Matter "Paneer"

So I'm on an Indian cuisine kick and this totally turned out better than I thought it would. According to my sister, it's the "most delicious" dish I've made for my blog so far. Again, this is completely vegan since I used tofu instead of paneer cheese. I ran out of regular onions, so I used what I had on hand (green onions).

1 15-ounce packaged of extra firm tofu, drained and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 1/2 cups frozen peas
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons vegetable oil spread
3 green onions, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
2 whole dried red chilis
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground coriander
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup water

Lightly fry the tofu cubes in the vegetable oil until edges are slightly brown. Drain on paper towels and set aside. Melt the vegetable oil spread in the pan and add the green onions, garlic, cumin seeds, and red chilis. Let ingredients fry for a minute and add the turmeric, chili powder and coriander. Continue to cook the spices for 2-3 minutes on medium heat. Add the water, salt, peas and tofu back into the pan and bring everything to a boil. Boil until water is reduced by half, then lower heat and cover pan. Simmer for an additional 10 minutes. Serve with basmati rice and/or naan bread. Yield: 4 servings

Saag "Paneer"

This is my vegan version of an Indian favorite. Instead of using the traditional paneer cheese, I substituted tofu. Both have a mild and creamy flavor, so the difference isn't that noticeable. This doesn't taste exactly like what you'd get at a restaurant because I'm omitting heavy cream and butter, but it still tastes pretty darn good. The spices can be a little bit hard to come by if you don't have an Indian grocer nearby, but you can substitute curry powder for the garam masala and omit the amchur powder, if necessary.

1 15-ounce package extra firm tofu, drained and cut into 1 inch cubes
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 whole dried red chilies
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons vegetable oil spread
1 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed (do not drain)
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup unsweetened soy milk
1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
2 teaspoons garam masala
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1 teaspoon amchur (mango) powder
3/4 teaspoon salt

Heat the vegetable oil on medium heat in a large non-stick pan. Add the tofu cubes and fry each side until golden brown (about 2 minutes per side) then drain excess oil by placing on paper towels. Remove oil from pan leaving only 1-2 tablespoons and add vegetable oil spread, dried chilies and cumin seeds. Toast seeds on medium heat until fragrant (about 1-2 minutes) then add garlic, garam masala, coriander powder, amchur powder, and onions. Saute the onions for 5 minutes or until translucent then add spinach and tofu back into the pan. Stir in water and salt, then cover pan with lid and let cook for 10 minutes on medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Add in soy milk and cover again to let cook for an additional 5 minutes. Remove red chilis after done cooking. Yield: 4 servings

Tomatoes and Scrambled Eggs

OK, so this dish tastes a lot better than how it photographed. Plus, it requires just a few ingredients and is done within 10 minutes. This was taught to me by my dad. When he first made it for his host family when he came to the States to go to college (from Taiwan) he said they were turned off by the fact that scrambled eggs should be eaten for breakfast, not dinner. However, once they tasted it, they gave up their preconceived notions of when to eat eggs during the day.

6 eggs (or 1 1/2 cups egg substitute), beaten
1 large tomato, roughly chopped
4 green onions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
salt and pepper to taste

In a medium-sized pan, heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil on medium-high heat. Once hot, add the green onions and tomato chunks. Cook the tomatoes until they turn slightly mushy and the skin begins to peel away (about 5-7 minutes). Remove from pan and reduce heat to medium. Coat the pan with the rest of the vegetable oil and add in the beaten eggs. Cook the eggs until almost done (about 3 minutes) and add the tomatoes back into the pan along with the ketchup. Stir until evenly distributed and heat through for a couple more minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve over rice and enjoy! Yield: 2-3 servings

Spicy Spinach Puttanesca

This Italian dish is chock full of delicious and nutritious veggies. Plus, I love its array of flavors. The onions lend their sweetness while the capers and olives add a more pungent flavor. The amount of spiciness can be adjusted to your personal taste by adding more or less cayenne pepper. It tastes just as good as it looks!

1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 bulb (not clove) of garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 14-oz can diced tomatoes
3/4 cup sliced olives (I chose black and kalamata this time)
1 tablespoon capers
4 cups raw spinach leaves
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil in a large pan on medium heat. Stir in the onions and garlic. Let cook at medium-low heat for 10 minutes until they start to caramelize and sweeten, stiring occasionally. Increase heat to medium-high and add tomatoes, olives, capers and cayenne pepper. Cook for 5 minutes. Take pan off stove and add in spinach leaves. Fold in leaves to the rest of the sauce mixture and the let the residual heat wilt them. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve over your choice of whole wheat pasta. Yield: 4 servings

Veggie Fried Rice

I love fried rice because it lends itself nicely to customization. I usually add (lots) of whatever vegetables I have on hand. Today I even added some chopped up vegan sausage. To make this dish totally vegan you can leave out the scrambled eggs. Also, it's tradition to use day-old rice because it's a little more dry and the end result will be slightly crunchy instead of mushy. However, I often make rice fresh and let it aerate to dry it out. This recipe makes quite a bit, but who wouldn't want this for lunch the next day? Yum!

