little red radish » tofu

lunchbox salad with veggies, tofu and beans

admin — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 05:02:57 +0000

Another go-to lunch choice… a bulked up version of this cucumber salad with lots of protein from tofu and beans. Also very easy to throw together in a rushed morning (but, seriously, would it kill me to plan ahead?).

~ 1/2 can beans (I like cannellini), rinsed and drained
1 cucumber, peeled and chopped
1 red pepper, cored and chopped
~1/4 red onion, finely chopped (don’t over-do it)
1/2 tub extra firm tofu, drained, squeezed or patted dry, and chopped into 1/2 inch cubes

Dress with the following, stirred together:
~1-2 Tbsp dijon mustard (I like a lot of mustard. Specifically, I like Whole Foods Organic German Mustard)
~2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
~ 1 tbsp of some kind of vegan mayonnaise (optional)

seapoint farms dry roasted edamame

admin — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 05:26:54 +0000

I like a savory midmorning snack. Not necessarily out of hunger, I just want a little handful of something along with my tea. Usually some peanuts or cashews will do, but this is a nice low-fat alternative. The package reads one 1/4 cup serving has “70% less fat and 40% more protein than peanuts.” Not bad! Top that off with 8g of fiber. But…I can’t remember where I bought them! Whole Foods? Valencia Whole Foods?? Hopefully I’ll run across them again soon. I really liked the lightly salted, but there is also a wasabi flavor!

Online they can be purchased here.

Image: Seapoint Farms

kung pao baked tofu

admin — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 19:37:01 +0000

Flipping through my Jan/Feb Vegetarian Times, I stopped on user submitted Kung Pao Sliders. I’ve made this so many times now, the magazine stays open to this page. The intent here was to serve the baked tofu squares as “sliders” with the cole slaw on a small bun, but I’ve been putting it in salads or eating the tofu straight as a snack. I tried the slaw dressing that was to go with this and it just didn’t work. Possibly because I thought adding lemon would be a good idea.

Ingredients:
One tub of extra firm tofu, patted dry and cut into 16 pieces (cut legnthwise once, eight cuts across)
4 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce (I prefer Bragg’s Liquid Amino for its lower sodium content)
2 Tbsp cane sugar (or less)
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp corn starch

Directions:
Layer tofu in a shallow pan (I use two 8×8 pans). Whisk together remaining ingredients and pour evenly over the tofu. Flip tofu squares so the they are completely coated. Refrigerate for an hour, flipping tofu once or twice during that time. Preheat oven to 325. Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray. Lay tofu on sheet and bake 25 minutes. Flip the tofu and cook for another 20-25 minutes.

basil garlic dip

admin — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 04:44:54 +0000

Kind of like a creamy pesto dip. I’ve made this a few times, a bit different each time but always yummy! Great with fresh veggies for dipping – cucumbers, sliced red/orange peppers, carrots, or blue corn tortilla chips.

Blend the following until smoth:

The leaves of one bunch of basil – rinsed and dried
3/4 of the small container of silken tofu (8 oz)
One clove of garlic, pressed
Juice of half a lemon
1 Tablespoon vegan mayonnaise

tex-mex brunch approximation

admin — Mon, 10 May 2010 00:06:20 +0000

I moved to California from Austin almost six years ago and still long for the Tex-Mex breakfast and brunch options from places like Trudy’s or the former Las Manitas. The closest I’ve found in these parts is Papalote. Their salsa is excellent and they have great grilled veggie tacos (zucchini/eggplant) or seasoned tofu tacos. When I was there last weekend, I bought a jar of their salsa and that has me fired up to use it as often as possible. Here’s what I put together to approximate their offerings.

