"MEAT AND TOFU FRITTATA"

A frittata is an Italian omelette that often has fillings such as vegetables, meats, and cheeses.

The difference between a frittata and a regular omelette that we know is that a frittata is prepared in a skillet, partially cooked on a stovetop, then finished under the grill (broiler) and is served open-faced, whereas an omelette is cooked on a stovetop and served folded.

In this recipe, I used ground beef, but feel free to use chicken or turkey instead of beef. The turkey or chicken meat has to be cooked longer, say about 10-12 minutes, in order to brown the meat.

I used tofu as a meat extender in my frittata filling (a friend of mine has been asking me ways to use tofu in different dishes...this one really works), and since tofu mimics the flavor of other ingredients, do not worry that it will taste anything different at all if you use tofu. Fry the tofu in a little bit of olive oil and cut into small thin pieces.

Of course using tofu is optional. If you are not using tofu, simply replace the quantity of tofu I used here with extra meat or other veggies.

On the other hand, this dish can be made meatless as well, so just double the quantity of your tofu to replace the part of the meat in this recipe.

[CHICHAY TIP: The other option I can suggest is that you use potatoes chopped into tiny cubes. Potatoes are an excellent extender in your filling of course. If using potatoes, cook it the same time you will cook the meat. You can use other additional ingredients for your frittata. Just like fried rice, frittata is a good dish in which you can use your leftovers. Just make sure you have enough eggs to use to bind all the ingredients of your frittata together.]

If you do not have an oven-free skillet, simply fold the frittata on the pan ( as soon as partially cooked)...just use this recipe for a really yummy omelette then!

The cheese I used here is Parmesan for the crusty top of the frittata, but if you can get the "QUICKMELT" cheese (available in Filipino and/or Asian stores), you may shred this cheese and use this instead of the Parmesan.

Some people find the frittata quite dry or plain (even if you think you cooked it perfectly), but serving it with Marinara Sauce moistens the dish and gives it that tangy, tomato finish.

Just a thought: the frittata reminds me a lot of the "Tortang Giniling" that my grandma and mom used to cook for our family when I was younger. Instead of broiling it to finish cooking, it is flipped over to cook the other side. I remember it was often served with tomato catsup, and it was a really tasty "ulam"!

-CHICHAY

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"MEAT AND TOFU FRITTATA"

What You Need:

• 7 eggs, beaten
• 2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup of chopped bell peppers
• 1/3 cup chopped parsley
• 1 medium tomato, chopped
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 lb ground meat (beef, turkey or chicken)
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan
• 3 pcs fried Tofu (optional), cut into small cubes (abt 1/2 cup)

How To:

-Beat the eggs and season with some salt and pepper. Set aside.

-Heat the olive oil in large nonstick skillet (oven-proof) over medium
heat.

-Add the onion and bell peppers, cook for about 2-3 minutes, stirring
occasionally until softened.

-Add the beef and brown for about 5-7 minutes, stirring constantly.

-Stir in the tomatoes, tofu, parsley, garlic, salt and pepper and cook for about 2
minutes.

-Pour the eggs evenly over the meat, tofu and vegetables mix.

-Lower the heat to medium-low and cook for about 5-7 minutes, or until
eggs are set on the edges, but not in the middle.

-Preheat the broiler.

-Sprinkle the top of the frittata with cheese and place under the broiler.

-Cook until the top is set and golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Be careful not to overcook or the frittata will become tough.

-Cut into wedges and top with Marinara Sauce.

-This can be served with toast and butter on the side as well.

"MEATLESS LASAGNA"

I am sharing with you my "Meatless Lasagna" recipe that my family truly enjoys! My husband said this lasagna tastes like it has meat in it, and that it has the texture of a regular lasagna. The chunky vegetables do the trick. Try it, and you'll be surprised how good it is.

[CHICHAY TIP: if you wish to add meat in this recipe, replace portions of the vegetables and tofu with the ground meat, and brown the meat and drain it (the fat liquid) first before cooking it with the sauce.]

