So far this week, we've touched base with tempeh and seitan. Today, it's tofu. I almost neglected to mention tofu for two reasons: first off, I used it so often that I almost felt that everyone was familiar with using it (more on that in a minute), and secondly, so many people get down-right weird at the mention of tofu. (More on that in a minute when I hit you with my tofu lasagna. Okay, not literally hit you with it...but you get the idea)
Vegetarian Times has a short guide to the different varieties of tofu (yes, there are different kids of it). Check out “A Beginner's Guide to Tofu Varieties.” It also has five recipes to try out; I've included three of them in today's blog, as well as a few other tofu recipes, including the aforementioned lasagna. Enjoy!
TOFU CREME AU CHOCOLATE
This comes from the January/February 2015 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 46, and begins, “We’ve given this dessert its French name to highlight how decadent it is—a chocolate pudding for grown-ups as well as kids! No one will guess it’s made with tofu.” Serves 8.
To view this online, go to http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipe/tofu-creme-au-chocolat/.
4 oz. dark chocolate, broken into pieces
1 Tbs. Earth Balance Original Buttery Spread
1 14-oz. pkg. silken tofu, drained
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
1/8 tsp. salt
Melt chocolate in microwave on medium power or in double boiler. Stir in buttery spread until no lumps remain.
Blend tofu, brown sugar, vanilla extract, and salt in blender or food processor 1 to 2 minutes, or until smooth and creamy.
Add chocolate to tofu mixture, and blend 30 seconds, or until smooth and creamy. Transfer to bowl, cover, and refrigerate 2 hours, or until set.
nutritional information Per 1/2-cup serving: Calories: 146; Protein: 3 g; Total Fat: 8 g; Saturated Fat: 4 g; Carbohydrates: 15 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 56 mg; Fiber: 1 g; Sugar: 12 g; Vegan; Gluten-Free
VEGETABLE STEW WITH TOFU FETA
This comes from the January/February 2015 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 47, and begins, “This cold-weather variation of a classic Greek stew is enlivened with cubes of marinated tofu feta.” Serves 6 in 30 minutes or less.
To view this online, click here.
Tofu Feta
1 10-oz. pkg. super-firm tofu or sprouted tofu, drained, and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3 Tbs. lemon juice
1 Tbs. olive oil
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. salt
Vegetable Stew
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped (2 cups)
3 cloves garlic, minced (1 Tbs.)
4 medium red-skinned or Yukon gold potatoes, cut into 3/4-inch chunks (4 cups)
1 28-oz. can diced tomatoes
2 medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise, then cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices (2 1/2 cups)
1 10-oz. pkg. baby green beans, thawed
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 Tbs. finely chopped fresh dill
To make Tofu Feta: Toss tofu with lemon juice and oil in shallow container. Spread in single layer in container, and sprinkle with oregano and salt. Set aside to marinate while making stew.
To make Vegetable Stew: Heat oil in large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, and sauté 5 minutes, or until translucent. Add garlic, and sauté 1 minute more. Add potatoes and 1 cup water. Bring mixture to a simmer, cover pot, and cook 4 minutes. Add tomatoes, zucchini, green beans, oregano, and 1 cup water. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 20 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Stir parsley and dill into stew, then season with salt and pepper, if desired. Top with Tofu Feta cubes.
nutritional informationPer 1 1/2-cup serving: Calories: 296; Protein: 12 g; Total Fat: 10 g; Saturated Fat: 2 g; Carbohydrates: 42 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 439 mg; Fiber: 7 g; Sugar: 11 g; Vegan; Gluten-Free
BAKED TOFU SALAD WITH BROCCOLI AND PINEAPPLE
This recipe, also from the January/February 2015 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 44, begins, “This lovely winter salad highlights how easy it is to use chewy baked tofu right out of the package.
Dressing
1/3 cup mango chutney
1/3 cup vegan mayonnaise or unsweetened coconut yogurt
2 Tbs. lime juice
Salad
1 medium head broccoli, cut into small florets
1 8-oz. pkg. baked tofu (any flavor), cut into short, thin sticks
1 1/2 cups fresh or drained canned pineapple chunks
2 large celery stalks, sliced diagonally
1/4 cup sliced almonds or chopped walnuts, optional
1/4 cup golden raisins
To make Dressing: Whisk together all ingredients in small bowl. Set aside.
To make Salad: Steam broccoli florets 4 to 5 minutes, or until bright green and tender-crisp. Transfer to colander, rinse with cool water, and drain well.
Toss broccoli with remaining Salad ingredients. Add Dressing, and toss to coat.
nutritional information Per 1-cup serving: Calories: 266; Protein: 11 g; Total Fat: 12 g; Saturated Fat: 2 g; Carbohydrates: 28 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 419 mg; Fiber: 4 g; Sugar: 19 g; Vegan
VEGETARIAN LASAGNA
I’d been making lasagna for years, using a favorite cookbook. One time, my oldest son took the same recipe, and replaced the meat with eggplant. His came out tasting better than when I made it.
