Island Tofu

Like I said previously, I love tofu. It is the absolute most versatile ingredient and favorite meat substitute. I know some people, especially those new to plant based eating, who don't like it, and I can guarantee it's not the tofu, but the way it's prepared. Try this and you'll change your mind!

Island Tofu

1/2 c. cornstarch
1/4 t. dried thyme
1/4 t. dried marjoram
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. cayenne
1/4 t. paprika
1/4 t. brown sugar
1/8 t. ground allspice
One package extra firm tofu, frozen, boiled, pressed, cut into rectangles or triangles
One green bell pepper, cut into strips
3 green onions, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
One jalapeno, seeded and chopped
Two tomatoes, chopped
One can of pineapple chunks, about 1 c., drained
2 T. soy sauce
1/4 c. water
2 t. lime juice

Mix the cornstarch, thyme, marjoram, salt, cayenne, paprika, brown sugar, and allspice in a bowl. Coat the sliced tofu in the mixture thoroughly, and cook in oil over medium heat until a nice golden b brown. Set aside.
In the same skillet, saute the bell pepper, green onions, garlic, and jalapeno in oil until softened. Add the tomatoes, pineapple chunks, soy sauce, water, and lime juice and simmer until flavors blend.
To serve, spoon the mixture over the tofu. Enjoy!

Lemon Tofu with Green Beans

I love tofu. Sometimes I think I can't say that enough. With so much bad press being put out using bad research, I like to openly express how much I like tofu, as an attempt to counter the misinformation. And by the way, this is really delicious!

Lemon Tofu with Green Beans

Zest and juice from two lemons
One can of coconut milk
4 or more garlic cloves, minced
2 t. lemon pepper seasoning
1 t. garlic powder
1 t. thyme
1/2 t. salt
Black pepper
One package extra firm tofu, frozen, boiled, pressed, cut into cubes
One package frozen cut green beans

Mix everything together in a large pot and stir to coat well. Heat to almost boiling, cover and reduce heat to low. Let simmer for about 20 minutes. Serve. Enjoy!

Five Spice Tofu

I've said several times before how much my family loves to grill, and how I often try to get them to expand their grilling repertoire. This is one of those times, and the results were delicious!

Five Spice Tofu

3 T. tamari
2 T. lime juice
2 T. mirin
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 T. sriracha (check ingredients, some brands aren't vegan)
1-1/2 t. dark brown sugar
1 t. five spice powder
One package extra firm tofu, frozen, thawed in boiling water, pressed, and sliced

Add all the ingredients to a gallon sized ziploc baggie and wiggle around the coat the tofu well. Refrigerate overnight. Grill on a lightly oiled grill, cooking about 5 minutes per side.

Make an extra batch of the marinade to brush over the tofu as it grills.

Serve. Enjoy!

Grilled Tofu with Mango

If you've never grilled tofu, you really need to try it. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised!

Grilled Tofu with Mango

One package extra firm tofu, frozen, thawed in boiling water, pressed dry, sliced into triangles
1 T. dark sesame oil
2 T. tamari
1/2 t. black pepper

Place tofu in a shallow dish and rub both sides with black pepper and brush both sides with the tamari and the sesame oil. Cover and let marinate overnight. Over a medium hot grill, grill the tofu about 3-4 minutes each side. Serve with a mango slaw.

Mango Slaw

1/3 c. rice vinegar
3 T. tamari
3 T. sugar
1 T. sambal oelek
1 t. mirin
2-3 mangoes, peeled and sliced into strips
1/4 c. chopped cilantro

Mix the vinegar, tamari, sugar, sambal oelek, and mirin together until blended. Let set about five minutes for flavors to blend. Add mangoes and cilantro and mix well. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Serve alongside grilled tofu.

Herb Marinated Tofu

As the weather continues to warm, we get more in the mood to grill. I love convincing my family to try new recipes on the grill. Now I just need to learn to do the grilling myself!

