Curried-Tomatoey Cauliflower and Garbanzos

First let me apologize for the truly crummy photo of this wonderful dish.  This is so good and is definitely one of my favorites, so I'm bummed that I couldn't take a decent photo of it.  Some shots, like this one, were too red, others were bland-white and others unappetizing brown.  Ah, so be it.  It's a tasty dish, just trust me.  I mentioned a couple of posts ago for my Savory Yellow Split Pea and Cauliflower Soup how I really like mixing tomato flavors and cauliflower, and this is definitely a dish that showcases that partnership well.  I first found the inspiration for this dish in one of those little booklets that come with an exercise DVD set purchased off an infomercial.  The ingredients are basically the same, I think - it's been so long - but, the quantities of each have changed over the years into what pleases me best.  Oh, yeah!  I guess you can serve this over rice or cous cous, but I love it just by itself.  And, it's so healthy, I completely pig out on it.  I mean, of course, I watch my portion control, so my family can have their share, ahem.  Give this a try, and see if you don't shovel spoonful after spoonful in.

Curried-Tomatoey Cauliflower and Garbanzos

Ingredients:

2 Tbs. olive oil
1 head of cauliflower, coarsely chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 white onion, halved and sliced
1 - 6oz. can of tomato paste
2 cups water
1 - 15oz. can garbanzo beans, drained
1 Tbs. curry powder
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

Directions:

In a large pan, heat the oil over medium high heat.  When hot, add the cauliflower and onion and cook for ten minutes, stirring frequently.  Turn the heat down to medium.  Add the tomato paste and water directly into the pan.  Stir gently to blend.  Cook for another two or three minutes.  Turn the heat down to medium low and add the rest of the ingredients.  Cook for another five minutes, or until the cauliflower is fork tender.  It should be a bit brothy, but not soupy or dry -- just right!  Can eat like this or serve over your favorite grain.  Mm-mm-mmm!  Feeds five hungry vegans.

Green Salad with Tofu Squares

I love green salads, and I also love to find new ways to use tofu, so it was natural for me to marry the two ideas.  I've been putting cubed tofu in salads for years; it tastes great, the tofu soaks up the flavors of the dressing, it offers a nice change of texture, and it is a great source of the almighty protein.  You can "say" this is a sub for feta cheese, but I'd rather not.  I just like to see tofu stand on its own, in its own wonderful glory.

Looking at this picture, the tofu looks huge and appears to be half the entire salad.  Rest assured, I've diced them fairly small, and I'm using a family-size salad bowl.  The tofu is merely the topmost layer.  I've got bunches of other goodies underneath.  When all mixed together, this makes a complete meal for my family.  I love salad night where salad is the main entree.  We have it several times a year; sometimes I serve it with toast or crackers, sometimes not. Eh, whatever my mood is that night.  Bon appetit!

Green Salad with Tofu Squares

Ingredients:  

Large heart or two smallish hearts of Romaine, chopped
1 - 15oz. can of hearts of palm, drained and sliced thickly
2 avocados, quartered lengthwise and sliced
2 tomatoes, diced
1 - 15 oz. can of garbanzos, drained
1 - 14 to 16oz. pkg. of water-packed extra-firm tofu, drained and chopped small
 Favorite salad dressings

Directions:

You know the deal.  Put all the ingredients into a large bowl, except the dressing, and serve.  I love to layer my salads instead of tossing.  I find that tossing pushes all the little goodies to the bottom of the bowl.  Use some large servers and scoop straight down to get a sampling of all the layers.  Top with your favorite dressing.  Yums.  Feeds five hungry vegans.