So…tofu. It’s high in protein, low in saturated fat: a big thumbs up for heart-healthy nutrition.
But it’s low in taste—which can be both a plus and a minus. AND ALSO, for me, the biggest minus of all: How on earth do you cook it? I have always found tofu intimidating. There’s that ‘press’ thing that you have to do. And I just find it confounding: do you bake it, grill it, sauté/stir-fry it? About the only thing I knew I didn’t want to do heart-health-wise was to deep fry it (though air-frying is probably great but I’m not there yet.)
While searching for an easy dinner to make while on vacation (why I’m cooking on vacation is another story), I found an article in the New York Times by Ali Slagle, with a recipe for Crisp Gnocchi with Brussels Sprouts and Brown Butter. I tried it because the opening line said:
“For a fantastic meal that can be ready in 20 minutes…”
That was all I needed to hear.
That said, I almost didn’t try this recipe as it calls for 6 tablespoons of butter (and, um, has ‘butter’ in the title). But when I scanned the recipe comments,
I adore risotto but it’s made with a lot of butter so I rarely order it in a restaurant (remember dining inside a restaurant? Sigh.) And I’ve always been too intimidated to try it at home; what if it was a fail after all that stirring?
Chef Gabrielle Hamilton’s recipe for a risotto-like dish made with zucchini and fresh peas inspired me to give a recipe requiring 20 minutes of stirring a try. It looked pretty easy (other than the stirring) and had not one but two vegetables—and they’re easy: fresh peas require zero prep, and baby zucchini is easy to slice.
