Sesame Tofu

I'm starting to see a pattern with how I prepare tofu. Tofu + sauce = dinner. However, there is a little more work involved with this once since I wanted to create a crispy coating around the tofu. I ate this dish at a restaurant recently and I wanted to see if I could mimic it. In my humble opinion, it turned out really well. And yeah, I'm a bad Asian since I used ketchup in the sauce again. Heh. I served it with some steamed veggies (green beans and baby corn) and brown rice.

1/2 cup cornstarch

1/2 cup wheat germ

2 tablespoons sesame seeds

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 15 ounce package extra-firm tofu, drained and pressed and cut into 1-inch cubes

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 green onions, trimmed and thinly sliced

1/3 cup ketchup

1/3 cup plum sauce

1/4 cup soy paste

1/2 tablespoon sesame oil

2 teaspoons sesame seeds

2 tablespoons water

In a food processor, pulse the cornstarch, wheat germ, 2 tablespoons of sesame seeds and salt together until smooth. Put this into a large Ziploc bag. Add the tofu cubes, close bag and shake until cubes are well coated. On medium-high heat, add enough oil in a large non-stick pan to cover the bottom. Fry the tofu until the sides are brown and crispy. Drain on a paper towel. In a medium bowl, whisk together the ketchup, plum sauce, soy paste, sesame oil, sesame seeds and water. Heat 1 tablespoon of fresh oil in the same pan (removing the old oil since it probably has chunks of burnt batter) on medium-high heat. Add the garlic and green onions and sauté until fragrant (about 2 minutes). Pour in the sauce and heat through until bubbling. Pour this prepared sauce over the fried tofu. Yield: 3-4 servings

"Sausage" and Corn Casserole

I recently stumbled upon this amazing stuff called Gimme Lean Sausage. It's fat free, vegan, packed with protein and seriously delicious. I was in the mood for some comfort food, so I came up with this casserole dish. Like many of my creations, this makes a lot of food, but your taste buds will thank you everyday at work when lunchtime rolls around.

Casserole Filling:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 large onion, chopped

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon salt

1 large russet potato, skinned and diced into small cubes

1 14 ounce package Gimme Lean Ground Sausage

1 15 ounce can black olives, drained and roughly chopped

1 15 ounce can yellow corn, drained

1 large tomato, diced

Cornbread Topping:

1 1/2 cups corn meal

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 tablespoons liquid sweetener (honey, maple syrup, agave nectar etc.)

1 1/2 cups unsweetened soy milk

Preheat the oven to 350. Heat the oil in a large pan on medium high heat. Saute the onions and garlic together until fragrant (about 2-3 minutes). Add the spices (oregano to salt) and potato and mix well. Let cook until potatoes begin to brown (5-6 minutes, as you are waiting prepare the cornbread by mixing the dry and wet ingredients separately then pouring the liquids into the dry and mixing thoroughly). Crumble the sausage into the pan and let it heat through. Pour this entire mixture into a large casserole dish. Add the olives, corn and tomato and mix thoroughly. Pour the cornbread batter over the top of the filling and spread evenly with a spatula. Bake for 25 minutes or until cornbread is done baking. Slice and serve with a sweet salsa (pineapple, peach or mango salsa works well). Yield: 8 servings

Green Beans and Gluten With Black Bean Sauce

So some of you may be asking, "What the heck is gluten?". I have included a handy-dandy picture of the stuff I buy at the Asian market. They look like wrinkly, brown...well, turds. But they certainly don't taste like it! They may be an acquired taste, and in that case, you can just omit them. This made a delicious side-dish!

1 pound green beans, ends trimmed
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 cloves garlic
3 green onions, trimmed and thinly sliced
1/2 large onion, thinly sliced
1 jar Chinese fried gluten, drained
2 tablespoons Black Bean Garlic Sauce

Bring a pot of water to a boil and boil green beans for about 3 minutes, then drain the beans and set aside. In a large sauce pan, heat the oil on medium high heat. Saute the garlic, green onions and regular onions for 4-5 minutes. Add the gluten, sauce and green beans back into the pan and thoroughly mix everything. Continue to saute for 3-5 minutes until everything is heated through. Yield: 4 side-dish servings

Black Bean Garlic Sauce:
Chinese Fried Gluten:

Chard Veggie Wraps

Aren't these beautiful? I actually did not think of this recipe. I got the recipe from here, courtesy of The Hippy Gourmet. However, I did change a couple things: used lime juice instead of lemon juice, added strips of fried tofu and used green instead of red cabbage. I also made a peanut chilli dipping sauce to go with this. Although it all looks like mush, the filling includes carrots, cabbage, tofu, sprouts, tofu and mango slices. Yum, yum!

