Sunday Morning Tofu Rancheros

The Southwest’s Best Breakfast Menu:
Tofu Rancheros w/Black beans & Soy Sausage

So, pretty much every Sunday morning David and I make some version of either a Southwest or Mexican inspired breakfast. This usually always includes beans, salsa, avocado and corn tortillas. What goes in between those things are always different and depends on what’s in the fridge that morning. We seriously love those flavors for our first meal of the day, and with our trip to Mexico growing closer each weekend we keep trying out variations on the theme of Latin Vegetarian.

Mexican food , when you really think about it, doesn’t NEED meat. This cuisine relies on tons of fresh veggies, lean protein packed beans, heart healthy grains and wonderful aromatic herbs and spices. I am not talking about the typical “Am-exico” food you get in most Mexican restaurants here in the states. That stuff is loaded with cheese and rice and that is not what people eat south of the border. They keep it simple, and that is why I love this style of cooking. Someone once told me that Mexican food is one of the fattiest cuisines out there (because of the cheese, most likely) but it doesn’t have to be.

You should try this one morning. You would think that the beans would make it heavy, but believe me, it’s not. It was the perfect meal to give us the energy to run our errands and go on a long mid-day walk. Also, this recipe incorporates a riff on Isa Chandra Moskowitz’s recipe, Scrambled Tofu, from her cook book

First, mix this spice blend. Make extra so that you don’t have to make it every time. I always triple it.
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp salt

Drain a block of extra firm tofu. Extra firm works the best in keeping it’s shape and doesn’t get mushy.

In a saute pan with 1/2 Tbs olive oil saute’ 1/2 of a diced red onion until soft and caramelized.

Crush 2 cloves of garlic then add to pan with onions.

Dice 8 medium size mushrooms then add the mushrooms to the onions and saute until golden.

Add a heaping Tbs of the spice mixture then crumble the tofu in the pan, making sure to leave big chunks. Stir well.

Squeeze the juice of one lemon and add this to the tofu. Also, add a 1/4 cup . Nutritional yeast makes it creamy and thickens it up a bit giving it the texture and feel of scrambled eggs.

Add one shredded carrot to the mix and gently stir in. Turn heat to low to keep warm. Meanwhile, in a sauce pan brown the sausage, add one can of drained and rinsed black beans (or your fave frijole) and cook until the moisture has evaporated.
On a plate lay out 2 corn tortillas and top with a bit of the bean-sausage mixture, the scrambled tofu, some salsa and whatever else you want to finish it off with, like sour cream, guacamole and some seriously hot sauce.

Armed with fuzzy hats and a great breakfast Shirle’ & David get ready to meet the day.

Tagliatelle with Zucchini, Green Pepper and Tofu

Ingredients: tagliatelle, 180 grams tofu, 1 garlic clove, 1 green pepper, 1 zucchini, 400 grams mushrooms, 1 tin diced tomatoes, 2 tablespoons mango chutney, 2 tablespoons sweet soy sauce, 1 tin tomato puree, salt, pepper,

Number of persons: 4

Boil the Tagliatelle al dente in boiling water with salt. Bake in hot oil 180 grams tofu with 1 finely chopped garlic clove. Add after a few minutes baking 1 sliced green pepper and stir fry a few minutes. Add 1 diced zucchini and 400 grams sliced mushrooms. Stir fry until the mushrooms have softened. Add 1 tin diced tomatoes, 2 tablespoons mango chutney, 2 tablespoons sweet soy sauce and 1 tin tomato puree. Bring to the boil briefly and let it simmer for about 10 minutes. Bring to taste with salt and pepper. Enjoy!

Marrowfat Peas with Red Onions and Tofu

Ingredients: 2 red onions, 1 garlic clove, curry, 180 grams of tofu, 250 grams cherry tomatoes, 1 jar marrowfat peas, 1 tablespoon apple spread

Number of persons: 2

Cook 2 chopped red onion with 1 clove finely minced garlic clove and curry until the onions have softened. Add 180 grams tofu and stir briefly. Add 250 grams cherry tomatoes, 1 jardrained marrowfat peas and 1 tablespoon apple spread. Heat a bit more. Serve with rice or baked potatoes for example. Enjoy!

TOFU TACO TANGO

Wango Tango Bango!