Herb Marinated Tofu

3 T. lemon juice
2 T. olive oil
3 or more cloves garlic, minced
1 t. basil
1 t. rosemary
Extra firm tofu, frozen, thawed, pressed, sliced 1/2 inch, then cut into triangles

Mix all the ingredients together in a ziploc baggie and marinate the tofu overnight. Season with salt and pepper and grill over medium heat about 5 minutes each side. Serve. Enjoy!

Chicken Fried Tofu in Paradise!

The challenge for Day 15 of Vegan Mofo is: OMG, Barack Obama is coming over because he knows you make awesome vegan food! What are you going to make?

Lol!

Well, the last time the President was in Texas, he had barbecue. Texans are very proud of their barbecue, that's for sure. So, I wouldn't want to bore him by serving that to him. Instead I will go with another commonly served dish here. Chicken Fried Steak...er Tofu! The man has to know he won't get steak from any vegans, you know. And right now, with the temps dropping, it is kind of paradise here!

Chicken Fried Tofu

1/2 c. flour
1/4 c. cornmeal
3/4 t. salt
1 t. black pepper
pinch of ground red pepper
1/4 t. garlic powder
One package extra firm tofu, frozen, boiled, pressed, sliced into triangles
2 T. vegan bacon drippings
Non dairy milk

In a shallow bowl, stir together the flour, cornmeal, salt, black pepper, red pepper, and garlic powder. Pour milk into a second shallow bowl.

In a frying pan, heat some oil with the vegan bacon drippings.

Dip the sliced tofu first into the milk, then into the dry mixture, making sure all sides are coated. Lay slices in the heated oil, and fry on medium, until golden. Remove to paper towels to soak up oil.

Pour out all but a couple of tablespoons of the oil. Stir in a couple of tablespoons of the flour mixture, and some of the milk and stir, stir, stir, until thickened.

Pour some of the gravy over your tofu steak. I like to serve mine with garlic mashed potatoes and green beans. Which, of course, is exactly what I would serve up to President Obama on this momentous occasion.

Enjoy!

Oh, and if you are curious about the vegan bacon drippings, this is what I used:

Finally I get to try it! And, by the way, it's delicious!

Spicy Baked Tofu

Most people are told by their doctors, following the regular annual physical, that they are low in D3. Many people, including myself, spend most of their time indoors, and don't get outside much. Where I live, it's particularly difficult in the summer because it gets so outrageously hot. We are lulled by the coolness of the ac. Sure, we go to the beach or to the pool, but otherwise, all other outdoor activities can just wait until it's cooler!

Day 11 of Vegan Mofo challenges us to: Focus on a nutrient. I suspect several will focus on protein, or B12, or any other number of things our bodies need. I'm focusing on D3.

Vitamin D is, well, a vitamin. It is important for humans because it is used for preventing and treating rickets, treating weak bones (osteoporosis) and other bone related issues, like osteoporosis. It is used for conditions of the heart and blood vessels, including high blood pressure and high cholesterol. It is also used for diabetes, obesity, muscle weakness, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, bronchitis, premenstrual syndrome (PMS), and tooth and gum disease. Vitamin D is also used in the treatment of some skin conditions and boosting the immune system.

You can begin to understand why your doctor might suggest you take steps to increase your levels.

Most of us probably think milk when we think about D, because it is added to dairy products. But as a vegan, we don't consume dairy. So, what is a vegan to do?

Well, you can take supplements, for one. The best way, of course, is sunlight. Spending as little as 5 to 30 minutes in direct sunlight with your face, arms, legs or back exposed two times a week between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. in the summer, fall and spring can synthesize enough vitamin D3 to supply your needs. Your body can store excess vitamin D, a fat soluble vitamin, in your fat stores and liver, for use during the winter, but stores generally last just 30 to 60 days. Another way is food.

A number of foods that are high in Vitamin D are not possible for vegans. But there are quite a few that are excellent sources, for example, mushrooms.

Another is...drum roll, please...tofu.

Spicy Baked Tofu

1 c. whole wheat bread crumbs
1 T. parsley
1 t. black pepper
2 T. vegan mayo
1 T. water
1/8 - 1/4 t. hot pepper sauce
One package of extra firm tofu, frozen, boiled, pressed, sliced into 8ths

In one bowl, mix together the bread crumbs, parsley, and black pepper. In a second bowl, mix the mayo, water, and hot pepper sauce.

