Mapo Tofu

Ma po tofu is one of my favorite Chinese dishes and is surprisingly very easy to make (thanks to the recipe by a fellow Seattle food blogger Nook & Pantry). The two key ingredients for this classic Szechuan dish are Szechuan peppercorns and chili garlic sauce, both of which can be found in local Asian markets (if you live in the Seattle area, try Uwajimaya). Szechuan peppercorns are very tongue-numbing, so be sure to adjust the amount for your tolerance level.

Szechuan peppers are reddish in color and very fragrant.

Important final step: make sure to mix cornstarch with water before you pour it into the tofu mixture.

(Adapted from Nook & Pantry; makes 2-4 servings)

Ingredients:
1 block soft tofu, cut into 1-inch cubes
4 oz ground pork
2 tbsp chili garlic sauce
1 tsp Szechuan peppercorns, toasted and ground
1 tbsp soy sauce
6 green onions, chop the white part and cut the green part into 3-inch sections
2 tsp ginger, minced
1/4 tsp white pepper
1/2 tsp brown sugar
1/4 cup chicken stock
1 tbsp oil
1 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tbsp water
Salt to taste

Directions:
- Heat the oil in a pan over medium high heat.
- Cook the ginger, the white part of green onions and Szechuan peppers for a minute.
- Add the pork, garlic, chili garlic sauce, soy sauce, white pepper and sugar and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add the tofu, the rest of the green onions, chicken stock and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- After simmering, add the cornstarch mixture and bring up to a simmer again and cook until thickened.
- Garnish with chopped green onions.

Banana Bread

I buy bananas all the time because they're so cheap and, unlike exotic fruits, they're available all year round. I usually eat some by themselves and freeze the rest for smoothies (mango + banana + soy milk = so good!). But every once in a while I like to bake banana bread for breakfast or a snack. Usually recipes call for greasing the pan and flouring it first, but since I didn't have butter I lined the pan with parchment paper instead. I think this is actually a better way of baking because you're guaranteed the bread would not stick to the pan and therefore come out beautifully. Not to mention clean up is a lot easier!

Ingredients:
3 ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 cup flour

Directions:
- Preheat the oven at 350 degrees F.
- Mix the bananas, sugar, vanilla, eggs and oil.
- Mix the dry ingredients and add to the banana mixture.
- Pour the batter into a parchment paper-lined pan.
- Bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
- Cool in the pan for 10 minutes.

Figs, Blus Cheese and Prosciutto - Two Ways

I hope you all had a wonderful long weekend with friends and family. I'm so exited figs are finally available at local grocery stores! I recently made two very similar appetizers using seasonal figs. If you end up trying both recipes, let me know which one you like better!

PROSCIUTTO-WRAPPED FIGS
Ingredients:
5 figs, halved
5 slices prosciutto, halved lengthwise
Blue cheese
Black pepper or aged balsamic vinegar

Directions:
- Preheat the oven at 400 degrees F.
- Stuff some blue cheese into the fig and wrap prosciutto around the fig.
- Bake for 15 minutes.
- Serve with black pepper or aged balsamic vinegar.

FIG TART
Ingredients:
1 sheet puff pastry, defrosted
1 egg, beaten
5 figs, sliced
2 slices prosciutto, cut into 1-inch strips
Blue cheese, crumbled
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 tbsp butter
1 tsp salt

Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Cook the onion in the pan with the butter and salt for 15-20 minutes until lightly caramelized.
- Roll out the puff pastry sheet on a floured board a little bit.
- Brush with the egg wash and place the figs, onion, blue cheese and prosciutto evenly.
- Bake for 15 minutes.

Cheese and Green Onion Rolls

The other day I watched Ina Garten make a simple appetizer using frozen puff pastry on Barefoot Contessa and I was inspired to do the same. Since I had leftover cheese from Costco (yes, everything is big there!) that I was trying to use up, I decided to make puff pastry rolls with cheese and green onions. These rolls are great by themselves as an appetizer, but they also make a wonderful side dish for a soup or a salad.

Ingredients:
1 sheet puff pastry, defrosted
1 egg, beaten
1 cup cheese, shredded (e.g., cheddar, gruyere)
3/4 cup green onions, chopped (scallions are also great!)
1 shallot, chopped
1 tbsp parsley, chopped
1 tsp thyme, chopped

Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Roll out the puff pastry sheet on a floured board a little bit.
- Brush with the egg wash and sprinkle the rest of the ingredients evenly.
- Roll up like a jelly roll.
- Cut into 20 pieces.
- Bake for 15 minutes.

Bacon-Wrapped Dates

I love making and eating appetizers more than regular meals. Appetizers are usually easier and less time-consuming to make and since they're small, you can comfortably eat main courses and desserts afterward. Appetizers are also great by themselves. I like to make them when I'm not that hungry or when I don't have much time before friends are coming over. Bacon, dates and cheese are three things I always have in the fridge, so I decided to combine them to make a super easy and delicious appetizer. What I love the most about this appetizer is that you get a perfect blend of different textures and flavors: crunchiness and saltiness from the bacon, sweetness from the dates, and creaminess from the cheese.

Ingredients:
10 dates, pitted
5 bacon slices, halved
2-3 oz cheese (e.g., blue, feta, goat, ricotta cheese)

Directions:
- Heat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Stuff cheese into dates.
- Wrap bacon around each date and secure with a toothpick.
- Bake for 15 minutes, turning the dates two, three times.
- Drain on a paper towel.