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Tag: tofu (page 1 of 3)

Quinoa with stir-fry vegetables

A quick weeknight dinner that comes together in minutes, if you have quinoa and vegetables on hand.

Cook quinoa (I use one part to two parts water) as per instructions. Do a quick sauté of vegetables (I used baby bok choy and asparagus) and tofu (optional) in oil of your choice. Keep the veggies crunchy and bright. DO NOT OVERCOOK.

Optional seasonings: Bragg’s liquid aminos, toasted sesame oil, ginger oil, shallot oil.

Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Stir-fry Vegetables

An easy-peasy recipe that involves roasting a spaghetti squash in the oven (400 F, 40-45-50 minutes), a quick sauté of chopped vegetables (onion, asparagus, red pepper) and tofu, seasoned with Bragg’s liquid aminos.

Can add bok choy, spinach, garlic, ginger, mushrooms, zucchini… as you can see, the options are nearly endless.

Voila!

Cooking with Aurora: Tofu and Kale Stir-Fry

 

Aurora Nessly

Aurora Nessly

Aurora Nessly is an ICE (Institute of Culinary Education) graduate from NYU and works as a private chef and food writer. She is also a freelance writer for the Cook and Go Culinary Studio based in New York City.

“I have always had a love for cooking, even at a young age. Growing up, I have had the opportunity to build a cross-country palate through living both in the Pacific Northwest and in Eastern Pennsylvania. From the Pacific Northwest while living in Seattle, I have grown to love Dungeness crab and bare bone cooked salmon with just a little lemon, salt, and pepper. From Eastern Pennsylvania, I have learned to love the severe changes in season, while my food tastes have changed right along with them. In the heat of Summers, I would survive by the cool Italian ices and sweet corn. And in the Winter, every kind of meat and potato you could imagine would cross my plate.

These delicious experiences growing up have given me opportunities to try new dishes and explore my passions. This has led me to take my cooking to the next level by getting an education as a chef at the Institute of Culinary Education. Waking up every day, dressing for service, and pounding out recipes have given me all the preparation I needed to cook all of the dishes that I love. I hope you all enjoy this healthy and delicious meal that I have cooked up for you!”

Aurora’s team contacted me with an offer for content partnership. Here is a recipe from her – Quick Kale and Tofu Stir-Fry.

This is a great dish inspired for vegetarians, vegans and health-conscious eaters. If you’re looking for a healthy meal that is very quick and easy to pull together, this is a great recipe for you to try. The kale not only packs this meal with delicious nutrients, the tofu adds tons of protein. It takes only ten minutes to make, and is perfect for a light, filling lunch, or even for a dinner that you can throw together in a snap!

Ingredients

2 tablespoons sesame oil, divided
1 package (12 ounces) extra firm tofu, drained, medium diced
1 bunch kale (6 cups packed), chopped into bite-sized pieces, stems removed
salt, freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon low-sodium teriyaki sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
2 tablespoons sambal
1 tablespoon sesame seed

Method

  • In a large wok, or frying pan, add 1 tablespoon of sesame oil and bring to medium high heat.
  • Add tofu to form an even layer and cook for 1-2 minutes.
  • Add the kale and continue cooking for 6 minutes, turning from time to time.
  • Drain excess juice from tofu and kale and add remaining sesame oil, teriyaki sauce, ground mustard, and sambal.
  • Cook an additional 2-3 minutes then top with sesame seeds. Enjoy!

Option: For a fuller meal, serve on top of a mound of brown rice and make sure to spoon in some of the cooking juice on top. Delicious!

Zucchini Tofu Almond Koftas

I obsessed about baking a host of goodies and sweet treats this holiday season. Christmas came, went. I planned everything well in advance, pored over the recipes a million times, checked the Internet for variations, blah blah blah… basically expended a whole lot of mental energy simply thinking about my holiday bake extravaganza.

Sigh. If I had spent even half that energy in the kitchen, I would have been less tired. Long story short, I learned some valuable (life) lessons this December. Stop obsessing, get cooking. You cannot ruminate endlessly on a plan; you have got to start moving eventually, take the first step. Profound stuff, huh!

This evening was a whole different story. We had a dinner invitation, so I had nothing to do, really. As far as cooking dinner was concerned, I mean. Started leafing through Sundays at Moosewood Restaurant. This is a gift from a dear friend, a long time ago. I haven’t cooked much from this book but I love reading it. It covers cuisines from China, Italy, Eastern Europe, India and other countries. Each section has a little bit of history, a personal story, anecdotes. I came across a recipe for Zucchini Tofu Koftas in the section on Indian cuisine. It is a simple recipe with a short list of ingredients. I realized that I had most of them at home. Hmmm, should make this one some time. Well, why not now? Talk about learning from last week’s endless obsessing!

I got permission from the nice folks at Moosewood to pass on the recipe here.

Zucchini Tofu Koftas

Ingredients:
2 cups grated zucchini (about 1 medium zucchini)
6 large garlic cloves, pressed or minced
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon ground fennel seeds
4 teaspoons ground cumin seeds
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon dried mint (1 tablespoon fresh)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne (or to taste)
2 blocks tofu, pressed
2 tablespoons unbleached white flour
1/2 cup chopped cashews, walnuts or pistachios

In a heavy skillet, saute the zucchini and garlic in the oil, stirring often, until most of the moisture has evaporated, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add the spices and cook for one more minute. stirring constantly. Place in a bowl. Crumble in the tofu, add the flour and nuts, and mix well.

Form the mix into walnut-sized balls. Place on an oiled baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees until firm, about 20 to 30 minutes.

Reprinted with permission by the Moosewood Collective from Sundays at Moosewood Restaurant, Copyright, 1990, Moosewood, Inc.; Simon and Schuster, publishers.

Zucchini Tofu Almond Koftas

I must admit, I tweaked the recipe a little. I was not sure if I could handle six large cloves of garlic, so I used three. I should have tasted the dough for salt/spice before baking it. Well, it was low on salt and I could have upped the spice levels, added some additional spices too. Also, I had sliced almonds at hand, so I used them instead of cashews, walnuts or pistachios. I skipped the mint as well.

All that being said, this is one delicious kofta! Tofu is so light in texture and taste, so you can eat a whole bunch of these koftas without feeling weighed down. Flour (2 tablespoons) is required as a binder but I am guessing there should be a gluten-free way to bind the dough. This is a vegan recipe also, yay! Next time, I will probably give the garlic a miss, add shredded ginger, chopped cilantro, garam masala, maybe some raisins.

So glad that I acted fast when the thought of making these koftas came to me… Else this would have been another one in the list of ‘MUST MAKE’ recipes.