This dinner was actually a few days before the whole cauliflower cheese business. It was what started me thinking about cream sauce in the first place. I killed two different attempts in a row, one through burnt roux and one through boiled and broken sauce. After that I said FUCK IT loudly and proceeded to just use plain melty goat cheese in no sort of sauce whatever.

Ahem.

I also made broccolini and tofu. That part went very well. It would easily have stood on its own, and did in John's anti-dairy case. It's like the dairy case, but not! Uh. Yes.

You could clearly use several other green vegetables instead of broccolini: green beans, asparagus, bok choy, chard, or other sturdy chopped greens. It's hard to think of a vegetable that wouldn't work.

So.

Super easy broccolini with tofu

nigari tofu
broccolini
garlic
olive oil
soy sauce/other preferred

First, cut the tofu into nice little squares or triangles. Sear them on both sides in a hot frying pan.

While tofu is cooking, wash broccolini. I used an entire bunch. Chop up several cloves of garlic. Garlic is delicious.

When tofu is done, tip it out of the pan and turn the heat to medium. Add some olive oil, swirl it around, and tip in garlic. Cook to soften for several minutes. Then add the washed broccolini. Stir to get garlicky oil on everything. Then put the lid on the pan, turn the heat down a little more, and let it steam in its own water.

Check things after five minutes or so. Is the broccolini bright green? Does it look tasty? Add the tofu and a slug of soy (or any other sauce that sounds good to you: oyster or hoisin?), stir, and put the lid back on. Let cook another two or three minutes, or until the vegetables reach the texture you like best.

Serve with rice, or

Failure pasta

hot cooked pasta
creamy goat cheese
lots of pepper
maybe some olive oil

Boil and drain pasta. Mix immediately with chunks of broken goat cheese. Stir vigorously to melt the cheese. Pepper. Maybe add olive oil if you want some. Eat.

This one has a lot more issues with standing on its own. I would at least do some steamed spinach.