Saturday, April 18, 2009

{BAKED TOFU}

I've been experimenting a little with baked tofu. I've had success so far. I really like it!

firm or extra firm tofu
marinade of choice

For this one, I marinated firm tofu in a mixture of the following:

ketchup
fat-free balsalmic vinegar dressing
low-sodium soy sauce

• Cut tofu into thin slices of desired width and length.

• Marinate for 15 minutes to a couple of hours.

• Place marinated pieces in a single layer in a frying pan on medium heat.

• "Bake" for 20 to 30 minutes (or until desired texture), turning every 5 minutes.

Note: I had these on fajitas, but baked tofu would be great to top salads, Hawaiian haystacks, stir fries, etc. I'm also thinking I'll try some with Liza's curry.


This marinade was a bit more complicated. I adapted a PF Chang's Lettuce Wrap copy cat recipe. The tofu worked great, but I botched the rest of the mixture. I think I know how to fix it, so I might try again and post the whole lettuce wrap recipe. But for now, this tofu was great!

2 t. cornstarch
2 t. red wine vinegar
2 t. honey
4 t. orange juice
2 T. Thai chili sauce
4 t. water

• Cut tofu into 1/4-inch cubes.

• Marinate for 15 minutes to a couple of hours.

• Spread tofu in a single layer on a lightly greased cookie sheet.

• Bake at 350 for 45 minutes (or until desired texture), turning a few times.

{FAJITAS}

This isn't really a recipe, but here's what I do. They sure are yummy!

Put any combination of the following in a whole wheat tortilla:

"Beaner" bean mix
grilled veggies
baked tofu

Mexican rice

lettuce
tomatoes
corn
avocados
salsa
creamy Caesar dressing


{GRILLED VEGGIES}

yellow, red, orange peppers (I didn't have red this time.)
zucchini
carrots
mushrooms (I didn't have any.)
caramelized onion*

• Chop peppers, zucchini, and carrots into thin slices (match sticks).

• Grill peppers and carrots in frying pan until almost desired texture. (You don't need water or oil.)

• Add zucchini and mushrooms. Cook until desired texture.

• Add caramelized onions.

*To caramelize chopped onions, cook them in water, stirring and scraping sides often, until the water is gone. Add water. Repeat process several times until onions are golden brown and very soft.

Monday, April 13, 2009

{FRUIT SOUP}

This is for sure my very favorite thing to eat.  I absolutely love it and don't think food gets much better.  It's not really a recipe and it's super easy so I will just list the things I usually put in it.  
oranges
apples
strawberries
grapes
pineapple
blueberries
kiwi
raspberries
bananas
orange juice

  • Cut up fresh fruit into bite size pieces (except bananas)
  • Pour orange juice on top to cover fruit and chill (if desired)
  • Right before serving, add sliced bananas
*Amounts are completely up to you.  I usually do about a cup of oranges, apples, strawberries, grapes, and then however much I want of anything else I have.  I add 2-3 Bananas (which really make the soup delicious but they have to be perfectly ripe!) 

Thursday, April 9, 2009

{CASHEW COOKIE SQUARES}

These are a knock-off of date squares and a copy cat of Cashew Cookie LaraBars.  They are delicious!

1/2 c. oats
1 c. cashews
2 c. pitted dates
1/4 c. almond milk
1 t. vanilla

• Process oats for 20 to 30 seconds in food processor.

• Add cashews and process for another 20 to 30 seconds.

• Add dates, almond milk, and vanilla.

• Process until mixture is combined and clumping together.

• Press mixture into flat container and freeze or refrigerate.

Note:  Dates are not created equal.  You may have to play with amounts.  Also, if you get dates that are too hard, try steaming them or heating them in the microwave to soften them.

Friday, April 3, 2009

{CREAMY VEGETABLE CURRY}

This is a great recipe originally found here. I have toned it down a bit (it was pretty spicy) but we like both versions.


3 c. vegetable broth
1 onion, chopped
3 carrots, sliced
1 t. minced garlic
2 T. curry powder
1 t. ground coriander
3 c. chunked Yukon gold potatoes
3 c. green beans in 1 inch pieces
1 15-oz. can diced tomatoes (we use petite)
1 15-oz can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 c. frozen peas, thawed (optional)
3/4 c. coconut milk*

  • Place 1/3 c. of the broth in a large pot.
  • Add the carrots, onions, and garlic.
  • Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions have softened.
  • Stir in the curry powder and coriander.
  • Add the remaining broth, potatoes, beans, tomatoes, and garbanzos.
  • Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and cook over low heat for about 30 to 40 minutes.
  • Add the peas and cook for an additional 5 minutes, or until all vegetable are tender.
  • Add coconut milk (or rice milk mixed with coconut extract*).
  • Serve over brown rice.
*For a lower fat version, you can use rice or soy milk and 1/8 t. of coconut extract instead of the coconut milk.

*It makes a lot, so if you aren't going to use it all it freezes great in a freezer bag.

*It's also very good with pineapple mixed in.

Pressure Cooker Instructions:

Put the broth, onion, garlic, potatoes, carrots, green beans (unless using canned), tomatoes, garbanzos, and spices in the pressure cooker and cook on low pressure for 1 minute, quick release. Add coconut milk, peas (and green beans if canned).

I actually turn the pressure cooker on (set to low pressure, 1 minute, and press start) but leave the lid off as I chop and add the ingredients in this order: broth, onions, garlic, carrots, potatoes, green beans, tomatoes, garbanzos, spices. This allows the onions to soften before everything else cooks. Then I just put the lid on and let it do it's thing. (It also speeds the process even more this way.) We got home from church yesterday afternoon at 4:30. Dinner was on 45 minutes later! (I had cooked the rice before church.)