Welcome to my second "Three Beautiful Things Tuesdays" post!
*Three Beautiful Things Tuesdays is a new series I was inspired to create by reading Clare's blog: Three Beautiful Things, and she invites everyone to join. The idea is that you are to post three beautiful things about your day, life, the world, whatever. Please join the fun and post your own Three Beautiful Things (3BT) in the comments (or on your own blog and post a link in the comments so that I can follow along)!*
1) The cafeteria at my work now offers tofu on their salad bar! I'm a fan, and to show my total appreciation for this fact, at 12:30 pm, I bought all the remaining spicy Thai tofu and put it in a container to save for tomorrow's lunch. My coworker (a fellow vegetarian) and I also told the chef personally that we really love the new tofu he had out. So hopefully my cafeteria will keep it up with all the awesome vegetarian options!
2) I biked today (on an indoor exercise bike), and it didn't hurt my bum foot. Yay! My bum foot is not so bum anymore, and the cardio options are expanding!
3) I'm going to a mid-week party at a friend's house tonight and bringing some delicious homemade Baked Beans, recipe courtesy of Happy Herbivore! Yes, mid-week parties are totally a thing when your husband and his friends happen to have weird work schedules where Tuesday is part of their "weekend".
***
Stay tuned for an update on the meal plan I made this week, which I am using in an effort to try new recipes from all the awesome cookbooks that I got for Christmas and my birthday and spend less time wondering what I'm going to have for dinner and from where I should order takeout yet again. I received so many great vegan cookbooks! Thank you friends and family! This week my meal plan features The Happy Herbivore Cookbook By: Lindsay Nixon (who I actually met this past November when she came to DC) and Vegan Comfort Foods from Around the World By: Veronica Grace of the Low Fat Vegan Chef.
Also, I was totally going to upload a post about the first recipe (well, 3rd because I technically started the new-recipe-extravaganza on Sunday) I tried on Monday night, but my husband and I totally got distracted my adding new photos from my camera to Facebook instead of adding food photos to my blog. Oops!
Showing posts with label Tofu. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tofu. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 30, 2014
Saturday, November 2, 2013
My Very First Tofu Scramble!
Yes, I've been eating (99.5%) vegan for about 2 1/2 months now (and vegetarian for about 3 years), but I have never attempted to make a tofu scramble. Shame on me!
Well, here is my first attempt. It was pretty scrumptious if I do say so myself. Next time, I would probably use more tofu (only had less than half a pack leftover) and probably not use the pre-cubed kind, but all in all, I have to say that it turned out well.
About 1/3-1/2 of a head of broccoli (chopped into bite size florets and pieces)
2-3 bell peppers (I used red, yellow & orange for more color and flavor variety.)
2 tbsp. of olive oil
1/2 tbsp. (or more to taste) of Soy Sauce, Tamari (gluten-free option) or Bragg's Liquid Aminos
1-2 tsp. of Vinegar, depending on your preference
*I don't usually measure my spices when I cook, I just shake liberally to taste. So I've put them in order of amount used from most to least.*
Cumin
Turmeric
Nutritional Yeast
Chili powder (or crushed red pepper)
Garlic powder**
**If you want to chop up some actual garlic cloves or add some onions, I'm all for it, but this morning I was going for ease in preparation.
Spices and ingredients I used. (No penguins were harmed in the making of this scramble!)
First, chop up all of your veggies into bite-size pieces, just like you're doing a stir fry. Add 1 tbsp. of the olive oil to a large skillet or saucepan. Heat to medium and add all of the chopped broccoli and bell peppers. Cook for about 2-3 minutes stirring regularly. Season with some cumin and turmeric.
Turn the heat to medium-low and add remaining tbsp. of olive oil. Push the veggies to one side and add the tofu to the other side of the skillet. Use a spatula to break apart the tofu into little pieces. Mix the tofu and veggies back together. Cook for about 1-2 minutes. Then add soy sauce, vinegar, and the rest of the spices. Feel free to add more cumin and turmeric if you like.