Spray a cookie sheet with an oil spray.

Dip the tofu slices first into the mayo mixture, covering all sides. Then dip in the bread crumb mixture, again, coating all sides. Tap lightly to shake off excess. Place slices on the coated cookie sheet.

Bake at 450 for 15 minutes.

Serve. Enjoy!

Quick Jambalaya

I visited New Orleans a few years ago with my mom. It was with a tour group, so much of our food was decided for us. I lucked out because I simply asked at each location if they had any vegan options. I was not disappointed once. It was a lesson I learned - don't be afraid to ask. You could and probably will be very pleasantly surprised.

One of our dining experiences was with a chef. I talk a little about the experience here. As much as I love to cook, it is unlikely I will ever be as good as a chef. Probably because I go for quick more than fancy. Emphasis on quick. Like this dish.

Quick Jambalaya

Vegan meat of your choice (I went with sausage and tofu)
One onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
One green bell pepper, chopped
2 T. olive oil (peanut oil, if you have it)
1/2 c. vegetable broth
3 c. cooked rice
One can diced tomatoes
2 bay leaves
Your favorite Cajun seasoning

In a Dutch oven, saute the vegetables in the oil until soft. Add the vegan meat and heat through. Add the broth, rice, tomatoes, and bay leaves. Add seasoning to taste. Simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent anything from sticking. Remove the bay leaves. Serve. Enjoy!

Tofu in Pecan Sauce

If you aren't a fan of tofu, it's probably because you've never had it made well. Those squishy, marshmallowy squares really aren't very enticing, I gotta admit. I never make it that way.

Tofu in Pecan Sauce

One package extra firm tofu, frozen, boiled, pressed, sliced
One onion, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. thyme
1/4 t. oregano
1/4 c. chopped pecans
Vegan butter
3 T. whole wheat flour
1/2 c. vegan sour cream

In a frying pan, sauté the onion and garlic in the butter until softened. Add the pecans. Into the sour cream, mix the flour and seasonings. Add this to the onion mixture. Lay the tofu on top of this sauce, cover, reduce heat and let simmer for a few minutes. Turn the tofu over to get sauce on the other side. Cover again and let simmer a few more minutes. Watch the sauce doesn't burn. Serve over noodles. Enjoy!

I admit I was a little worried the tofu would be bland, not having marinated beforehand, but it absorbed this sauce readily and was absolutely delicious! The only thing I would do differently is to double the sauce.

Herbed Tofu Cutlets

It's been awhile since we've had tofu. I needed to correct that.

Herbed Tofu Cutlets

One block of extra firm tofu, frozen, boiled, pressed, sliced into triangles
1 c. soy sauce
3/4 c. dry white wine
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 t. oregano
1/2 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 c. panko bread crumbs
1/2 c. bread crumbs
1/2 t. basil
Non dairy milk

Marinate the tofu triangles in the soy sauce, wine, garlic and oregano for at least an hour. In a plastic ziplock bag add the flour. In a separate ziplock bag, add both types of bread crumbs and the basil. Pour the milk into a shallow bowl.

In a frying pan, heat olive oil.

One at a time, add a tofu triangle to the flour and shake to coat. Dip it in the milk, then add it to the breadcrumb mixture and shake again, to coat. Place in frying pan and cook until nicely browned.

Repeat until all of the tofu is done.

Serve. Enjoy!

Tofish with Horseradish Crust

I've said it before, I'll say it again: tofu lends itself beautifully to recipes that call for fish or chicken. This is another example.

Tofish with Horseradish Crust

One package extra or super firm tofu, frozen in package, boiled, pressed, sliced
4 green onions, sliced
1/4 c. prepared horseradish
1/3 c. bread crumbs
4 T. butter, warmed to room temperature

In a bowl, mix together the green onions, horseradish, bread crumbs and butter. Lay the slices of tofu on a cookie sheet, then spread the horseradish mixture on top. Use it all, spreading and pressing as necessary to get it smoothly on top.

