recipes: jerk tofu and collard greens July 27, 2007

 

My hunny is from Trinidad and I’m from Miami, but we are now stuck in Ann Arbor, and try to make due with it.  One of the ways I try to make this Michigan city feel more like home is to cook Caribbean style food on a regular basis. This recipe for jerk tofu is by far the best one I have ever made. I used no premade sauces, and the flavors were perfectly sweet and spicy.  You can adjust the spiciness by adding or lessening the about of chile pepper you use. Oh, and try not to eat it all the first night because the second or third night is when the flavors really start to come together.

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Jerk Tofu (approximately 4 – 6 servings)

• 3 large cloves garlic, minced

• 1/4 cup minced fresh ginger

•  1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions (white and light green parts only)

• 1/2 small habanero chile, seeded and minced (use gloves or coat fingertips with oil first and don’t touch your face)

• 1 1/2 tsp salt

• 1 1/2 tsp allspice

• 1 1/2 tsp thyme

• 1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 1 tbs lemon juice

• 3/4 cup apricot juice (can substitute with something like peach/mango juice or apple juice)

• 2 tbsp maple syrup

• 1 16oz package of extra firm tofu, drained and cut into sections however you prefer

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare marinade: In medium bowl, whisk together all ingredients, except for the tofu. Pour into large shallow baking dish.

Add tofu, turning to coat. Cover and bake, 40 minutes or up to 70 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Collard Greens

There are many variations on cooking these great greens. For each night we had the tofu, I made a bunch of greens in a slightly different way. The constant factor was the way I sliced the greens: After washing the greens, tear them away from the thickest part of the the stem, and stack the pieces together. Then, roll them all up, like you would roll a sushi roll. Thinly slice the greens while holding the roll tightly together.

Night one:

I used about 1/4 of an onion, sliced, and 1/2 c red cabbage. I threw the onion into the pan with a little olive oil, allowing them to brown slightly before adding the cabbage and greens. Cook for about 7 minutes, or until the greens are slightly wilted. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Night two:

I used 2 tsp minced garlic cloves and 1 c red cabbage (the rest of the bag). I added the garlic to the pan with the olive oil first, and then added the greens and the cabbage. I was missing the onion flavor, so I added about 1/2 tsp of onion powder and a little salt and pepper. Cook about 7 minutes, until the green are wilted.