Sesame Ginger Maple Tofu

I would like to welcome back pictures taken with natural light and eating out on our porch. Even though we had another cold snap this past weekend, I know that spring really is here.

Unfortunately, here in middle Tennessee, we’ve been warned that we can expect millions of cicadas to emerge from the ground in May. Last May, we were flooded. This May, we get a swarm of cicadas that are threatening to ruin events like picnics and weddings. Or, you know. GRADUATIONS. That’s okay. Cicadas are God’s creatures too. We’ll just enjoy sitting out on our porch in April before we start getting hit in the head by flying bugs.

This was such a nice, light spring meal, perfect for enjoying on the patio while you watch the sun go down. Depending on how much of each vegetable you use, you might need to increase the sauce proportionally. And you’ll want a lot of the sauce.

Sesame Ginger Maple Tofu
source: Bakin' and Eggs
Yields 4 servings

Ingredients

1 block extra-firm tofu, rinsed, pressed dry, and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 medium onion, sliced
2 teaspoons canola oil
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons tahini
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons pure maple syrup
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, finely minced
3 cups sugar snap peas, trimmed
2-3 carrots, cut into one inch slices
2 cups brussels sprouts, cut into quarters
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
Sriracha, to taste
Soba noodles, rice noodles or brown rice, for serving

Preparation

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet by lining with foil (for easy cleanup) and spray with nonstick cooking spray.

Place tofu and vegetables on a baking sheet and toss with oils, salt and pepper. Roast for about 20 minutes, shaking the pan from time to time. Whisk together tahini, soy sauce, maple syrup, vinegar, and ginger until smooth. Drizzle the sauce over the tofu and vegetables and continue roasting for another five minutes. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve over soba noodles, rice noodles or brown rice with Sriracha to taste.

Eggplant and Tofu in Spicy Garlic Sauce

Eggplant and tofu are not that amenable to picky palates, so I understand if this doesn't exactly wet your whistle. Many people think that eggplant is slimy and best experienced slathered in breadcrumbs, pan-fried, and doused with cheese and tomato sauce. But after making this dish, my favorite eggplant preparation is cooking it down so much that it falls apart, creating a thick sauce that is amenable, in this case, to Asian flavors. In fact, the flavor of this was so complex -- spicy, sweet, salty, garlicky, etc. -- that it tasted very much like something from a little ethnic restaurant, particularly served over brown basmati rice.

As you might notice, this recipe calls for a lot of ingredients,  though many of them are pantry staples for me now. Acquiring many of them took me a while, but now that I have them, they get a lot of use in stir-fries and other dishes. It makes it really easy when I see a recipe like this to know that I already have hoisin sauce and sesame oil in the house. So if you're wary of making the plunge to buy some of these things, go ahead and do it!

Eggplant and Tofu in Spicy Garlic Sauce
adapted from: Fat Free Vegan Kitchen
Yields 4 servings

Ingredients
1 pound extra-firm tofu (not silken)
1 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
2 tbsp. water
1/2 tsp dark sesame oil
1 large eggplant, peeled and sliced
1/3 cup water
6-8 garlic cloves, minced–about 2 tbsp.
1-inch peeled fresh ginger, grated
3/4 cup vegetable broth or water
1 tbsp vegetarian hoisin sauce
3 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
3 tbsp rice vinegar
1/2 tbsp dark sesame oil
1/2 tbsp sugar
3 tsp hot chili sauce (like Sriracha) (original recipe calls for 1/2-1 tsp if you prefer it more mild)
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tomato, coarsely chopped
sprinkling of sesame seeds for garnish (optional)

Preparation
Cut the tofu into 1/2-inch slices and press them lightly between towels to get some of the moisture out. Combine the 3 tbsp. soy sauce with the 2 tbsp. water and 1/2 tsp. sesame oil. Dip each slice of tofu into the mixture and set on a plate.

Heat an oiled, non-stick skillet until hot. Place the tofu slices in the skillet and cook until browned. Turn over and brown the other sides. When the tofu is completely browned on both sides, remove it from the skillet and place it on a cutting board. Cut each slice into 8-10 cubes. Set aside.

Heat an oiled, non-stick wok and add the eggplant and 1/3 cup water. Cover and cook, stirring often, until eggplant begins to brown. Uncover and add the garlic and ginger and cook for 2 more minutes.