Broil the tofu until the horseradish topping begins to brown.

Serve. Enjoy!

Tofu Steaks

Tofu and steak aren't two words that anyone generally associates with one another. And, let's face it, if you are trying to convince a steak eater that tofu is an exact substitute, you will fail miserably. That does not, however, in any way, shape or form imply that tofu steaks aren't delicious. They are! And cruelty-free, to boot. But while many meat eaters can be fooled by many of the meatless products out there, calling your tofu steak to them doesn't pass muster. I don't even know why we call them tofu steaks. What we really should just say is they are delicious, and here! Try one!

When we first went vegan, one of the first recipes we tried were tofu steaks. Not bad, but my son, who cooked them, went a little heavy on the soy sauce. Needless to say, they were a little on the salty side. I toned that down a bit when I made these.

Tofu Steaks

One package extra-firm tofu, frozen, thawed, boiled, pressed, sliced
One package sliced mushrooms
Lite soy sauce

Saute the tofu and the mushrooms in olive oil. Season with the lite soy sauce and sprinkle with salt and pepper. The trick is using enough soy sauce to flavor, but not overwhelm. Serve the steaks and mushrooms over a bed of organic spinach leaves and sprinkled with sliced green onions. Take a bite of the tofu along with the mushrooms and spinach and enjoy the blending of flavors in your mouth!

Serve alongside mashed potatoes made with rosemary, and green beans seasoned with Braggs aminos.

Enjoy!

Virtual Vegan Potluck - Black Pepper Tofu

Today I am participating in a very exciting project - The Virtual Vegan Potluck! This is my first time and I am so thrilled to be a part of it.

Thank you, Annie, at An Unrefined Vegan, for holding my hand as I prepared for the big event! There will be everything from appetizers to desserts. I'm bringing a main dish to this shindig. So bring your plate and help yourself!

Black Pepper Tofu

 

One package extra firm tofu, frozen in package, boiled, pressed and sliced into thin squares 

Olive oil

Cornstarch

Vegan butter

One shallot, diced

3 cloves garlic, diced

1 T. fresh ginger, diced

Crushed red pepper flakes

2 T. kecap manis (sweet soy sauce)

2 T. soy sauce

2 T. dark soy sauce (recipe follows)

Crushed black peppercorns

Green onions, chopped

 

Place the tofu squares in a ziploc baggie and sprinkle in some cornstarch. Zip the baggie closed and shake it to coat the tofu in the cornstarch. Heat the oil in a skillet and add the tofu. Cook the tofu until it is crispy and golden, and put on paper towels to drain. Set aside.

Drain any leftover oil and put the skillet back on the burner. Add some vegan butter and let it melt. Add the shallots, garlic, ginger and a few shakes of crushed red pepper flakes and saute until softened. Add the tofu back to the skillet with the three different soy sauces and a few twists of the peppercorns. Stir to evenly coat the tofu.

Serve the tofu on top of steamed white rice and sprinkle on some of the green onions. Enjoy!

Dark Soy Sauce

1/4 c. water
1 c. dark brown sugar
1/2 c. soy sauce

Mix the water and brown sugar together in a pot over high heat, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil, then reduce to medium low. When the brown sugar has all dissolved, pour in the soy sauce, stirring again to mix well. When heated through, remove from heat and let cool. Store in the refrigerator.

I cannot say how delicious this was! Even my non-vegan non-tofu loving husband had two servings and told me this was a keeper! High praise from him for tofu, I have to say!

Make sure you sample the other offerings on the potluck!

You can travel backward and forward through the blogs to see what everyone is bringing!

Chicken Fried Tofu

Growing up in Texas, there are two dishes you can find served at a restaurant within a stone's throw, no matter where you are. Barbecue and chicken fried steak.

And if you are in Texas, never, ever, ever, refer to chicken fried steak as country fried steak. Trust me on this.

As I have tried to explain to many meat eaters, I bet nine times out of ten it is not the meat they like so much as it is the flavors of the food. To that end I like to make dishes that even I-will-never-be-vegan folks will eat and proclaim it delicious.

