Baked Tofu over Edamame, Corn, & White Bean Salad

I got this tofu marinade from Caitlin, over at her Healthy Tipping Point blog.  

I paired the tofu with a salad of white beans, edamame, and corn - dressed in a equal ratio of olive oil, soy sauce, and red wine vinegar. ( I used 1 tbsp each).

This is going on my list of my favorite baked tofu recipes!

 

Ingredients:

• 2/3 block extra firm tofu
• 2 tablespoons EVOO
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1/2 tablespoon chili powder
• 1/2 tablespoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds

Directions:

• Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
• Press excess liquid from tofu. Wrap several paper towels around tofu, and place tofu in between two plates. Let stand for 15 minutes.
• Cut tofu in 1 inch by 1 inch pieces.
• In a small, microwave-safe bowl, mix EVOO, honey, chili powder, black pepper, and paprika.
• Microwave marinade for 35 seconds and stir thoroughly.
• Spray cooking sheet.
• Coat each piece of tofu in marinade and place on cooking sheet.
• Sprinkle sesame seeds on top of tofu.
• Cook at 375 for 30 minutes, turning once.

Broccoli and Spinach Vegan Quiche

I have had this recipe from Lindsey Nixon's book "Everyday Happy Herbivore" on my "Try" list for some time. Working from home today gave me the ability to give it a shot for a quick lunch. Very easy and made from ingredients I usually have in my fridge every day. Lindsey mentions using any type of greens that you want - I used some broccoli and spinach. I also subbed out the garlic and onion powder (personal taste) and added in harissa powder in their place for some spice.  I will post my modified recipe below - Lindsey's recipe can be found here.

Ingredients

• 1 pound extra-firm tofu
• 1 tsp harissa powder
• ½ tsp turmeric
• ½ tsp salt 
• ¼ cup nutritional yeast
• ¼ cup cornstarch
• 1½ tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 cups fresh spinach chopped
• 2 cups of broccoli florets, chopped very small. 
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes                                      

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a shallow 9" pie dish and set aside. Steam broccoli (I used my microwave) until bright green and slightly tender. Combine all ingredients, except spinach and broccoli, in a food processor or strong blender and whiz until smooth and creamy, stopping to break up chunks and scrape the sides as necessary. Mix in the vegetables in and transfer batter to pie dish. Using a spatula, spread the mixture around so it's even and tight. Bake 30-40 minutes, until golden and the center is not still mushy. Allow to cool at least 10 minutes before slicing.
 

 

White Chili & Cornbread

Yesterday it was cold outside. Not really cold, but cold enough to require a sweater for the first time in months. Which caused me to start to panic about the approach of winter.

Growing up in North Carolina and Italy, snow was a fun novelty. Living in New England, snow has become a dreaded hassle. I feel like everyone in New England gets excited about the approach of winter. Personally, I feel like once it snows here in Boston everything just becomes harder. The T is more crowded, you have to lug a huge down coat with you everywhere in order to not get frostbite when you step outside for two minutes, and the perils of walking down cobblestone streets multiply with hidden ice patches.

OK so maybe I am overreacting. Maybe September is a bit too early to panic about snow. I am going to focus on the positive things this month brings with it - pumpkin beer, apple picking, and falling leaves. And of course the things that I can cook again...stews, soups, chili, pies.

And those thoughts put me in a good mood....a good enough mood to make my first chili of the season. I love Ellie Krieger's white chili recipe so I veganized it and whipped up a quick cornbread on the side.

Chili Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 2 stalks celery, diced (about 1/2 cup)
• 3 medium poblano peppers (about 4 ounces each), seeded and white ribs removed, finely diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, more to taste
• 1 pound ground soy crumbles
• 2 (15.5-ounce) cans white beans such as cannelini, preferably low-sodium, drained and rinsed
• 4 cups low-sodium veggie broth
• 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 (15.5-ounce) can hominy, drained and rinsed
• Salt
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• Lime wedges

Directions:

Heat the oil in large pot or Dutch oven over moderate heat. Add the onion, celery, poblanos, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft, about 8 minutes.

Add the garlic, cumin, coriander and cayenne and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

 

Add the ground soy crumbles and cook for 2 minutes. Add the white beans, broth and oregano. Cook, partially covered, stirring occasionally, for 25 minutes.


Add the hominy and salt and more cayenne pepper, to taste, and continue cooking, partially covered, 10 minutes longer. Ladle into individual bowls and top each serving with cilantro and lime.

Cornbread Ingredients:

1 cup corn meal
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 tablespoon of baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup almond milk
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup raw agave nectar
1/2 cup frozen corn
2 "flax" eggs (2 tablespoon ground flax + 6 tbps water)



Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees
Mix "flax" eggs and set aside.
In a bowl, mix together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder and salt. Add the corn.
Add the wet ingredients to  the dry ones and stir until well combined. Pour into an oiled 8-inch square baking pan. Bake for 20 min or until a toothpick comes out clean.