I tried recreating the eggplant version, but it never quite came out the same. So, I ended up changing the recipe drastically, changing ingredients and amounts. The funny thing is that, while I use one or two packages of tofu crumbles instead of meat, it tastes enough like meat to fool several non-vegetarians. One person, after eating this, looked at me aghast, asking, “What are you, some kind of vegetarian?” Never heard from him again – which was just as well!
This can be found in my e-cookbook, Off The Wall Cooking.
Tomato sauce:
2 – 3 onions, chopped
3 – 5 cloves garlic, minced
28 oz. can tomatoes
2 – 8 oz. cans tomato sauce
2 – 6 oz. cans tomato paste
2 T oil
1 T oregano
1 tsp. basil
1 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. dill
1 tsp. anise
1 or 2 – 10 oz. package tofu crumbles
Brown onions & garlic in oil. Add remaining ingredients, stir well, simmer for 1 hour. While sauce is cooking, in a separate pot, cook 16 oz. lasagna noodles & make cheese layer.
Cheese layer:
2 C sour cream
2 C cottage cheese
2 eggs
4 C mozzarella, grated
2 C cheddar cheese, grated
1 C Parmesan cheese
Mix ingredients together in large bowl.
Assemble:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In 9” X 13” pan, place half the cooked lasagna noodles length-wise. Top with half the cheese mixture, then half the tomato sauce. Repeat. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes. Let cool a few minutes before cutting, as it tends to be a little runny when it first comes out of the oven. Serve with a salad and a loaf of hot Italian bread. Very yummy.
CHOCOLATE TOFU PUDDING
This recipe is from the May 2005 issue of Vegetarian Times. It serves 6.
To view this online, click here.
6 oz. semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 Tbs. vegetable oil
12 oz. soft tofu, well drained
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup vanilla or plain soymilk
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
1 Tbs. tahini
1/2 pint fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced, or whole raspberries
Heat chocolate and oil in top of double boiler set over barely simmering water. Whisk until smooth. Remove pan from water, and let cool 20 to 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, cut tofu into thick slabs, and place on triple layer of paper towels. Press firmly on tofu to squeeze out as much water as possible; change paper towels if necessary.
Put maple syrup, soymilk, lemon juice, vanilla extract and tahini into food processor. Crumble tofu into mixture, and purée until smooth, scraping down sides with spatula as necessary. Add melted chocolate, and process until well blended.
Transfer pudding into 6 custard cups or small bowls. Cover each with plastic wrap, and refrigerate 2 to 3 hours, or until softly set. To serve, top with berries.
nutritional information Per SERVING: Calories: 280; Protein: 9 g; Total Fat: 16 g; Saturated Fat: 6 g; Carbohydrates: 31 g; Sodium: 15 mg; Fiber: 1 g; Sugar: 26 g; Vegan
QUINOA SALAD WITH BAKED MARINATED TOFU
This recipe is from the May 2000 issue of Vegetarian Times, and begins, “Here's a light grain salad with a wonderfully tangy flavor. For a convenient substitute, you can buy prepared baked marinated tofu for this recipe. To toast almonds, bake them at 350F for about 15 minutes; cool.” Makes 4 servings.
To view this online, click here.
Marinated Tofu
1 lb. firm tofu, drained and cut into 8 slices
1/4 cup tamari or reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 Tbs. nutritional yeast
1 Tbs. Dijon mustard
1 small clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. honey
1/8 tsp. cayenne
Quinoa Salad
1 cup uncooked quinoa
1/8 tsp. cayenne
3 stalks celery, diced
1/2 medium red bell pepper, diced
1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup whole blanched almonds, toasted (1 1/2 oz.)
1 to 2 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
Red leaf lettuce for serving
Sesame seeds and red bell pepper strips for garnish (optional)
Make marinated tofu: Preheat oven to 400F. Place tofu slices in small glass baking dish. In small bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients and 1/4 cup water. Pour over tofu. Bake until tofu is browned and marinade is absorbed, about 45 minutes.
Meanwhile, rinse quinoa in sieve under cold running water until water runs clear. In medium saucepan, combine quinoa, 2 cups water and pinch each of cayenne and salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, 15 minutes.
Transfer quinoa to large bowl and let cool. Crumble in 4 slices baked tofu. Add celery, diced bell pepper, cilantro, almonds and vinegar. Season with salt to taste and mix well.
Line serving platter with lettuce, spoon salad on top, and garnish with sesame seeds and pepper strips if desired. Serve with remaining baked tofu on the side.
nutritional information Per Serving: Calories: 305; Protein: 15 g; Total Fat: 11 g; Saturated Fat: 1 g; Carbohydrates: 38 g; Sodium: 910 mg; Fiber: 5 g; Vegan