Chicken Fried Tofu

One package extra firm tofu, frozen, thawed, pressed, sliced into 1/4" slices
3 T. nutritional yeast
2 T. panko breadcrumbs
2 T. soy sauce
Old Bay seasoning
Salt

In one shallow bowl, combine the nutritional yeast and breadcrumbs and mix well. In another shallow bowl, pour in the soy sauce. Dip the tofu slices in the soy sauce and place in the breadcrumbs mixture, coat well on both sides. Place coated pieces on a sprayed baking pan. Sprinkle on some Old Bay and salt. Bake for 15 minutes, turn over, season and bake for another 15 minutes until golden brown. Serve. Enjoy!

I served mine with some peppered cream gravy, garlic mashed potatoes and green beans. Delish!

What I like most about this recipe is it is baked, not deep fried. Yummy, healthy AND cruelty-free!

Oven Fried Tofish Sandwiches

Maybe it was a commercial, I don't know, but I got a fierce craving for a fish sandwich the other day. Being vegan, a fast food fish sandwich is unthinkable, and well, gross. Needing to satisfy this craving, I pulled some tofu from my freezer and sliced it up. What came next was close to amazing.

Oven Fried Tofish Sandwiches

One package extra firm tofu, frozen, thawed, pressed, sliced thin

1 c. breadcrumbs

1 t. kelp powder
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/4 t. paprika
1 t. salt
Olive oil
 
Mix everything but the tofu and olive oil together. Pour some of the olive oil in a separate bowl. Dip the tofu slices first in the olive oil, then into the breadcrumb mixture, coating evenly and well. Place on a cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes, turning the tofu over after 15 minutes.

Serve on buns with some lettuce and vegan tartar sauce. Enjoy!

I have made tofish sandwiches before, but fried them. I much better like making them this way. They were crispy, tasty and omg good. My son and I had two sandwiches each, we couldn't get enough! Even my non-vegan husband agreed they were good. Success!

I served it with potato chips since we seem to have had fries several times lately.

You Say Catfish, I Say Tofish

I love cookbooks. I have two bookcases full of them. I also love reading through them at bookstores and the library. One recipe I spotted had the name tofish in the title. I rather like it. I have found it a simple matter to convert most fish dishes vegan using tofu. So, tofish works quite well!

Growing up in the South, catfish is probably the most often fish dish you'll find. Fried and blackened are the two most common ways to prepare it. I have several catfish recipes, mostly fried, of course, that I look forward to veganizing. This is one of those.

Front Porch Fried Tofish

One package black soybean tofu*, frozen, boiled, pressed, sliced
One package cornbread mix (I used sweet cornbread. See note.)
1 T. garlic powder
2 T. dried thyme
1/2 T. salt
1 t. black pepper
1 t. ground red pepper
Vegan milk of choice (I used unsweetened soy)

Combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Pour the milk in a separate bowl. Dip the tofu slices first in the milk, then into the cornbread dry mix and coat well. Fry a few pieces at a time in oil. When nicely browned, drain on paper towels. Serve as is, or with tartar sauce.

Note: read the ingredients on any packaged cornbread mix you buy. Many contain animal products. If you can't find a suitable one, make up your own.)

I used the sweet cornbread variety, but next time might try it with regular cornbread.

*I chose to use this new type of tofu I found, black soybean tofu. I was intrigued by it, never having seen its like before, so bought it with the idea of using it to fry up some *fish*. It isn't as white as regular tofu and has a sprinkling of black throughout. I liked it, and will buy it again, but I can't tell you whether or not it had a different taste.

You can't have fried *cat*fish without fries, and, never one for doing anything simply, I made mine spicy.

Mexican Fries

One package frozen french fries
1/4 t. ground cumin
1/4 t. garlic powder
1/4 t. chili powder

Bake the fries at 425 for 10 minutes. In the meantime, mix together the three spices. After the 10 minutes are up, sprinkle the spices over the fries, and return to the oven to bake another 10 minutes. When done, shake the fries up a bit to further distribute the spices.

