Roasted Tofu and Red Potatoes with Paprika and Rosemary

I veganized this recipe recently, and my family could hardly wait to dig into it because of the aroma that had permeated our home from the oven.  I've made tofu and potatoes together before, but this particular way of preparing them was new for me.  The result was an appealing combination of textures and spices that made for a fulfilling dinner.  Served with a side of vegetables, this would make a complete meal.

Roasted Tofu and Red Potatoes with Rosemary

Ingredients:

3 pounds of red potatoes, chopped into bite-sized pieces
2 - 14oz. pkgs. of extra-firm tofu, water-packed, drained, chopped into 1/2" cubes
1/2 cup olive oil, divided
2 Tbs. paprika divided
1 Tbs. rosemary leaves, divided
2 tsp. salt, divided
1 tsp. pepper, divided
2 tsp. garlic powder, divided

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  In a large pot, cover the chopped potatoes with water and bring to a boil.   Boil for seven minutes.  Take the pot's lid, slightly cover the top of the pot, and drain the water into the sink  In the meantime, while the potatoes are boiling, get the spice mixture ready for tossing the potatoes and tofu.  In a large bowl, add half of the olive oil, paprika, rosemary, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Whisk well.  Add the potatoes and toss, until all the potatoes are coated.  Pour onto a large baking sheet.  Prepare the rest of the seasonings in the same bowl and whisk again.  Add the tofu cubes and gently toss to make sure they are coated as well.  The tofu is more delicate than the potatoes, so use a gentle hand.  Pour either next to or over the potatoes.  Bake for one hour, turning twice in that time.  Eventually the potatoes and tofu will be well mixed together, so just toss gently as to not mash the tofu.  When done, pour into a lovely serving platter, serve hot with a side of your favorite veggies, and enjoy your dinner.  Serves five hungry vegans.

BBQ Tofu with Scallions and Red Bells

This is a fun way to change up a tofu dinner.  With barbecue sauce and a couple of vegetables, your family can have a complete meal served over brown rice.  I usually call scallions green onions, but I wanted to fancy them up, since they're in the title.  As far as the barbecue sauce, I just recommend a natural one, free of yucky ingredients.  I bought mine at the 99 cent store!  Enjoy this simple meal!

BBQ Tofu with Scallions and Red Bells

Ingredients:

2 Tbs. olive oil
3 - 14 oz. pkgs. water-packed, extra-firm tofu, drained and cubed
1 red bell pepper, julienned into 1 and 1/2 inch to 2 inch strips
3 scallions, ends trimmed, cut into 1 inch lengths
1 and 1/2 cups of your favorite barbecue sauce

Brown rice made according to package directions

Directions:

In a large pan, heat the oil over medium high heat.  When hot, add the tofu.  Cook for 20 minutes, stirring every few minutes, until somewhat browned.  Turn heat down to medium, if tofu is cooking too quickly.  When tofu is browned, make sure heat is at medium, and add the scallions, red bell pepper, and sauce.  Cook for another five minutes, stirring frequently.  Serve over brown rice.  Simple and yummy.  Feeds five hungry vegans.

Tofu, Brussels Sprouts and Peanut Stir-fry

This is one of those classic, throw-it-together meals, using up leftovers that turns out fantastic enough to become a real recipe worth repeating.  With just a few ingredients, this makes a complete meal for our family.

Tofu, Brussels Sprouts and Peanut Stir-fry

Ingredients:

2 Tbs. canola oil
3 -  12 to 14 oz. pkgs, water-packed tofu, drained and cubed in 1/2 inch squares
2 cups of Brussels sprouts halves
2 cups of kale, chopped
2 cups of cooked or leftover medium pasta - I used bow ties
2 Tbs. sesame oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 cup peanuts, coarsely chopped

Directions:

Heat canola oil over medium high heat in a large pan.  When hot, add the tofu cubes.  Cook for fifteen minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned.  Reduce heat to medium and add the Brussels sprouts.  Cook for another ten minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the kale, pasta, sesame oil and soy sauce.  Stir well and cook for five minutes, until kale is just wilted.  Add the peanuts.  Turn off heat and stir. Serve hot. Feeds five hungry vegans.

Joe's Special-Inspired Sausages

A while back, I mentioned in my post Joe's Special with Tofu , how I came to love this dish.  I also now believe, although at the time I was uncertain, that my Toasted Joes must have derived from the same origin at some point: the dishes are too similar.  Anyhow, I've made Joe's Special at home several times with various versions of soy products, but I wanted something different and unique for my blog.  I thunk and thunk on my thinking log with my pot of vegan honey close by and was struck by the idea of making sausages with these ingredients. Ta dah!  These came out really tasty with very few ingredients, and the texture was very pleasant.  Give them a try and let me know what you think.

