Asian Noodles

This easy, Asian inspired noodle dish is simple and delicious.

• 1 package tofu (~14 oz), pressed to remove extra water then cubed
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 – 2 Tbsp fresh ginger, minced
• 1/4 cup reduced sodium tamari, or more as you wish
• 1 Tbsp maple syrup
• 2 Tbsp rice vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
• 1 Tbsp sesame oil
• Hot sauce, red pepper flakes, or other heat as you wish

• 8 oz. whole wheat spaghetti or udon noodles

• 2 carrots, thinly sliced diagonally
• 1 head of broccoli, stem thinly sliced (like the carrot) and florets chopped into bit-sized pieces
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped (green and white/light green parts kept separately)
• 1 Tbsp minced fresh basil
• 1+ Tbsp sesame seeds

If you can, press the tofu about 15 minutes ahead of time to remove as much water as possible.

While tofu is pressing, combine garlic, ginger, tamari, maple syrup, vinegar, sesame oil, and optional heat in a glass dish.

Cube tofu and add to bowl of sauce.  Stir until well coated.  Allow to marinate until needed.

Heat a pot of water and bring to a boil.  Cook spaghetti when boiling according to package instructions.

In a large saute pan (no oil needed), cover and cook the carrots and the stems of the broccoli until starting to soften.  Add tofu (and any marinade that wasn’t soaked up) and saute uncovered for several more minutes.  Add broccoli florets and the white/light green parts of the green onions.  Saute until everything is done to your liking.  Add the green parts of the green onions, basil and sesame seeds.  Stir well and heat through.  Toss with the noodles and serve immediately.  Chopsticks optional.

 

 

Broccoli & Spinach “Quiche”

This kind of thing isn’t usually up my alley, but I gave it a try and it was good.  The flavor was rather mellow – I prefer things a little more flavorful, so I might up the spices in it in the future.  You can taste the filling before baking and see if you want to make it more flavorful or keep it mellow.

The idea of using tortillas as the pie crust is unique and cool!  You could certainly steal that idea for other dishes.

• olive oil for greasing and sauteing (or saute in water or broth)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 bell pepper, chopped
• 1 small head broccoli, chopped (about 1 cup)
• 2 cups spinach, chopped
• 14 oz tofu (softer the better)
• 1/4 cup unsweetened original almond milk
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• ground black pepper
• 2 tortillas of your choice

Saute the onion and bell pepper for 5 minutes, add broccoli and saute a couple of minutes more.  Add spinach and cover.  Saute a bit more, stirring occasionally until spinach is totally wilted.

In a food processor, combine tofu, non-dairy milk, and spices.  Puree.

Preheat oven to 350.  Grease a pie pan.  Using 1 whole tortilla and 2 half tortillas, cover the bottoms and sides of the pie pan.

Combine tofu and veggie mixture in a bowl and stir well.  Pour into the prepared pie pan.
Bake for 50 minutes.  Allow to cool about 10 minutes before cutting.

Sweet Baked Tofu

I was in the mood for a new tofu dish tonight…  Originally I planned on making this, but changed it up for something new (modified a bit).  Thumbs up all around.

I made up this side dish to go with it.  Serve with a grain of your choice.  This made 3 large servings.  (Also – try as a topping on a green salad!!)

• 1 package extra firm tofu (mine was 14 – 19 oz)
• 1/4 reduced sodium tamari
• 2 Tbsp pure maple syrup
• 2 Tbsp ketchup
• 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 tsp hot sauce, or to taste
• 1 Tbsp sesame seeds
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• a bit of olive oil

Press the tofu well to get rid of as much water as possible.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a medium-large bowl, combine tamari, maple syrup, ketchup, apple cider vinegar, hot sauce, sesame seeds, garlic powder, and black pepper.  Whisk to combine.

Drizzle a bit of olive oil on a glass 9×9 baking dish and spread to coat.

Once you’ve gotten quite a bit of water out of the tofu, cut into 1/2″ cubes.  Put into the bowl with the sauce.  Toss with a spoon to fully coat all tofu pieces.  Pour into the prepared glass pan.  Bake 35 minutes, stirring/flipping every 10 – 15 minutes.

Tofu with Broccoli and Garlic Sauce

This yummy dish is quick and easy.  It brings me back to many many years ago when my husband (then boyfriend) and I lived in a rented house in Arvada.  I was getting my teaching certification and I taught during the day and had marathon class every Monday night.  On Mondays he would often get creative and make up new recipes and surprise me with them after a very long day.  This was one of them!  We’ve been making this for the past 10 years!

Serve over brown rice (use 1 cup dry to go with this amount).  Makes 3 – 4 large servings.  You can easily use any veggie(s) of your choice.

• 1 package firm or extra firm tofu

• 1/2 Tbsp reduced sodium tamari or soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp sherry
• 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• ground black pepper
• 1 tsp hot sauce (or to taste)
• 1/2 Tbsp tamarind paste
• 1 Tbsp water

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch

• 2 heads of broccoli, cut into bite size pieces
• 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
• reduced sodium soy sauce or tamari

Press tofu to remove as much water as possible.

