First times a charm - 5 Spice tofu with over Asian slaw

This was a stumble upon delicious recipe yet again. I always break the golden rules of entertaining. NEVER MAKE SOMETHING FOR THE FIRST TIME WHEN THROWING A DINNER PARTY!! For me it ads a sense of adventure, plus it really wows your guests when you tell then it's the first time you've made the dish and they ooohh, and aaahh over your amazing accomplishments. Recipes definitely make this dangerous party trick easier, but since I rarely use them I want you all to pull this off with ease.  5 Spice tofu with over Asain slaw INGREDIENTS:
firm tofu - cut in half width wise so you have 2 large steaks
1 yellow pepper - cut in to thin strips
1/2 english cucumber - " " "
2 large carrots - " " "
handful of fresh mint - chop into thin strips
chinese 5 spice blend - for tofu
sesame oil - for dressing small drizzle
soya sauce - light 2tsp
rice wine vinegar - 2tsp
hoisen sauce - 2tsp
grape seed oil - or other mild flavored oil - 2tsp
sesame seeds - black is preferred but it's optional.
PREP: dust both side of tofu with the 5 spice. For salad place all veggie in bowl and toss with dressing. 
COOK: in a hot pan drizzle some grape seed oil then fry tofu until golden and slightly crisp on each side.  Remove from heat and cut into cubes. 
SERVE: tofu on top of salad with sprinkle of sesame seeds and mint ribbons. 

Beginning of the end of summer wrap up

So you all know I neglected the blog this summer with moving and wedding planning and all, I've decided that instead of celebrating the fall any further I'm going to do a summer recipe wrap up. There are a bunch of dishes we enjoyed this summer that were blog worthy and I think you loyal readers deserve to know about them. We going to get it started with this quick soup served cold. It's an apricot gazpacho with mint. INGREDIENTS: 
a dozen fresh apricots - rough chop
1/2 English cucumber - de-seeded and skinned then rough chopped
1 shallot - rough chop
1 celery stocks - rough chop
1 yellow pepper - rough chop
1/2 or more lemon- juiced or any citrus 
mint - few leaves (5) for blending mixture and some for the garnish
s & p
olive oil 
PREP: Using a hand blender or whatever appliance you choose blend ingredients together roughly - you don't want a smooth blend rather little bits still visible. 
SERVE: in a glass with a small spoon drizzled with olive oil and fresh mint. Summer in a glass - a wonderful way to start a backyard BBQ! 

I got the beet - marinated beetroot salad with ricotta and basil

I LOVE beets! Also know as beetroot they're a delicious healthy LOCAL sweet vegetable that we eat all the time at home. There are so many ways to enjoy beets, and I better not see any of you throwing away the tops. The tops are the leafy greens you see on top of these beautiful burgundy bulbs. They are wonderful - kind of a cross between spinach and swiss chard, but that not what I'm here to talk about today. Today we are talking marinated beet salad served cold with ricotta,  fresh basil and a orange marinate for the dressing. INGREDIENTS:

beetroot - thinly sliced and boiled until tender

1 orange - juices 1 cup of tropicana will also do

1/2 lemon - juiced

salt & pepper

drizzle of olive oil

ricotta cheese - feta or goats cheese will also work

fresh basil sprigs

PREP: You can boil your beets whole and peel the skin off, or you can peel and slice your beets and then boil. Its really up to you. Once beets are tender place them in a bowl with orange and lemon juice  enough to cover them completely and sprinkle of s&p. Lets beets sit over night.

PLATE: Sandwich dollops of ricotta between slices of beets, use the beet marinate as the dressing for the salad and top with a drizzle of plain or flavored olive oil and some fresh basil. Simple and delicious.