Golden-crusted Sesame Seeded Tofu

In the April 1998 issue of Martha Stewart Living magazine there was a recipe for Sesame Asparagus and Tofu. I ripped it out, cooked it a hundred times in the twenty years since, and still have the clipping. My technique has evolved a bit, and I like to use the seeded tofu component on (and in) all sort of things - grain bowls, wraps, or to top a plate of grilled vegetables. But, it's also perfect paired simply with boiled (or grilled!) asparagus or broccoli, or served over blanched green beans, as pictured here. A smear of favorite chile oil, or a shower of sliced scallions seals the deal.

A couple of tips! Be sure to use extra-firm tofu. Also, play around a bit. I call for sesame seeds here, but like to add hemp seeds to the mix on occasion as well.

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My Ten Most Popular Recipes of 2017

I never really know how a recipe is going to be received until I put it out into the world. Some pop unexpectedly, finding their way into your kitchens in no time. Others are destined to quietly hang out in the archives without much fanfare. Either way, it's always fun for me to look back on the previous year and make a list of the most popular recipes. It helps me understand what is resonating with you, and it helps me plan for the year to come. There were a few surprises in here (tortillas!), and some no-brainers, like the Last Minute Red Lasagna. Taking a moment like this also gives me a chance to ask what you'd like to see more of in 2018? A good number of you were interested in healthful, vegetarian Instant Pot recipes, that was part of what inspired me to get one and start playing around (curiously fun and surprising!). What else are you excited about? Or what are you already seeing here, that you'd like to see more of. Many thanks in advance. I've said it a hundred times, but the most inspiring part of having this site is seeing the recipes make the jump to you. xx! -h

Here we go - the ten most popular recipes of 2017!

1. Vibrant Vegan Double Broccoli Buddha Bowl - (101 Cookbooks)
A favorite Buddha bowl made with seven ingredients on green overdrive. You double up on broccoli through a coconut green curry pesto and florets, then toss with a quinoa base. Get the recipe here.

2. Instant Pot Mushroom Stroganoff with Vodka - (101 Cookbooks)
A late, but definitive, contender. This was a fast favorite. Made with caraway-spiked vodka, and a hearty mushroom base, you get all of what you love about mushroom stroganoff, without the all the butter and cream. Get the recipe here.

3. Spicy Tahini Noodles with Roasted Vegetables - (101 Cookbooks)
Noodles tossed with a quick sauce, topped with an abundance of vegetables, and kissed with chile feistiness courtesy of the condiment shelf. Get the recipe here.

4. An Excellent, One-pan, Protein-packed Power Pasta - (101 Cookbooks)
One-pot meals are the savior of weeknight cooking, and this pasta is a go-to. It's pasta and lentils simmered in crushed tomatoes, finished with lots of chopped kale, saffron, swirls of tahini and chopped almonds. Get the recipe here.

5. Homemade Tortillas, plus Five Ways to Boost Them - (101 Cookbooks)
A taco night game-changer, and so so so fast and easy. Get the recipe here.

6. Last Minute Red Lasagna - (101 Cookbooks)
I think people responded to this because it is a true weeknight lasagna. No pre-cooking sauces, no pre-cooking noodles. You, literally, stir the first five ingredients together into a vibrant crushed tomato sauce, and start layering. Get the recipe here.

7. Instant Pot Minestrone Soup - (101 Cookbooks)
The second of two Instant Pot recipes on the list. You start with dried beans and go from there. No need to use mushy canned beans (and then cook them even more).A standby, if you have an IP. Get the recipe here.

8. Quick Vegan Enchiladas with Sweet Potato Sauce - (101 Cookbooks)
Knock-out delicious, in the oven in less that ten minutes, and a healthful alternative to all the heavy cheese versions out there. With black beans, sweet potatoes, and a stealthy turmeric boost.Get the recipe here.

9. Healthful Double Chocolate Cookies - (101 Cookbooks)
And rounding out the list with some sweets & treats. A nut-free (school-friendly), double chocolate version of one of the most popular cookies on my site. Made with a banana-batter, shredded coconut, dark chocolate chunks, and oats. Butter-less, flour-less, egg-less, and potentially sugar-less cookies make great after school, travel, or post-workout treats. Get the recipe here.

10. One Bowl Banana Bread - (101 Cookbooks)
Everyone needs a great banana bread recipe. This is the one you want if you're craving classic banana bread flavor and texture, but want as little mess, drama, and equipment as possible. It's the laziest, one bowl banana bread I know, still with big pay-off. Get the recipe here.

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Simple Whole Wheat Sugar Cookies

This is the recipe I use anytime I want perfect sugar cookies. They bake up beautifully with nice structure and a hint of snap when you break them in two. Especially if you can wait that extra minute or two, when they make the shift, in the oven, from just-plain-baked to golden and toasted. The dough is an absolute dream to work with. And the flavor? They have just the right amount of salt to counter the sweet. This recipe makes enough dough to yield plenty of cookies, with dough left over to freeze. I typically run out of energy before I run out of dough. I thought I'd posted this recipe long ago(!), but a search through the archives proved me wrong! I'm also including the icing I like.