Joe's Special-Inspired Sausages

Ingredients:

6 oz. bag of spinach leaves, chopped small, approx. 3 cups chopped
3 cups mushrooms, chopped small, approx. 10 mushrooms
1 - 14 to 16 oz. pkg, tofu, water-packed, drained
2 and 1/2 cups water, divided
1/4 tsp. liquid smoke
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 and 1/2 cups gluten flour

Directions:

In a large pot, steam the spinach and mushrooms over medium heat for ten to fifteen minutes, until shrunken and tender.  Meanwhile in a blender, break up the tofu and add, along with two cups of the water and the seasonings.  Blend until smooth.  Pour into a large bowl, and add the veggies. Stir well.  Add the gluten flour and stir.  Knead for a minute or so, just until everything is well incorporated and there are no overly wet or dry spots.   Tear fifteen pieces of aluminum foil and set aside. Take a clump of dough, about 1 and 1/2 times the size of a golf ball, and stretch out into a sausage shape on a strip of foil.  Roll the foil over at least three times, making sure you press it gently around the dough. Twist each end shut.  Place in the pot you used to steam the veggies.  Do the same with the rest of the dough.  Steam for 45 minutes over medium heat.  Near the end of the steam time, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Pour 1/2 cup of the water onto a baking sheet that has a lip around the edge.  Add more water if needed to make sure the baking sheet has a thin layer of water.  When the sausages are done, carefully unwrap each one and lay on the baking sheet.  Bake for thirty minutes, turning the sausages halfway through.  Add a bit of water to the baking sheet, if it's all evaporated.  They are ready to be served with a nice vegetable and grain for a hearty meal.  These are very tasty!  Makes 15 sausages.  Serves five hungry vegans for dinner and for lunch the next day.

Tofu-Sausage Patties

Here is another successful recipe for The Patty.  My family and I really liked my Tofu Quinoa Patties , and it really encouraged me to keep trying my hand at variations. This one was also well-received by the fam; little JK had three! This one's base is also tofu, and I'm happy with the texture and taste.  The center, like the ones with quinoa, is still somewhat soft, but it actually doesn't detract from the end result.  I tried different methods of preparing these particular patties and ended up liking the final method the best, even though it might seem redundant or time-consuming.  The final patty is worth the process.  Eventually, I'd like to try my hand at patties with bases other than tofu, although these patties and the quinoa ones hold up really well and could be eaten as a burger with the bun.  I'll let you know when I have another patty worthy of showing you. 

Tofu-Sausage Patties

Ingredients:

3 leeks, the whites chopped small
1 head of garlic, peeled and chopped small
1 Tbs olive oil
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 pkgs. 14-16oz. water-packed tofu, drained
1/2 cup cracker crumbs, either already boxed or grind your favorite
1 Gimme Lean Sausage tube
Canola oil for frying
Non-stick spray

Directions:

Heat the oven to 425 degrees.  Spray baking sheet with non-stick spray, and set aside.  In a large pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the leeks and garlic and cook for ten minutes, stirring occasionally, or until they begin to brown.   While those are cooking, mash the tofu in a large bowl.  Add the cracker crumbs and mash together, using your hands if necessary.  Do the same with the Gimme Lean sausage.  To the pan with the leeks and garlic, add the salt and pepper, and stir.  When ready, add those ingredients to the bowl with the tofu mixture and mix well.  Add a tablespoon or so of canola oil to the same pan, and keep heat on medium.  Shape the tofu mixture into balls slightly smaller than the size of a tennis ball - these are big patties!  Flatten them slightly in your palm and lay them in the pan.  Cook on one side for ten minutes without disturbing, then flip over and cook for another ten minutes. Add more oil to the pan, if you are doing these in batches. Place patties on baking sheet, and bake for twenty minutes, flipping halfway through. So good. Makes ten patties.  Feeds five hungry vegans.

Tofu Quinoa Patties

I've been on a quest to make new kinds of patties, so I'm not resorting to buying pre-made ones as much.  Pre-made ones are fine for a quick dinner when there's not a lot of time for preparation, but when I do have time, I've been trying my hand at methods that take just few ingredients.  I don't know about you, but when I play with bean burgers, they seem to fall apart.  I'll let you know if I come up with a truly hardy bean patty recipe.  And, I've been wanting to try grains other than rice on a more common basis.  So, one day I thought of using quinoa, which we all know is healthy, and binding it with tofu.  After a couple of tries, they came out really good!  And, what's even better, and this happens less often than you may think, everyone in my family loved them.  Not a single patty was left over, and that's saying something.  Let me know what you think, if you give these a try.

