I never realized how much cooking relies on endurance until I took two weeks off to stay in a hospital and lived on mediocre eggplant parm sandwiches (the only vegetarian option my relatives could think of). When I returned to the kitchen, my wrist strength was gone.
Seriously — you don’t notice how much muscle tone you build in your forearms, wrists, and fingers from chopping several times a day until it disappears and you’re left with a half-cut kabocha squash and aching palms.
Admittedly, diving back in with winter squash was probably not the gentlest reintroduction to meal prep, but I’m not known for being conservative. When my running coach suggested easing into marathon training with 4 miles every other day, I interpreted that as running eight on Sunday.
Now my calves, quads, hamstrings, hip flexors, and mysterious leg muscles are as sore as my forearms once were. Go figure.
Thankfully, McCormick recently sent me one of their new Recipe Inspirations to try, so although I still had to chop ingredients, I didn’t have to plan the flavors. Recipe Inspirations are packets of pre-measured spices accompanied by a recipe card — you pick a protein, mix the spices provided, and cook. I usually don’t gravitate toward kits, but I liked that these simply contain McCormick spices — no processed ingredients — and let you test a flavor profile before buying full jars.
The kit I received was for Asian Sesame Salmon, which I adapted for tofu since I don’t eat meat. The packet included sesame seeds, dried minced garlic, dried minced onion, ground ginger, and red pepper flakes. I combined those with honey, soy sauce, and scallions to make a glaze that turned out sweet, salty, and spicy in a wonderfully balanced way.
GIVEAWAY – McCormick kindly provided TWO boxes of Asian Sesame Salmon Recipe Inspirations so one of you can try this product. (Each box contains six kits.) To enter, leave a comment telling me which vegetables you would pair with Asian sesame salmon or tofu.
And thank you so much for your ongoing support. Your kind comments and emails mean a great deal and are helping me through a difficult time. I truly appreciate it.
Asian Sesame Tofu with Braised Winter Squash and Green Beans
Serves 4, adapted from McCormick Recipe Inspirations
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp honey, divided
- 1/3 cup thinly sliced scallions
- 5 tbsp soy sauce, divided
- 2 tsp toasted sesame seeds
- 1 tsp minced dried garlic
- 1 tsp minced dried onion
- 3/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 block extra-firm tofu, pressed and sliced widthwise
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
- 1 kabocha squash, seeded and diced
- 1 lb haricot verts (or other green beans)
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine 1/3 cup honey, scallions, 3 tbsp soy sauce, sesame seeds, dried garlic, dried onion, ground ginger, and red pepper flakes until well blended. Place tofu on a parchment-lined baking pan and spoon the honey mixture evenly over the slices. Reserve any remaining honey mixture.
- Bake the tofu at 375°F for 20 minutes.
- While the tofu bakes, heat olive oil and fresh ginger in a large pot or saucepan for about 1 minute. Add the diced kabocha squash, haricot verts, 2 tbsp water, and the remaining 2 tbsp soy sauce. Simmer, stirring frequently, until the squash is tender, about 20–30 minutes. Pour the reserved honey mixture over the squash and add 1 tbsp honey. Toss to combine and coat the vegetables.
- Serve the braised kabocha squash and green beans alongside the baked tofu, spooning any remaining glaze over the tofu before serving.
This post was part of the DailyBuzz Food Tastemaker program with McCormick. I received the Recipe Inspirations sample at no cost, and my opinions are my own.