The tango is an Argentinean dance unparalleled in its complexity. Yet it is oh so much more than an awesome way to sweep someone off their feet in Buenos Aires. The seductive essence of tango runs deep in all things done with panache. You can tango on the tennis court, in the kitchen, and most decisively in the bedroom. Tango requires skill, passion and attitude unparalleled. But you are clearly clever enough since you are reading this. Pulling off a culinary seduction tango should be no more difficult than unsnapping a bra. So invite over the vivacious vegetarian, or vegan if you have the patience, or just someone sexy who likes fabulous food. Keep that rose in your teeth as you serenade them from the dining room to the bedroom. Bravo! Bravo!

Total time: approximately 17 minutes
Projected cost: $7
Drinking Buddy: Beer or a bangarita

Ingredients (serves 2)
1. 1 tablespoon of tomato paste
2. 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
3. 1 teaspoon of pepper
4. ½ teaspoon of salt
5. ½ teaspoon of cayenne
6. ½ teaspoon of paprika
7. 1 brick of extra firm tofu
8. 1 handful of chopped cilantro
9. 6 corn tortillas
10. 1 handful of shredded cheddar cheese (skip to make vegan)
11. ½ avocado sliced thinly
12. 1 tomato chopped coarsely
13. 1 onion chopped coarsely

Step 1
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Heat the vegetable oil up in a deep pan on medium heat. Sauté the onions and cilantro, seasoning them with salt, pepper, paprika and cayenne pepper (approx 2 min). Break apart the tofu with your hands, scoop in the tomato pastes and cook it all together (approx 3 min).

Step 2
Line a small, deep baking pan with foil, creating 3 pockets that you line with the corn tortillas. Fill each tortilla with tofu, and then throw a handful of tomato, avocado and cheddar cheese. Throw the tacos in the oven and bake until the cheese melts (approx 10 min). Serve ‘em up hot. Spice them up with some

TOFU SUMMER ROLLS IN THE HAY

Summer rolling with the homies

Summertime calls for lighter fare so we can hone our buns, abs and groins of steel. Gone are the big coats that hide our blubbery bits. If you want to bang you gotta look bangable. So it’s time to put the dairy and beef products aside and get healthy. Vegan food can be boring if you let it. But how many obese vegans do you know? My advice is to embrace the Asian fusion hippie party time. Be sure your date notices how cultured and sensitive you are. Play it off like you’ve gone green, instead of just greedy for more banging. If you want to roll in the hay, you better start rolling.

Total time: approximately 45 minutes
Projected cost: $8
Drinking Buddy: Beer or a Singapore Sling

Ingredients (serves 2):
1. 1 tablespoon of soy sauce
2. 1 teaspoon of Kwong Hung Seng Sauce
3. 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
4. Sweet chili sauce for dipping
5. 1 handful of chopped mushrooms
6. 6-ounces of firm tofu
7. ¼ lime
8. 5-6 dry rice paper wraps
9. 1 small handful of peeled and mincedGİNGER
10. 1 handful of chopped onions
11. 1 small handful of shredded coconut
12. 10 fresh mint leaves

Step 1
Crosshatch cut the tofu into small strips.

Step 2
Sauté the ginger and onions on medium heat with the vegetable oil (approx 3 min). Add the mushrooms, Kwong Hung Seng Sauce and soy sauce (approx 2 min). Throw in the tofu and limejuice and allow the flavor to absorb (approx 2 min). Finally toss in the shredded coconut and cook it down (approx 1 min).

Step 3
Allow the tofu mixture to cool down in the fridge (approx 30 min).

Step 4
Create the spring rolls by bringing a shallow pan full of water to a boil. Kill the heat and dip the rice paper sheets one at a time in the water for 30 seconds before setting them down on a flat dry surface. Scoop a tablespoon of tofu in the middle, crown it with mint and roll it up tight. Serve it with sweet chili sauce and your sweet ass personality.

Spicy Lime and Herbed Tofu Lettuce Wraps

What’s better than a recipe that involves NO cooking whatsoever? Um, nothing? We made these for the first time tonight, and they were quite refreshing. Due to some poor menu planning on my part, we were missing quite a few of the ingredients, and made quite a few substitutions. The recipe below is our version, which we liked, but you can view the original recipe onEpicurious.

This recipe would be amazing if allowed to marinate. If you’re the plan ahead type, make the dressing and add the chopped tofu and let it sit for a few hours (or overnight). Also, next time we won’t strain the dressing so as to let more flavor come through.

Spicy Lime and Herbed Tofu Lettuce Wraps

Makes 6 appetizer servings or 3-4 main course servings.

