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.

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.

 

 

 

 

 

Spicy Vegetarian Chili & Vegan Cornbread

This is going to be a busy week so I wanted to make something I can eat for a few days for dinner. The chili recipe below is from a Whole Foods recipe that I found online - super simple, totally vegan, and quite delicious! I found the cornbread recipe in Vegonomicon - aka the Vegan Bible. The cornbread came out a bit mushy, but I also did not use the recommended iron skillet for cooking it.

Spicy Vegan Chili

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive or canola oil
1 mium yellow onion, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 medium green bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
1 medium red bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 to 3 tablespoons finely chopped chipotles in adobo 1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, with their liquid
3 cups cooked red kidney beans, drained
1 1/2 cups cooked black beans, drained
Directions:
Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onions, carrots, celery, peppers and garlic and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, until vegetables are softened but not browned. Add chipotles, oregano, cumin, chili powder and salt. Stir to blend. Add tomatoes and 4 cups water. Gently simmer over low heat, uncovered, for 45 minutes. Add beans and simmer an additional 30 minutes.

Vegan Cornbread
Ingredients:

2 cups soy milk
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 cups cornmeal
1 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup oil
1 cup frozen corn
3 jalapenos

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350. Lightly grease pan.
Saute corn and jalapenos in 1 teaspon of olive oil until corn is browned (about 5 mintues) and set aside. 
Combine the soy milk and vinegar and set aside to curdle. Sift together dry ingredients. Create a well in the center and add the wet ingredients. Mix together until just combined, fold in corn and jalapenos. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for about 30 minutes, until a toothpick or knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven, let cool a bit before serving.