BB-Fu

I've been wanting to try barbeque tofu for a little while now. I tried it last Friday and served it up with some No Mayo Potato Salad, and some corn on the cob.
I don't have a kitchen timer yet, so I actually cooked everything when I got home from work, then tossed it in the crockpot to keep it warm while I collected Mr. Barefoot from the airport. I'm going to try it again soon (I found an Asian grocery store that stocks cheap tofu) without pre-cooking everything. I may still fry up the tofu because I like for it to be a bit crispy - although if I got some sub rolls, a messy barbeque sandwich with slightly soft/shredded tofu might be amazing...
Ingredients:

• 1/2 package of tofu, cut into 1-inch chunks. I froze mine and then thawed it out - for stuff like this, the tougher the better.
  
• BBQ sauce - I used some I bought at Trader Joes. Whatever flavor you prefer.
  
• 2 ears Corn on the Cob.

Equipment:

• 1.5 quart crockpot
• Stove, frying pan
• Microwave
  

Procedure:

1. Thaw and drain tofu. Saute in a frying pan until crispy on all sides (either kind of yellowish or brownish).
   
2. Pour BBQ sauce in the crockpot until bottom is covered. Add tofu. Pour more BBQ sauce on top and stir tofu until well coated.
   
3. Microwave corn for 4 minutes, in husks. Shuck corn under cold water. (Seriously - try it. It is the most helpful thing my grandpa ever taught me. Well, that and never try to exit a burning building via a revolving door. But I use this tip more.)
   
4. Cut corn cobs in half. Add to crockpot on top of the tofu. Don't worry if it gets a little saucy.
5. Cook for 2 hours.
   

If anybody wants to try doing this with the corn un-cooked before putting it in, I would say cook it for 4-6 hours and let me know how it tastes and whether the tofu holds up.

Overall, I hadn't really considered using the crockpot at a good way to keep things warm/finish things off before a dinner party - but it really is excellent for that, and I think it will come in handy at future family parties.

No Mayo Potato Salad

A few years ago my friend Tess made a potato salad with some kind of Italian dressing or vinaigrette or something. I just remember it didn't have mayonnaise in it, and that was the only way I could be convinced to eat it. For those of you new to the blog: Mayo is Disgusting.
The other night, I decided to make some potato salad for myself and Mr. Barefoot. It came out pretty good - it could probably be spiced up a little bit, and I'll keep tweaking the recipe some. Suggestions for spices are appreciated.
Ingredients:

• 4 yellow potatoes (in Ann Arbor, all the potatoes have a really thin skin). Redskins would probably work well as well. I peeled the potatoes and then diced them, but peeling is definitely optional. I diced them into about 3/4 inch squares.
• Olive Oil
• Salt, pepper, Italian seasonings to taste
• Balsamic vinegar

Procedure:

1. Boil a large pot of water. Add potatoes. Boil for about 10 minutes, until soft.
   
2. Drain in a colander.
3. Put in a bowl with some olive oil (just pour it until it looks wet.) Add some balsamic vinegar, and a lot of spices. I used Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and anything else I could find on the windowsill that looked edible (I miss our spice rack...). Fresh herbs would probably be even better.
4. Chill for approximately 2 hours.
   

The best part was we fried the leftovers up for breakfast and ate them as home fries. Also, if you took this to a picnic you wouldn't have to worry about food poisioning.

Zuchinni and Quinoa Pilaf

I went to the farmer's market this morning. I got some zuchinni and asparagus. I made zuchinni with quinoa and onions and garlic for dinner. It was pretty good, but I would have cooked the garlic and the zuchinni at the same time. Also, I'm bitter because the guy at the farmer's market gave me the smallest zuchinni that they had!
Ingredients:

• Yellow Zuchinni
  
• Green Zuchinni
• Garlic
• 1/2 Onion
• 1/4 cup quinoa
• 1/2 cup water
• Salt & Pepper
  

Procedure:

1. Chop all ingredients. I like to slice the zuchinni really thin. Mince garlic and onions.
   
2. Rinse quinoa. Boil in 1/2 cup of water and reduce to a simmer.
   
3. Saute onions until soft.
   
4. Add garlic and zuchinni.
   
5. Saute until delicious. Add seasonings.
   
6. Add quinoa once water has been absorbed.
   

You can eat with cheese, or without. I'm trying to cut down on my cheese intake, so I abstained.

What goes with Crab?

A friend is having his birthday party on Saturday and is throwing a crabfeast (he's a friend from Maryland...was that not obvious?) So the question is - what goes with crab?
I'm hoping to make and bring soft pretzels (recipe forthcoming) and a cake. (Last year there was a run on cake.)
I can't decide what kind of cake to bring. I'm dying to make a whole cake from scratch. I'm considering this cake, but it does look awfully complicated (and I forgot to buy cornstarch yesterday.) I think a lemon cake would be just summery and light and fluffy enough to go with the crabfeast, but maybe not enough people like lemon cake.
I also considering a carrot cake or spice cake - something with a little more density than a regular cake.
Or a red velvet cake, to be as Maryland as possible.
I'm also trying to avoid having to buy too many only-use-once ingredients for my kitchen here, since it turns out food is expensive.
There is also the option of cupcakes, cheesecake, or cupcake pops, which do look like fun to attempt.

mmmm dinner.

Tonight I finally got myself to a grocery store. I've been living off a Target and Trader Joe's preliminary run which left me with a random array of foodstuffs.
So for dinner I made myself eggplant topped with sauted onion and cheese.
Ingredients:

• eggplant, sliced into half-inch-thick slices
• onions, cut into slices
  
• cheese (I used cheddar and mozzerella)

Procedure:

1. Preheat oven to 425
   
2. Saute onions in frying pan. Set aside.
3. Fry eggplant in pan.
   
4. Set eggplant on cookie sheet. Top with onions and cheese.
5. Bake in the oven for about 5-7 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and melty.
   

This was good, but it has a lot of potential. Different cheeses, and next time I'm definitely adding garlic to the onions mixed. And maybe some balsamic vinegar.