Sesame-Soy Tofu w/ Asian Mustard Greens

I was at Shoppers last week and was pleasantly surprised to see that they had expanded their Asian vegetable section! They had lot of different sizes of bok choy (including teeny baby ones the size of my thumb!), and Asian mustard greens which I just had to try. They are a lot more mild than regular mustard greens, and a lot of the bitterness cooks out. To go with the greens, I made a sesame-soy tofu and served everything over red quinoa (TJs just started carrying it, a lot more texture [similar to how brown rice has more texture than white] and really good).

Sesame-Soy Tofu w/ Asian Mustard Greens

Ingredients:

2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp sesame oil
1 onion, quartered and sliced
4 garlic cloves, cracked & peeled
1 block extra-firm tofu, cubed or sliced
2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 shots sriracha
1 Tbsp rice vinegar
3 Asian mustard greens, cleaned & chopped
2 tsp toasted sesame seeds (optional)

Directions:

1. Heat oil in large skillet and saute onions 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and cook 2-3 minutes more.
2. Add tofu and brown 1-2 minutes on each side (if you cubed the tofu, don't worry about browning on all sides as that could take a while, just cook 3-4 minutes, stirring carefully).
3. Combine soy sauce, sriracha and rice vinegar and add to skillet. Stir to coat, reduce to a simmer, cover and cook 5-6 minutes until tofu is heat through. Remove to a dish.
4. Place mustard greens in skillet and cook in remaining liquid 2-3 minutes until wilted.
5. Serve tofu and greens over red quinoa (or rice or pasta), topping with toasted sesame seeds if you like.

The cost:
onion: .45
garlic: .10
tofu: 1.99
mustard greens: 1.99
red quinoa: 2.99

Grand total: $7.52; serves 2 with leftovers for lunch

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

Roasted Brussel Sprouts & Baby Sweet Potatoes

Last night I made dinner for AK and myself; I decided on my baked BBQ tofu and a pot of quinoa, but also wanted something else so I roasted some brussel sprouts and sliced baby sweet potatoes with just a bit of olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic powder.

P.S. In response to some comments I'm going to start having periodic posts about entire meals, such as the one I made last night. I whipped the whole thing up in about 20 minutes, then just had to wait for everything to cook with very little maintenance.

Roasted Brussel Sprouts & Baby Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients:

1 bag brussel sprouts
1 container baby sweet potatoes (about 8)
1 Tbsp light olive oil
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Slice brussel sprouts in half lengthwise. Slice sweet potatoes into 1/2 inch thick rings.
3. Place veggies in a roasting pan, drizzle with oil and sprinkle with spices. Toss to coat.
4. Roast in the oven covered 20-25 minutes, then uncovered 8-10 minutes.

The cost:
brussel sprouts: 2.49
sweet potatoes: 1.99

Grand total: $4.48; serves 4 as a side dish

Meal cost:
tofu: 2.98
roasted veggies: 4.48
quinoa: 3.99 (if you count buying the box, I only used about 1/3)

Meal grand total: $11.45

Baked BBQ Tofu

Yesterday was an unbelievably long day at work, so when I got home I knew I wanted to cook dinner but didn't want to put in too much effort. I had a block of tofu in my fridge so I decided on one of my fave tofu dishes that I actually hadn't made in quite a while. I couldn't exactly remember what I used to put in the marinade but it was still good :)

I like my sauce tangy, but if you prefer more sweetness than the ketchup provides, add 1 tsp of honey or brown sugar.

Note: I make my own bbq style sauce, but if you are caught in a time crunch you can definitely just use the bottled kind.

Warning: These baked tofu quadrangles are addictive; I'd eat the entire batch in one sitting if I let myself!

Baked BBQ Tofu

Ingredients:

1 block extra firm tofu
2 Tbsp ketchup
1 Tbsp vinegar (I like rice wine)
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp pepper
3 splashes hot sauce

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Cut tofu into 3 flat sheets and press between paper towels to drain some of the internal liquid. Cut each sheet into 6 equal pieces.
   
3. Whisk all ingredients but tofu together; pour marinade over tofu and let sit 5-10 minutes, or longer if you like. Flip pieces to coat all over.
   
4. Remove tofu pieces, shaking lightly to remove excess sauce. Lay tofu on a baking sheet and bake 10-15 minutes or until edges are crispy, flipping halfway through cook time.

The cost:
tofu: 1.99
other ingredients: <.99

Grant total: 2.98, give or take; serves 3-4 over rice or quinoa with a side of steamed veggies

Burglar Supper: Tofu & Chickpea Stew

Last night's fare was what my mom liked to call a "Burglar Supper." After being away for the weekend, I got home from work too exhausted to think about grocery shopping but I still wanted to eat a good dinner. (Also, when I moved out I promised my mom I would never eat cereal and milk for dinner.) Hence, a Burglar Supper. The game: Stalk ingredient options in the fridge, freezer and pantry; pilfer; and throw something together. The results are usually pretty miraculous.

Last night was no exception. A survey of the pantry yielded a can each of fire roasted tomatoes and chickpeas (creamed corn too but couldn't make that one fit). A block of tofu, three slightly wilted scallions and 4 garlic cloves later, I was good to go.

The results: A richly flavored tofu & chickpea stew which I enjoyed over basmati rice with wilted arugula.

Tofu & Chickpea Stew

Ingredients:

1 cup white basmati rice
2 cups water
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp. olive oil
4 garlic cloves, peeled
3 scallions, chopped
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 can fire roasted tomatoes
1 block of firm or extra firm tofu, drained and cubed
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 bag pre-washed arugula

Directions:

1. In a small pot, combine water, rice and 1/2 tsp of salt. Bring to a boil, then turn down and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until done.
2. Heat olive oil over medium flame in mid-size saucepan. Add garlic cloves and scallions and cook until soft, about 3 minutes.
   
3. Add tofu and cook until just browned. Add tomatoes and chickpeas, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir to combine and heat through.
4. Remove about a cup of cooked rice and place in bowl. Stir in arugula and allow to wilt. Spoon stew over rice, eat and enjoy!
   

The cost:
chickpeas: .89
tomatoes: 1.49
tofu: 1.99
scallions: .30
garlic: .15
basmati: .40
arugula: .50

Grand total: $5.72, and it last me for three meals.