Aloo Gobi Aur Mater (Cauliflower With Potatoes And Peas)

I really couldn't decide if I wanted to make Indian or Chinese today, so I made both. Man, I am so prolific! I had a huge head of cauliflower which had been sitting in my fridge for a while, so I definitely needed to use it up. I also had a block of tofu which was in danger of going sour, so it made sense to make both dishes. This particular dish was made entirely of veggies and could easily be a side dish as well as a main dish if served with rice. This recipe makes a lot of food, but tastes even better as leftovers when the flavors have been given a chance to meld overnight.

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
2 whole dried red chilies
1 large onion, finely diced
1/2 of large head of cauliflower, cut into small flowerettes
4 small russet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/2 inch cubes
1 large tomato, finely diced
2 teaspoons garam masala
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 cups frozen green peas

Heat the vegetable oil on medium heat in a large pot and add the cumin seeds and dried red chilies. Let toast for about 2 minutes and then add the onion. Saute for 4 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients except the peas and mix well. Let mixture cook for 5 minutes on medium high heat. Add the peas and reduce heat to low. Cover pot and let simmer on medium-low heat for about 20 minutes or until the potatoes and cauliflower are tender. Yield: 6-8 servings

Szechuan Tofu With Mushrooms

Does this dish look familiar? It should! It's very similar to my Sweet and Spicy Tofu With Mushrooms recipe. The only thing that's really different is the sauce. I guess you'll have to try both recipes to see which flavor you prefer. I wouldn't consider this authentic Chinese food (i.e. ketchup?!), but it sure is tasty! Next time I will add some broccoli to give this dish some color and crunchy texture.

1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 15-ounce package firm tofu, drained and pressed and cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons agave nectar (or honey)
1 teaspoon red chili flakes
1/2 teaspoon minced ginger
4 green onions, ends trimmed and finely diced (leave some for garnish)
10 dried shiitake mushrooms, rehydrated in water and diced (stems removed)
8 cloves garlic, minced

Heat oil in large non-stick pan on medium-high heat and add tofu cubes. Lightly fry the tofu (turning gently every couple minutes) for a few minutes until lightly brown. While the tofu fries, in a medium bowl mix together the sauce ingredients (water through ginger) and set aside. Drain tofu on paper towels and remove oil from the pan, leaving only about 1 tablespoon. To the pan add the garlic, green onions and mushrooms and saute for 4 minutes on medium heat. Add the tofu back in the pan along with the sauce. Sauce will bubble and thicken quickly. Stir until ingredients are heated through and sauce is at desired thickness. Yield: 4 servings

Three Bean Veggie Chili With Whole Wheat Cornbread

Oh yes, I not only bring you one recipe but TWO today. OK, so the chili today isn't really chili in the traditional sense but it has beans and a tomato-ey base, so it's good enough for me. Also, one can't really eat chili without some cornbread to dunk in it. Both recipes are oh-so-yummy and oh-so-vegan. Try to buy canned stuff that has either reduced sodium or no-salt-added labels. If you want a milder chili, deseed the jalapeño pepper before dicing or omit it altogether. This dinner will fill you up and leave a stupid grin on your face.

Three Bean Veggie Chili:
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
6 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 large onion, finely diced
1/2 large green bell pepper, finely diced
1 jalapeño, finely diced
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 12-ounce can roasted red pepper, drained and diced
1 15-ounce can corn, drained and rinsed
1 15-ounce can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup vegetarian baked beans (with sauce)
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon celery salt

Saute the garlic, onions, green bell pepper, chili powder, cumin and oregano in the vegetable oil in a large pot on medium-high heat for 5 minutes. Add everything else and give it a good stir. Bring mixture to a boil and then reduce heat to low and let simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Yield: 8 servings

Whole Wheat Cornbread:
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 cup unsweetened soy milk
1/4 cup agave nectar (or honey)
3 tablespoons vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9-inch pie pan. Combine all the dry ingredients (cornmeal through salt) into a large bowl. Stir in all the remaining wet ingredients. Pour the mixture into the pan. Bake for 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Alternatively, you could bake in a muffin pan for about 20 minutes. Yield: 8 large "pie slices" or 12 muffins

Coconut Dal Makhani

Yay for trying new things! I'm 2/2 this week. I've never cooked with lentils before, but after some encouragement from a friend I came up with this recipe. This recipe wasn't difficult, but it was a little tedious because I started with dried lentils, which requires some pre-soaking and then a long simmer time, so keep that in mind if you try this out. Dal Makhani is an Indian dish and it traditionally uses heavy cream and butter. In trying to keep up with my veganism, I omitted both and used Earth Balance spread and coconut milk. This has a soup-like consistency and some great spicy and dynamic flavors. I made some whole wheat rotis to go along with it.

