Tofu Learnin' 101

Confession: I'm a recovering tofu hater. I hated tofu so much that I would make fun of people who ate it. Why? Probably because I *innocently* make fun of people way too much. Also, I think, because I didn't understand how simple it was. Cooking with it just seemed way too complicated. I mean, I would have had to go to the store... buy tofu... and do who-knows-what with it. 
Flash forward a few years and I realized that there were all kinds of cooking blogs out there with awesome recipes and tutorials and general kitchen knowledge that I could benefit from! Once I read a few tips on cooking tofu, I was ready to go and now it is easy as tofu pie!
My one beef (pun intended) with tofu is that it takes a certain amount of foresight. I like mine dense, so I like to press it for a couple hours. If you're anything like me, you might have motivation to cook now, but who knows how you'll feel in a couple hours. Unfortunately, they've yet to invent self-pressing or pre-pressed tofu, so I generally start pressing when we start running low on food. If my motivation leaves me high and dry, I just refrigerate it and the next day I'll pick up where I left off!

Tofu Tips:

• Pressing your tofu is essential if you want it to be dense; the longer you press, the firmer it will be
• Tofu presses best if under moderate weight for a longer amount of time. I used to think that if I just put something really heavy on it, then it would press faster... I squished a lot of tofu that way! Now I use a cast iron skillet instead of a cast iron Dutch oven!
• To press tofu:

               -Drain tofu and place it on a towel

               -Fold the towel over the tofu and set something heavy on top (bag of flour, books,etc.)

               -Let tofu sit for at least 30 minutes or overnight

• The shelf stable tofu is best in sauces, dips and desserts. The extra firm cooks up okay, but I feel like the tofu from the fridge cooks much better. 
• Tofu will take on any flavor, so you can marinate it, toss it in a spice blend, serve it with a sauce... Flavor it how you would flavor any other protein. 
• To bake, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut into cubes or slice into steaks (be sure to flavor it!). Bake for 10 minutes, flip the tofu and bake for 10 more minutes.
• Yes, tofu does fry very well, but I cannot condone doing that to such a healthy chunk of soy!

Tofu Scramble

• 1 block extra firm tofu, pressed
• 1/2 onion, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 T Bragg's or soy sauce
• 1t Turmeric
• pepper, to taste
• 2 cups assorted veggies, chopped (optional)
• Sriracha, to taste (optional)

1.) While tofu presses, prepare your onion, garlic and veggies (if using)

2.) Saute the veggies until soft, splashing with water if they start to stick

 

3.) Once veggies are soft, crumble the tofu into the pan, breaking up any large pieces with the spatula

4.) Add the turmeric, Bragg's and Sriracha and cook over medium heat for about 3-5 minutes (until the tofu is warmed through); season to taste with salt and pepper

Scrambled tofu is great eaten alone, in a breakfast wrap or sandwich, or tossed with a salad and topped with avocado! 

As you can see, this meal is FAST. Like, ready in about 10 minutes fast! That is, unless you've forgotten to press your tofu!

Garden Prep

It's finally time to get outside and start some garden planning! My yard is a mess and I still have plants in the ground from last season that I never dealt with and our compost hasn't been turned in months... where to start?! SEEDS! Might as well start with the thing that takes no effort but lots of time. I know that seeds seem like a hassle, but it's so worth it when you go to eat your first tomato off of a plant that you've nurtured from the beginning (kind of like the feeling you get when your kid graduates college, i'm sure)!   
There are so many different vessels in which to start your seeds these days. Plastic, biodegradable, small, large, soil pellets, organic seed starting mix, etc... it's very easy to get overwhelmed with all the choices you have for starting your seeds. That's when I say, "screw the man!* I'm going rouge with my seeds"! 
To make your own seed starting containers all you need is a can of anything (beans, soup, tomatoes, etc.), newspaper and tape. 

1.) Tear a piece of newspaper in half, longways. Roll can in the paper, leaving a few inches space at the bottom. Tape together when rolled up all the way.

 2.) Fold in the extra paper at the bottom (like you're wrapping a present) and secure with a piece of tape.

3.) Pull out the can, put in some soil and plant your seed!

These are biodegradable, so when your little guy is big enough to go in the ground, just tear the bottom back a bit and put him in a hole! 

As far as what soil to use, I always get an organic brand, but I don't worry about whether it's specifically for seeds or not. Seed starters are mixed with peat moss to make it lighter, but as long as you're not over-watering, any organic soil will be fine. Remember: always use a spray bottle or mister when watering seeds and seedlings!

*"the man"- big-box stores who want to confuse you so that you'll just buy everything

My Kind of Butter

All work and no play means we have not been doing much cooking! We've been out of town and busy with work and getting the yard ready for planting, so we've been living off beans and rice and hummus (which is fine by me). There is one thing, however, that I always have time to make... almond butter! 
If you're anything like I am, you're no stranger to the beauty of a jar of peanut butter and a spoon. Being a teenage vegetarian who didn't like vegetables, peanut butter was a lifeline. Unfortunately, most peanut butter is full of sugar and partially hydrogenated soybean oil, so in eliminating processed foods, out went the peanut butter.
I started buying almond butter because I had heard about how good almonds are for you. They help stabilize blood sugar (reducing cravings), they are full of healthy fats and they regulate blood pressure and cholesterol. The downside was that almond butter is expensive! It was too costly of an addiction to continue buying it, so I decided to start making it. Honestly, it is effortless to make- all you need is a food processor!

