Garlic Mustard Baked Tofu

I whipped up this marinade before I went on a long run last night. When I got home, I put the tofu in the marinade while I showered and popped it in the oven when I was out.  Served over instant brown rice it was an easy filling meal. Even better, I ate the leftovers in a whole wheat pita with some lettuce for lunch today!

The marinade recipe was inspired by one I found on SmittenKitchen, modified to suit my preferences and what I had on hand.


2 tablespoons whole grain mustard
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon Honey mustard
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoons Spanish paprika
1 teaspoon sriracha
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Whisk together all of the ingredients in a small bowl, cover, and let sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes while you press a block of extra firm tofu. I usually drain the block of tofu, wrap it in a towel or paper towels, place on a cutting board, and place a heavy object on top.

Slice the tofu into long strips or triangles. Cover in marinade and let sit for at least 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 350. Place strips on a baking sheet coated in non stick spray, making sure the marinade covers the entire exposed surface, and bake for around 20 minutes. Turn strips over and cook for another 15 minutes.

Serve over rice, salad, or in a pita.

Pasta alla Formiana

I found this recipe in Giada's book, Weeknights with Giada, and made a minor tweak to make it vegan. The recipe is super easy....the end result was good but bland. Next time I will be adding add red pepper flakes and basil.

Ingredients:

Olive oil spray

1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes

1 clove of garlic, chopped

1/2 cup vegetable broth

1/2 pound (8 ounces) pennette

1/3 cup olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

1/4 cup dried oregano

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

4 to 5 very ripe, extra-large tomatoes cut into 1/2-inch thick slices

Directions:

  Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Spray an 8 by 8-inch baking dish with olive oil and set aside.

In a food processor, blend together the crushed tomatoes, garlic, and vegetable broth. Pour into a saucepan and bring to a boil on the stove. Add the uncooked pasta, 1/3 cup olive oil, oregano, salt, and pepper. Toss until all the ingredients are coated.

Line the bottom and sides of the baking dish with tomato slices. Pour the pasta mixture into the pan and spread evenly. Arrange the remaining tomato slices in an overlapping layer on top of the pasta mixture, making sure the mixture is completely covered. Drizzle with olive oil and place dish on a baking sheet. Cook until the tomatoes are slightly crispy and the pasta is cooked, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Curried "Chicken-less" Chicken Salad

I have never been a big fan of chicken salad, but mostly because the thought of mayonnaise always turned me off. I decided to "fake" the concept with temeph and vegenaise. The result was actually delicious, I am looking forwad to having leftovers tomorrow!



Chicken Salad Ingredients:

1 8oz package of tempeh (I used three grain tempeh from Whole Foods)
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tbps whole grain mustard
2 tbps dijon mustard
2 tsp capers
2 tbps vegenaise
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp herbs de Provence

To serve:

1 handful of arugula, spinach, or other lettuce
1 whole white pita pocket
extra mayo and mustard if desired

Directions:

Cube and boil tempeh for 15 minutes. Allow to cool.

Mix all other ingredients in a bowl. Crumble tempeh into sauce and chill for at least one hour before serving in a pita or on a bed of lettuce.