until now. Everyone has raved about them and it is a wonderful and easy to prepare recipe.

Still eating tiny bites of broccoli and wilted salad.

Thanks for all the nice comments on the Indian food post. I hope I live long enough to sample all the recipes I have lined up to cook. I can't wait to see what you all have been up to!