As far as icing goes, I have a lot of thoughts. ;) I have a base recipe I use and then tweak it from there. Sometimes, I like my icing to have be somewhat translucent, like a wash - so I add more water. Other times, I want it more opaque, so I leave it as written (below). I always like it to be a bit matte, and not hyper-glossy, so that's what you'll get here. Also, have fun with natural colors. You could do tiny hot-pink dots on the trees pictured with some raspberry powder plus a bit of the icing added to it. I like saffron for yellow, matcha for green, etc. Play around!

Pro-tip! Keep your eyes peeled at yard sales, flea markets, and the like for special cookie cutters - that's where you'll find the gems. I have a bin of favorites that I can go to each time I make cookies.

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This is How to Become an Instant Pot Whisperer

The thing that struck me most as I started to use my Instant Pot regularly, as I began to haunt the various Instant Pot groups, and read the comments peppering Instagram (#instantpot), is the following. There are countless people out there who have purchased this of-the-moment appliance who never use it. They're nervous about pressure cooking in general, or have no idea how to weave it into their culinary life. Others let it sit on the counter relegated to occasional bean preparation, or yogurt. Don't get me wrong, the legions of Instant Pot fans are strong (and encouraging, and helpful!), but there are a lot of individuals out there who are clearly overwhelmed, not quite inspired, or can't quite find their Instant Pot tribe (important!). If any of these scenarios apply to you, I hope this post can help a bit, perhaps reframe how you think of this kitchen tool moving forward, particularly if you're a new user.

Here are some suggested ways you can approach Instant Pot cooking from a place of enthusiasm, and (hopefully) an anxiety-free place of mastery and calm! I also have an ever-evolving Instant Pot Starter Guide that I add to regularly, and a growing list of Instant Pot recipes that I've written, and tested.

1. Focus on a Single Function: For me, straight out of the gate, it was the pressure cooker functionality. If you focus on a single function, you're less likely to get over-whelmed with all the other buttons, sounds, different models, and whatnot. Build your confidence one recipe at a time using your chosen "initial" function, and then branch out from there. After pressure cooking, I branched out to the slow cooker functionality.

Make this: Instant Pot Mushroom Stroganoff with Vodka

2. Easy Answers. If you're a member of the Instant Pot Facebook Group (along with nearly 1,000,000 others!) familiarize yourself with the lefthand "search" function on desktop. It's fantastically helpful if you have a question, problem, or just need a confidence boost. There is likely someone in there who has asked your question before, and chances are, someone has volunteered an insightful answer.

3. Start Simple: Break in your Instant Pot with a simple pot of beans, or a straight-forward weeknight meal. Getting one solid success under your belt makes a huge difference in what you can imagine is possible. This Mushroom Stroganoff with Vodka is a ringer (pictured above). As are the Instant Pot Fiasco Beans (Pictured below).

Make this: Instant Pot Fiasco Beans

4. Try at Least Two New Recipes a Month. Or one a week if you're more ambitious ;) It's such a great way to manageably build a repertoire of go-to recipes over the course of a year. And, it's always fun to try new recipes - especially if they work! It's like when I would tell people to try cooking with an ingredient they've NEVER cooked with once or twice a month. Over a year, it's fascinating how much that can impact your home cooking, and what you're eating.

5. Find your People. Said another way, take some time to find your Instant Pot tribe. The main communities are robust, generally welcoming, helpful, fast, and high volume. That said, joining them can be like merging onto a fast-moving six-lane highway, and maybe you're more of a country road type of person? My advice? Patiently take some time to poke around. For example, I know I like to cook and focus on vegetable and plant-centric recipes, so, I've joined a number of Facebook Instant Pot groups that focus primarily on that. There are IP healthy recipe groups, IP paleo groups, IP Whole30, IP for Weight Watchers, IP Indian recipes - lots of options (all these are on FB). Date some groups, see where you feel inspired and at home, and settle in. There's also an #instantpot hashtag and you can watch corresponding Insta-story videos and whatnot.

6. Read the Manual. Do it, but then circle back to recommendation #1 up above. Focus. Single function ;)

There are so many of you out there with a lot of experience. If you can give new IPers a single piece of advice, what would it be? I'm hoping your insights will also inspire anyone just starting out on this journey from the comments. xx, -h

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Quick Vegan Enchiladas with Sweet Potato Sauce

A weeknight-friendly enchilada has to check a lot of boxes for me. You ready for the short list? Here we go. These enchiladas need to be knock-out delicious AND: easy to assemble, free from pre-cooking any components, a healthful alternative to all the heavy cheese versions out there, and, ideally, in the oven in less that ten minutes. That's the dream scenario. And after some experimentation, I offer you these. They're tender enchiladas made with black beans, sweet potatoes, and(!) I slip in a stealthy turmeric boost. There was also a focus on making a version that was plant-based and vegan (which is what you see here), but also easily adaptable. Like, if you want to add a bit of feta to the filling here (if you're not vegan, of course) then go for it. It's a recipe that should be able to accommodate much of what you might dream of rolling into a tortilla and baking until bubbly and golden.

This recipe is similar in spirit to the Last Minute Lasagna a bunch of you have been making. In fact, I started working on both of those around the same time, so if you like one of them, give the other a try as well.

A couple of notes, I wrote the recipe calling for canned winter squash - anything like pumpkin, sweet potato, or another winter squash will work. Whatever you and your family tends to like. I stumbled on a canned butternut squash during a spin through Trader Joe's, a while back, stocked up, and that is what you see pictured here. You can, of course, use squash you've roasted at home in place of canned - it just makes the process less quick ;)...

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