1 1/2 cups dried black lentils, soaked in water overnight (or soaked in boiled water for 2-3 hours) and rinsed off thoroughly
5 cups water
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 tablespoon minced ginger
1 tablespoon Earth Balance spread
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin seeds
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 medium onion, finely diced
1 large tomato, finely diced
1 cup light coconut milk (or 1/2 cup regular coconut milk + 1/2 cup water)

In a large pot add the soaked lentils, water, chili powder, salt, and ginger and mix well. Bring mixture to a boil and then reduce heat to medium and let simmer for 1 hour. In a medium sauce pan melt the spread and oil together on medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and let seeds toast until fragrant (about 2 minutes). Add garlic, turmeric, garam masala, onion and tomato and let cook for about 6-8 minutes. Add this onion/tomato mixture into the pot containing the lentils and water. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and let simmer for an additional 20 minutes. In a blender or food processor, blend together the coconut milk and 2 cups of the lentil mixture. This mixture should still be slightly lumpy. Add this back into the pot containing the remaining lentils and stir. Serve with fresh naan or roti. Yield: 4 large bowls

Hearty Veggie Couscous

My first ever experience cooking with couscous and it was a success! Just -look- at the deliciousness! I think maybe couscous would be the result if rice and spaghetti had babies...lots of them. Anyways, thanks to the garbanzo beans and cashews this side dish can stand alone as a filling main dish. Also, this dish pulls together pretty fast since couscous takes no time to cook. I look forward to incorporating it into more recipes in the future!

1 tablespoon Earth Balance spread
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 medium onion, diced
2 green onions, trimmed and chopped
1 tomato, diced
1 cup diced mushrooms
1/2 cup canned garbanzo beans
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup water
1 1/2 cups uncooked whole-wheat couscous
1/2 cup chopped cashews

In a large saucepan melt the spread and oil together on medium heat. Add in the garlic and seasoning and saute until garlic is fragrant (2-3 minutes). Add both types of onions and cook for another couple minutes then add the tomato, mushrooms and beans. Let cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally and then pour in the water and salt. Turn the heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil. Add the couscous, stir until well incorporated, remove pan from heat and cover pan with lid. Let sit for about 5 minutes until couscous absorbs all the liquid. Stir in the cashews and serve. Yield: 3-4 servings

Clean Your Pantry Veggie Stew

I wasn't actually planning on posting something today, but I was inspired by a friend to make some comfort food and this is what I came up with. As you can tell by the title, I literally opened my fridge and cupboard and picked random things to put in this soup. I was pleasantly surprised by the great flavor! The proportions and ingredients are pretty flexible. This makes quite a bit, but it's so yummy and healthy that it will likely be gobbled up quickly anyways. As a side note, I need a new camera (that stupid black smudge in the corner is becoming irritating) and I need new dishware to display my beautiful creations in. I hear IKEA has a new catalog out...

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
5 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 large onion, roughly chopped
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 cups water
1 vegetarian bouillon cube
1 large tomato, roughly chopped (I used several grape tomatoes though)
1-15 ounce can yellow corn, drained (try to get the no-added-salt variety)
1-15 ounce can garbonzo (chickpeas) beans, drained
1-15 ounce can green beans, drained
1 cup vegetarian baked beans (with sauce, don't drain)
1 vegan sausage, diced
3 cups raw spinach leaves

In a large cooking pot, heat the oil on medium high heat and add the garlic, onions and spices. Saute for 3-5 minutes until onions are translucent then add the rest of the ingredients except the sausage and spinach. Bring the stew to a boil then reduce heat, cover and let simmer for 10 minutes. Add the sausage and let simmer uncovered for another 5 minutes. The broth should thicken slightly. Take the pot off the heat and fold in the spinach until the leaves have wilted. Yield: 6 hearty servings

Lightly Breaded Tofu with Mushroom Gravy

So I'm usually a fan of powerful flavors, but this delicious recipe is very subtle. I don't even know how to categorize what type of cuisine it is because it's an amalgam of a few different flavors. You can adjust the spiciness by adding more cayenne pepper to the flour mixture, but I appreciated the mildness. I think the gravy itself could go well with a few different dishes, but that's a topic for another post.

1-15 ounce package firm tofu, drained and pressed
2 cups vegetable broth (or use a veggie bouillon cube + water)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground sage
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup sliced mushrooms
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 green onions, trimmed and thinly sliced

Slice the tofu into medium sized cubes. Soak the cubes in the vegetable broth and set aside (do this step before slicing any of the veggies to allow for more time for marinating). In a shallow pan mix together the flour, cornstarch, salt, and spices. Heat the vegetable oil in a pan on medium-high heat. Drain the tofu and save 1 cup of the broth. Toss the tofu cubes in the flour mixture until fully coated and tap off excess flour (save 1 1/2 tablespoons of this mixture). Fry the cubes in the oil until lightly brown on all sides. Drain the tofu on some paper towels and set aside. In a clean pan, heat 1 tablespoon of the leftover oil on medium heat and add the garlic and green onions. Cook for a couple minutes and add the mushrooms, 1 cup of the vegetable broth and 1 1/2 tablespoons of the flour mixture. Let this sauce come to a boil and then simmer on medium heat until thickened ( about 3-5 minutes). Pour this sauce over the tofu and serve with brown rice. Yield: 4 servings

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!