Cinnamon Almond Butter

makes about 2 cups

1 lb bag whole raw almonds
1 T cinnamon
1 t. salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place almonds in a cast iron skillet or on a sheet tray and roast for about 20 minutes, stirring halfway through.

Let cool for 10 minutes, but don't let them cool completely. They should still be warm.

Put almonds in the food processor and let it go! It's not the best sound in the world, but you get used to it.  

Stop and scrape the sides if it's sticking

About halfway!

Process for 5-10 minutes. Some batches come together quick and some take longer. Once it has "butterized" add the cinnamon and salt and pulse to bring it all together. 

The longer you let it spin, the runnier it will get. This batch was for Jon because he likes his more solid. If it was for me, I would have let it go a couple more minutes. Forget about runny eggs- runny almond butter is so much better tasting and better for you!

Farewell To Winter: Part 3

I'm really hoping that this can be my last "Farewell To Winter" post! I know that everyone expected spring weather to be here by now (seeing as how it is officially spring), however it snowed today in Kentucky, so I think it's safe for me to do another warm, comfort food recipe. 

Today I'm featuring one of Jon's recipes! This man has never been scared of cooking and has probably never even seen a recipe, let alone followed one. Jon's motto is "taste, taste, taste". At every stage he is constantly tasting to make adjustments. How much of a spice should you use? Don't ask Jon. He'll just tell you to taste and see. How long should you cook something? Don't ask Jon. He'll just tell you to wait until you hear a certain noise, or smell a certain smell. Well, Jon... we can't all be so in tune with our cooking skills.* That's why I was so thrilled when he finally wrote out one of his recipes for me to share with you guys! So, without further ado... Jon's Chili!

Tempeh Chili

Makes about 6 cups

Ingredients:

• 1 package tempeh, cubed**
• 6 oz. light beer (the other half is for the cook), optional
• 2 cans of red, white or pinto beans (or 3-4 cups cooked dried beans)
• 1 onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 hot pepper, seeded and diced 
• 1 can diced tomato
• 1 T tomato paste
• 1 T dried oregano
• 1 T paprika
• 1 T cumin
• 1 t chili powder, or to taste***
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 cups broth or water

Isn't Jon so nice and organized?

1.) Saute onion, garlic and pepper over medium high heat until soft 

2.) Toss the tempeh in with the onion, garlic and pepper and add a good pinch of salt; pour in the beer and let the tempeh steam for about 5 minutes (if not using beer, just add 1/2 cup of water)

3.) Add the spices and toss everything so that the tempeh is well coated; cook 2 minutes (until you smell the spices toasting)

4.)  Add canned tomato, tomato paste, beans and broth or water

Don't worry. This is before we added the broth,
so your chili shouldn't be so thick!

5.) Let everything come to a boil and then turn heat to medium low and let simmer until it's reduced to your liking (about 25 minutes)

Chili is one of those amazing dishes that truly is a blank canvas. As long as you have a basic recipe (like this one!) you can adjust it to your liking very easily. Don't like spice? Leave out the hot pepper. Love spice? Use two hot peppers and leave the seeds in. Feel like using more veggies? Throw them in the pot, too. Feel like a deeper flavor? Use a dark beer for steaming the tempeh and throw the rest of the beer in with the broth. Like it soupier? Add more liquid.

So let's all be more like Jon and use our senses to really fine-tune our cooking skills! 

*Yes, I am jealous of him!

** I love tempeh, but I didn't always. It's a fermented soy patty that is very earthy and meaty. If brown rice and mushrooms had a love child it would be tempeh! So if you're not keen on this choice of protein or if you're allergic to soy you could leave it out and just use more beans. Just skip step 2 and move on!

*** I LOVE spicy food! Jon does not. This is a very mild chili, so if you want it hotter, I'd add more chili powder and some Tabasco.  

Farewell to Winter: Part 2

Does it get much better than Italian food when it's cold outside? Lasagna is the ultimate comfort food for me. Plus, since it bakes for almost an hour, it does a great job of heating up the house! Unfortunately, when I eat Italian, I go way overboard. I could eat half a lasagna and a whole baguette all by myself and be happy as a clam... Until an hour later when all I would feel is regret and shame.
So now I like to do comfort food makeovers! I take every element of the meal and make it a little healthier. Is it the same as the real thing? Sometimes it is and sometimes it is so far off it's embarrassing. This lasagna, though, is just as good as any meat and cheese lasagna I've ever had and I don't feel gross afterwards!
The whole wheat noodles provide protein and whole grains which will keep your blood sugar in check; meaning you won't feel like you need to eat the whole baguette!
The tofu is much healthier than ricotta or mozzarella. It provides more protein and is cholesterol free. And you eliminate all that gross cheese grease.
Everyone knows that veggies are better for you than meat, right? 'Nuff said!
Pasta sauce ranges from healthy to absurdly unhealthy. Be sure you pick a sauce with real ingredients! If you don't know what an ingredient is or how to pronounce it, don't get it. Also avoid sauces with sugar. You would be surprised with the amount of sugar added to pasta sauce. It just doesn't need it!