Tofu Quinoa Patties

Ingredients:

1/2 cup quinoa (uncooked)
2 cups water
2 - 14oz. pkgs. water-packed tofu, drained
1 Tbs. ground ginger
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Canola oil for frying

Directions:

Put quinoa and water in a medium pot.  Bring to a boil.  Turn down heat to medium and cook until quinoa swells and becomes translucent.  This will take ten to fifteen minutes.  Turn heat down to medium low if water is evaporating too quickly.  (I know these are different directions than most packages say, but I find this works for me better.)  You should end up with about 1 and 3/4 cups of quinoa.  In a large bowl, mash the tofu.  Add the quinoa and the seasonings and mix well; you can use your hands if necessary.  Heat a couple of tablespoons of oil on medium high heat in a large pan.  Make palm-sized patties and carefully add them to the pan.  Do not move patties while cooking.  Turn over after ten minutes, and cook undisturbed on other side for another ten minutes.  If you find your patties are cooking too quickly, turn the heat down to medium.  These will not be cooked solidly all the way through.  They have a crisp exterior and a cooked, warmed through interior. They hold up really well, and the texture is very pleasant.  Can garnish with hot sauce, mustard, ketchup or soy sauce.  Makes ten patties.  Feeds five hungry vegans.

Lemon Cherry Sunset Pie

This has been a post I've been wanting to write for a long time, and in a moment, you'll see what I mean.  About five years ago I bought a GT Express after seeing an infomercial.  If you don't know what that is, it's a cooking device that you plug in, and it has two wells in which food cooks.  I bought it, well, because I'm a sucker for gadgets, but I thought my girls were old enough at that time to make stuffed burritos in it, vegan grilled cheese, etc.  We've used them quite a bit.  I also posted a recipe for GT Express Pizzas  where you can see a photo of what one looks like.  Anyhow, the product came with a booklet of recipes, hardly any of which, of course, are vegan.  So, I've had fun tweaking them to see if I can change them up.  I have been working on their Lemon Cherry Pies recipe for over a year.  I've actually posted a photo of their original recipe for you to see.  And, I thought it might interest some of you how I create a recipe on my own.  Granted, I got the inspiration from their name, but as you'll see, my notes look nothing like their original.  Anyways, the pie has been tested multiple times on my family, and I've changed it and changed it again.  Most recently, my parents got in on the testing act, and everyone agreed that it's finally ready to post.  One of my challenges was to make sure the fillings were soft like the canned versions, so not too firm. The end result is a creamy, unique pie flavor that I think you'll really like.  Let me know what you think!  (By the way, I often spend several tries trying to get a recipe right before posting it.  I just thought of finally posting that process for fun.)

Lemon Cherry Sunset Pie

This is the original recipe.  Notice just three ingredients are required.  Since we don't eat colorings or corn syrup, the pie fillings were out.  Even if there ends up being a more "natural" brand out there, I wanted to make this from scratch.  Also, I don't use refrigerated pie crust, so I knew I couldn't use the GT Express.  This would be baked in a regular pie pan.

Here are my notes to create my recipe.  The pink slip on the left is actually my sweet pie crust recipe I use for a double crust pie that I just halved for this recipe.  Don't you just love how I keep recipes for myself?  The sheet on the right is the birth of the Lemon Cherry Sunset Pie.  Lots of tweaks and changes over a period of about ten attempts at making this pie.

Finally, a slice of Lemon Cherry Sunset Pie!  At last.

Lemon Cherry Sunset Pie

Ingredients:

Crust:

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 cup vegan sugar
1/4 cup cold (stick) vegan margarine, cubed small
3 Tbs. cold water
Flour for rolling out crust
(Beans or rice for weighing down)

Pie Filling:

1/2 cup vegan sugar
2 Tbs. corn starch
1/3 cup water
1 and 1/2 cups frozen cherries, halved
1 and 1/2 pkgs. (12oz. each) of silken firm tofu
1/4 tsp. turmeric
2 tsp. lemon extract
1 cup vegan sugar

Directions:

Crust:  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In a food processor with the pastry blade installed, add the flour, salt, sugar and margarine.  Run the machine until blended and it looks like pastry granules.  With the machine running, pour the water into the feeder hole.  Run until the dough clumps up together; it's perfect if it sort of balls up.  If you need to add a few drops of water more, do so with restraint.  [Alternately, you can put the first ingredients into a bowl and mix with a pastry cutter or fork.  Then mix well with the water.]  On a lightly floured surface, roll out your crust evenly into a circle large enough to cover your pie pan, about nine inches across.  Lightly fold your crust over in half and lift to the pie pan.  Carefully unfold and lightly press into the pan, making sure that all parts of the pan are covered by crust.  If you've got sections of crust hanging over the edge of the pan and other areas that are missing crust, simply cut away one part and press onto the other.  Take a paring knife and run it along the edge of the pan, removing any uneven crust edges.  Then pinch the crust edge between your fingers creating a scalloped look.  Lay a piece of wax paper on the bottom of the crust and cover it with a layer of beans or rice to weigh it down. You are prebaking the crust at this stage.   Bake for 15 minutes.  Pour off the beans or rice into a bowl - these are still good to prepare in a later meal.  Discard the wax paper.  Cool the crust on a cooling rack.