INGREDIENTS
Dressing
1/4 cup thinly sliced peeled fresh ginger
1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh lemongrass, cut from bottom 4 inches of 4 stalks with tough leaves removed
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons sriracha chili sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil

Tofu
1/2 cup diced seeded peeled cucumber
1/4 cup chopped green onions
2 tablespoons chopped seeded serrano chile
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil (preferably Vietnamese or Thai)
1 14- to 16-ounce package firm tofu, drained, cut into 1/2-inch cubes, patted dry
6 large or 12 medium butter lettuce leaves

DIRECTIONS
For dressing:
Puree first 5 ingredients in blender. Let mixture stand at least 15 minutes and up to 1 hour. Strain mixture into small bowl, pressing on solids to release any liquid; discard solids. Stir in sweet chili sauce and sesame oil. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

For tofu:
Combine first 7 ingredients in large bowl. Add tofu and dressing to bowl; toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Arrange 1 or 2 lettuce leaves on each of 6 plates. Divide tofu mixture among lettuce leaves and serve.

Tofu Noodle Toss with Taylor’s Kick-Butt Peanut Sauce

So we had a fancy fish recipe planned for tonight, but neither of us felt like eating it or cooking it. So, we turned to our designated “leftovers” meal… a yummy noodle stir fry with Taylor’s awesome peanut sauce. A sauce, by the way, that we use as the dipping sauce for our Vietnamese Shrimp Spring Rolls. Delicious and quick!

Tofu toss basically means toss whatever you have left in the fridge in a pan with some tofu and noodles. Mushrooms, onions, peppers, carrots, broccoli… seriously whatever you have in the fridge. The peanut sauce will make anything taste good. Please note that the measurements in the sauce are very rough… Taylor is very ‘intuitive’ when it comes to this peanut sauce, and couldn’t give me exact measurements for the recipe. Just keep mixing things until it tastes good.

Tofu Noodle Toss with Taylor’s Kick-Butt Peanut Sauce

INGREDIENTS
Noodles (rice, soba, spaghetti… whatever)
Tofu, drained and cubed
Veggies (we used peppers and green onions), chopped, sliced, minced, etc.
Canola Oil
Kale, stems removed
Olive Oil

For Peanut Sauce:
1/3 cup peanut butter
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon garlic salt
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
sriracha chili sauce, to taste
water

DIRECTIONS
Bring water to boil and cook noodles according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

Heat a tablespoon or so of olive oil in large skillet. Add tofu cubes and saute until browned. Move to paper-towel lined plate to drain. Add veggie pieces to same pan, and cook until tender. Remove from pan with tofu.

Add a few tablespoons olive oil to skillet. No need to wipe out the pan, all the flavors will be mixed eventually! Add kale and cover. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 3-5 minutes or until tender. Remove from heat and transfer to serving dish.

To make peanut sauce, combine all ingredients except water in microwave safe bowl. Stir well. Microwave for 30 seconds or so and stir until smooth.

Move tofu and veggies back into pan (yes, the same pan!). Add noodles and peanut sauce, toss until coated. Add a few teaspoons of water to peanut sauce if it seems too thick.

Thai Tofu & Peanut Pizza

This is the 2nd time we’ve made this recipe. The first time we used chicken (like the recipe originally called for), but this time decided tofu worked better. Even my tofu-hating sister ate it and didn’t complain! Must have been some pretty good tofu!

Thai Tofu & Peanut Pizza

Recipe from Rachel Ray, with adjustments. Makes 2-4 servings.

INGREDIENTS
1 lb pizza dough
1/2 cup Chinese duck sauce or plum sauce
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon peanut butter
2 teaspoons hot sauce
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 block firm tofu, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1/4 seedless cucumber, peeled and cut into matchsticks
4 scallions, white and green parts, chopped
1 cup bean sprouts, a couple of handfuls
fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
1/4 cup peanuts, chopped

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Roll the pizza dough on a pizza pan or cookie sheet. Top it with duck or plum sauce, spreading it around like you would pizza sauce. Sprinkle the pizza with some red pepper flakes, then top it with the bell peppers. Bake until golden and bubbly, 15 to 17 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine the vegetable oil, soy sauce, and peanut butter with the hot sauce. Use the microwave to loosen up the peanut butter if it is too cold to blend into sauce; 10 seconds ought to do it. Coat the tofu cubes evenly with the mixture and let it stand for 10 minutes. Preheat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the tofu for 2 to 5 minutes on each side, or until browned.

While the tofu cooks, mix the honey and vinegar in a medium bowl. Add the cucumber and turn to coat in the dressing.

