Tofu Parmigiana

I've been missing eggplant parmigiana for awhile now. I know I can make it without the breading and it's still pretty good, but it's just not there. Being a vegetarian, I can't just use chicken, etc. so that leaves a dilemma I have finally solved. What about using tofu? Yes, I know you're going to say that I use tofu in everything, and I probably do. But luckily, I love it! And there are so many ways to use and enjoy it. And using the very firm tofu products gives it a great "meaty" texture.

This meal was something I decided to try since I had everything in the fridge, what the heck. Daughter and I scarfed it up last night and made it again for lunch today, so you know it was a hit. We spent the afternoon on a simulated archeological dig, then came home and set to cooking a feast in 10 minutes. What fun, I love homeschooling!

Tofu Parmigiana
It all depends on how much you want to make, but it's just so easy. I use Wild Wood High-protein, super-firm tofu that I found at WholeFoods. It has a great flavor and crisps up great in the pan.

Slice the tofu into 1/4-inch squares and dust with a mixture of sweet rice flour, garlic powder, salt and dried basil. I put just a pinch of each, but use whatever you desire for flavor. After coating both sides, drop gently into a hot pan with olive oil. Fry each side on medium heat until brown on each side. Then just spoon tomato sauce (we used leftover sauce, but any sauce will do) over the top of all the squares. Now top those with slices of fresh mozzarella and a little more basil. (I love fresh mozzarella from Trader Joe's.) Turn the heat off and cover the pan for just a moment so the cheese melts. Viola--all done. Quick and tasty.

Enjoy.

Crispy Tofu and Squash

While trying to limit carbs, I'm also trying to improve taste. That's not easy being on a gluten-free, vegetarian, mostly dairy-free diet. Making that low carb can put a crimp in what's left to eat. But I'm learning to adapt. Last night I decided to stir fry up some tofu and some beautiful baby zucchini from Trader Joe's. Yum. My daughter decided she wanted fried rice, so we combined the two for a wonderful two-way dinner.

Using a little nutritional yeast is the key. It gives flavor and crispiness to the tofu. Don't be afraid of it, I had never heard of it before last year and I was pretty nervous about trying it, but it's really great. I found it in the bulk section of Whole Foods. You only need a small handful to last a long time.

Crispy Tofu and Squash
8 oz. Extra firm tofu
1 tsp nutritional yeast flakes
7 baby zucchini
1 yellow squash, cut into small pieces
2 eggs
1.5 cups Jasmine rice
splash of wheat-free tamari
splash of sesame oil

Take about one cup of cubed firm tofu, drained and pressed to get out most of the liquid. Let that sit and drain while cutting the baby zucchini and yellow squash in small pieces. Stir fry squash and zucchini in a little olive oil and wheat-free tamari. Add a few tablespoons of water to steam after a few moments, then let them brown for a moment.

Take out zucchini, add olive oil to the pan and add tofu (I like to add a little butter also, it helps to brown the tofu). Sprinkle tofu with about 1 teaspoon of nutritional yeast. Stir fry until tofu gets crispy and browned on all sides. It doesn't take long, shake the pan often to loosen tofu and brown it.

When tofu is done, add zucchini to the pan. At this point, I add a little garlic and salt and I'm good to go. Daughter wanted her rice, so to the pan (after I had taken my half out) we added two scrambled egg whites (or whole eggs) cooked earlier and broken into small pieces and one and a half cups of jasmine rice, precooked (Trader Joe's). Stir fry this for a few moments, adding a little more tamari and a small splash of sesame oil.

Tofu with added rice and eggs

Either way, it's beautiful. Without the rice, this is a high-protein meal with low carbs. You can also add the eggs in with the tofu and zucchini for an even bigger protein boost. With the rice, it's a great, filling meal with lots of protein and veggies.

Enjoy!

Mediterranean Stew over Broiled Polenta

I'm trying to eat less and less "GF" grains. By that I mean that I am trying to cut down on fake bread, muffins, bagels, cakes, cupcakes, etc. that are GF versions of the real thing. I feel much better and I've got a much happier tummy. But already being vegetarian means that leaves even a smaller list of options. But I've decided that I'm going to cook more chickpeas, tofu and such, and spend more time exploring veggies.

My first attempt was to make something I had made before, just add a few more ingredients. This Mediterranean stew has tofu, sweet potatoes, chickpeas, tomatoes and onions. A little of everything really, and so yummy. Add just the right spices, and serve over broiled polenta and you've got yourself a very tasty and satisfying meal. I know I did, and Older Daughter scarfed it down in just a few seconds flat.

Mediterranean Stew over Broiled Polenta

One sweet onion, chopped
One can of chickpeas
Two cans of diced tomatoes (organic, GF of course)
One sweet potato, diced
One cup firm tofu, drained, pressed and diced
cinnamon
cumin
parsley
salt
pepper
cayenne pepper

In a very large saute pan, saute the onion over medium heat for about five minutes.

