Mock Tandoori Chicken

1 whole roasting chicken

8 oz. tofu-based sour cream substitute OR if kashrut/lactose is not important, 8 oz. plain yogurt

2 Tbsp honey

2 tsp chunky rooster sauce

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp ground cumin

1/8 tsp fresh ground nutmeg or ground allspice

1/2 tsp onion powder

generous pinch salt

juice of 1/2 to 1 lemon

1/4 cup chopped fresh mint (optional)

Tandoori is Indian-style chicken, roasted in an earthenware oven and marinated with yogurt and spices. This is a substitute for those of us with kosher or dairy-intolerance problems and/or without an earthenware oven that can get up to 650F.

Preheat the oven to 450F. Mix together sour cream substitute or yogurt, honey, chunky rooster sauce, garlic powder, ginger, cumin, nutmeg or allspice, onion powder, salt, mint (if desired and not outrageously expensive) and juice from 1/2 lemon. Set aside.

Put the chicken in a glass roasting pan or cast-iron skillet. When oven is up to temp put it in and set timer to 45 minutes. As the timer gets close to zero, check the sauce and adjust saltiness and tartness as desired.

Baste the chicken liberally with the sauce, put back in the oven and set the timer for 10 minutes. Repeat twice more (so the chicken is basted at 45, 55, and 65 minutes). Remove after 75 minutes (1-1/4 hour) and baste once more. Allow the bird to rest for at least 10 minutes before carving. Serve with the remaining sauce as a condiment.

Quick Kung Pao-ish Fried Tofu

8 oz firm tofu, cubed
2 T cornstarch
1/4 c panko breadcrumbs
1/4 c Worcestershire sauce
3 T tomato paste
1 T chunky rooster sauce
1 drizzle honey or 1 t dark brown sugar, if desired
4-6 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
1/2 bell pepper, sliced thin
half a dozen mushrooms, sliced
3 green onions, coarsely chopped
small handful peanuts
oil for frying

Press the tofu for an hour or so to remove excess moisture, then marinate in Worcestershire sauce for half an hour. Dredge the tofu in cornstarch and then panko (reserving the Worcestershire), and pan fry over high heat until the breading is GBD. Remove the tofu and add to the remaining oil the bell pepper, mushrooms, green onions, and garlic. Saute for just long enough to stir the tomato paste and chunky rooster sauce into the Worcestershire, adding the honey or brown sugar if desired. Then reduce the heat to low and pour the mixture over the vegetables, tossing until coated. Add the peanuts and simmer for 3-5 minutes.

Serve the vegetables over rice, topped with the tofu. The sweetener, if added, will provide a nice counterpoint to the fiery garlic sauce. But sometimes you just want your Scoville units straight up.

Fried tofu in gravy

No photo for this one, just because the color scheme was pretty boring - brown on brown on brown - but it was yummy nevertheless.

8 oz. firm tofu
Worcestershire sauce
toasted sesame oil
4 T cornstarch
1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
vegetable oil for frying
2 T dark miso
a dozen small mushrooms
1 green onion

First, press the tofu to squeeze out extra moisture. Cut it into 4 slices and place them between paper towels with some weight on top. I generally put the tofu between matching Pyrex baking dishes. Leave for an hour or two, but change the paper towels if they get completely soaked.

Now replace some of that moisture with flavor: cut the tofu into large cubes and put into a bowl with a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce and just a little toasted soybean oil. Toss to coat and put in the fridge to marinate for another hour or so, tossing occasionally.

Add the miso paste to 2 cups water in a small saucepan over low heat. Bring to a bare simmer. Thinly slice the mushrooms and green onion. Add to the broth and cover; continue simmering while preparing the tofu.

Heat vegetable oil in a nonstick skillet; if you use a little more than you think you need that will help keep the tofu from sticking. Drain the tofu and toss with half the cornstarch to coat. I've found this goes easiest if you do it Shake'n'Bake style - put the ingredients in a Ziploc bag, close it up, and toss from hand to hand. When the cornstarch is well-distributed, repeat with the panko.

When the oil starts to shimmer, add the tofu. Toss every 2 minutes, repeating until the cubes are browned and crisping on all sides. Turn the heat down to medium low, pour off any excess oil, and pour in the miso soup.

Mix the remaining cornstarch with a little water and add to the mixture, stirring until it thickens to a gravy consistency. If necessary add more cornstarch.

Serve over pasta or rice.