In a measuring cup or bowl, combine tamari, sherry, vinegar, black pepper hot sauce, tamarind and water and set aside.  In a small saucepan, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil and add garlic.  Slowly saute garlic until garlic is golden brown.  Remove from heat.  Add cornstarch and and whisk well.  Add liquid ingredients and bring to a simmer while stirring until sauce thickens.  Remove from heat.

Steam the broccoli until tender.

Chop the tofu into 1/2″ cubes.  Drizzle tamari on tofu and toss.  How much to do takes a little trial and error.  For me, I want a lot of flavor, but I don’t want it salty, so I find the lower sodium one lets me use more.  You definitely don’t want so much that there is excess liquid.  All of it should be absorbed by tofu.  Heat 2 Tbsp Olive Oil in non-stick pan (but not too hot!) and throw in tofu.  Saute for 10-15 minutes, only tossing every 3 or 4 minutes or so, allowing the tofu to get nicely browned and a little crispy on all sides.

Toss sauce with sauteed tofu and steamed broccoli.  Serve over brown rice.

 

 

Sweet & Spicy Stir Fry Noodles with Mango

This recipe was inspired by my friend Elizabeth and a recipe in the Everyday Happy Herbivore cookbook.  It was really really good.  My husband said it was the best thing he’s had in a while.

• 1 package tofu (14 – 16 oz), pressed and cut in 1/2″ cubes***  See Chef’s Note at end
• olive oil for sauteing
• 7 oz stir fry rice noodles
• 1/2 cup veggie broth
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (or to taste)
• 1/4 cup reduced sodium tamari (less if you want less sodium)
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
• 2 Tbsp sweet red chili sauce (I did find this at our local Vitamin Cottage under the Thai Kitchen brand!)
• 1 Tbsp minced ginger
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped – keep white/light green parts separate from dark green parts
• 1 red pepper, sliced thinly
• 4 oz chopped white mushroooms
• 2 baby bok choys (about 14 oz), chopped
• 2 mangoes, cubed (tips on cutting mango)

Saute tofu in olive oil until browned and crisped up a bit.

Prepared noodles according to package instructions.  If done before rest, rinse under cool water when done.

Combine all sauce ingredients (in blue) in a measuring cup or bowl.  Pour into a saute pan and add white/light green green onions, red pepper, mushroooms, and bok choy.  Put a lid on and cook about 5 minutes or until everything is to your desired tenderness.  Toss with rice noodles (reheating if necessary) and mangoes.  Serve with the green parts of the green onions on top.

 

Chef’s Note:   I tried subbing about 12 oz of shelled edamame for the tofu and it was fantastic!!

Pad Thai

This is good.  Really good.  Although you should let go of any expectations of Pad Thai that you have because I find they are all totally different and you don’t want to have misaligned expectations.  In fact, this one is quite a bit different than a different recipe we used to make.  And better.

This is inspired by a recipe in The Happy Herbivore cookbook, but is quite different.  Makes 4 servings.

• 1 package (14 – 16 oz) tofu
• olive oil for sauteing
• 2 1/2 – 3 cups snow peas, ends and strings removed (and cut in half if desired)
• 2 small or 1 large red pepper, cut into very thin strips
• 10 – 12 oz rice noodles

Sauce

• 1/2 cup hot water
• 6 – 8 Tbsp (8 Tbsp = 1/2 cup) reduced sodium tamari or soy sauce
• 5 Tbsp (1/4 cup + 1 Tbsp) peanut butter (preferably one with just peanuts)
• 1/4 cup Sweet Chili Sauce (I bought a great all natural one at Trader Joe’s when we were visiting the east coast recently, but I think you can find it in the Asian section of your supermarket)
• 1 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1 1/4 tsp ground ginger

For serving, if desired

• Crushed peanuts
• Chopped cilantro
• Lime wedges

Press tofu until most of the water is removed.  Chop into 1/2 inch cubes.  Saute in olive oil until starting to brown on the sides.  Add red peppers and continue sauteing until red pepper are done to your liking.  Steam snow peas until done to your liking.  (Alternatively, you could add the red peppers and snow peas to the tofu, though you have less control on how done the red pepper and snow peas get.)

Prepare the rice noodles according to package directions and drain.  If done before everything else, run under cold water.

Whisk together the sauce ingredients.

Combine everything together, reheating if necessary, and serve with peanuts, cilantro, and lime wedges, if desired.

Black Pepper Tofu and Green Beans

Inspired by a recipe from Sunset magazine, this quick tofu dish doesn’t lack in flavor.  Serve with brown rice or quinoa.  (1 cup dry works well)

• 1 lb green beans, trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces (length of your choosing)
• 4 Tbsp fresh squeezed lime juice
• 4 Tbsp reduced sodium tamari or soy sauce
• 1 – 1 1/2 tsp ground black pepper (this makes it spicy, so be careful on the amount if you don’t want it spicy)
• 14 – 16 oz firm or extra firm tofu, pressed and drained to remove excess moisture
• Olive oil for sauteing
• 1 Tbsp packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup sliced shallots or sliced green onions

Steam green beans until bright green.