Add tomatoes and chickpeas and cook for a few minutes to bring it up to a simmer.

Add sweet potato, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until potato is tender.

Add tofu, salt, pepper, about 1/2 tsp of cinnamon, 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/4 tsp dried parsely and 1/2 to 1 tsp cayenne pepper, according to your tastes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Cover and turn off heat. Let mixture sit for about 5 minutes to warm tofu while polenta broils.

Slice polenta into 1/2 inch discs (I used Trader Joe's or Safeway's polenta with sun dried tomatoes). Turn broiler on high, put one small dot of olive oil on each disc and spread it around. This ensures the polenta won't burn under the broiler.

Place polenta under the broiler for about five minutes. I've got mine on the middle rack, not too close. Watch carefully, mine don't get brown, just sizzling.

Serve stew over polenta slices. I add a dash of cayenne on top for a kick, but that's up to you. Older Daughter likes a big, big dash of cayenne. To each his own. You can also serve this over rice, in a more traditional way. I've got leftovers and I'm out of polenta, so it looks like it might go over rice for lunch tomorrow. Even on it's own, it's great.

Enjoy!

Tofu Curry "Chickenless" Salad on a Lazy Saturday

Ever have one of those Saturdays when it's peaceful and relaxed and you just don't want to do anything? Well, today was my day. My husband is in Michigan for the weekend, oldest daughter is working and younger daughter has a friend over and is spending the day drawing quietly in her room with said friend (their choice, they love to draw. Today they're making their own deck of cards with index cards.)

So, I decided to lounge, read magazines, watch Dr. Who and House and read a good book... just sort of do nothing. Here's what happens when you read a book around here. I always thought cats did that. I never had a dog that did it, but there's a first time for everything.

Take some time to relax and be with yourself. If the opportunity arises to take time to be alone, do it. We don't always have to find something to do. Sometimes it's OK to do nothing, even if it's just for 20 minutes, or in my case today... All Day!

Lovely. But, what do you eat on a slow, relaxed day like this? For breakfast Daughter and I made Strawberry Crepes with her friend and the girls took a turn at cooking the crepes. They did a great job. Then carrots, celery and hummus for lunch. Then what to have for dinner? I was recently at Whole Foods and saw a "chicken" salad made with tofu in their deli section. Shouldn't be too hard, huh? So I improvised and came up with something fast and yummy, with very few ingredients.

Tofu Curry "Chickenless" Salad
1/2 tsp curry powder
1/3 cup GF mayo
2 tsp dijon mustard
1 cup diced very firm tofu, drained and pressed to get out all the moisture
1/2 cup chopped apple
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 tsp parsley (I used dried, but fresh would be even better)
salt to taste

Just mix the first three ingredients into a bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix together. You can serve on lettuce as a salad, or on toast as a sandwich or in a tomato bowl (remember those?) The longer it sits, the more the tofu will soak up the flavors of the dressing.

I had mine today on GF sandwich bread from GF Creations in Phoenix, and a few slices of tomato. I'm thinking I may stuff a tomato tomorrow with the leftovers, since all I had was a Roma tomato and it's hard to stuff those little guys.

Enjoy!

Quick But Yummy Breakfast

We had an incredible storm the other night here in Phoenix, and we were without power for about 15 hours. I know this photo doesn't do the storm much justice. Daughter took it as we sat on the patio watching the storm pass over. I was afraid to open the fridge or freezer for fear of thawing everything out, and we ended up eating out as much as possible. I suppose we were lucky since some people are still without power and there were downed trees in their yard, or powerlines went down like dominoes. We didn't have any water damage, or wind, just the lack of power that made it pretty uncomfortable to sleep. As my sister awaits Gustov in New Orleans, I suppose I shouldn't complain.

Now that the power is back on and the plants are drying out, I'm starved. I couldn't decide what to eat for breakfast this morning, and didn't want to pull out pans and such. And even though I just love my old standby... Rice Chex with rice milk, I just wasn't in the mood.

I looked in the fridge and viola! breakfast was there. Just a little bit of both Fontina and goat cheese left over from a quiche for book club, and one Roma tomato. I just bought a loaf of GF sandwich bread from Gluten Free Creations, a local GF bakery.

I toasted the bread, placed sliced fontina on each slice (just enough for both left, yipee) and a little goat cheese. Putting the cheese immediately on the toasted bread lets it melt just so slightly, but not completely. Then top with slices of tomato. I added a little Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper and there you have it. The Fontina and goat cheese give a great, salty texture and the tomato had a ripe, fruity flavor. I grabbed a few fresh basil leaves from the bush in the back yard, which added to the already wonderful flavors. The bread was toasted just enough to give a great crunch. Yum... what a great way to start the day.

BTW, what did Daughter eat, you may be asking? A chewy, yummy bagel from Einstein's with cream cheese. She loves to torture me with things I can no longer enjoy, but this time I know mine was much better and I didn't even want the bagel. Things are looking up!

Enjoy!