My family devoured it. No leftovers. Even my non-vegan son tried the tofish and declared it *pretty good!* I call that a success!

To Tofu or Not Tofu, That is the Question!

Years ago when I became a La Leche League Leader, I remember telling someone that tofu was a reason for divorce in my home. It was a joke, of course, but underlines for me today how different things can turn out.

My husband didn't like tofu because his limited exposure to it demonstrated it to be bland and boring stuff. And, really, it was. I never made it back then, but get togethers we attended often had at least one dish that had tofu, and often it was more like a brick of cream cheese with something dumped on top and eaten spread on crackers. Yeah, bland and boring.

We arrive now years later, and the tofu that I once eschewed I now adore. I did have to learn how to use it, though, and that has made all the difference. Trust me, those chewy cubes you've gotten in a dish at a Chinese restaurant are NOT what tofu can be.

So you are still reading and you've been to the grocery store and seen the various packages and are utterly confused. Silken? Soft? Extra firm? What does it all mean?!?!?!?!?!

Ah, my little chickadees, I can help you navigate the grocery aisle!

Silken is a Japanese style of tofu, is best used in dessert style dishes. Silken does come in soft all the way to firm, and does not need to be frozen or pressed, but may need to be drained. Most recipes will specifically state silken in their ingredients, so don't worry about trying to figure out what to buy.

Soft, Medium, firm and extra firm (NOT Silken) are Chinese style. Soft is best for dessert dishes. Medium is good for things that call for cottage cheese, like lasagna. Firm and extra firm are best for dishes that need something chewier, and hold up well to sauteing or frying.

Some tricks:

I prefer extra firm over firm. It's a personal choice, but I like the chewiness of it. I ALWAYS freeze mine first. I get home from the grocery store and put the package directly in the freezer. When I am ready to use it, I pull it out, let it thaw just a bit, then boil it to finish off the thawing process. After it cools a bit, I wrap it in a bath towel and press, press, press to get as much water out as possible.

Why press it? The drier you can make it, the better it will be at absorbing the flavors you will be using when you make your dish. That is the beauty of tofu - it beautifully soaks up whatever is used on it, be it a marinade, a sauce or a coating.

Once pressed and cooled, you can slice the tofu for your recipe.

The one thing I do different with the freezing is if I want to use tofu to make an eggless salad for sandwiches. In that case, I remove the tofu from the package and put it in a freezer baggie. It freezes without the water in the this case, and does turn a yellowish color. Once thawed (and boiled) and cooled, I've found it crumbles very much like hardboiled eggs.

ALWAYS buy organic tofu.

Some delicious tofu dishes:

Fried Chick'n
Tofu Turkey and Chick'n Fried Tofu
Blackened Tofu
Asian Barbecued Tofu

Don't fear the tofu! I substitute tofu now for any recipe calling for chicken or fish and have found that it works very well. Enjoy!

National Fried Chicken Day

I love these foodie themes for days, weeks or months. They make it kind of fun to plan my meals. Today is National Fried Chicken Day. I'm not sure how the day originated, but since it is also National Picnic Month, maybe it started there. Seems like a perfect opportunity to fry up a cruelty-free version, don't you think? I served mine up with some mashed potatoes and green beans.

Fried Chick'n

1 t. salt
1/2 t. onion powder
1 t. pepper
1 t. garlic powder
2 c. flour (I used whole wheat)
2 T. nutritional yeast
Rice milk
One package of extra firm tofu, frozen in package, boiled, sliced into wedges

Mix everything but the milk and tofu in a shallow bowl. Pour the milk into a separate shallow bowl. Dip the tofu wedges in the milk, then coat well in the flour mixture. Fry over medium high heat in olive oil until nicely browned.

Tex Mex Mashed Potatoes

2 lbs. potatoes, cut into chunks
Vegan butter
Rice milk
One package Daiya Pepperjack Cheese
1/4 c. green onions

Boil the potatoes until soft (about 20-30 minutes), drain. Mash them together with some salt and pepper, vegan butter, rice milk and the pepperjack cheese. Mix in the green onions and some vegan sour cream, if you like.