Pie Filling:  In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, corn starch and water.  Add the cherries, and turn the heat on to medium.  Heat to boiling, which will take five to seven minutes, stirring frequently to constantly.  Watch carefully, for this will thicken up quickly.  When it thickens, remove from heat and cool down.  After about a half hour, chill cherry filling in refrigerator until needed later.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  While the cherries are chilling, prepare the lemon filling.  Using the food processor again, this time with the cutting blade, add the tofu, turmeric, lemon extract, and sugar.  Blend until well mixed, at least a minute.  You are looking for a completely smooth texture.  Pour the  lemon filling into the pie crust and bake for 30 minutes.  Cool on rack for a half hour, then chill for at least two hours in the refrigerator, longer if you have the time.  Take the pie crust with the lemon filling out of the fridge, as well as the cherry filling.  Carefully layer the cherry filling on top of the lemon filling...and...chill again, for at least 30 minutes.  The longer you can chill, the better this will set up.  This will still be soft when cutting, so use a gentle hand.  If some cherry topping slides off during the slicing process, deftly replace it, and no one will suspect a thing.  A unique flavor, one that my family loves, and I hope you do too.  A beautiful end result.  Feeds five hungry vegans and a couple of grandparents.

Tofu Stir-fry with a Light Asian Sauce

Here is a simple stir-fry with a twist for fun.  I usually make my stir-fries no hassle: quickly sauteed tofu and veggies, sprinkled with a bit of soy sauce.  But, when I have time (an extra five minutes) or the gumption, I will make this slightly thickened sauce.  It adds a bit more flavor, but it is also nice to have a sauce that coats the veggies and sticks to them as you eat your dish.  It makes for a nice, light meal.  Hope you enjoy it!

Tofu Stir-fry with a Light Asian Sauce

Ingredients:

2 Tbs. canola oil
2 pkgs. water-packed, extra-firm tofu
1 cup sugar snap peas
1 red bell pepper, julienned
2 stalks of celery, sliced diagonally
1 Tbs. fresh ginger, peeled and chopped small
2 tsp. sesame oil
2 cups broth
2 Tbs. soy sauce
2 Tbs. corn starch

Jasmine rice

Directions:

Heat canola oil in a large pan over medium heat.  Drain and slice the tofu into small rectangles.  When oil is hot, add the tofu to the pan.  Cook for about ten or fifteen minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tofu starts to brown. Add the peas, bell pepper celery and ginger.  Turn the heat down to medium and cook for another five minutes.  Sprinkle the sesame oil over the ingredients and stir.  In a small bowl, whisk together the broth, soy sauce and corn starch.  Pour in the pan, and stir well.  Cook for another five minutes or so, until the sauce thickens.  Stir frequently.   When bubbling and thickened, turn off heat.  Can add more soy sauce to taste, if desired.  Serve over jasmine rice.  Feeds five hungry vegans several times a year.

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.

Classic Tofu Salad Sandwich

Here is a really simple way to remake the egg salad sandwich.  I simply subbed the tofu for the eggs and used all the familiar ingredients like I did in the old days.  We have this sandwich several times a year, and it's a great dinner to make when you don't have much time.  I've been making this for sooooo long, and it's still good every time.  Served with greens on the side, it makes for a healthy lunch or dinner.

Classic Tofu Salad Sandwich

Ingredients:

1 12-14 oz. pkg. extra-firm tofu, water-packed, drained
1 cup of vegenaise
2 Tbs. yellow mustard
1 Tbs. dill pickle relish
Salt and pepper to taste
Bread

Directions:

In a medium bowl, mash the tofu with a masher or fork.  Add the rest of the ingredients, except for the bread.  Stir well.  It should be creamy but spreadable, not runny.  Taste and adjust ingredients to your liking.  Chill if you have time, or if not, serve immediately.  It's good either way.  Spread on a slice of bread and top with another piece.  It's that simple!  Feeds five hungry vegans.

Splatter Chili

Hello, everyone!  Sorry about the extended absence.  I've been caught up in a lot of personal stuff, and I've been hit really hard with a startling lack of energy.  I haven't done anything for about a month, which has led to the destruction of my garden, the shambles of my home, the boredom of my Blessings, the backlog on my computer, and all the guilt that goes along with that.  I've since bought some vitamins that G and I think I may be lacking in, and I've forced myself to start exercising again after taking the month off.  So, hopefully, this will pass.  I apologize for not being here and for not commenting on your amazing blogs.  But, I am coming near my 200th post, which means another giveaway, so I'm going to try very hard to keep up on posting.  I hope all has been going well with all of you.  Now, on with the food!