-CHICHAY
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"MEATLESS LASAGNA"

What You Need:

• 12 lasagna noodles


• 2 teaspoons olive oil


• 1 small onion, finely chopped


• 2 cloves garlic, minced


• 1 1/2 lbs fresh mushrooms of your choice (assorted or plain mushrooms, try
  portobello, cremini, shiitake, brown, button...), chopped


• 1/2 cup chopped eggplant


• 1 stalk celery, finely chopped


• 2 blocks hard tofu, drained and chopped


• 1 1/2 cups tomato pasta sauce (homemade or store-bought)


• 1/2 cup grated asiago cheese

How To:
-Cook lasagna noodles according to package directions. Then drain and set aside.
-Heat oil in skillet and saute the garlic, onions and then all the vegetables together for about 5 minutes.

-Stir in the tofu, and cook for another 3 minutes.

-Season with sat and pepper. Set aside.
-Spread the bottom of a 13"x9" inch baking pan (or any baking pan you have)
with 1/4 of the sauce.

-Top with 3 noodles, then 2 tbsp cheese a bed of the cooked vegetables and
some sauce.

-Repeat layers twice.

-Cover with remaining noodles and sauce. Cover with foil.

-Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

-Remove foil, top with the remaining asiago cheese, and bake some more for about 5-10 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

-Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

"AFRITADA WITH TOFU

I am re-posting here the Afritada recipe, but with Tofu this time (again, for my friends and aunts who love tofu!).

I often say there are no strict rules as to what you add to your dishes...it all depends on what you enjoy eating, and what ingredients are available in your kitchen. Sometimes I even add mushrooms, olives or even leftover sausages to my Afritada. The tomato sauce coats the ingredients well and gives it a uniform flavor once the dish is done, so you do not have to worry about the taste at all. Just do not forget to adjust the seasoning when you add more ingredients to the basic recipe.

-CHICHAY

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"AFRITADA WITH TOFU"

What You Need:

• 2 lbs chicken or pork, cut into serving sizes
• 4 pieces medium sized potatoes, peeled and quartered
• 1 cup chopped tofu (cubed)
• 1 small onion, diced
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 bell pepper, cubed
• 1 medium-sized carrot, chopped
• 1 cup water (or chicken stock)
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 2 tablespoons of "patis" (fish sauce - optional, just substitute with salt)
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• ground black pepper

How To:

-In a large cooking pot or wok, heat 1 tbsp of oil.
-Sauté the tofu until it is slightly browned on all sides. Remove from heat and
transfer to another container and set aside for later.
-On the same pot, heat up the rest of the oil, then saute the garlic and onions.
-Add chicken or pork and patis (if using) or salt, then saute until slightly brown.
-Pour in the tomato sauce, ground pepper, tofu, and stock or water.
-Bring to a boil, then lower heat, and allow to simmer for 20-30 minutes or until the meat is almost cooked.
-Add potatoes, season with some salt, and continue to cook for 20 minutes
more or until the potatoes are cooked.
-Add the bell peppers, stir, cover, and let simmer for about 2-3 minutes
-Adjust the seasoning if necessary.
-Serve hot with a side of rice.

"RICE TOPPINGS: MUSHROOMS AND TOFU"

I recently started posting recipes of 'Rice Toppings', and for this one here, I am using fresh mushrooms and tofu. For me, the flavor and texture of the mushrooms are enough to complete the dish - no need for any meat. But I know my husband would want me to thrown in at least a few pieces of sliced pork or chicken...and so I did.

The mushroom I used here is the Bunapi-shimeji, also known as the White Beech or White Clamshell Mushroom. These mushrooms with long stems and tiny caps are eaten cooked (the raw Beech mushrooms are bitter in taste, but transforms once exposed to heat), and are best for soups or stews or when cooked slowly in butter and garlic. I find the texture of the cooked Beech mushrooms very similar to the texture of cooked squid (yeah, whenever I serve this, people think they are pieces of squid!)...sort of chewy.

It had a sort of earthy/nutty flavor that works really well with seafood mixes and also with vegetable dishes. For those of us living in California: Beech mushrooms are sold at the 99 Ranch store, and also in fresh farmers grocery stores like Whole Foods and Trader Joes. I am still trying to find a fine mushroom vendor at the local farmers market I go to (we buy our organic vegetables from the local farmers markets like the one in Cerritos and Long Beach)...I want to get a regular local supplier, as it is really expensive to buy mushrooms from the supermarket.

