Day 136 - Mexican Millet, Black Beans in Chipotle Adobo Sauce, and Tangerine Baked Tofu

Sue's back! And while she's a very game eater, she does have a couple of limitations: no sugar (there goes dessert) and no wheat. I'm sure we can find something fun in here that's wheat-less. How about a Mexican fiesta?

Tangerine Baked Tofu

Fun ingredients (something about tangerine juice and rum that just says "party") pointed to a zesty, flavory tofu entree. These pressed tofu slices marinate and bake at the same time in all that party juice. Then, when they're finished, the sauce has either evaporated or it's spooned on top for serving. 

Well, I didn't have a strong finish with this dish. It was ready before the other elements, so I just turned off the heat and left them in the oven to cool down. Bad call. Not so bad for the tofu, which was well-cooked, but bad for any remaining sauce, and really bad for the Pyrex baking dish. No amount of soaking loosened that grit. I spend a solid 20 minutes with a Brillo pad before I could call that dish clean.

The tofu itself tasted OK. Neither here nor there. 

Until... the other courses were ready. Then, when we tasted them again with bitefuls of the beans and millet, the tofu magically came alive. All of a sudden, the sweetness was a wonderful relief, as was the texture. This is a dish that really blossoms in context.

SFO: 2
Sue made me give this a 2. And she liked it. But she thought that your average omni would be all "anh anh" about it. And she's right.


Mexican Millet

Yum!! This is something I would never have tried were I not doing this project. The word "Mexican" in a recipe does not inspire me to move forward. However, this is one great dish!

Firstly, you just don't see millet that much, so it's a welcome reprieve from the omnipresent rice. Next, the flavorings here are super duper good, and sending it completely over the edge are the optional (but should be mandatory) garnishes, namely fresh cilantro, chopped tomato, and lime juice. Stellar!

SFO: 10
This will shock and amaze your millet-unconscious friends.


Black Beans in Chipotle Adobo Sauce

This is a lot of attention for canned beans. It makes me wonder: why canned here, and dried there. Who decided which recipes got which? And why? 

I+T, if you ever read this blog, please weigh in.

The beans taste fine, but the real dazzler here is the sauce. Very simply, it combines sauteed garlic and onions and some minced chipotles in adobo, blended to chunky sauce consistency. So basic, yet so delicious. And spicy, but worth the shvitz. (Does anyone else out there sweat profusely from the scalp when eating spicy foods, like I do?)

SFO: 10