DinnerBloggin': The Debut

So yesterday was Valentine's Day. I'm really not all that into the whole cliché of flowers, busy restaurants and schmaltzy cards. So instead of all that, I thought I would put my culinary skills to the test and make dinner at my place, which turned out to be a rather good idea since B has been stricken with a plague-like something for the past few days. I really love cooking, although not really for myself, since I'm a bit too lazy for that, but I like to think that I've come up with some pretty cool culinary concoctions in the past, and it hit me today that I should really blog something about them when they turn out well. Or even if they turn out badly. And maybe post some recipes and such as I go. Sadly, I didn't take any pictures yesterday, but I did manage to snag one of the leftovers, shown above. Anyway, last night we decided to stray from the usual Indian creations and experiment with a little Caribbean cuisine. Here's the rundown of what we had:

Caribbean Baked Tofu Cutlets (Rating: 3.5 out of 5)

These were really easy to make. Basically it involved mixing everything (except the tofu) together, and then coating the tofu with it and baking for 45 minutes. A real no-brainer here. The mix is mostly tomato sauce based with some spices, lime juice and coconut. In the end, it turned out pretty well. Next time I would maybe consider marinating the tofu for a while so it picks up the taste a little better.

Sugar & Spice Sweet Potato Fries (Rating: 5 out of 5)

Definitely the surprise highlight of the night. I love sweet potatoes, and I decided that we'd go for a slight variation on this one: rather than frying in a pan, I broke out the George Foreman grill, which cooked them perfectly in about 20 minutes. In short, the sweet potato slices are dipped in oil & orange juice, then put on the grill. Part way through you sprinkle the sugar and spices (paprika, cinnamon & chili powder) and continue grilling. Really simple, and so good! Notice how there were none leftover. I guess that says it all.

Fried Plantains (Rating: 4.5 out of 5)

This one was a little experimental as well. While the concept is the same as the recipe above, it was actually a combination of three different recipes I read about. Basically, the plantains are cut into small wedges, and dropped in a frying pan with lots of margarine. A bit of the way through, I sprinkled oregano and garlic powder on them, gave them a few flips, and we ended up with what seemed to be a bit like crispy plantain fries. Delicious! I'd use these as a substitute for regular potato fries any day.

So there you have it, the first installment of DinnerBloggin'. I promise next time I will plan in advance and have better pictures. Stay tuned for such episodes as the great George Foreman grill-off!

À la prochaine.