Well, well, well..... I want to have a place to archive these recipes (again!), so back to posting I go- this way, I will save the time of having to write these all down and put them in a recipe book (although, in all honesty, I would like to write recipes down and be able to put them in a cute little recipe book, maybe this is something I need to purchase).
I made a bunch of more complicated things for the week (pictures and recipes to follow as I eat them), but I was in the mood for something quick, tasty and unusual. This fits the bill for me, since I rarely eat pasta. I feel like a "vegan dinner" I hear about all of the time is some combination of greens/veggies, protein and pasta, but I have just never jumped on the train, I guess. This is actually pretty tasty, so I might just make something similar again.
It is also unusual because I don't really eat asparagus. I like it- I just never buy it. I was getting my haircut on Saturday and noticed it was the first day of the Boulder Farmers Market. I was always under the impression that farmer's markets were supposed to be affordable ($6 for a bunch of asparagus that I am eating in its entirety in the pasta & $3.50 for some field greens of some sort for a salad), but I guess not here. In any event, I guess I should be a GBL (Good Boulder Liberal) and support some local farmers. The asparagus, being that it is in season, is delicious. I would have loved it even more grilled, but alas, there is no grill to be found.
Since the chili-annatto tofu was already made, this was super fast.
Chili-Annatto Oil (for the tofu and whatever else)
-1/4 c peanut oil (sesame would be good too!)
-Red pepper flakes to taste
-1-2 whole chile de arbol pods
- 1/4 tsp annatto seeds
Directions:
1. Heat the oil in a skillet or saucepan until warmed, but not smoking
2. Add in the annatto seeds and heat the oil until it turns deep orange. Fish out the annatto seeds and throw them away
3. Add in the red pepper flakes and chile de arbol pods. Turn off heat and let oil cool.
4. Using a funnel, transfer oil from pan to container.
Chili-Annatto Tofu:
2 blocks extra-firm tofu (drained and pressed for 30 minutes)
Chili-Annatto Oil for coating
1 tsp Mexican Oregano, crumbled between fingers
1 tsp tomato paste
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400F.
2. Stir marinade ingredients together in a large bowl. Toss the tofu to coat and spread on baking sheet/pan
3. Bake for 30 minutes. Flip, then bake for 15 more minutes (you may need to add more oil).
Pan-Roasted Asparagus
1 large bunch asparagus, chopped into small pieces
4 cloves of garlic, smashed/chopped
1 tbs. coconut oil
Directions:
1. Heat the coconut oil over medium heat.
2. Add the garlic and saute for 30 seconds, or until fragrant
3. Add in the asparagus and saute over medium until desired doneness.
4. At the last few minutes of cooking, add-in tofu to warm.
To Assemble:
1. Cook the pasta according to directions, and drain. Add the asparagus and tofu mixture.
2. Whisk together the juice of 1 lemon, lots of black pepper and pour over pasta.