This recipe feeds 2, but if there is only one of you, the leftovers would also be really good wrapped up in a tortilla for an easy lunch or dinner. Maybe add some hot sauce, Tofutti Better than Sour Cream, and/or vegan shredded "cheddar" to make it seem more like a taco/burrito.
Well, here is my first attempt. It was pretty scrumptious if I do say so myself. Next time, I would probably use more tofu (only had less than half a pack leftover) and probably not use the pre-cubed kind, but all in all, I have to say that it turned out well.
Tofu Scramble
Ingredients:
1 pack extra firm Tofu (Don't use pre-cubed because it will not scramble as well.)About 1/3-1/2 of a head of broccoli (chopped into bite size florets and pieces)
2-3 bell peppers (I used red, yellow & orange for more color and flavor variety.)
2 tbsp. of olive oil
1/2 tbsp. (or more to taste) of Soy Sauce, Tamari (gluten-free option) or Bragg's Liquid Aminos
1-2 tsp. of Vinegar, depending on your preference
*I don't usually measure my spices when I cook, I just shake liberally to taste. So I've put them in order of amount used from most to least.*
Cumin
Turmeric
Nutritional Yeast
Chili powder (or crushed red pepper)
Garlic powder**
**If you want to chop up some actual garlic cloves or add some onions, I'm all for it, but this morning I was going for ease in preparation.
Spices and ingredients I used. (No penguins were harmed in the making of this scramble!)
First, chop up all of your veggies into bite-size pieces, just like you're doing a stir fry. Add 1 tbsp. of the olive oil to a large skillet or saucepan. Heat to medium and add all of the chopped broccoli and bell peppers. Cook for about 2-3 minutes stirring regularly. Season with some cumin and turmeric.
Turn the heat to medium-low and add remaining tbsp. of olive oil. Push the veggies to one side and add the tofu to the other side of the skillet. Use a spatula to break apart the tofu into little pieces. Mix the tofu and veggies back together. Cook for about 1-2 minutes. Then add soy sauce, vinegar, and the rest of the spices. Feel free to add more cumin and turmeric if you like.
This recipe feeds 2, but if there is only one of you, the leftovers would also be really good wrapped up in a tortilla for an easy lunch or dinner. Maybe add some hot sauce, Tofutti Better than Sour Cream, and/or vegan shredded "cheddar" to make it seem more like a taco/burrito.
Friday, August 30, 2013
Tofu & 5 Color Pepper Fajitas
So, to expound upon my earlier fajita post, I'm going to describe my less-lazy fajita process. Also, I tried Agent Dana Scully's favorite veggie-friendly brand of creamy products: Tofutti!
X-Files Tofutti Quotes:
Mulder: Did you bring enough ice cream to share with the rest of the class?
Scully: It's not ice cream... it's non-fat tofutti rice dreamsicle.
Mulder: Ugh... I bet the air in my mouth tastes better than that.
Scully: I don't care. Mulder, this is a needle in a haystack. These poor souls have been dead for 50 years. Let them rest in peace. Let sleeping dogs lie.
Mulder: Well, I won't sit idly by as you hurl cliches at me. Preparation is the father of inspiration.
Scully: Necessity is the mother of invention.
Mulder: The road of excess leads to the palace of wisdom.
Scully: Eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we may die.
Mulder: I scream, you scream, we all scream for non-fat tofutti rice dreamsicles.
"The X-Files: The Unnatural (#6.19)" (1999)
See! Also, Mulder, you are dead wrong, just like you were with quite a few of your alien theories...but we love you anyway!