I first made this dish when G and I were first married eons ago.  His workplace had a chili cook-off, and he wanted to show off his young wife's chili culinary skills...to a bunch of carnivores...that worked at a sewage treatment plant...yes.  Oh, don't worry, this gets better - I have yet to post my spaghetti recipe that G had me make for a fundraiser at said place of employment - mine was the only dish, by the way: the sole source of fundraising.  Oh, the faith he had in me as a newlywed.  So, anyway, he named my home-famous chili Splatter, called me the Veggie Vixen, stuck an apron on me, and said, "Make!"  Sadly Splatter did not win there that day but has since won the hearts of many people at church and in my homeschool group that have had various meal needs over time.  As a matter of fact, every single time I've made this chili for someone, all of whom have been decidedly non-vegan, they've wanted the recipe.  It is thinner that most chilis; that's because I added the liquid from the cans directly in the pot - you can always drain them for a thicker meal.  I've also slightly updated my original recipe for you.  Instead of writing "half a bag of frozen corn," leaving us to wonder what size bag I was using, I changed it to "one cup."  I also just apparently eyeballed my spices because they are listed by name with no amounts.  That has been modified as well.  I've thawed frozen tofu for the recipe: if you don't know it, doing that creates a crumbly texture, which I like here.  I mentioned some time ago that years before I started the blog, I created a cookbook for my loved ones in Word, so that is where this recipe has been culled and updated for the blog.  Sniff, Splatter's growing up.  Hope you enjoy it!

Splatter Chili

Ingredients:

1 Tbs. olive oil
1 - 1.25 or 1.5 oz. packet of vegan chili seasoning mix, such as by Lawry's or McCormick in the spice section of the grocery store
1 pkg. extra-firm tofu, water-packed, frozen and thawed
2 - 15 oz. cans tomatoes with green chilies
2 - 15 oz. cans pinto beans with liquid
2 - 15 oz. cans black beans with liquid
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
6 - 10 large mushrooms, sliced
2 green onions, sliced
1 cup frozen corn
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 Tbs. dried basil
1 and 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. cumin seed
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Directions:

In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat.  Squeeze water from the tofu, put in pot and mash.  Cook for ten or so minutes, stirring occasionally, until tofu just starts to brown or all the liquid has evaporated.  Add the chili packet and stir.  Add the remaining ingredients.  Continue to cook over medium heat until it comes to a boil.  Turn down to medium low and cook for one hour.  Can top with vegan cheese, vegan sour cream and chopped red onions, if desired.  Serve alongside some crackers for a comforting meal.  Splatter on!  Serves five hungry vegans.

Tofu Ranchero

I love spicy food, so I decided to try my take on a classic dish and veganize it.  We loved how this turned out, and I will definitely add this to my breakfast rotation.

Tofu Ranchero

Ingredients:

1 Tbs. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
2 pkgs. extra-firm tofu, packed in water, drained
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 Tbs. chili powder
1 packed cup chopped cilantro
1 - 29oz. can vegetarian refried beans
3 jalapenos, either fresh or pickled Mexican-style, sliced in rings
Your favorite salsa

Directions:

In a large pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the onion, carrots and celery and cook for ten minutes, until they soften.  Add the tofu and mash directly in the pan.  Cook for twenty minutes or until tofu begins to brown.  Add the spices and cilantro and cook for another five minutes.  Meanwhile, heat the beans up in a separate small pot.  Serve tofu mixture over the refried beans and top with jalapeno slices and salsa.  This is great with English muffins on the side.  Enjoy!  Feeds five hungry vegans.

Tofu with Wild Spinach and Almonds

Once again I found an unusual treat at the farmer's market.  One of the farmer's had on hand some wild spinach.  It was beautiful and not the smooth oval shape as traditional spinach.  It was pointier and had rough edges to the leaves.  When cooked it tasted about eighty percent like traditional spinach but had a bit of a different taste, as well, kind of grassy.  It was very good.  I wanted their flavor to be be pronounced, so I cooked and seasoned them lightly.  I think the dish below presents their color and flavor very well.

Tofu with Wild Spinach and Almonds

Two bunches of wild spinach

Look at their leaves!

Tofu with Wild Spinach and Almonds

Ingredients:

2 Tbs. olive oil
2 blocks of water-packed tofu, drained and cut into triangles
2 bunches of wild spinach (or traditional spinach), leaves cut free from their stems, 4 - 6 cups worth
2 - 3 Tbs. soy sauce or tamari
1/2 cup sliced almonds

Directions:

Heat oil in a large pan over medium high heat.  Add tofu, being careful not to get splattered.  Cook over medium high heat until tofu starts to brown, then turn down to medium.  This takes about ten minutes.  Cook for another ten minutes or so, until tofu is browning on all sides.  Add the spinach and soy sauce and stir quickly until spinach just wilts, about two to three minutes.  Turn off the heat and add the almonds and stir.  Delicious, simple and quick.  Feeds five hungry vegans.