Caramelize an onion by slicing into thin half moons and heating in a skillet over high heat for about 10-15 minutes, lower heat and continue to cook for another 30 minutes or longer until very well done. Set aside. Chop up 4 small zucchinis and cook in the skillet until brown. Combine with the onions. Season and bake some tofu from this recipe here. Heat some refried black beans, and serve with onion/zucchini mixture. Add sliced avocado and salsa if you’ve got it! You can also serve with corn or flour tortillas or I enjoyed this with blue corn tortilla chips.

spicy chipotle baked tofu

admin — Sun, 09 May 2010 23:36:36 +0000

This is my first experiment with baking tofu. It’s a nice change in texture from raw or stir frying, a bit chewy and the seasoning give it some kick. I used Penzy’s Medium Hot Chili Powder, which I love love love, and got the chipotle powder from Rainbow Grocery which has great bulk spices.

Ingredients:
1/2 block firm tofu
1 teaspoon chipotle powder, or to taste
1/8 teaspoon medium chili powder, or to taste

Directions:
Cube tofu into about half inch squares, toss with spices. Taste and add more seasoning if you like. Cook at 400 for 40 minutes tossing every 10 minutes or so.

“turkey” “cream cheese”…”rolls”

admin — Sun, 09 May 2010 22:55:51 +0000

Fake meat….can be hit or miss. I struggle with vegan “turkey” slices, but with some vegan “cream cheese” and dijon mustard, this can be quite a nice little treat. And it’s cute in that 50′s appetizer kind of way.

Ingredients:
vegan turkey slices
vegan cream cheese
dijon mustard

Directions:
Spread each turkey slice with cream cheese. Squeeze dijon mustard in a line down the middle of each slice. Roll up the slices and pin together with a toothpick. Enjoy!

tofu scramble

admin — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 19:38:20 +0000

I wish I were in Austin this weekend! It’s SXSW and I would love to be filling up on Trudy’s breakfast tacos and then heading out to hear some music. To fill the taco void, I made a satisfying tofu scramble for breakfast. And now I will throw on some L’il Cap’n Travis and finish my taxes. Sigh.

Ingredients:
1/2 block of firm tofu, drained
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon taco seasoning
1/2 a small onion, chopped
1 zucchini, chopped
1 roasted red pepper, chopped
vegan american cheese, about a half a slice
chili powder

Directions:
Crumble tofu with your hands into a medium sized bowl. Sprinkle in turmeric, garlic powder, taco seasoning and mix with a fork. Prep a skillet with non-stick spray. Over medium-high heat, cook onions, about 5 minutes. Add zucchini and brown for another few minutes. Add tofu mixture and peppers. Stir in chili powder, to taste. I like a few teaspoons full. Continue to cook over a high heat until slightly browned, about another 5-10 minutes. Add american cheese and stir until melted. Serve with salsa, a side of black beans and some vegan sour cream if you’ve got it. I added a handful of blue corn tortilla chips. Avocado slices would have been a nice addition as well.

hot artichoke spinach dip

admin — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 20:57:18 +0000

I brought this to a New Year’s Eve party and somehow… failed to mention it was vegan. People who would not have sampled it if they’d known it was silken tofu based said they really liked it. Although, when pressed, said they could tell it was “lite” but appreciated it wasn’t as heavy as their normal family recipes. It is from Vegetarian Times. I used a can and a half of artichoke hearts and two cups of frozen spinach because I found the ratio of the tofu mixture a bit high otherwise. I took out the cheese from the original recipe, but a sprinkle of vegan parmesan on top is a nice addition. Also, the tofu mixture alone is super delicious. I am working on a separate post for variations and uses…

Ingredients:

12 oz light silken tofu

2 tablespoons veganaise

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 cloves garlic, pressed

½ teaspoon onion powder

1 and a half cans artichoke hearts in water

2 cups frozen spinach

Vegan parmesan cheese

Spicy paprika

Directions:

Set oven to 400 F. Combine tofu, veganaise, mustard, lemon juice, garlic and onion powder in immersion blender beaker, or blender. Puree. Pour into a medium sized mixing bowl. Thaw spinach and squeeze dry (which is fun to do). Chop. Coarsely chop artichoke hearts. Add both to tofu mixture and stir to combine. Pour into a small casserole dish and sprinkle with vegan parmesan. Cook for 20 minutes. Dust with paprika. Serve while hot.