Golden Tofu Stack

I came home today with one thing in mind...food.  All of a sudden I just couldn't wait to cook something.  I've been forcing myself to go to the gym right after school, and when I get home, I just don't feel like it.  But not today.  Fridays are nice!  

I stopped at my favorite store, near the school I am teaching at, on the way home.  Picked up some favorites; carob raisins, GoRaw bars, Mint Chocolate Builder bars, some staples; cheapest TVP ever ($0.90 for half a pound), green beans, chard, tofu, and some new stuff;  golden beets, miso soup packets, and my Valentine's Day present to myself:

Can't open it until tomorrow though!  

At the other store I go to (near my college), they have a prepared food bar, and I always get this tofu that they have because it is delicious.  I decided to take a stab at recreating it to go with my beets for dinner.  

Golden Tofu Stack

1 golden beet

1/4 butternut squash

3.5 ounces extra firm tofu

2 tbps maple syrup

1/2 tsp Bragg's/tamari/soy sauce

1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

1 blood orange

1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar

1.  Slice tofu thin, into five pieces, and marinate in maple syrup, soy sauce/Bragg's/tamari, and 1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar for at least 30 minutes.

2.  While the tofu is marinating, peel the beets and squash, and cut into rounds, and matchsticking a few of them for garnish (optional).

3.  Set oven to 400 degrees.  Cover a baking sheet with foil, coat with cooking spray.  Arrange the tofu, beets, and squash on the sheet, and spray with cooking spray, and season both sides with salt and pepper (veggies and tofu).  Cook 10 minutes, remove matchsticks, flip the sliced beets, squash, and tofu, and bake 10 more minutes.

4.  Blend the fruit of one blood orange with 1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar.  

5.  Stack it all up, drizzle with the blood orange sauce.

Serves 1

Nutrition Information:  256.5 Calories;  5.3g Total Fat;  0.7g Saturated Fat;  0.0mg Cholesterol;  41.5g Carbohydrates;  7.8g Fiber;  12.8g Protein

I suggest serving it with the beet greens, of course!   

Do you usually buy ingredients with a dish in mind, or buy ingredients, and then come up with a meal?  I bought a whole bunch of stuff at the store, and the whole plan came to me on the way home (again, all that time to think in the car), but I think I usually do it the other way around.      

This was so good, and I was totally thrilled that it tasted almost exactly the same as my favorite salad bar tofu...better even, because I cut it thinner, and it was slightly crispy around the edge.  Totally yum, and I will most definitely be making it again (and again, haha).  

This was also my first time having golden beets.  If you haven't had them, and happen upon them..try them!  Yummy stuff. 

As much as I love my student teaching gig, I am looking forward to a three day weekend, hopefully filled with lots of good food!  Lots of yoga too.  I hope everyone else has a good one! 

Pre-Thanksgiving for One

I don't know what I will be having for dinner tomorrow.  So I figured, I'd make something that at least looked Thanksgiving-y today (i.e. Thanksgiving colors).  For lunch today I made myself something special, and I did not let myself down.    

On my menu:  Maple Glazed Tempeh, Sauteed Kale, Smashed Squash

Tempeh

1/2 block tempeh (114g)

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp water

2 tbsp lite maple syrup

olive oil cooking spray

15 raspberries (approzimately!)

1.  Steam tempeh until tender

2.  Spray pan with cooking spray, cook tempeh until slightly browned on one side.  

3.  Add soy sauce and water to pan, turning tempeh occasionally, until browned on all sides.  

4.  Lower heat, add maple syrup  

5.  Gently toss with raspberries

Nutrition Information:  280.0 Calories;  12.3g Total Fat;  2.5g Saturated Fat;  0.0mg Cholesterol;  690.3mg Sodium;  24.7g Carbohydrates;  0.5g Fiber;  22.1g Protein

Sauteed Kale (this actually makes two servings)