- CHICHAY

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"RICE TOPPINGS:Mushrooms and Tofu"

What You Need:

• 1 lb fresh mushrooms of your choice (yield: 1 to 1 1/2 cups of sliced)
• 1 large block of extra firm tofu (or 2-3 pcs of "tokwa"), cut into small cubes
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp butter
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 stalk of celery, chopped
• 2 cups of chopped vegetables of your choice (like bokchoy, pechay, lettuce, cabbage...)
• 1/2 cup of sliced meat of your choice (optional)
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tsp corn starch dissolved in 1 tsp water
• 1 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• hot sauce or chilli-garlic sauce (optional)
• salt
• ground black pepper

How To:

-Heat up 1 tbsp of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
-Saute the tofu pieces until browned a bit on all sides. Transfer to another container and set aside for later.
-Season the sliced meat (if using) with salt and pepper, and saute on the same pan until slightly browned.
[CHICHAY TIP: Remember to saute beef quickly, and remove from heat as soon as slightly cooked, to avoid overcooking. The chicken and pork on the other hand has to be cooked longer. Make sure pork and chicken are browned well.] Once cooked, transfer the meat to another bowl and set aside.
-Add the butter and garlic to the pan, and sautee until the garlic is slightly browned (not burnt).
-Add the mushrooms, season with some salt and cook, stirring constantly for about 3-5 minutes of until softened.
-Stir in the cooked tofu, celery, and cook for a minute or two.
-If using chicken or pork, add it back to the pan at this point (if using beef, add it last).
-Add the cornstarch, water, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, hot sauce or chilli-garlic sauce (if using) and stir well.
-Add in the chopped vegetables, bring this to a boil, then lower the heat, cover and and let simmer for about 2-3 minutes. Adjust the seasoning by adding soy sauce and pepper if necessary.
-If using beef, add it back to the pan at this point and turn off the heat. Stir for the last time, cover and let this sit for about 2 minutes.
-Serve this on top of cooked rice.

"SHRIMPS AND TOFU WITH PINEAPPLE"

Here's another dish using tofu (for you, Delia and Tita Vi!)...and you'll be surprised how delicious this tastes with the sweet-tangy pinapple-flavored sauce!

You can use fresh pineapple, or any canned ones. I prefer using canned pineapple slices because it comes out really nice and pretty when I serve it together with the srhrimps and tofu.

[CHICHAY TIP: Make sure you do not overcook the shrimps, as it will get really tough. I like adding it last, then turning off the heat quickly after stirring it back into the sauce. If you are keeping left overs, separate the shrimps from the rest of the dish, reheat it without the shimps. Once the sauce and tofu are reheated, stir in the shrimps, and cover this with foil or lid and let the residual heat warm the shrimps. Or, put the cold shrimps in hot water, drain, and add into the reheated tofu with sauce.]

-CHICHAY

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"SHRIMPS AND TOFU WITH PINEAPPLE"

What You Need:

• 1 tsp butter


• 2 tsp olive oil


• 2 cloves garlic, minced


• 1/2 small onion, chopped


• 1 lb medium shrimp


• 1 block hard tofu (tokwa), drained, cut into


• 1 inch cubes


• 1 cup pineapple slices or chunks


• juice of 1 lemon


• 2 tsp light soy sauce


• 1 tsp sugar or 1/2 tsp Splenda


• 3 tbsp minced fresh cilantro or parsley


• 1/2 tsp ground pepper

Prep:

-Mix together the garlic, soy sauce, pepper and sugar.

-Marinate the shrimps in the mixture for about half an hour.

-Drain the shrimp from the marinade and keep for later.

How To:

-In a large, nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium heat.

-Add tofu, and saute until all sides are browned a bit. Transfer the cooked tofu in a bowl, and set aside.

-On the same skillet, saute the shrimps for about a minute, only until the shrimps
are light orange in color. Transfer to another bowl and set aside.

-Add the butter on the skillet and saute the pineapple pieces over low-medium
heat until they are a bit browned.

-Add the reserved marinade and the lemon juice to the skillet, lower the heat,
and let this simmer for about 1 minute.

-Add back the tofu pieces to the pan, stir, cover and simmer for another minute.

-Add back the shrimps to the pan, stir well to coat the shrimps wth the sauce, cook for another minute. Taste and season with salt if needed.

-Stir in the cilantro, and turn off heat.

-Serve over warm rice or chow mein noodles.