Cheatin' Marinated Tofu over Jasmine Rice

Here is a simple and tasty marinade for tofu that is very flavorful.  I call it "cheatin'" because I added to the marinade a ready-made bottle of soy ginger sauce.  I don't think there's anything wrong with a home cook using a shortcut to speed up a meal or to create a flavor that they haven't yet figured out how to do from scratch.  I added several ingredients to it, so the bottle ended up being just one more ingredient.  Anyhow, hope you like it, too. By the way, you'll see that there is quite a bit of tofu in the recipe.  When I make a tofu dish for my family where tofu is the star, instead of part of an ensemble, I add one more package.  Two packs just doesn't seem to quite stretch far enough for five hungry vegans.  Adjust as necessary for your needs.

Cheatin' Marinated Tofu over Jasmine Rice

 Tofu in the marinade

Cheatin' Marinated Tofu over Jasmine Rice

Ingredients:

3 pkgs. extra-firm tofu, drained of water - see how to prepare in directions
1 cup water
1/4 soy sauce
1 - 10oz. bottle Full Circle Organic Soy Ginger Sauce - or something similar
2 green onions, sliced thinly
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbs. of freshly chopped ginger
1 tsp. Chinese Five Spice
1 Tbs. Olive oil
1 tsp. Sesame Oil/Soy Oil Blend
2 Tbs. cornstarch
2 cups of jasmine rice, uncooked

Directions:

Lay each block of tofu on its narrow side and slice down the middle, creating two equal rectangles.  Slice widthwise into strips.  Put tofu in large bowl that has a tight fitting lid.  In a large bowl, whisk together the ingredients from the water through the Chinese five spice.  Pour over tofu strips.  Refrigerate three to four hours, flipping once half-way.  If your bowl leaks, gently stir half way.  After marinating, drain as much of the marinade as possible into another bowl.  I do this by holding the lid over the bowl and letting the marinade slip out through a crack I've created with the lid.  It's okay if some of the liquid doesn't drain out, but try and get most of it to.  Heat the oils in a large skillet over medium high heat.  When hot, add the tofu strips.  Cook for about twenty minutes, until nice and browned. This may take longer than you think if there was liquid still in the tofu.  If the tofu is browning too quickly, turn the heat down to medium.  Stir occasionally.  In the meantime, cook the rice according to package directions.  When the tofu is just about done, and most of the liquid is cooked away, add the cornstarch to the marinade and whisk well.  Pour marinade over the tofu.  Cook over medium heat until it bubbles, and let it bubble for one minute.  Turn down to medium low until completely cooked.  Serve over rice.  It's okay if some of the strips break; it will taste just as good.  Feeds five hungry vegans.

Fried Tofu Sandwiches

When I was a kid, one of the few egg dishes I liked was my father's fried egg sandwiches - just a fried egg between two slices of bread, slathered with mayo.  Several years ago, I wanted to recreate that memory vegan-style, so I made a fried tofu sandwich.  At first it was just as simple as the egg version, but over the years it's become more grandiose with classic condiments and veggies added to it.  Now, I don't even think of my old childhood fave, for my new love is far superior in presentation and taste.  The sandwich pictured is with my Basic White Bread and my mom's homemade pickles - shout out to Mom!

Fried Tofu Sandwiches

Ingredients:

2 Tbs. canola oil
2 pkgs. of extra-firm tofu, drained and sliced in 1/4" to 1/2" slices width wise
10 Slices of bread
Vegenaise
Mustard
Lettuce, torn into sandwich size pieces
2 tomatoes, thickly sliced
Salt and pepper to taste, optional
Pickles, sliced into rounds

Directions:

Heat oil in a large pan over medium-high heat.  When hot add the tofu slices and cook until brown on both sides, about ten to fifteen minutes.  Repeat with rest of tofu, if all of it couldn't fit in pan the first time.  Drain on paper towels.  Spread Vegenaise and mustard on bread, add two or three pieces of tofu, along with the lettuce, tomato and pickles.  I  like to sprinkle salt and pepper on top of the tomato slices.  Serve with a side of roasted veggies, if desired.  Hits the spot.  Feeds five hungry vegans.

Tofu Tacos

We love taco night here at our home.  I always think it's going to be more work than it is, but really, it comes together in a half hour or less usually.  I like to make variations of things to keep them fresh and fun, but also hang on to the successful classics.  I started using tofu as one of my taco fillings a few years ago, and found that it worked really well.  Now, it is one of the fillings that I rotate around on taco night.  For the shells, I sometimes use a tad of oil to soften up the tortillas in a pan.  Use only as much as you need, just a couple of drops for two or more tortillas before adding more.  I find that corn tortillas sometimes need a little extra help to soften up, without breaking.  Here are some tasty toppings ideas for you, as well.

Tofu Tacos

Ingredients:

Canola oil, divided
2 pkgs. extra-firm tofu, drained and mashed
1 vegan taco seasoning packet
20 or more corn tortillas (we are feeding five hungry vegans here, with teens!)