Oh, yeah, yummy fajitas. So...feel free to add some variety (or to have less variety with the peppers if you can't find all the colors). Squash and sweet potatoes are also excellent for a fall fajita, but we're still feeling the dog days of summer down here in the not-so-deep South (Virginia). My opinion is that the more colors you add to your mix, the more healthful and pretty your fajita becomes. Seeing 5 different colors of bell peppers just makes me happy. My favorites in order of taste are: 1) red (sweet) 2) orange 3) yellow 4) green 5) purple. I have yet to see a blue bell pepper, but if I ever do, I'll have to change the name of this fajita!
My Ingredients:
Soft tortillas (I prefer whole wheat, but white flour is fine, too.)
Broccoli heads, about one stalk, washed, chopped, and ready
5 small or medium-sized peppers of your choice (I used red, orange, yellow, green and purple.)
1/4 medium yellow or purple onion (substitution: onion powder*)
1 diced clove of garlic (substitution: garlic powder*)
1/2 pack of organic extra firm tofu
2 tbsp. olive oil
3 splashes of water
Spices: (I don't measure. Feel free to use your own discretion.)
Cumin
Chili powder
Crushed red pepper
Paprika
*Onion powder (provided you didn't already use fresh onions)
*Garlic powder (provided you didn't already use fresh garlic)
Salt
Cook tofu until crispy and golden brown. (A little longer than this picture below.)
Cook your veggies until they start getting a little browned on the edges.
Then, add your seasonings and mix well.
Add ingredients to your tortilla and Woila!
*I'm a lazy butt, so I didn't chop up any onion or garlic. I just used the powder, but I bet it would taste even better with fresher ingredients!
Mulder: Did you bring enough ice cream to share with the rest of the class?
Scully: It's not ice cream... it's non-fat tofutti rice dreamsicle.
Mulder: Ugh... I bet the air in my mouth tastes better than that.
Scully: I don't care. Mulder, this is a needle in a haystack. These poor souls have been dead for 50 years. Let them rest in peace. Let sleeping dogs lie.
Mulder: Well, I won't sit idly by as you hurl cliches at me. Preparation is the father of inspiration.
Scully: Necessity is the mother of invention.
Mulder: The road of excess leads to the palace of wisdom.
Scully: Eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we may die.
Mulder: I scream, you scream, we all scream for non-fat tofutti rice dreamsicles.
"The X-Files: The Unnatural (#6.19)" (1999)
See! Also, Mulder, you are dead wrong, just like you were with quite a few of your alien theories...but we love you anyway!
Oh, yeah, yummy fajitas. So...feel free to add some variety (or to have less variety with the peppers if you can't find all the colors). Squash and sweet potatoes are also excellent for a fall fajita, but we're still feeling the dog days of summer down here in the not-so-deep South (Virginia). My opinion is that the more colors you add to your mix, the more healthful and pretty your fajita becomes. Seeing 5 different colors of bell peppers just makes me happy. My favorites in order of taste are: 1) red (sweet) 2) orange 3) yellow 4) green 5) purple. I have yet to see a blue bell pepper, but if I ever do, I'll have to change the name of this fajita!
My Ingredients:
Soft tortillas (I prefer whole wheat, but white flour is fine, too.)
Broccoli heads, about one stalk, washed, chopped, and ready
5 small or medium-sized peppers of your choice (I used red, orange, yellow, green and purple.)
1/4 medium yellow or purple onion (substitution: onion powder*)
1 diced clove of garlic (substitution: garlic powder*)
1/2 pack of organic extra firm tofu
2 tbsp. olive oil
3 splashes of water
Spices: (I don't measure. Feel free to use your own discretion.)
Cumin
Chili powder
Crushed red pepper
Paprika
*Onion powder (provided you didn't already use fresh onions)
*Garlic powder (provided you didn't already use fresh garlic)
Salt
Cook tofu until crispy and golden brown. (A little longer than this picture below.)
Cook your veggies until they start getting a little browned on the edges.
Then, add your seasonings and mix well.
Add ingredients to your tortilla and Woila!