In glass measuring cup or small bowl, mix lime juice, tamari and black pepper.

Cut tofu in 1/2 thick rectangles.  Sprinkle brown sugar over tofu and toss carefully to coat.

Heat saute pan with a tablespoon or two of olive oil.  Add tofu and cook until starting to get browned and crispy, not stirring too often.  Add shallots or green onions and cook a bit more, until softened to your liking.  Toss steamed green beans, sauce and tofu together and mix.  Serve over brown rice or grain of your choice.

Orange Tofu Stir Fry

A quick, healthy, and great tasting meal. Inspired by: http://peasandthankyou.com/recipage/?recipe_id=6001679

• 14 oz package of firm or extra firm tofu
• 3/4 cup orange juice + additional OJ for marinating for marinating tofu
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp ginger powder
• 1 Tbsp reduced sodium tamari or soy sauce + additional for marinating tofu
• 1 Tbsp rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 tsp garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp brown sugar, or other sweetener
• 12 oz broccoli, flowers and stems chopped very finely (or a 12 oz package of broccoli slaw)
• 1 1/2 cups carrots, quartered lengthwise and cut in 1″ lengths (or save time with baby carrots)
• 1 1/2 cups snap peas or snow peas
• 1/4 cup almonds, chopped
• 2 tsp sesame seeds

Press tofu to get rid of some of the water. Then cube and marinate with some OJ and reduced sodium tamari/soy sauce.

Steam the snap peas and carrots until tender. (You might consider steaming one, then the other, so that you can get the right amount of steaming time for each.)

Heat the olive oil in a non-stick saute pan and saute tofu until cripsy and browned a bit.

In a measuring cup combine OJ, ginger, tamari, vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, cornstarch, and brown sugar. Whisk to combine.

Add veggies to tofu and saute until broccoli is tender. Add the sauce and cook a bit more.

Top with sesame seeds and chopped almonds.
Serve with brown rice or quinoa.

Tofu with Broccoli and Peanut Sauce

This yummy, easy dish is one of my daughter’s favorites.  (When she asked what we were having tonight, she said, “Yay!  That’s my other favorite dinner!” Serve over brown rice (use 1 cup dry to go with this amount).  Makes 3 – 4 large servings.

• 1 package firm or extra firm tofu
• 1 1/4 cups skinned (unsalted) roasted peanuts
• 1 tsp Sambal Oelek (available in the Asian section of major supermarkets.  Adds both heat and flavor)
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1 Tbsp Sugar
• 2 cups water
• 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 smalll onion (or a bunch of green onions), very finely chopped
• 3-4 Garlic Cloves
• 2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
• 2 heads of broccoli
• 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
• reduced sodium soy sauce or tamari

Press tofu to remove as much water as possible.

Add these ingredients to a blender: peanuts, sugar, salt, Sambal Oelek, and only 1 cup of the water.  Blend until smooth, adding some of the rest of the water if necessary.  Once blended, add rest of the water and blend again.  (I find that on my crappy blender adding all 2 cups of water right away doesn’t allow the sauce to get as smoothly blended.)

In a sauce pan, heat olive oil and saute onions and garlic until very soft and slightly browned.  Add blended contents of blender and bring to a simmer.  Gently simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes, allowing the sauce to thicken.  Turn off the heat and stir in the lemon juice.

Steam the broccoli until tender.

Chop the tofu into 1/2″ cubes.  Drizzle soy sauce on tofu (I recommend the lower sodium one) and toss.  How much to do takes a little trial and error.  For me, I want a lot of flavor, but I don’t want it salty, so I find the lower sodium one lets me use more.  You definitely don’t want so much that there is excess liquid.  All of it should be absorbed by tofu.  Heat Olive Oil in non-stick pan (but not too hot!) and throw in tofu.  Saute for 10-15 minutes, only tossing every 3 or 4 minutes or so, allowing the tofu to get nicely browned and a little crispy on all sides.

Toss sauce over sauteed tofu and steamed broccoli.  Serve over brown rice.

Sesame Baked Tofu

Serve this easy tofu dish with some brown rice or quinoa and a veggie on the side.  (Pictured here with Grilled Cabbage.)

• 1 package firm or extra firm tofu (14 oz or so)
• 1/4 cup warm water
• 1 Tbsp miso
• 2 Tbsp tamari or soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp cider vinegar
• 1 Tbsp (toasted) sesame oil
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2″ slice of ginger, minced (about 1 Tbsp)
• 1/2 onion, minced (about 1/3 cup)
• 2 Tbsp sesame seeds

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Press tofu until most water has drained.  Carefully slice tofu into 4 layers.

In a measuring cup, combine the miso and water and whisk until miso is dissolved.  Add tamari, vinegar, sesame oil, olive oil, ginger, onion, and sesame seeds.  Whisk.

In a glass 9×9 baking pan, pour a little of the mixture in the bottom of the pan.  Arrange the four slices of tofu in the pan.  Cover the tofu with the remaining mixture.  Bake uncovered for 40 minutes.

Serve with brown rice and a veggie on the side.

Chef’s Note:  I use a “chopper machine” as shown below for mincing the ginger and onion.