1 big bunch of kale 

1/2 medium onion, sliced

1 clove garlic, minced

crushed red pepper

salt & pepper

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

olive oil cooking spray

1.  Boil kale in a pot of salted water until tender

2.  In a separate pan, coat with cooking spray and cook onion until brown.  Add garlic and pepper.  

3.  Strain water from kale and add to garlic and onion, cooking until warmed through.  

4.  Remove from heat and toss with vinegar.  

Nutrition Information:  80.3 Calories;  1.2g Total Fat;  0.2g Saturated Fat;  0.0mg Cholesterol;  60.5mg Sodium;  16.4g Carbohydrates;  5.5g Fiber;  5.2g Protein

Smashed Squash

1 cup of 1 inch pieces of squash (I used a cushaw)

2 tsp agave nectar

salt & pepper to taste

1.  Steam Squash (I steamed it along with the tempeh).

2.  Remove skin from cooked squash

3.  Smash with a fork.  Add agave nectar, salt & pepper, and smash until well combined.  

Nutrition Information:  79.0 Calories;  0.2g Total Fat;  0.1g Saturated Fat;  0.0mg Cholesterol;  563.5mg Sodium;  20.0g Carbohydrates;  2.7g Fiber;  1.8g Protein

And, that's it!  This was so satisfying, I was quite pleased.  

Family dinner was also on my shoulders tonight.  I was also in charge of dinner tonight.  I had extra people to cook for (6 instead of 4).  We had, soba noodles with tofu and veggies.    

Sesame Soba Noodles, Golden Tofu, and Asian Veggies

Is Asian veggies and overstatement?  Maybe.  There was baby bok choy though!  

Loosely, it went something like this...

28oz Extra Firm Tofu

6 bundles Soba Noodles (2 packaged, for me)

1 bunch of scallions, chopped

4tbsp sesame oil

1.5 tbsp rice vinegar

1.5 tsp Bragg's Aminos (or soy sauce)

2 red peppers, sliced thin

4 carrots, cut into matchsticks

2 baby bok choy, white part sliced thin, green leafy parts roughly chopped

1/4 cup vegetable broth

1.  Start to boil a large pot of water.

2. Pat tofu dry.  Cut into 1/2 inch cubes.  Heat largest pan over medium high heat, and put tod in pan.  Let golden crust form, then flip.  Allow crust to form on opposite side, then cook until heated through.  Put tofu in covered dish 

3.  Heat 2 tbsp sesame oil in the same large pan.  Add all vegetables besides bok choy tops, and coat vegetables with oil.  

4.  Add broth to the pan, cover, and cook for about 5 minutes, or until tender.  

5.  Cook soba noodles 3-5 minutes.  

6.  Toss soba noodles with the remaining 2 tbsp sesame oil, rice vinegar, and Bragg's

7.  Garnish with baby bok choy leaves.  My mom liked it with the tofu, I liked it with the noodles.     

Serves 6.

Nutrition Information:  335.5 Calories;  16.0g Total Fat;  2.2g Saturated Fat;  0.0mg Cholesterol;  247.8mg Sodium;  30.0g Cholesterol;  3.6g Fiber;  19.9g Protein

I know I promised cheesecake, but my sister in law isn't here yet, and we won't be able to eat it tonight anyway....so I will post about it tomorrow!    

Today's Cooking Song:  Street Lights - Kanye West (new CD came out yesterday!) 

Lastly, as a type this, I watch Top Chef.  I have to mention, because I am thrilled, that the Bassist from the Foo Fighter's favorite dish out of both teams was the vegan cornbread stuffing.  How awesome!  

Disappointing Day

Not to be a gloomy gus, but today was LAME in the life of me.  I did get to the gym though, so at least it involved some sort of productivity.  

I am trying to use up what I've got around the house this week.  For breakfast today I had some leftover ABC stuffing.  For lunch, I wanted to use some tofu that was on its last legs and a poblano pepper.  So, I went the tofu scramble route.  I guess it is sort of clementine season?  I dunno, but there is a big box in my fridge, so I added one of them along with some salsa and onions.  That and some quinoa, good to go.  

