Recipe Remix: Indian Spiced BBQ Tofu

For dinner a few nights ago I wanted something quick and easy, but also delicious. I've had some garam masala sitting in my cabinet that I've been using much more slowly than the other spices from my Penzey's purchase (smoked paprika, mustard seed, sesame seeds, spicy cinnamon, Aleppo pepper), so I decided to do another version of my Baked BBQ Tofu, this time with an Indian-inspired bbq sauce.

Indian Spiced BBQ Tofu

Ingredients:

1 block extra firm tofu
1/4 cup ketchup
3 Tbsp rice vinegar
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 tsp garam masala
2 shots of sriracha

Directions:

1. Cut tofu to pieces of your liking (I cut it into 2 flat sheets then 6 equal sized pieces for a total of 12 pieces)
2. In a large bowl, whisk remaining ingredients together; add tofu, turning pieces to coat.
3. Pour tofu and sauce into large greased skillet. Cook over medium-high flame 4-5 minutes on each side until edges are just a bit crispy.

The cost:
tofu: 1.99
other ingredients: <1.00

Grand total: $2.99; serves 3-4 over rice or quinoa with a side of steamed veggies

Vegan Palak Paneer

I love palak paneer, but sadly have gone almost entirely dairy free so I can no longer eat paneer (homemade Indian cheese). I had the idea a while back to figure out a dairy free version; it took a couple of tries to get the seasoning and texture right, but I was very happy with the results :)

In order to replicate the consistency of the paneer, I cubed extra-firm tofu; definitely not the same flavor, but roughly a similar texture. I also found that frozen spinach worked better than fresh in order to get the texture I'm used to.

Vegan Palak Paneer

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp light olive or vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, cracked & peeled
1 block of extra-firm tofu
1 Tbsp garam masala
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp sea salt
1 Tbsp freshly grated ginger
1 tsp garlic powder
12 oz. frozen spinach
4 Tbsp vegetable stock or water

Directions:

1. Heat oil in large saute pan and saute onions and garlic slowly over low heat until onions are soft and caramelized, 10-12 minutes (it takes a while, but the flavor is worth it).
2. While onions are cooking, press tofu to remove extra water, then cut into small cubes.
3. Add tofu and spices to pan, stirring to coat (gently so as not to break the tofu).
4. Add spinach and stock/water and bring to a boil. Simmer 30-40 minutes over low flame, stirring occasionally.

The cost:
onion: .45
garlic: .05
tofu: 1.99
spices: <1.00
spinach: 1.99

Grand total: $7.47; serves 4-6 over white or brown basmati rice

Dinner Party Main Dish: Crock Pot Spice-Rubbed Chicken w/ Garlic, Onions & Blood Oranges

I don't use my crock pot nearly enough, so I decided to make a crock pot chicken for my main dish. I layered the bottom of the crock pot with sliced onions and baby potatoes (red bliss, purple & yukon), stuffed the chicken (under the skin and inside the cavity) with sliced blood oranges, onions &amp, and whole garlic cloves, then rubbed the whole thing with a spice mixture of garlic powder, salt, pepper, curry and garam masala. After 8 hours on low, it was succulently delicious, the meat literally falling off the bone, and the potatoes underneath had absorbed all of the wonderful chicken and spice juices.

Crock Pot Spice-Rubbed Chicken w/ Garlic, Onions & Blood Oranges

Ingredients:

3 medium onions, sliced into thick rings
1 lb baby potatoes, sliced into thick rounds
1 cup vegetable stock or orange juice
2 blood oranges, sliced into rounds
8 garlic cloves
1 whole fryer (4-5 lbs), rinsed & giblets removed
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp sea salt

Directions:

1. Layer bottom of crock pot with 2 of the sliced onions and all of the sliced baby potatoes. Add soup stock/orange juice.
2. Stuff remaining onion slices, blood orange slices and garlic under chicken skin and inside cavity. Combine spices. Place chicken in crock pot and rub all over with spice mixture.
3. Cover and cook 8-10 hours on low.

The cost:
onions: 1.15
potatoes: 1.99
stock: 1.99
oranges: .99
garlic: .15
chicken: 15.63

Grand total: $21.90; serves 8

One-Pot Wonder: Chicken, Tomato & Red Lentil Curry

I'm a big fan of one-pot dishes--something that I can make in a single pot that serves as a meal complete with all of the important food groups: starch, veggies, good fats and protein.

I've made only a million variations of this dish. My base is sauted onions and garlic, chicken, and canned tomatoes, but you can put any other veggies or starches in that you like (I've added broccoli, zucchini, squash, cauliflower, fingerling potatoes, sweet potatoes, etc.). This time I went with a combination of carrots, celery, brussel sprouts, and added red lentils for texture and curry and garam masala for flavor.

[Doesn't look so pretty but I promise it tastes great!]

Chicken, Tomato & Red Lentil Curry

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, sliced thinly
5 carrots, peeled and sliced into chunks
2 celery stalks, sliced into chunks
10 brussel sprouts, quartered
1 lb(ish) boneless chicken, cubed
1 Tbsp curry powder
2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp sea salt
1 cup red lentils
1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes
2 cups vegetable stock

Directions:

1. Heat oil and saute onion until soft, 4-5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 2-3 minutes more.
2. Add carrots, celery, and brussel sprouts and cook 8-10 minutes over medium-low flame, stirring occasionally.
3. Add chicken and spices, stirring to coat. Add lentils, tomatoes & stock and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then simmer 30-40 minutes until veggies are soft and chicken is cooked through.

The cost:
onion: .45
carrots: .99
celery: 1.99
brussel sprouts: 2.49
chicken: 6.53
lentils: 1.00
tomatoes: 1.00
stock: 1.99

Grand total: $16.44; serves 4 (or 2 + leftovers for 2 tomorrow!)