Thursday, March 15, 2007

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!

20 comments:

Tofu Mom (AKA Tofu-n-Sprouts) said...

Glad you liked the slaw! Isn't it yummy? Now I have a few more recipes to go with it, next time I make a Thai sort-of dinner.

bazu said...

That slaw sounds fantastic- and your presentations are beautiful!
What a weird story about that fire... the saga continues...

KleoPatra said...

Very sad about homeless people no matter where or what the circumstance, i have to say first of all. But really, that is bizarre, about the meat fire? I doubt it, highly! As a long-time newspaper person, i know what gets done in the name of an "EXCITING HEADLINE!!!" whether what is being reported on is true or false(see me roll my eyes, Diann!!)

i love the title of that book, "Foods That Don't Bite Back." GREAT one!!! What you made sounds really delish. Thinly sliced tofu that's been marinated in peanut sauce and baked. Yummers!

I was just lookin' at Jackie's blog and she wrote about lemongrass, one of my fave smells. Your noodle soup sounds and looks excellent!! Not sure what sriracha is... gotta look that up.

Tofu Mom's cole slaw looks delish. I use broccoli slaw as well. So nutritious, this salad. YUM!

That pineapple coffee cake appears quite tasty. Nice to have such a good dinner with Chase. Bon apetit!

Emmy said...

Did you get coupons in the mail for Half Price Books? I got some yesterday and I can't wait to use them.

I'll have to look up that Tofu Satay recipe. Sounds delish as does the soup, with all that fresh basil on top. YUM! I've made the sloppy lentils before and they were tasty :)

Unknown said...

What a tasty Thai dinner! I'd love the satay, too, if it was peanutty. Your plate was really pretty with the basil garnish and drops of sauce.

Glad to see you're nibbling on some broccoli! :)

Kate said...

Everything looks wonderful! I have seen that sloopy lentil recipe before, I think it is my turn to try it.

erica said...

Hahhhaaaa Diann - there's a nipple on your tofu!! I can't stop looking at it. That soup especially looks delicious, and I never thought of having "add-ins" for cole slaw. That is literally food for thought.

MeloMeals said...

Your Thai meal looks so good! I love how you presented the tofu.. very pretty.

"just soup and salad"... that's the beauty of soup and salad.. it can be anything you want it to be! It's awesome that Chase appreciates your cooking.

laura k said...

What a beautiful Thai-themed meal. The coleslaw sounds just excellent. Strange story, the fire... I don't know how to feel.

aTxVegn said...

Thanks, everybody! And I don't really know what to say about the fire story either. I just get mad knowing Austin is ranked as a top ten veg-friendly city and that jerk columnist takes every opportunity to poke fun at "vegheads." And it's just plain sad. March is tourist month here, and I know Mother's is missing out on all the extra money coming in. They hope to open by July.

FOTM, oh, yes, very yummy slaw. Thanks again for posting the recipe!

Emmy, I didn't get any coupons - rats! If you make the Tofu Satay, I actually forgot I had it in the oven and baked it about 20 minutes longer. I was glad, since I don't like soft tofu.

Erica, one time I made "Breasts of Tofu" and I tried and tried to get nipples on them, but I would put 2 on one slice, and Chase kept telling me they looked like cassette tapes, not breasts. So now I can tell him we have the solution - sriracha!

scottishvegan said...

I had already read somewhere else that the restaurant fire was caused by the homeless man cooking steaks. It just sounds so unlikely…sounds like your annoying silly journalist is just trying to make a “better” story out of it…
The Thai food is so beautifully presented. The coleslaw sound delicious. I’ve made those sloppy lenties before…they are sooo good..great comfort food.

Susan Voisin said...

I'm so glad to hear you liked the pineapple coffee cake!

I also wanted to tell you that my sister was pining for rain the whole time she was away. We had a few sprinkles--and thunder--and she was so excited, not having seen any for a while in Austin. I bet she thinks she missed out!

Can you tell me more about Mother's, my fave spot to eat in Austin? How badly was it damaged? That newpaper write-up just sucks!

Anonymous said...

The photo of your tofu is so beautiful. I'm glad you're feeling better. it must be hard not to fully enjoy your beloved broccoli. I hope you're fully up to speed soon.

madeinalaska said...

Lovely yummy food! Thai is one of my favs! I see broccoli has re appeared!

Mikaela said...

What gorgeous presentation :) Another lovely themed dinner. You are amazing!

Anonymous said...

Darn! We don't have a Half Price books here but there is one an hour and a half away...hmmm...wonder if I could talk Marty into a day trip??? Glad to hear you're recovering nicely after your surgery. I've tried to be more thoughtful about my own issues and when I catch myself doing it I do try to stop. It's a crappy problem.

For being a temporary "invalid" you've sure been creative in the kitchen. I never seem to have any luck making Indian food so I was happy to see a whole bunch of inspiration here. I want a Gandhi Bazar!

JENNA said...

What a wonderful plate presentation of the satay. It looks like it came from a fancy restaurant kitchen! Beautiful!

JENNA

Candi said...

The news of the cafe is very sad all around. Playing up the "meat in a tofu joint" is very silly and just a way to get attention, I suppose. I hope the cafe does open in July despite missing out on the tourist season. :(

Your soup and salad is gorgeous! I love the thinly sliced peanut tofu too! So pretty on the dish with the basil and sauce decorations!! You're so creative!

Yes, that pineapple cake is Susan's is perfect! I love it!

I hope you are feeling better and that soon your broccoli pieces can be a bit larger! :) :)

vko said...

The thai presentation is absolutely gorgeous. That soup looks amazing!

Hope that you will be eating full broccoli pieces soon! But just think, not that long ago- you were eating mush, well really tasty mush. You are healing nicely.

Anonymous said...

yum, this looks very good! great phots. i hope you are feeling better!