Ingredients:

• One package whole wheat no-boil lasagna noodles
• 15 oz package firm tofu
• 1/4 c. Unsweetened non-dairy milk (or less for a stiffer "ricotta")
• 3 cloves garlic
• Juice of 1/2 a lemon
• Large handful of fresh basil, chopped 
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Large jar of pasta sauce, about 4 cups
• Assorted veggies, about 4 cups (optional); I used 1/2 a head of cauliflower, a red pepper, an onion and a yellow squash

1.) To make the filling, combine the tofu, non-dairy milk, garlic, lemon juice, basil and salt and 

pepper in a food processor. Pulse until combined and slightly creamy (it should still have some stiffness)

2.) If using veggies, sauté over medium-high heat until soft

3.) To assemble lasagna: 

Line the bottom of your favorite lasagna pan with the no-boil noodles, being sure to over lap the layers. Pour in enough sauce to cover the noodles.

 Spread the filling over the sauce, being sure to leave a couple inches space around the edges.

Add a layer of veggies

Top with more sauce, then start all over until you reach the top. 

My last layer is always noodle and sauce, but make it however you want!

Layers!

This was even better the next day, so be sure to make enough for leftovers! And maybe think about replacing that garlic bread with a big salad!

Farewell To Winter

It's that time of year that I refuse to wear a coat because I saw the sun... that means spring is here! Right?! Obviously not, or else my windshield wouldn't have been frozen this morning. This is a nonsense time of year. Flowers are blooming and the sun is out, but it still snows occasionally and I haven't been able to get my bike out of deep freeze yet. I'm ready to dedicate something to this time span so that the clock will speed up and I can start tending to my garden! 

What better to do this time of year than to say farewell to your favorite fall and winter dishes? There are certain flavors that I crave in the fall and winter that don't do as much for me in the summer and one of those is fennel seed. It's such a warm spice that pairs well with something hardy; plus, it makes stuff taste like sausage! Throw together some onion, lentils, apple and fennel seeds and you've got yourself a nice meal for a cold night. 


Lentil and Apple Saute

Ingredients:

• 2 C cooked lentils (canned is fine)
• one apple, cubed
• 1/2 onion, diced
• small yellow squash, sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, diced
• vegetable broth or red wine
• 1 T fennel seeds
• 1 t dried rosemary
• 1 t dried sage
• black pepper and salt, to taste

1.) Saute onion and garlic over medium heat until they start to brown and stick to the pan

2.) Add a splash of red wine or vegetable broth (or even water) to deglaze the pan 

3.) Add the apples and squash and cook until the apples start to soften (about 2 minutes)

4.) Push everything to the side and add the fennel seeds to the bare pan to toast; once they pop you can mix everything together again and cook for another minute

5.) Add the lentils, rosemary, sage, salt and pepper. Cook until lentils are warmed throughout

I take back everything I said about fennel... I love it year round! Once it gets hot, though, I'll use it in stuff that doesn't require to stove to be on!

What the Kale?!

Confession: I used to feel guilty for hating kale. I really tried to like it, but it was just too hardy to eat raw and I'm not a fan of any cooked green. I was persistent, however, in my quest to enjoy kale because it might be the healthiest thing you could ever put in your mouth. It's low in calories and high in fiber, iron, calcium and vitamins A, C and K. It's full of antioxidants and has anti-inflammatory properties. Kale is what all the other greens wish they could be! 

So in my search for the best way to prepare kale I came across a recipe for "massaged kale". You literally give the kale a massage and it changes before your eyes! The reason this made it easier for me to eat was because it wasn't as fibrous as raw kale, but it wasn't slimy like cooked kale (did I mention that I REALLY hate cooked greens?)!

Massaged Kale Salad  

Ingredients:

• one bunch kale
• one mango, diced* 
• roasted pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds
• juice of 1/2 a lemon**
• less than 1 T olive oil
• pinch of kosher salt
• coarsely ground black pepper 

     1.  Tear the kale into pieces and place in a large bowl

     2.  Drizzle with just a bit of olive oil

     3.  Reach in and squeeze the kale, a handful at a time, until it starts to wilt. It will actually start     to smell like ripe bananas after a minute or so!

     

     4.  Once it seems fully wilted, mix in your diced mango, seeds, salt, lemon juice and pepper 

*This is also really good with apples, pears or grapes. If you want veggies instead of fruit, roasted squash, pumpkin or sweet potato would be great, too!

**Balsamic vinegar is also really good in place of lemon!

It's tangy from the lemon juice, sweet from the mango, crunchy from the seeds (not pictured in this salad!) and a little salty. You now have every food craving wrapped up into one healthy salad. Eating this got me so used to kale, that I now eat it raw without making a face! I really hope you like it!