Toppings:
1/2 white onion, sliced
1 tomato, diced
Fresh cilantro sprigs
Romaine, sliced in strips
Ketchup
Hot sauce

Directions:

Cover a large baking sheet with paper towels, set aside.  In a large pan, heat two tablespoons of the oil over medium-high heat.  Add the mashed tofu and cook until it starts to brown, about fifteen or so minutes.  While cooking, prepare the toppings.  Add the taco seasoning packet to the tofu and stir well, cooking for another minute or so.  Remove from heat.  Heat a teaspoon of oil either in a large skillet or griddle over medium heat.  When hot, add one tortilla, wait ten or so seconds - bubbles may appear on the tortilla, or it may bend at the edges - flip over and scoop a tablespoon or so of the taco mix onto one side of the tortilla.  Flip the other side of the tortilla over to cover the filling.  Remove from skillet and place on baking sheet with the paper towels.  Repeat with one or two more tortillas, until the pan is dry, and then add a teaspoon more of oil.  Fill with an assortment of the toppings.  Just a small tip: I like to add the ketchup and/or hot sauce directly on the tofu, instead of on the very top of the toppings, so none of it falls onto the plate, if there's a topping avalanche.  Very yummy.  Feeds five hungry vegans, sometimes with some cold, tasty tacos leftover for the next day's lunch.

Joe's Special with Tofu

When I was twelve and fourteen years old, my father took on me long-distance bicycle trips: one was the California coast border to border and the other was Seattle to San Francisco.  He and I did a lot of shorter long trips together, but each of the two long-distance ones took us one month to accomplish.  They were literally the best times I had with my father growing up. We could talk, we saw sights and heard sounds that people in cars whizzing by missed.  We slept mostly in hiker-biker parts of regular campgrounds, but sometimes we found ourselves in a sheep farm, or a hidey-hole up a steep trail, or the rare hotel to wash up.  We met some great people on these trips, and if they were bikers going the same direction as us, we found ourselves meeting up at the next campground 50 to 75 miles away the next evening.  Sometimes we would get to know other travelers over a week.  It was a wonderful time for me.

One of the things that was commonplace was to share our meals with each other and develop a sort of outdoors banquet.  This is when I first had Joe's Special.  It was actually my father's contribution, but I don't recollect him making it other than on these trips.  We usually had it at least once a week on the road, and my belly always welcomed it.  The other campers brought whatever they had to contribute and would gather around the fire that was heating our meal; the smells were an invitation for everyone to join in.  My father made his with ground beef, mushrooms and spinach - we would carry the food and pans right in our panniers, our bicycle packs.  He seasoned it simply with just salt and pepper - the outdoor air and the moon and the crickets fed the rest of the senses.  I've made a vegan version in different ways over the years, and this is my take on it with tofu.  I've added liquid smoke to try and recapture the essence of being in the woods, the campfire lights sparking into the air, but I don't think anything will quite compare to the memories I treasure.  This is as close as I can get it.

Joe's Special with Tofu

Ingredients:

2 Tbs. of canola oil
2 pkgs. of extra-firm tofu, drained of water, cubed into approximate 1/2" squares
8 to 10 mushrooms, sliced thickly or quartered, depending on size
2 cups fresh spinach leaves
1/2 tsp. liquid smoke
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add the cubed tofu and cook until it browns, about fifteen to twenty minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the mushrooms and cook for another five minutes.  Add the spinach and seasoning and cook until the spinach wilts, just a couple of minutes.  Served with baked potatoes, this makes a complete meal.  Feeds five hungry vegans.

Confetti Tofu with Red Pepper Hummus on Rye

Here is my second entry into the sandwich contest, which also didn't land the grand prize.  But, I was happy with how this turned out.  I really like how the crunch of the vegetables worked with the softness of the tofu.  And, the hummus was a great complement as a spread.  This is definitely going to go on my recurring menu board.  Hope you like it, too.  Again, I've had to adjust my measurements from two sandwiches to five, but I'm pretty sure these are close to accurate.

Confetti Tofu with Red Pepper Hummus on Rye

Ingredients:

Tofu:
1 pkg. extra-firm tofu, drained and mashed
2/3 cup of vegenaise
1 Tbs. of yellow mustard
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 and 1/2 cup Italian Mix Giardiniera, chopped, excluding the onions

Hummus:
1 - 15oz. can of garbanzo beans, drained
1 Tbs. sesame tahini
1 and 1/2 Tbs. lemon juice
1 and 1/2 Tbs. olive oil
1/2 cup roasted red bell peppers (jarred)
1 clove of garlic, chopped
1/4 tsp. salt

10 slices of Rye bread

Directions:

For the Tofu: In a medium bowl, mix all of the ingredients together.  Set aside.