When the pizza comes out of the oven, top it with the chicken, scallions, sprouts, and cilantro. Drain the cucumbers and scatter them over the pizza. Garnish the pizza with peanuts, cut it into 8 wedges, and serve

Thai Red Curry with Green Beans and Tofu

Taylor loves his curry. It seems like it’s a complicated thing to make, but really, it’s one of the simplest things we cook. Just be sure to taste as you go… depending on what brand of curry paste you get, it can either be mild or very spicy. Add as much or as little as your mouth can take. The curry paste we used was super spicy, we left out the thai chilies altogether (actually that was because we couldn’t find them), but the curry was almost too spicy as is.

Also, Kaffir lime leaves aren’t something we’ve found at any normal grocery store, or anywhere for that matter (short of buying a Kaffir lime tree!). We just used the juice of one lime.

Thai Red Curry with Green Beans and Tofu

Makes 4-6 servings. Recipe from this book.

INGREDIENTS
2 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut milk
1-2 tablespoon Thai red curry paste
3 tablespoons fish sauce
2 teaspoons palm sugar or light brown sugar
3 1/4 cups button mushrooms
1 cup green beans, trimmed
6 ounces firm tofu, rinsed,drained,and cut into 3/4 inch cubes
4 kaffir lime leaves, torn
2-4 fresh hot red chilies or Thai chiles, chopped (amount to taste)
fresh cilantro leaves

DIRECTIONS
If you like softer green beans, steam them in the microwave for 2-4 minutes, more if you like them really soft. They don’t cook much at all in the curry itself, so I’d highly recommend pre-cooking them for a bit.

Heat approximately 1/3 of the coconut milk in a large pan. When it starts to separate (an oily sheen will appear on the surface), add the curry paste, fish sauce, and sugar and stir to mix well. Add the cleaned mushrooms and cook 1 minute.

Pour in the rest of the coconut milk and bring to a boil. Add the green beans and tofu, then reduce heat, and simmer gently for about 4-5 minutes. Add the kaffir lime leaves and hot chillies. Garnish with cilantro before serving. Serve with hot cooked rice, if desired.

Herbed Tofu and Zucchini Lasagna

So I thought that I’d never get to eat lasagna again, being that I can’t eat dairy… until I found this recipe. Let me tell you, this would fool anyone. The tofu/herb/lemon mixture becomes the exact texture of ricotta cheese, and has fantastic flavor. We might have added a bit too much lemon, as it was a bit tart, but delicious nonetheless. Next time, try a spinach lasagne instead of zucchini, or at least cut the zucchini thinner. The faux-ricotta would also make a great filling for pasta shells or ravioli.

Herbed Tofu and Zucchini Lasagna

Makes 10 servings. Recipe from RecipeZaar.

INGREDIENTS
2 (14 ounce) packages firm tofu, well-drained
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
1/3 cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped
1/3 cup pine nuts
2 garlic cloves, peeled
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 medium zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch slices (about 3 cups)
5 cups marinara sauce (the best you can find)
16 no-boil lasagna noodles
extra virgin olive oil (for drizzling on each serving)

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Coat a 13×9 baking dish with cooking spray.

Toast pine nuts: Place them in a dry skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly until golden (about 3 minutes).

In food processor, combine tofu, basil, parsely, toasted pine nuts, garlic, lemon juice, salt, red pepper flakes, and sugar. Blend until smooth and similar in texture to ricotta cheese.

In large non-stick skillet, heat oil and saute the zucchini on medium-high heat just until they’re tender (about 3 -5 minutes).

Spread 3 tablespoons of the marinara sauce on the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Cover with a layer of noodles, overlapping them slightly.

Layer 1/2 of the tofu mixture, then 1/2 of the zucchini mixture, layer of noodles, then remaining tofu, remaining zucchini, 1/2 cup marinara sauce, more noodles, and remaining marinara sauce. Cover pan with foil and bake 1 hour.

Let rest 10 minutes before serving. Drizzle olive oil on each serving.

Better-Than-Takeout Sesame Tofu

This was a delicious treat. Quicker, cheaper, and by all means healthier than takeout chinese. We will definitely be making this one again. It would also be good made with chicken, if you’re the type that can never eat enough chicken. :)

Better-Than-Takeout Sesame Tofu

Makes 3-4 servings.

INGREDIENTS
1 package extra firm tofu
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup peanut or canola oil
sesame seeds
8 stalks broccolini

Sauce:
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
3/4 cup water
1/8 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon chili paste
1 garlic clove, minced

DIRECTIONS
Cut tofu into 1/2 thick slices. Place in a 9×13″ baking pan lined with a tea towel, top with another towel followed by another baking pan. Weight with something heavy (soup cans or something), and let press for 20-30 minutes. Cut into cubes.