*I'm a lazy butt, so I didn't chop up any onion or garlic. I just used the powder, but I bet it would taste even better with fresher ingredients!
Friday, August 16, 2013
Quick Eats: Tofu
Tofu
Tofu.
To most non-vegetarians, this word probably strikes fear in your hearts. See: "Killer Tofu"! Eating tofu probably seems as fun to you as sticking your hand in a tank full of piranhas, and only slightly less painful. (Okay, I realize maybe not all of you feel this way, but I've run across quite a few meat-eaters who avoid tofu like the plague without ever having tried it before.) Please give tofu a chance...and then also give it another chance.
I have a little story to tell you about my adventures with tofu. Before I became a vegetarian, I had 3 vegetarian roommates. I was the only one who was not a vegetarian, but I tried some of their tofu anyway. Guess what?
1st Taste Test:
I absolutely HATED it! I thought it was flavorless, had a weird texture, and was just all-around gross. You know what? So is chicken if you try to eat it without cooking it or adding some type of sauce or seasoning. Okay, okay, maybe that's just my opinion, but plain chicken? Honestly, who eats chicken without adding anything to it? Nobody, that's who.
2nd Taste Test:
Fast forward to a few years later. I decided to become a pescetarian (only after I stopped living with all my veggie roommates, of course). I thought it might be time to give tofu another try. Maybe it wasn't as bad as I remembered. Hell, I hated asparagus and mushrooms as a kid. Now I love them both! So I decided to try baked tofu. I cut my tofu up into neat little triangles, added some spices, and stuck it in the oven. I had high hopes for this tofu. It even looked good.
I took it out of the oven, let it cool, and then gave it a try... It was DISGUSTING and super dry! Needless to say, I should have followed a recipe, and I also probably shouldn't have cooked it for that long.
3rd Taste Test:
Luckily, I wasn't ready to give up on tofu, yet. This time, I followed a recipe and used some teriyaki sauce instead of spices. I also stir-fried some veggies and steamed some rice to go along with my tofu. The result? DELICIOUS!
Okay, it didn't taste just like chicken. Tofu has a completely different texture, but once you stop comparing it to meat, you discover that tofu is actually pretty darn good. It's not a meat replacement. It can be a good source of protein, though. If you want something that mimics meat, you can find lots of those in the freezer aisle at any grocery store. Especially Quorn. I love me some Quorn. Unfortunately, most of Quorn's products are not vegan because they contain egg whites and milk products. So, I won't be eating those for a while. Anyway, back to tofu.
Tofu Tips for Omnivores (and Veggivores):
-There are lots of different kinds of tofu. I prefer organic, extra firm, and pre-cubed, which only saves you like 3 minutes, but it's usually the same price as the regular tofu.
-My preferred method: heat olive oil in a skillet, add cubed tofu, don't flip it until you hear it crackle (and sometimes flips itself), cook until it is golden brown on at least two sides.
-If you want to bake it, first drain the excess moisture, but also add some kind of marinade, seasoning, or sauce. (This sounds silly: get rid of the moisture, then add moisture. However, it makes a big difference in the taste of your tofu.)
-When baking, don't turn the heat up too high or leave it in the oven too long. It's not meat, so you won't contract any crazy diseases if it's undercooked. It's better to err on the less-cooked side because you can always just put it back in the oven!
-Yes, it's made of soybeans, but tofu does go bad! Don't open the package and then let it sit in your fridge for a month. There will be mold on it, and that's just gross.
-If you're cooking for one, your best bet is to cook it all at once and reheat leftovers.
In my picture below, I made the whole package of tofu. On the left is Sweet & Sour Tofu that I packed in my lunch and on the right is Orange Ginger Tofu. I cooked them both in the same skillet until they were golden-y delicious and more solid. Then, I separated them so that I could add different sauces. That way, they didn't seem like leftovers since the lunch tofu tasted completely different from the tofu I had the night before. Score!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)