2 cups brown rice, cooked
1 cup egg substitute (like Egg Beaters)
3 medium carrots, chopped
1 cup broccoli, chopped
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup frozen peas
3/4 cup mushrooms, chopped
1 vegan sausage (like Tofurky brand), chopped
1/3 cup lower sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
vegetable oil for frying

In a large wok, scramble the eggs in a small amount of vegetable oil until fluffy and done. Set aside. Add 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil to the wok and stir fry the carrots on medium-high heat for 5 minutes. Add the broccoli, onions, peas, mushrooms and sausage. Cook for 5-8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Lower the heat to medium and add the eggs back into the pan along with the cooked rice. Add the soy sauce, sesame oil and sugar. Stir until everything is evenly distributed then let cook for another 5 minutes. Do not stir too much because you want the rice to brown and turn crispy. Add salt and fresh ground pepper to taste. Yield: 6-8 servings

Sweet and Spicy Tofu with Mushrooms

Finally a dish that reflects the name of this blog. This is my favorite way to prepare tofu and the taste is honestly restaurant quality. I usually buy dried shiitake mushrooms and rehydrate them in a bowl of water, which only takes a few minutes. All the sauces listed below can be found at an Asian grocery store. Feel free to adjust the proportions to suit your taste. I say this serves 4, but whenever I make it my sister and I gobble it down no problem. I like to serve it with some steamed broccoli and brown rice.

1 package (15 ounces) extra-firm tofu, well drained and cut into 1x1 inch cubes
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
8 shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
vegetable oil for frying
1/4 cup plum sauce
1/4 cup soy paste
1/4 cup vegetarian "oyster" sauce
1 tablespoon Chinese red chili paste
1 tablespoon sesame oil

On medium-hot, heat enough oil in a medium-sized pan to cover the bottom. Once the oil is hot, carefully add the tofu cubes. Let each side of tofu turn slightly brown (about 2-4 minutes) before flipping to another side. Repeat until all sides are are brown. Drain tofu on paper towels and set aside.

As tofu is frying, in a medium bowl, whisk together the plum sauce, soy paste, oyster sauce, red chili paste and sesame oil to make sauce.

Leave 1 tablespoon of oil in pan and reduce heat to medium. Add garlic, onions and mushrooms to pan and saute until onions are translucent (about 5-8 minutes). Add tofu and prepared sauce and stir. Let it come to a boil before reducing heat to low. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and enjoy! Yield: 4 servings

Wham Bam Brownies

I call these Wham Bam Brownies because they are so easy to throw together. I'm not even kidding when I say they take less than 45 minutes from start to finish (including baking time). They don't have the thick fudgy texture of high fat brownies, but they aren't too cake-like either. If you don't like the more chewy, grainy texture that whole wheat flour lends to baked goods, then feel free to use all-purpose stuff.

2 cups Splenda
1/4 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup cocoa
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup egg substitute (like Egg Beaters)
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Whisk together all ingredients in a medium size bowl. Pour batter into 8x8 inch baking pan and bake for 20 minutes. Yield: 8 large brownies

Chocolate Banana Protein Shake

No picture because, well, it wouldn't photograph well. Imagine a slightly frothy and off-white/tan liquid. I think if I were to post a picture it probably would discourage rather than encourage people to make it. Credit goes to my sister for coming up with this. We drink this after our daily runs and sometimes just because it's delicious.

1 large banana
5 ice cubes
1 heaping scoop chocolate flavored protein powder
1 cup unsweetened soy milk
1 tablespoon Splenda (optional)

Blend all ingredients in a blender or food processor until it has a smooth consistency. Yield: 2 cups

Mixed Veggie and Spinach Salad with Sweet Chili Dressing

This will be my lunch tomorrow and it will be delicious. For my salads I usually throw together a bunch of veggies I have on hand. If you're going the canned route, make sure to rinse off the veggies well to remove excess sodium. You can find plum sauce and chili sauce at any Asian market. The "mixed nuts" refers to a mix I bought at Trader Joe's.

Salad Ingredients:
1/4 cup sliced black olives
1/4 cup corn
1/4 cup chickpeas
1/4 cup sliced mushrooms
1/4 cup sliced red onion
1 tablespoon mixed nuts (pepitas, sunflower seeds, pine nuts)
2 large handfuls of raw spinach

Dressing Ingredients:
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon Asian plum sauce
1/2 tablespoon Asian chili sauce

Toss all the salad ingredients together. Whisk together the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and drizzle desired amount over salad. Yield: 1 large and filling salad!

Look, Ma! My first post!

I am neither a food buff or a food snob, but that doesn't mean I don't enjoy cooking and eating it! I love the whole process of cooking even slicing onions and boiling noodles because there's always something you can do to improve the finished product. I used to be a full-fledged vegetarian but I have switched to a pescatarian lifestyle (don't hate me!). Still, the vast majority of the food I put in my mouth contains no meat. As you can probably guess by the title of this blog, tofu is one of my favorites. People often say that tofu is bland and tasteless. I can't actually argue with them on that point if we're talking about raw tofu, but there are several ways to cook it that will impress even the most stubborn of meat-eaters. I hope to show you some of these recipes. Overall I try to eat with my health in mind, so most of the posts will reflect this. Oh, since I can be pretty lazy too, don't expect some fancy schmancy stuff on here. I will keep things simple and tasty!