Coat tofu cubes in egg, then toss in cornstarch until coated and dry. Shake off extra cornstarch.

Combine sauce ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, and boil for 5 minutes, until thick.

While sauce is cooking, heat oil in large non-stick skillet or wok. Carefully place tofu in hot oil, spacing evenly so the pieces don’t stick together. Cook (without touching!) for 3-5 minutes, or until golden brown on the bottom, and then carefully turn and cook other side. Continue to turn until cubes are golden on a few sides. Remove to a paper-towel lined plate.

Wipe out tofu pan and heat a drizzle of oil. Sauté broccolini, turning once, for about 2-4 minutes or until bright green and tender. Remove from heat. Return tofu cubes to pan, and pour over sauce. Stir until well coated. Serve with jasmine rice and sprinkled with lightly toasted sesame seeds.

Sweet Potato & Shiitake Tofu Scramble

T: What are we cooking tonight?
L: We don’t have anything planned for dinner, and we don’t go to the store until tomorrow.
T: What do we have?
L: *inspecting the eerily empty refrigerator*
L: a sweet potato, some shiitake mushrooms, a zucchini and some tofu.
T: What a combination.
L: *does a quick google search for “tofu shiitake zucchini recipe”… Prints off the first recipe that happens to pop up (which also includes, by the way, a sweet potato).*
L: Let’s try this.
T: *very skeptical of recipes from anything but a cooking authority*
T: Ok then…

30 minutes later, we had what looked like a glorified tofu scramble. We modified the recipe a bit (this was the day before grocery day, remember). And you know what? It may have been the best thing we cooked all week. Go figure.

By the way, props to you if you can form this into patties. I think it would taste even better that way. But, after one crumbly attempt at a patty, and some very rumbly tummies, we tossed the whole bowl into the pan and cooked it like a big hash brown.

Sweet Potato & Shiitake Tofu Scramble

Makes 4 servings (or so). Recipe from here, with modifications. :)

INGREDIENTS
1 sweet potato, cubed
1 package extra-firm tofu
1 zucchini, shredded
2/3 cup green onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons ginger, grated
1 teaspoon sesame oil
5 shiitake mushrooms, chopped
1 teaspoon sriracha sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons corn starch
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 carrot, grated, for garnish

For sauce:
1 cup water
2 teablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons corn starch
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1/2 teaspoon seasame oil
3 shiitake mushrooms, diced

DIRECTIONS
Boil sweet potato cubes until fork tender. Drain well and mash, set aside.

Press and drain tofu. The more moisture you can get out of it the better. Mash in tofu with the sweet potatoes.

Heat a small non-stick skillet and add the sesame oil, zucchini, green onion, garlic, and ginger. Cook until the zucchini softens, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and add to tofu-sweet potato mixture.

Add mushrooms, sriracha, salt, and corn starch and mix thoroughly.

Attempt to form the mixture into patties. If you can, pan cook in a lightly oiled pan for 3-4 minutes per side, or until browned. If not, dump the entire mixture into a large pan and let sit (no stirring!) for about 5 minutes or until bottom is brown and crisp. Toss mixture with spatula and again let sit until bottom is brown. Repeat until mixture is evenly browned.

To make sauce, mix all ingredients in a small saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat until mixture boils, becomes translucent, and thickens. Drizzle over patties (or scramble mixture), garnish with grated carrot and sliced green onion

Tofu Broccoli (& Asparagus)

A while back we made a really good Beef & Broccoli recipe. Like, better than takeout beef broccoli. And we wanted to make it again, but didn’t really feel like (spending the money on) beef. So we thought we’d try it with tofu. Different taste, surely, but equally delicious! Try mixing it up with some other veggies, like snow peas… we used asparagus in this case.

Tofu and Broccoli

Makes 3-4 servings.

INGREDIENTS
1 block firm tofu

For marinade:
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon cornstarch

4-5 tablespoons oil, or as needed

For Sauce:
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon water

1 pound fresh broccoli
1 bunch asparagus, cut diagonally into 1 1/2″ pieces
2 garlic cloves
1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon sugar, or to taste

DIRECTIONS
Line a baking pan with dish towels. Cut the tofu into 1/2″-3/4″ slices. Lay on top of towels, followed by another layer of towels and another baking pan. Weight with something heavy (like a kitchen aid mixer!) for 15-30 minutes. Remove weight and towels. Add the marinade ingredients to the baking dish with the tofu, adding the cornstarch last (use your fingers to rub it in). Marinate for 30 minutes.

