This is very geeky but yesterday we had the perfect Friday evening. Driving over to the semiannual Friends of the Library book sale, Mom, Brad, and I listened to a hilarious new episode ("Georgetown Massacre Part 1") of the Revisionist History podcast dealing with the "Varsity Blues" college admissions scandal. Then we lined up for the book sale, all the way by Aldi's there were so many people. It was a banner year at the book sale, from my perspective:
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| This is the stack of books that $32 buys you at the book sale. |
I found all that in an hour, after which Mom and Brad were ready to go, because it was a pretty warm and humid day yesterday, and it was hot, crowded, and stinky in the book sale. There are always professional book sellers in there using b.o. to clear a wide berth around themselves while they take all the best books to resell at marked-up prices in their bookstores. Brad deployed countermeasures by farting near a particularly malodorous offender.
After the book sale, we made our traditional beeline for takeout dinner from Bodo's. It's getting harder to argue with Brad that Bodo's is the best thing going: we picked up two Cleo salads, three sandwiches, and six more bagels to get us through the weekend, all for only $32! No wonder we were customer # 1367 for the day.
We ate dinner while watching an episode of Abbott Elementary, then we all did the big reveal of what treasures we picked up at the book sale. (One of my big divvies was a hardback copy, in pristine condition, of maybe the greatest running book ever: Haruki Murakami's What I Talk About When I Talk About Running.) It doesn't get any better than that.
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Something else that's pretty close to ideal is this veggie hash with tofu. There's a bunch of chopping at the beginning, then everything roasts in the oven for a while and dinner is ready. This is great as is, with fried egg on top, or even as filling for a tortilla.
Sheet-Pan Sweet Potato Hash with Tofu
Adapted from Ali Slagle via the New York Times (Nov. 7, 2023)
Time: 55 minutes
If you use super-firm tofu, there’s no need to press it. If you use extra-firm tofu, you can press it if you like, but it’s probably not necessary for this recipe.
1 red bell pepper, cut into ½-inch pieces
1 medium red onion, a quarter thinly sliced, the rest cut into ½-inch pieces
1 rosemary sprig (optional)
¼ cup (53 grams) extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt, and then some
1 rosemary sprig (optional)
¼ cup (53 grams) extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt, and then some
1 (14- to 16-ounce) block super-firm or extra-firm tofu, cut into ½-inch pieces and gently patted as dry as possible with paper towels (see note)
227 grams / 8 ounces sweet potato (1 small-ish), cut into ½-inch pieces (no need to peel)
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2¼ teaspoons chili powder (such as McCormick), divided
1 tablespoon (15 grams) apple cider vinegar or lime juice
1 tablespoon (15 grams) water
For serving (optional)
Fried eggs
Grated Cheddar cheese or crumbled feta
Hot sauce or ketchup
Chopped cilantro or parsley
1. Place a rack in the bottom third of the oven; heat to 425 degrees. Line a 13-by-18-inch (half-sheet) pan with parchment.
2. In a medium bowl, toss the ½-inch pieces of bell pepper and red onion (not the red onion slices) and the rosemary sprig, if using, with 2 tablespoons (27 grams) of the oil. Season with salt. Transfer to the sheet pan and arrange in a single layer in one corner of the pan.
3. In the same medium bowl, combine the tofu and sweet potato pieces, cornstarch, 2 teaspoons of the chili powder, 2 teaspoons salt, and remaining 2 tablespoons (27 grams) of the oil. Toss gently until evenly coated. Transfer to the sheet pan and arrange in a single layer over the remainder of the pan. Roast until the veggies are tender and the tofu pieces are browned and crisp on the bottoms touching the pan, about 30 to 35 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, toss the red onion slices with the vinegar, water remaining ¼ teaspoon of chili powder, and a pinch of salt. Nuke for 30 seconds on high power in your microwave. Stir well and set aside to cool.
5. When the veggies and tofu are ready, serve in dinner bowls topped with the quick pickled red onions and any additional toppings that sound appealing. Serves 3.
227 grams / 8 ounces sweet potato (1 small-ish), cut into ½-inch pieces (no need to peel)
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2¼ teaspoons chili powder (such as McCormick), divided
1 tablespoon (15 grams) apple cider vinegar or lime juice
1 tablespoon (15 grams) water
For serving (optional)
Fried eggs
Grated Cheddar cheese or crumbled feta
Hot sauce or ketchup
Chopped cilantro or parsley
1. Place a rack in the bottom third of the oven; heat to 425 degrees. Line a 13-by-18-inch (half-sheet) pan with parchment.
2. In a medium bowl, toss the ½-inch pieces of bell pepper and red onion (not the red onion slices) and the rosemary sprig, if using, with 2 tablespoons (27 grams) of the oil. Season with salt. Transfer to the sheet pan and arrange in a single layer in one corner of the pan.
3. In the same medium bowl, combine the tofu and sweet potato pieces, cornstarch, 2 teaspoons of the chili powder, 2 teaspoons salt, and remaining 2 tablespoons (27 grams) of the oil. Toss gently until evenly coated. Transfer to the sheet pan and arrange in a single layer over the remainder of the pan. Roast until the veggies are tender and the tofu pieces are browned and crisp on the bottoms touching the pan, about 30 to 35 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, toss the red onion slices with the vinegar, water remaining ¼ teaspoon of chili powder, and a pinch of salt. Nuke for 30 seconds on high power in your microwave. Stir well and set aside to cool.
5. When the veggies and tofu are ready, serve in dinner bowls topped with the quick pickled red onions and any additional toppings that sound appealing. Serves 3.
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