Country Green Beans

Vegan bacon (I used three slices), cooked
Half an onion, cut into chunks
3 cans of whole green beans, undrained
1/2 t. pepper

Mix everything in one medium to large sized pot and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes.

Enjoy!

Spring Dining

I visit my parents every weekend. Since Easter always falls on a Sunday, we decided to go whole hog (no Easter ham pun intended) for the day and made up a number of dishes, much like we've done for Thanksgiving.

Maple Glazed Tofu

1/4 c. maple syrup 
2 T. soy sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 t. garlic salt
1/8 t. ground black pepper
1 package extra firm tofu, drained and sliced

Mix the maple syrup, soy sauce, garlic, garlic salt, and pepper. Place the tofu in a shallow baking dish, and coat with the maple syrup mixture. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator 30 minutes, turning once. Preheat oven to 400.  Place the baking dish in the preheated oven, and bake uncovered 20 minutes.

I added more of the sauce before baking. My son complained it made the tofu too sweet. This was not a problem for me. ;)

Broccoli With Cashews

1 package frozen broccoli spears
1/4 c. coarsely chopped cashews
1 T. vegan butter
2 t. finely shredded lemon rind

Cook broccoli according to package directions; drain. In a small skillet, cook, stirring constantly, the cashews in melted butter for 1 to 2 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from heat and stir in the lemon rind. Pour over broccoli spears.

Corn, Okra and Tomatoes

1/3 c. vegan butter
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 tomatoes, chopped
1 package frozen corn kernels
2 c. frozen cut okra
3/4 t. salt
1/2 t. black pepper

In a large skillet, saute the bell pepper, onion and garlic in the butter for 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 8 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and continue cooking for 5 to 7 minutes, or until heated through. Serve immediately.

Roasted Spring Vegetables

1/2 lbs. carrots, cut diagonally in 1/2" pieces
2 lbs. asparagus, ends snapped off and spears cut in half
2 T. olive oil
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper

Line two baking pans with foil; place carrots in one and the asparagus in the other. Toss each with 1 T. olive oil, 1/4 t. salt and 1/8 t. pepper. Bake carrots in the oven with the tofu. Remove the tofu and bump up the oven temp to 450. Stir the carrots and add the pan of asparagus to the oven next to the carrots. Roast the veggies about 10 minutes until they are lightly browned.

My mom added some cinnamon glazed sweet potatoes and a second dish of regular white potatoes to the mix.

Now dine in style. Break out the nicer dishes and pile on the deliciousness.

Did You Appreciate a Dragon Today?

It does not do to leave a live dragon out of your calculations, if you live near him.
J. R. R. Tolkien

Today is Appreciate a Dragon Day. You can read more about it here. Being the fan of dragons (and all things fantasy) that I am, of course I would want to make something dragon-ish.

Dragon's Breath Pasta and Tempting the Dragon with Tofu

One package angel hair pasta
One clove garlic, chopped
One package sliced mushrooms
1 t. oregano
1 T. parsley
Salt and black pepper to taste

Cook the pasta according to package directions; drain. Saute the mushrooms and garlic in olive oil. Add the oregano and parsley and mix well. Add the mushroom mixture to the drained pasta and mix well.

Tempting the Dragon with Tofu

One package extra firm tofu, frozen, boiled, pressed and sliced
One package sliced mushrooms
One onion, chopped
Three garlic cloves, chopped
One can of corn, drained
1 T. parsley
1 t. black pepper
1/2 t. curry
1/2 t. rosemary
Vegan Worcestershire sauce

Saute the mushrooms, onion and garlic in olive oil until softened. Remove from pan and add more olive oil. Fry the tofu slices until browned on each side. Add mushroom mixture, spices and corn to the tofu and let simmer to blend flavors. Sprinkle on the Worcestershire sauce. Serve with Dragon's Breath Pasta.

I'm pretty sure the pasta got its name from all the garlic, but loving garlic the way I do, this was no problem.

Be sure to watch out for dragons when you eat this. Believe it or not, there are some vegetarian dragons out there. I've seen one...

Enjoy!