While the tofu is marinating, prepare the sauce and vegetables: for the sauce, mix together the oyster sauce, soy, and water in a small bowl and set aside. in another small bowl, mix the cornstarch and water and set aside.

Wash and drain the broccoli. Cut the stalk diagonally into thin slices. Cut the florets into 3 or 4 pieces. Crush the garlic.

Heat the wok or a large skillet and add 1-2 tablespoons oil. When the oil is hot, add the tofu. Cook until each side is golden brown. Remove and drain on paper towels.

Clean out the pan with paper towels. Add 2 tablespoons oil to the wok. When the oil is hot, add the crushed garlic and stir fry briefly until aromatic.

Add the broccoli and asparagus, sprinkle the salt and sugar over, and stir fry briefly, turning down the heat if necessary to make sure it doesn’t burn. Add the 1/2 cup water, and cook the veggies, covered, for 4 – 5 minutes, until bright green and tender but still crisp. Remove from the wok and drain.

Clean out the wok and add 2 more tablespoons oil. Add the broccoli and the tofu. Add the sauce and cornstarch mixture in the middle of the wok and stir quickly to thicken. Mix everything together and serve hot over steamed rice.

Mapo Tofu

This recipe sounded far too interesting not to try. Another new spice making it’s appearance – this time Sichuan Peppercorns. Apparently not actually a peppercorn, it’s flavor can only be described as “tingly”. Yes, tingly. Combined with the spicy chili, crispy pork, and silken tofu, this dish is a delightful mix of textures and flavors. Quick too – we’re going to try to always have a package of ground pork in the freezer and some silken tofu in the fridge, as this would be a perfect I-don’t-want-to-spend-hours-cooking meal.

Mapo Tofu

Makes 2-4 servings.
Recipe from Land of Plenty, via Appetite for China.

INGREDIENTS
1 block soft tofu (about 1 pound), drained and cut into 1-inch cubes
3 tablespoons peanut oil
6 ounces ground pork
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 leeks, thinly sliced at an angle (or a handful of scallions can be substituted)
2 1/2 tablespoons chili bean paste
1 tablespoon fermented black beans
2 teaspoons ground Sichuan pepper
1 cup chicken stock
2 teaspoons white sugar
2 teaspoons light soy sauce
Salt to taste
4 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 6 tablespoons cold water

DIRECTIONS
Heat peanut oil in a wok over high heat. Add pork and stir-fry until crispy and starting to brown but not yet dry. Reduce heat to medium, add garlic and leeks and stir-fry until fragrant. Add chili bean paste, black beans, and ground Sichuan pepper, and stir-fry for about 1 minute, until the oil is a rich red color.

Pour in the stock and stir well. Mix in the drained tofu gently by pushing the back of your ladle or wok scoop gently from the edges to the center of the wok or pan; don’t stir or the tofu may break up. Season with the sugar, soy sauce, and salt to taste. Simmer for about 5 minutes, allowing the tofu has absorb the flavors of the sauce. Then add the cornstarch mixture in 2 or 3 stages, mixing well, until the sauce has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. (Don’t add more than you need). Serve while still hot in a deep plate or wide bowl. Garnish with optional scallions or crushed Sichuan peppercorn.

Saucy Tofu and Scallion Pancakes

Remind me to get a post-it pad for Taylor’s brain.

This is another example of a recipe that just kind of came out, loosely based on our Better-Than-Takeout Sesame Tofu, which I had originally planned to make, but Taylor decided he didn’t really like (or rather, remember) and wanted to try try something different. Right, ok dear, it’s all you.

“Sauteé some garlic and green onion (whatever was leftover from the pancakes) in some canola oil. Then add soy sauce (no idea how much, probably 1/4 cup at least), maybe 1/4 cup water, ummmm, ok not that much, just some water, some brown sugar, maybe 3 tablespoons (honestly I don’t know), a little bit of rice wine vinegar, a couple teaspoons maybe, um… at the end I thickened it with a little bit of a cornstarch/water mixture… and then added some Chili Sambal (rooster) sauce.

“What else went in there? I used all the original ingredients from the original recipe, except brown instead of white sugar. Soy, sugar, water… what else did I add in there? Wait. Let me go look in the pantry. Oh, sesame oil, a glog or two. (sound of bottles clinking). That’s about it I think. Probably why it wasn’t very good.”

Actually it was pretty good, at least I thought so. Sorry that the above two paragraphs is the best ‘recipe’ you’re going to get. Thanks Taylor! :)

I didn’t see a thing he did, as I was making a mess on the other side of the kitchen. Flour and oil everywhere, but pretty darn tasty and worth the cleanup. And for as few ingredients as go into them, they come out tasting delicious.