Poblano Tofu Scrmble

Nutrition Information:  344.1 Calories;  6.7g Fat;  0.4g Saturated Fat;  0.0mg Cholesterol;  728.3mg Sodium;  54.8g Carbohydrates;  16.6g Fiber;  16.8g Protein

Now, I would like to thank all the blog and cookbooks authors that give me great soup recipes, because this is something I have yet to perfect.  It didn't taste bad, it just wasn't as exciting as I had hoped.  Partially because my mom also needed the garlic, so I ended up with half as much as I wanted.  It was roasted cushaw squash, roasted garlic, white beans, chickpeas, and spinach.  Oh, and the pictures were pretty crappy too!  I don't know why, my pictures have been coming out bad lately, I'm usually a decent photographer.   

Nutrition Information:  211.2 Calories;  1.1g Fat;  0.1g Saturated Fat;  0.0mg Cholesterol;  1,193mg Sodium;  42.9g Carbohydrates;  7.1g Fiber;  9.3g Protein

These muffins though, were delicious!  They are from the Nov/Dec 2008 issue of VegNews, on page 69.  Their recipe is for garlic basil muffins.  I just subbed the basil with rosemary.  They are really good (I had two)!   

Nutrition Information:  126.6 Calories;  6.8g Fat;  0.9g Saturated Fat;  0.0mg Cholesterol;  221.5mg Sodium;  14.5g Carbohydrates;  2.0g Fiber;  3.1g Protein

I also got my student teaching assignment and...I think I need to start looking for apartments or something, it is an hour away!!!  That's pretty ridiculous, I am NOT happy.  

Seitan, Apples, and Squash...twice

I love seitan.  I've only tried it a few times, but I love it.  Mainly for it's huge protein content.  It makes creating high-protein meals a no-brainer.  

Friday was my second attempt at making it myself.  I tried boiling it once, and results were not good.  I made the Seitan O' Greatness that's been floating around the internet for awhile.  I think it came out pretty well, although I think it needs a personal seasoning adjustment.  It was a place to start though!

I took the above log, put half of it in the freezer, and then set to using up some of the rest of it.  I thought it might go well with some acorn squash I had.  The first recipe I made up before going to a Halloween party on Friday night.  

Seitan and Apple Stuffed Squash

1/2 roasted acorn squash

1/2 apple

1/8 log of Seitan O' Greatness

1/4 cup chopped spinach

1/2 tsp brown mustard

1 tsp vegan mayo

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 tsp brown sugar

salt & pepper to taste

cinnamon  

1.  Preheat oven to 350.

2. Chop up the apples and seitan.  

3.  Whisk mustard, mayo, vinegar, and brown sugar, add salt and pepper to taste.  

4.  Stuff acorn squash, sprinkle with cinnamon and bake for around 10 minutes.  

As you can see in the picture, this made more than could fit in my 4" acorn squash, so I put it in another little bowl.  The seitan is a tad spicy for my taste.  Not bad, just wasn't what I was looking for.

Nutrition Facts:  313.9 Calories;  4.3g Fat;  0.6g Saturated Fat;  0.0mg Cholesterol;  751.4mg Sodium;  53.0g Carbohydrates;  10.7g Fiber;  24.9g Protein.  

The second recipe I made last night.  It isn't as pretty, but it was quite tasty. 

Roasted Acorn Squash with Seitan and Apples

1/2 roasted acorn squash

1/2 apple

1/8 log Seitan O' Greatness

1/4 cup pepitas

cinnamon

1.  Preheat oven to 350.  

2.  Line baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray.  Slice apples and seitan , then place on sheet, spray with cooking spray, and sprinkle with cinnamon.  Bake approximately 10 minutes, or until it starts to smell good.  

3.  Plate, sprinkle with pumpkin seeds.  Eat.  

I'm not kidding myself, I realize that these are pretty similar dishes, I just liked the combo of the seitan and apples and squash.   

Nutrition Facts:  461.7 Calories;  19.9g Fat;  3.6g Saturated Fat;  0.0mg Cholesterol;  436g Sodium;  50.7g Carbohydrates;  10.4g Fiber;  31.2g Protein.

Today's Cooking Song of the Day:  I Believe in Symmetry - Bright Eyes.