Add all remaining ingredients except the tomato, sesame seeds, and tofu. Simmer uncovered until all the eggplant slices are completely cooked–they will be very soft and start to fall apart. Add the tofu cubes and tomato and cook until heated through. Serve over rice, sprinkled with sesame seeds.

5 Answers for 5 Questions


Cara over at Cara's Cravings (definitely one of my favorite blogs) tagged me to answer a few questions.

1) What was on your To-Do list today:
- do laundry
- blog (check!)
- read chapter 11 of Christian England by David Edwards
- exercise
- grocery shopping

2) 5 Snacks you enjoy:
- cucumbers or carrots with hummus
- apple and cocoa roasted almonds
- Chobani Greek yogurt with fruit
- Fiber One bars
- cheese and crackers

3) 5 Places you have lived:
- Dallas, TX (where I grew up)
- Interlochen, MI (where I spent two years in high school)
- Houston, TX (where I went to college)
- Sacramento, CA (where I spent a summer)
- Nashville, TN (home for now!)

4) What were you doing 5 years ago:
- turned 21
- was in college getting my degree in voice
- was in between relationships
- did a ministry internship at the church where I grew up
- decided that God was calling me to be ordained

5) 5 things you would do if you were a Billionaire:
- travel back to Puerto Rico and to Chile and Argentina, Paris, London, Thailand
- still work for the church but without having to worry about a paycheck
- buy a condo/house in San Juan
- adopt more cats
- donate money to Episcopal Relief and Development, my high school, and my alma mater

Crispy Coconut Tofu Nuggets

I can't say that the phrase "tofu nugget" sounds particularly attractive, even for someone who is an adventurous eater. I knew they would be tasty, but, to Joe's credit, when I told him what we were having for dinner, he didn't even blink an eye. It helped that I explained that they were "like coconut shrimp" but with tofu. I had been wracking my brain to figure out what I would serve the nuggets with while we were traveling to Houston for a wedding. When we arrived at home, my mother had dropped off a sauce/marinade that my father had brought me: Mango Ginger Habanero Sauce. Yes, it was as good as it sounds, particularly with the nuggets. I served it with some steamed Asian vegetables as well.

Crispy Coconut Tofu Nuggets
source: Cara's Cravings

Ingredients
1 block firm tofu
2 egg whites
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/4 cup shredded coconut
zest from one lime

Preparation
Wrap the tofu in paper towels and place it under a plate, weighted down with a couple cans or jars. Let sit for 20-30 minutes.

Preheat oven 375F. Set a cooking rack on top of a baking sheet, and spray with nonstick cooking spray.

Pour the egg substitute or egg whites in a shallow dish. Mix together the panko, coconut, and lime zest and pour onto a plate.

Slice the tofu crosswise into 6 slabs, and then cut each rectangle diagonally into two triangles. (I sliced mine into rectangles.) Season the tofu wedges with salt and pepper. Dip each one into the egg, then dredge in the panko mixture and set on the cooling rack.

Bake for about 25-30 minutes, turning halfway through, until lightly browned and crispy on both sides.

Nutritional Info
Servings Per Recipe: 3
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 209.9
Total Fat: 8.7 g
Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
Sodium: 16.7 mg
Total Carbs: 14.0 g
Dietary Fiber: 2.3 g
Protein: 14.3 g

Mongolian Tofu

Some kind of tofu stir-fry is a standby during these meatless Lent months, and I'm always looking for different sauces to approximate that greasy Chinese food that we hardly ever eat. Actually, a good (good being relative) Chinese take-out place is the one thing around us that we don't have. We've got Turkish and Neapolitan pizza and sushi and Mexican and Vietnamese not too far up the road but no Chinese (save for the sketchy buffet right across the street. I'm not counting it.)

Anyway, this sauce had that great sweet and salty combination going on here. It made a ton of sauce, so I threw in a package of frozen Asian-style vegetables. I also needed another tablespoon of cornstarch to get it to thicken as much as I wanted it to. Joe commented on the nice caramel flavor from the brown sugar. You could certainly use this with a beef stir-fry as well.

