Vegan Menu at Calabash Cove

Ingredients for Calabash Cove Jerked tofu, vegetable Nicoise, mustard olive oil dressing.

Yield 2 servings

- 4 oz. Green Beans 

- 3 Radishes 

- 2 oz. Arugula 

- 2 Summer Sweet Peppers 

- 1 Tomato 

- 1 Romaine Heart

- ? lbs. Red Potatoes 

- 1 bunch Tarragon 

- 2 oz. red Olives 

- 2 Tbsps. Red Wine Vinegar 

- 1? Tbsps. Whole Grain Dijon Mustard 

- 1 Shallot 

Method for Vegetable Nicoise

1. Blanching is an essential cooking technique for any chef. Boiling ingredients for a short amount of time, then stopping the cooking process by placing the cooked vegetables in cold water will preserve their delicate crunch and bright color.

2. Wash and dry the fresh produce.Heat 1 medium pot and 1 small pot of salted water to boiling on high. Peel the shallot and mince to get 2 tablespoons (you may have extra); place in a bowl with the vinegar.Snap off and discard the stem ends of the greens beans. Quarter the potatoes. Cut off and discard the root end of the romaine; roughly chop the leaves. Cut out and discard the stems, ribs and seeds of the peppers; cut into ?-inch-thick rings. Core the tomato: cut into 8 wedges. Cut off and discard the ends of the radishes; thinly slice into rounds. Pick the tarragon leaves off the stems; discard the stems.

3. Fill a medium bowl with ice water and set aside. Add the green beansto the medium pot of boiling water and cook 4 to 6 minutes, or until bright green and slightly softened.Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cooked green beans to the bowl of ice water, leaving the pot of water boiling. Let stand until the green beans are completely cool. Drain thoroughly and pat dry with paper towels. Transfer to a large bowl.

4. While the green beans cook, add the mustard to the shallot-vinegar mixture. Slowly whisk in 2 tablespoons of olive oil until well combined; season with salt and pepper to taste.

5. Add the potatoes to the pot of boiling water used to cook the green beans. Cook 10 to 12 minutes, or until tender when pierced with a fork. Drain thoroughly and return to the pot. Off the heat, add half the vinaigrette and gently toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

6. To the bowl of blanched green beans, add the romaine,olives, peppers,tomato, radishes, dressed potatoes, arugulaand tarragon;season with salt and pepper. Add enough of the vinaigretteto coat the salad (you may have extra vinaigrette).Toss to combine and season with salt and pepper to taste. Top with jerk tofu.

Method for Tofu and jerk sauce

Ingredients

Jerk Mix

- 2 to 3 habanero peppers, seeded and ribs removed

- 4 stalks of green onions, roughly chopped

- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme (or 1 tablespoon dried thyme)

- 1-inch piece of ginger, peeled and sliced

- 3 cloves garlic

- 2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

- 3 tablespoons lime juice (about 1 to 2 limes)

- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

- 1 1/2 tablespoons dark brown?sugar

- 1/2 to 1 tablespoon tomato paste, depending on your taste

- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground allspice

- 1 teaspoon kosher salt

- 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Tofu

- 1 12-ounce package of extra-firm tofu

- 4 to 5 tablespoons cornstarch

- 1 tablespoon sesame oil

Method

1. Drain tofu and wrap it around paper towels. Press it down with something heavy. Set aside.

2. Blend jerk sauce ingredients in a blender. Heat a small saucepan over medium heat and pour in jerk sauce. When the sauce starts boiling, turn off the heat and set aside.

3. Chop tofu into 1/2-inch cubes. Pour tofu into a gallon-sized freezer bag, and add about 4 tablespoons of cornstarch. Give everything a shake. If all tofu pieces are not coated with cornstarch, add another tablespoon and shake.

4. Heat a skillet or pan over medium-high heat with 1 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil. When the pan is hot, add half of the tofu cubes. The tofu should sizzle upon contact with the pan. Lightly brown each side of the cube (about 2 minute?s total cooking time). This should take about 2 minutes.

5. Dish up tofu, add remaining sesame oil to the pan, and brown remaining tofu.

ENJOY