For the Hummus:  In a food processor, process all the ingredients, until smooth, at least one minute.  Taste, and adjust seasonings, if necessary.

For the Sandwich:  Spread at least a tablespoon of hummus on one side of each slice of rye bread.  Add two to three tablespoons of the tofu mixture on half of the bread slices.  Top with remaining rye bread.  Messy, so have a napkin or two nearby.  Very unusual and good.  You will have leftovers for more sandwiches the next day for lunch.  Enjoy!  Feeds five hungry vegans.

Teriyaki Tofu Tango Sandwich

Here is the first of two sandwich recipes that I submitted to a contest, that didn't win.  So, even if they're losers to them, our family still thinks they're winners!  I'll post the other one a little later, so as not to deluge you with sandwiches, but here's my first entry.  This was actually quite tasty and very easy to make.  Hopefully, you'll love the tango, too.  I'm adjusting the recipe to feed five - the original recipe was meant to feed two.

Teriyaki Tofu Tango Sandwich

Ingredients:

5 six inch long sandwich rolls
1 pkg. extra-firm tofu, drained, and sliced in ten rectangles, width wise
Your favorite teriyaki sauce, divided
Non-stick spray
5 baby bok choys or 1 regular bok choy, greens only, thinly sliced
1 cup of cilantro, green tops and with just the beginnings of stems
1/4 red onion, sliced thinly
2/3 cup roasted red bell pepper slices (jarred)

Directions:

Marinate the tofu slices in a cup of the teriyaki sauce for at least a half an hour.  Heat the oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a cookie sheet with the non-stick spray and place the tofu slices on it.  Drizzle any extra marinade over the slices.  Bake for fifteen minutes, flip over the tofu, and continue baking for another fifteen minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool while you prepare the rest of the sandwich.  Baste about a teaspoon or so of teriyaki sauce on each of the inside slices of the rolls.  On the bottom half, divide the bok choy greens between the rolls.  Divide the cilantro sprigs on top of the bok choy, and the red onion on top of that.  Nestle two slices of tofu on top of the onion slices.  Top with the red bell peppers.  Fold the top of the roll over on everything.  Fresh and tasty.  Feeds five hungry vegans.

Breakfast Links

I first started making my own breakfast links about a year ago.  I was curious to see if I could save money by doing so.  What I found out was that I could make about 75 links for the same amount of money that it cost to pay for one pack of six vegan breakfast links at the store.  That was a no-brainer: no more store-bought breakfast links for us!  I played around with different ingredients until I finally created a recipe that mimics the taste of the store-bought kind pretty darn closely.  My secret ingredient, to get the texture just right, is tofu.  As far as I know, I have never seen tofu used in a seitan recipe before.  So, if I'm right about that, and then you see tofu-seitan recipes popping up all over in money-making cookbooks, tell them to throw ol' BlessedMama a dime or two.  :-)  (I was actually advised to hold on to this recipe, but who am I kidding?  I'll never have a cookbook.  So, I'm sharing!)  Having the gluten flour, tofu and beans makes for a really tender piece of seitan.  You can serve these as an accompaniment to a breakfast meal, or you can make them for my Brothy Beans with Sausages dish.  We love these, and they can freeze well.  Hope you save money and like them too.

Breakfast Links

I make my links about three to four inches in length.

Once rolled out, they get twisted up into their own foil packets.

Here's a big pot of them, getting ready to get steamed.

Breakfast Links

Ingredients:

1 pkg. extra-firm tofu, water-packed, drained
1 cup of slow-cooked pinto beans
2 cups of vegetable broth
2 and 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1 Tbs. salt
1 tsp. pepper
2 and 3/4 cups gluten flour
Canola oil

Directions:

Put the first six ingredients (tofu through pepper) into a blender, and blend until smooth.  Pour into a large mixing bowl.  Add the gluten flour, and stir until well mixed.  Knead (you can do it right in the bowl) for about three to five minutes, to make sure there are no super wet or super dry spots.  Pull off a small ball of dough, smaller than a golf ball, and roll out to a sausage link size, about three to four inches in length.  Prepare a large pot with a couple inches of water in the bottom and a steamer basket inside.  Once you have several links rolled out, put each one at the end of a small strip of aluminum foil.  Roll the link up, so it makes at least two complete turns, and twist the ends closed.  Start filling up your pot.   Complete this cycle for the rest of the mix, until you have a pot full of foil-wrapped links.  Cover with a lid.  Turn the heat on to medium, and steam for 40 minutes.  Remove from heat.  Heat up about a tablespoon of oil in a large pan.  Unroll several links and put them in the pan.  Fry them for a minute or two, turning them, until they are browned on all sides.  Do this with all the links, adding a bit of oil, as needed.  Can be served alongside pancakes or tofu scramble for breakfast.  Freeze unused portions.  Simply thaw and reheat in microwave or oven.  So tasty.  Feeds five hungry vegans for several meals.