Mongolian Tofu
source: Mary Ellen's Cooking Creations

Ingredients

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 block firm or extra firm tofu, with the water pressed out and cubed
  
• Cornstarch, approximately 2-3 tbsp
• 1/2 tsp minced ginger
  
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 c low sodium soy sauce
• 1/2 c water or broth
  
• 3/4 c brown sugar
• 1 green onion, chopped

Preparation

• Toss tofu with cornstarch to coat
• Heat olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat
• Add the tofu and cook until browned on all sides, about 6-8 minutes
• In the meantime, mix the soy sauce, water (or broth) and brown sugar in a bowl
• Once the tofu has browned, add the garlic and ginger; saute 1 minute
• Add the soy sauce mixture and stir; bring to a steady simmer and then reduce to low. Let simmer for several minutes to thicken the sauce.
• Add half of the green onions
• Serve over rice and garnish with green onions

Caramelized Tofu with Pecans and Brussel Sprouts

When Joe asked me what was for dinner, and I responded, "Caramelized tofu with pecans and brussel sprouts," he said, "Yes!" That boy sure loves his brussel sprouts, so much so that they override his suspicion of tofu. My best friend Abby made this recipe and posted it on her (awesome, hilarious Canadian) blog, and it looked right up my alley. The sweetness from the caramelized brown sugar and pecans offset the slight bitterness of the brussel sprouts perfectly. I liked the variety of textures present in the dish. I also ended up doubling the recipe since I bought a pound of brussel sprouts, and my package of tofu was 15 oz.

Caramelized Tofu with Pecans and Brussel Sprouts
source: 101 Cookbooks via Sounds like Canada

Ingredients
7 - 8 ounces extra-firm tofu cut into thin 1-inch segments
a couple pinches of fine-grain sea salt
a couple splashes of olive or peanut oil
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup pecans, toasted and chopped
3 tablespoons fine-grain natural cane sugar or brown sugar
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped (I omitted.)
1/2 lb. brussel sprouts, washed and cut into 1/8-inch wide ribbons

Preparation

Cook the tofu strips in large hot skillet (or pot) with a bit of salt and a splash of oil. Saute until slightly golden, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and pecans, and cook for another minute. Stir in sugar. Cook for another couple of minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro. Scrape the tofu out onto a plate and set aside while you cook the brussel sprouts.

In the same pan (no need to wash), add a touch more oil, another pinch of salt, and dial the heat up to medium-high. When the pan is nice and hot stir in the shredded brussel sprouts. Cook for 2 - 3 minutes, stirring a couple times (but not too often) until you get some golden bits, and the rest of the sprouts are bright and delicious.

Spicy Thai Coconut Tofu Noodle Soup

I had scheduled myself to make this meal on Friday night, but I should know by now that I inevitably end up doing something else on Fridays because I get too tired to cook. So then, I figured I could make it for dinner Saturday, but we ended up going out to dinner with my parents. Sunday, still being considered a feast day during Lent, is the one day a week where I am technically "allowed" to eat meat, so I wanted to save this for a vegetarian day. Finally, I made it for dinner Monday night!

I added extra noodles, which ended up making it a little too noodle-y, though I still enjoyed it. I love the variety of vegetables and the textural contrast between the tofu and the snap peas. I added a little extra curry paste and still wished it had been slightly spicier.

Spicy Thai Coconut Tofu Noodle Soup
adapted from Ashlee's Cooking Blog

Ingredients
1 tbsp. olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 yellow onion, minced
4 tsp. ginger paste
Crushed red pepper
4 cups vegetable stock
1 15 oz. can light coconut milk
3 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups sliced snap peas
1 6 oz package thin rice noodles
1 tbsp. cornstarch
2 1/2 tsp. hot red curry paste
2 tsp. honey
1 block extra firm tofu, diced

In a large pot, heat olive oil, sautee onion, garlic, ginger and crushed red pepper (to taste, about ¼ tsp.) till fragrant, about one minute.
Add chicken broth, coconut milk and carrots.
Bring to a gentle boil and cook for about 10 minutes or until carrots are tender.
Add the noodles and snap peas.
In a small bowl, mix cornstarch and warm water.
Add slurry, curry paste, honey and tofu.
Cook for about 5-10 more minutes. Garnish with lime wedges or scallions and serve.

Curried Tofu

Well, I've been out of town, in orientation for Divinity School, and I started classes yesterday so my time in the kitchen has been rather limited. Truthfully, I would've rather been cooking for myself than eating pizza at orientation, but it's all about fellowship. So far, school has been great. It's felt really good being back at school. I missed it during my year in the corporate workplace. My blog entries may be slightly more scarce, but I promise I'll still update.

