I have three roommates now and I’m pretty sure all of them would make a better food blogger than me. Every week one of them is making a recipe from Pinterest and the kitchen constantly smells amazing; I’m in awe and usually a little jealous on the days I eat cereal and yogurt for dinner.

One of my roommates made a Korean feast a few weeks after we moved in and served some of the best tofu I’ve ever had. I asked for the recipe and she made it sound so simple: just eggs, tofu, green onion and salt. I think she might have been keeping a secret because mine has never come out as good as hers but not for lack of trying.

I think the secret to making this taste good is to cut the tofu thin but not so thin it breaks apart. You don’t want to bite in after the eggs been cooked and taste cold tofu. Other than that, it really is a simple recipe, and definitely a staple for me now.

Egg-Battered Tofu

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 10 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 2 servings):

• 1 block extra firm tofu
• 3 large eggs
• 2 Tablespoons chopped green onion
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Sesame oil
• Soy sauce

Method:

1. Dice the tofu into even-sized rectangles; the thinner the better.
2. In a small bowl, beat together the eggs, salt and green onion.
3. Heat a little sesame oil in a frying pan over medium-low heat.
4. Dip the tofu squares into the egg batter, coating them, and then dropping them into the pan. Make sure not to overcrowd the pan by cooking too many at once.
5. Let the egg cook for about a minute on one side and flip to cook the other side.
6. Move the tofu to a plate to keep it warm.
7. Repeat until all of the tofu is used, oiling the pan with sesame oil in between each batch.
8. Serve hot with sesame oil and soy sauce for dipping.

It took me a few batches to get it “right”, and even still I swear the one my roommate made tasted ten times better. I might have to trade brownies for cooking lessons.

I really love baked beans. Who doesn’t? What I don’t love is spending hours cooking them in a hot kitchen when it’s already 80 degrees outside. Why can’t people appreciate baked beans more in the winter when we’re all freezing? It’s a mystery.

Last week on the 4th I needed a vegetarian dish that could sit in a cooler all day. Immediately my mind jumped to baked beans, but as soon as I ruled out cooking those for 4 hours I remembered this old favorite.

I first posted this recipe over a year ago. The photos weren’t that good, the recipe wasn’t very clearly written, and my readership was drastically lower than what it is today, so I figured it’d be best to just give it a whole new post. And it definitely deserves one.

You can use three cans of any type of beans; I think the ones listed have the most neutral flavor so they take on the sauce well. To make this completely vegan, you can substitute maple syrup or agave for the honey.

Caramelized Onion and Balsamic Vinegar Bean Salad

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 4-6 servings):

• 1 15oz can of chickpeas
• 1 15oz can of pinto bean
• 1 15oz can of cannellini beans
• 1 onion, julienned
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon honey
• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt to taste
• 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil for finishing(optional)

Method:

1. In a large bowl, combine all of the different beans.
2. Heat the 2 tablespoons of oil in a pan over medium heat.
3. Add in the julienned onions and sauté for about 10-15 minutes until the onion has turned translucent and slightly crusty.
4. Remove from the heat and add it in with the beans.
5. Reduce the balsamic vinegar in a small sauce pan to about half of its original volume by bringing it to a rolling boil for 5 or so minutes. If it over-reduces and starts to harden into a taffy, remove the pan from the heat and stir in some hot water to thin.
6. Add the reduced vinegar, honey, salt and extra virgin olive oil if using to the beans and onions.
7. Mix well until the sauce coats all of the beans. Serve hot or cold.

20 minutes for a tasty bowl of beans? I’ll take that.