A great step-by-step recipe with photos for these delicious pancakes can be found over at Use Real Butter.

Tell me one thing though – what is missing from this meal? Oh yes. Something green on the plate. Whoops. Easy to forget that part sometimes. I should have taken the photo ON a green plate, then it wouldn’t be as obvious.

Spicy Thai Tofu with Red Bell Peppers and Peanuts

Sometimes I’m at a loss for words. Maybe that’s why all my other attempts at blogging quickly fall into a pattern (or lack thereof) of a post a month. This blog, however, is immune from writers block – as we have to eat every night, and even if it wasn’t very good or I don’t have any quip or anecdote to say about that particular meal, as long as I’ve got a picture and a recipe, I’ve got a post.

So hear you go. A picture and a recipe. And actually something worth trying, it was pretty good and a quick meal. Surprisingly (since we rarely repeat things), we’ll probably make this one again.

We don’t have a wok, and actually baked this tofu rather than frying it, which we’ve recently discovered gives it a very nice color without the need for oil. Simply drain your tofu, marinate it in some soy sauce, sesame oil, lime juice, and hot sauce (the longer the better), then pop it in the oven for about 20-30 minutes, or until it’s nice and golden.

Hey look, my lack of words has suddenly turned into 3 surprisingly thoughtful paragraphs!

Spicy Thai Tofu with Red Bell Peppers and Peanuts

Recipe from Bon Appetit. Makes 4 servings.

INGREDIENTS
1/3 cup olive oil
2 large red bell peppers, seeded, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
3 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 14-to 16-ounce package extra-firm tofu, drained well, cut into 1-inch cubes
3 green onions, thinly sliced on diagonal
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
1 6-ounce bag baby spinach leaves
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
1/3 cup lightly salted roasted peanuts

DIRECTIONS
Heat oil in wok over high heat. Add bell peppers, ginger, and garlic; sauté until peppers just begin to soften, about 2 minutes. Add tofu and green onions; toss 2 minutes. Add next 3 ingredients. Toss to blend, about 1 minute. Add spinach in 3 additions, tossing until beginning to wilt, about 1 minute for each addition. Mix in basil. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle peanuts over.

Thai Green Tofu Curry

We love Thai curries – but have become a bit tired of the standard red curry we’ve made quite often. Green curry (that actually comes out looking more putrid-yellow rather than green), is a nice change of pace. A bit less spicy than red curry, we found we wanted more flavor after the first time making this recipe. So we nearly tripled the curry paste the recipe calls for. Since it is not as spicy, you get plenty more flavor while not setting your mouth on fire. Always a good thing. :)

The recipe originally called for chicken breast meat, but we subbed in tofu instead. We also added some fresh green bean pieces and some shiitake mushrooms, which do wonderful things for the overall flavor.

It’s a quick meal too, which is never a bad thing.

Thai Green Tofu Curry

Makes 4 servings. Recipe from Bon Appetit.

INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3/4 cup sliced shallots (about 5 large)
1-2 tablespoons Thai green curry paste
1 14-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk
2 teaspoons fish sauce (such as nam pla or nuoc nam)
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 container firm tofu, drained well and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 lb. green beans, trimmed and cut into 1″ pieces
5-6 dried shiitake mushrooms, rehydrated and quartered
1 large red bell pepper, cut into strips
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil plus sprigs for garnish
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice plus wedges for garnish

DIRECTIONS
Pre-cook the green beans until bright green and still very crispy.

Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots and curry paste; stir until shallots soften, about 2 minutes. Add coconut milk, fish sauce, and brown sugar; bring to boil. Add tofu, green beans, mushrooms, and bell pepper; stir until heated through. Stir in chopped basil and lime juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Divide curry among bowls or serve over jasmine rice. Garnish with basil sprigs and lime wedges.

Feed Us, Day 5: Orange-Chipotle Glazed Tofu with Confetti Rice

Last day of our Feed Us challenge. We actually received a few more tempting recipes, ones that came in after we got back from the grocery store. Stay tuned, we might be doing more of those next week. :)

This was a delicious recipe, submitted by Thaxton. We’re always looking for new tofu recipes, and this one is a keeper. Taylor’s easy, feed him anything with Chipotle and he’ll be happy (he eats the stuff out of a can, weirdo). At first glance, the flavors seem a bit odd – chipotle, orange, and maple syrup? But surprisingly, it works, and it works well.