I stumbled upon this tofu recipe when I was browsing the Cooking Light webpage. Cooking Light is, by far, one of my favorite sources for recipes. They are frequently flavorful and delicious so that you don't even feel like you're eating particularly light. I try to substitute in light ingredients whenever I can anyway, so it's nice that Cooking Light basically assumes that's what you're doing.

This recipe did not disappoint. I would maybe sub extra-firm tofu next time or let the firm tofu drain longer. The texture of the tofu was a little on the mushy side for Joe's and my preference. I'm not usually a fan of pineapple in dishes because it's a bit on the sweet side for me, but this worked out very well. The pineapple was the perfect complement to the curry flavor and the spice of the pepper. I served this with brown rice.

Curried Tofu (source: Cooking Light)

Ingredients

2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 (15-ounce) package reduced-fat firm tofu, drained and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup light coconut milk (I ended up doubling this because I wanted more of a sauce.)
1 teaspoon curry powder (I doubled this also. I think my curry powder is a little weak.)
1 cup precut matchstick-cut carrots (I cut up some baby carrots I already had.)
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper (I subbed Thai chili garlic sauce.)
1 (15 1/4-ounce) can pineapple chunks in juice, drained
1 medium red bell pepper, thinly sliced (I used a green bell pepper.)
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

Preparation

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add tofu, and sprinkle with salt. Cook 8 minutes or until golden brown, stirring frequently. Remove from pan; keep warm.

Add coconut milk and curry powder to pan, and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add carrots, crushed red pepper, pineapple, and bell pepper; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in tofu. Sprinkle with basil.

Yield

3 servings (serving size: about 1 1/3 cups) (The perfect amount for Joe, me, and a leftover portion for lunch today.)

Nutritional Information

CALORIES 171(34% from fat); FAT 6.4g (sat 2g,mono 0.9g,poly 2.4g); IRON 2.7mg; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 99mg; CARBOHYDRATE 21.7g; SODIUM 508mg; PROTEIN 8.9g; FIBER 3.6g

Tofu with Peanut-Ginger Sauce

After my success with the Ground Pork with Spicy Peanut Noodles, I knew anything with similar ingredients would be a big hit with Joe and me, plus I still had a large part of a knob of fresh ginger that I love working with because it smells so good. Still aiming for our one vegetarian night a week, I decided to try a recipe with tofu.

Personally, I've always liked tofu, mostly because the first time I had it was in Whole Foods' Pesto Tofu. Joe, however, is iffy about tofu because he's had bad experiences with how other people have prepared it. This was actually my first time to prepare anything with tofu at home.

Not surprisingly, we really liked this dish, and I plan on cooking with tofu more frequently.

I am also submitting this entry to August's Tasty Tools Event featuring whisks, held by Joelen over at Joelen's Culinary Adventures. You probably recognize the name since she comments here frequently, and I recently made a delicious tilapia recipe adapted from her.


Tofu with Peanut-Ginger Sauce
adapted from Eating Well

Ingredients

5 tablespoons water
4 tablespoons smooth natural peanut butter
1 tablespoon rice vinegar (see Ingredient note) or white vinegar
2 teaspoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons honey
2 teaspoons minced ginger
1 teaspoon Thai chili garlic sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
14 ounces extra-firm tofu, preferably water-packed
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 cups baby spinach
1 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms
4 scallions, sliced

Instructions

To prepare sauce: Whisk water, peanut butter, rice vinegar (or white vinegar), soy sauce, honey, ginger, chili garlic sauce, and garlic in a small bowl.





To prepare tofu: Drain and rinse tofu; pat dry. Slice the block crosswise into eight 1/2-inch-thick slabs. Coarsely crumble each slice into smaller, uneven pieces.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add tofu and cook in a single layer, without stirring, until the pieces begin to turn golden brown on the bottom, about 5 minutes. Then gently stir and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until all sides are golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes more.

Add spinach, mushrooms, scallions and the peanut sauce and cook, stirring, until the vegetables are just cooked, 1 to 2 minutes more.

Yield: 4 servings (Note: Between the two of us, we polished this off.)

I served this on a bed of brown rice.