Ann's (Bonnie's Mom) Famous Stuffed Mushrooms

This is a family recipe that is sure to make you the celebrity of any potluck you attend. While absolutely vegetarian, these mushrooms come out savory and "meaty" because of the walnuts and breadcrumbs. They are also quite easy, making even the most amateur cook look like a seasoned chef :)

20 white button mushrooms
3 tbs butter
1 clove garlic, minced
2 shallots or 1/2 red onion, finely chopped
1 cup bread crumbs (you can make these by putting stale or toasted bread in the food processor)
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
2 tbs dry sherry (always buy Spanish sherry)
1 tbs worchestershire sauce
3 tbs grated parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp thyme
salt and pepper

Remove the stems from the mushrooms, cut away tough or dark ends, and chop the stems into 1/4 inch cubes or so. Melt butter in medium skillet. Add stem pieces, onion, and garlic. Saute until starting to brown slightly. Add the rest of the ingredients. Stir until everything is moist and hot. Use more sherry if it's too dry. Arrange the caps open-side up in a baking pan. Mound stuffing on top of each cap. It's OK to really mountain it up above the top of the cap. Bake 15-20 mins. at 400, until the mushrooms start to give up their liquid (they will look wet and a little shrunken instead of dry and stiff).

Serve hot. Yum.

Vegetable Wellington

This is most definitely a fall recipe, but since I forgot to post it last fall when we made it in all its deliciousness, I'm posting it now. This is definitely a project, but it's rich and decadent and worth the effort.

Swiped from Melissa Clark at the New York Times.

4 tablespoons butter
1 small butternut squash (1 1/4 pounds), peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/8 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, or more to taste
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 large shallot, finely chopped
3/4 pound cremini mushrooms, trimmed and roughly chopped
1/3 cup dry white wine
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Flour
1 (14-to-16-ounce) package puff pastry
1 cup crumbled goat cheese
1 egg, whisked with 1/2 teaspoon water.

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees and line a large baking sheet with parchment.

2. In a very large skillet over high heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Add the squash in a single layer and cook, undisturbed, for 4 minutes. (If squash won’t fit in a single layer, cook it in batches). Stir and continue to cook until squash is golden, 7 to 10 minutes more. Stir in the thyme, paprika and 1/4 teaspoon salt; cook one minute. Scrape mixture into a bowl.

3. Turn the heat down to medium and melt the remaining butter in the skillet. Stir in garlic and shallot; cook 1 to 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and remaining salt. Cook until mushrooms are soft and their juices evaporate, about 10 minutes. Stir in the wine and cook until the mixture is dry, about 5 minutes. Stir in the pepper and parsley. Taste and add more salt if needed.

4. On a lightly floured surface, unwrap the puff pastry. Cut into 2 5-by-15-inch rectangles. Spread mushrooms on each pastry rectangle leaving 1/4-inch border. Spoon the cheese crumbles over the mushrooms. Then spoon the squash over the cheese, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border (it will look like a stripe of squash lying on a bed of cheese and mushrooms).

5. Brush the exposed borders of dough on each rectangle with the egg wash. Fold the long sides up to meet in the middle and pinch together to seal; pinch the ends, too. Transfer the pastries to the baking sheet and turn them over so that the seam is face down. Brush the tops with more egg wash. Bake until they are puffed golden, and firm to the touch, about 30 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes, slice and serve.

Blackout Tempeh

. . . so named because we managed to blow a fuse as this was cooking, and had to finish glazing the tempeh by a combination of candle and flashlight. This yummy sweet-and-savory dish is adapted from 101cookbooks.com.

for marinade:
4 tablespoons soy sauce
4 tablespoons maple syrup
1 1/2 teaspoons rice vinegar
2 cloves garlic, peeled, crushed and chopped
1/2 teaspoon cayenne

8 ounces tempeh
2 portobello mushrooms, sliced and sauteed in a little olive oil until soft
2 1/2 cups cooked quinoa or brown rice
a handful of blanched green beans

Combine ingredients for marinade in a small bowl.

Slice tempeh into small triangles. Lay the pieces flat in a dish and pour the marinade over it; let it sit for at least half an hour. Heat a small amount of canola oil in a pan; add the tempeh and saute for a few minutes on each side until browned. Then, pour the remaining marinade in the pan and cook for a few minutes, shaking the pan so the tempeh gets a lovely glaze.