The rice side dish (hooray for an actual side dish rather than eating a sidedish as the main meal), was also a delicious and beautiful companion to the tofu. Don’t skip out and get a red or green bell pepper, you NEED the orange one to experience the full rainbow of rice that is this dish. Seriously. I’m not joking here. The rice (which we could have halved and still had leftovers) is also delicious the next day.

Orange-Chipotle Glazed Tofu

Makes 6 servings. Recipe from Vegetarian Times.

INGREDIENTS
1 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 Tbs. rice vinegar or cider vinegar
2 tsp. minced seeded chipotle chile in adobo sauce, drained, plus 2 tsp. adobo sauce
1/4 tsp. salt
2 14-oz. packages extra-firm tofu, drained and patted dry
1 Tbs. vegetable oil

DIRECTIONS
Whisk together orange juice, maple syrup, vinegar, chipotle chile, adobo sauce, and salt in small bowl. Cover, and chill.

Cut each piece of tofu crosswise into 8 slices, each about 1/2-inch thick. Place tofu in large shallow glass dish. Add 1/2 cup orange juice mixture and oil to tofu, and turn to coat. Cover, and refrigerate at least 30 minutes or up to 8 hours, turning from time to time. Reserve remaining orange juice mixture, covered, in refrigerator.

Preheat broiler. Line large baking sheet with foil, and coat with cooking spray. Place tofu on prepared baking sheet. Combine marinade and reserved orange juice mixture in small saucepan. Bring to a simmer. Cook over medium heat 12 to 15 minutes, or until syrupy. Keep warm.

Broil tofu 6 to 8 minutes per side, or until golden, basting occasionally with orange juice mixture. Serve with remaining sauce.

Confetti Rice Salad

Makes 6 servings. Recipe from Vegetarian Times.

INGREDIENTS
1 cup long-grain white rice
1 tsp. whole cumin seeds
1 clove garlic, crushed and peeled
1/2 tsp. salt
1 small orange bell pepper, finely chopped (1 cup)
1 15-oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 large tomato, chopped (11/2 cups)
1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
2/3 cup chopped green onions (1 bunch)
1/4 cup lime juice
3 Tbs. olive oil
1/2 cup sunflower seeds, optional
1/2 avocado, diced, optional

DIRECTIONS
Combine rice, cumin, and 2 cups water in saucepan. Add garlic and salt, cover, and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, and cook 15 minutes, or until rice is tender and most of water is absorbed. Remove from heat, sprinkle bell pepper on top, cover, and cool rice in pan.

Transfer rice to large bowl, and remove garlic clove. Stir in beans, tomato, corn, green onions, lime juice, and oil. Season with salt and pepper. Fold in sunflower seeds and avocado, if desired. Serve at room temperature.

This was almost like our go-to red curry recipe, but without the red curry. And honestly, it was a few days ago that we made it, and I really don’t remember it much. It wasn’t bad, but obviously wasn’t out of this world. Searing the tofu gives it a nice color and near-crispy outside, and the sauce is, well, coconut-y. What else did you expect?

Obviously, some dishes on this blog garner more dialogue. This one, not so much. Doesn’t mean it’s not worth a try. On to the recipe!

Seared Tofu with with Green Beans and Asian Coconut Sauce

Makes 4 servings. Recipe from Epicurious.

INGREDIENTS
1 (14- to 16-oz) package firm tofu
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
1 tablespoon finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes
1 lb green beans, trimmed and cut into 2-inch-long pieces
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch-wide strips (2 inches long)
1 teaspoon salt
1 (14- to 15-oz) can unsweetened coconut milk (not low-fat)
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/3 cup chopped salted roasted cashews

DIRECTIONS
Halve tofu lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices and pat dry well. Put 1 tablespoon soy sauce in a wide shallow dish, then add tofu, turning to coat, and let stand 10 minutes. Pat tofu dry.

Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over high heat until hot but not smoking, then add tofu in 1 layer and cook, turning over once, until tofu is browned, about 6 minutes total. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a large plate, reserving oil in skillet.

Add garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes to skillet and sauté, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add beans, bell pepper, and salt and sauté, stirring, 1 minute.

Stir in coconut milk and remaining tablespoon soy sauce and bring to a boil, then boil, uncovered, until beans are tender, about 6 minutes. Transfer vegetables using a slotted spoon to plate with tofu.

Simmer sauce until thickened slightly and reduced to about 3/4 cup, about 2 minutes. Stir in lime juice and pour sauce over vegetables and tofu. Sprinkle with cashews.