Serve the tempeh over the rice/quinoa, mushrooms, and green beans.

Tofu-Stuffed Portabellos

Moosewood calls this a "showstopper" -- and it SO is. This is totally our new favorite recipe! We made it with the lemon-ginger noodle recipe that I'm about to post and the combination was fan-tabulous.

for stuffed mushrooms:
1 cake of firm tofu, 16 oz
1/2 cup diced red bell peppers
1/2 cup diced canned water chestnuts
1/3 cup minced scallions
1/2 cup cooked brown rice
1/4 cup peanut butter
3-4 tbs light miso (or to taste)
2 tsp minced fresh ginger
4 tsp dark sesame oil
1/2 tsp cayenne
4 portabello mushrooms, about 5 inches in diameter
2 tbs soy sauce

for sweet and sour sauce:
1 cup unsweetened apple juice
1 tbs soy sauce
1 tbs rice vinegar
2 tsp grated fresh ginger
1 tsp sugar
1 tbs cornstarch dissolved in 1 tbs cold water

preheat oven to 350. Oil a baking pan. In a bowl, crumble tofu with your fingers. Add the peppers, water chesnuts, scallions, rice, peanut butter, miso, ginger, 1 tsp sesame oil, cayenne, and 1 tbs soy sauce. Stick your hands in it and mush it all together. set aside.

Twist off mushroom stems and gently rinse caps to remove dirt. place the caps gill-side up on the oiled pan. In a small cup, stir together remaining 3 tsp sesame oil and soy sauce. Brush the mushrooms with the mixture, then mound one-quarter of the filling on each mushrooms. Bake for 35 minutes until mushrooms release juice and filling is firm. While the mushrooms bake, prepare the sweet and sour sauce.

sweet and sour sauce:
In a small saucepan, combine apple juice, soy sauce, vinegar, ginger, sugar, and bring to a boil. stir the dissolved corn starch into the boiling sauce; reduce heat and stir for one minute, until sauce thickens. serve hot over mushrooms.

Poached eggs with roasted portabellas and tomatoes

My new favorite Sunday brunch recipe, swiped from epicurious.com :). If you're looking for a total egg-poaching adventure, google Julia Child's instructions for how to poach the "proper" way. It's fun, I promise!

4 (3-inch-wide) portabella mushroom caps, stems discarded
2 plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
4 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives

Preheat broiler.

Brush mushrooms and tomatoes with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Arrange mushrooms, stemmed sides down, and tomato halves, cut sides up, on a broiler pan. Broil 6 inches from heat, turning over mushrooms halfway through cooking, until tender and tomatoes are slightly charred, about 7 minutes total.

While vegetables are broiling, fill a deep 10-inch skillet with 1 1/4 inches cold water. Add white vinegar and bring to a simmer.

Break 1 egg into a cup, then slide egg into simmering water. Repeat with remaining eggs, spacing them in skillet, and poach at a bare simmer until whites are firm but yolks are still runny, 2 to 3 minutes. Gently transfer eggs with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain and season with salt and pepper.

Sprinkle stemmed sides of mushrooms with balsamic vinegar, then put 1 tomato half, cut side up, on each mushroom and top with an egg. Grate cheddar cheese on top and sprinkle with chives.

Grown-Up Mac-and-Cheese-and-Greens Casserole

Welllll, we're not really casserole folks. But we have been on a comfort food kick and a use-up-the-leftovers-before-they-go-bad kick...and I think perhaps we struck genius with this one. So yummy!

1/2 pound noodles, cooked (we used whole wheat spaghetti!)
3 TBSP olive oil
1 large onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
6 crimini mushrooms, sliced
1 large head broccoli, chopped
1/2 head escarole, chopped roughly
3 eggs
2 C low fat cottage cheese
1 C low fat sour cream
4-6 oz grated cheese (we used cheddar and parmesan)
1 1/2 C bread crumbs
salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and butter a 9 x 13" pan. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Saute onions, garlic, and mushrooms until soft and fragrant. Lightly season with salt and pepper. Toss in broccoli and escarole and saute another couple of minutes until broccoli is bright green and escarole has wilted.

In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, cottage cheese, sour cream, 1 C of the bread crumbs, about 2/3 of your grated cheese, and some salt and pepper. Add in the sauteed vegetables and the cooked noodles and toss everything together. Slide everything into your buttered pan and distribute noodles and vegetables evenly, pressing everything down into the pan. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 C bread crumbs and reserved grated cheese across the top. Bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes or until the casserole has set and the top is nice and browned.

Enjoy with a nice simple green salad!

Cheesy Mashed Potato-Stuffed Acorn Squash

Deeee-licious fall comfort food. Seriously. If I could eat this everyday, I would!

1 medium-sized acorn squash
5 medium-sized potatoes of your favorite variety
extra virgin olive oil
6 crimini mushrooms, sliced
1 shallot, sliced
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 TBSP balsamic vinegar
2 TBSP butter
1/4 C milk
3 scallions, sliced
4 oz goat cheese
1/2 C chopped walnuts, toasted
parmesan cheese, grated
salt and pepper, to taste

Start by halving and deseeding the squash. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper, and roast at 400 degrees until tender, about 40 minutes. Wash potatoes well and chop roughly. Add to boiling water and boil until very soft, about fifteen minutes. Meanwhile, get some olive oil heated in a skillet and saute the mushrooms, shallot, and garlic over medium heat until soft and fragrant, about ten minutes. Add balsamic vinegar and saute for another minute or two. Strain potatoes and return to pot. Add butter and milk and mash well. Add sauteed mushrooms, scallions, goat cheese, toasted walnuts, salt, and pepper, and stir until everything is combined.

When squash is tender, remove from oven. Fill cavities with mashed potatoes until overflowing. Smother with grated parmesan cheese. Return to oven for about ten minutes until cheese is melty and browned. Serve hot!

Yummmmm!

Loaded Veggie Polenta Pizza

Delicious AND nutritious! Note: Feel free to add/subtract toppings - this combination is phenomenal, but use whatever you have on hand for a super easy, unbelievably tasty meal.

1 C polenta
3 C water
2 TBSP butter
1/2 tsp salt
1 TBSP olive oil
1 can whole peeled tomatoes, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 can artichoke hearts, chopped
1/2 C pitted kalamata olives, chopped
4 scallions, green and white parts chopped
5 cremini or baby bella mushrooms, sliced
3 C spinach, chopped
2 C broccoli, chopped
dash of balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper
1 C mozzarella cheese, grated
1/2 C feta cheese, crumbled
parmesan cheese

In a saucepan bring 3 cups water and 1/2 tsp salt to a boil. Slowly stir in polenta, reduce heat, and simmer for ten minutes stirring constantly. Add butter and stir until completely melted. Pour polenta onto an oiled baking sheet and spread evenly with the back of a spoon until it forms a crust about 1/2" thick. Bake in a 450 degree oven for 12 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a skillet heat the olive oil and saute the garlic, broccoli, mushrooms, and spinach for about five minutes, or until broccoli is tender. Remove from heat, stir in a dash or two of balsamic vinegar along with salt and pepper to taste.

Remove crust from oven. In the following order, evenly distribute layers of: chopped tomatoes and sauce, mozzarella cheese, artichoke hearts, sauteed vegetables, olives, scallions, and feta cheese. Sprinkly liberally with parmesan. Bake at 450 degrees for ten more minutes.

Vegetarian Lasagna

Nothing beats lasagna. And this recipe, adapted from my grandmother's, is truly special...

15 whole wheat lasagna noodles (plus 2 or 3 in case some break!)
salt

2 TBSP olive oil
3-4 cloves garlic, crushed
28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 package Gimme Lean soy ground beef (optional)
fresh basil, chopped
salt

2 TBSP olive oil
4-5 cups of finely chopped or grated:
onion, mushrooms, spinach, summer squash, zucchini,
kalamata olives, or whatever else you have on hand
salt and pepper

2 lb ricotta or cottage cheese
2 eggs
1/2 C parmesan cheese
1 TBSP fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 tsp black pepper

10 oz. mozzarella, grated
handful of parmesan


In a large pot, bring several quarts of water to a boil. Salt well. Add lasagna noodles gently one or two at a time, and return to a boil. Cook about 10 minutes for whole wheat noodles (or follow directions on package). Drain carefully, rinse in cool water, gently separate noodles, and lay flat to dry.

Meanwhile, in a saucepan heat 2 TBSP olive oil and saute garlic until slightly golden. Add crushed tomatoes and salt to taste. Stir well. Simmer until liquid starts to evaporate and tomatoes thicken, about 15 minutes. Stir in fresh basil (in a pinch, dried basil and oregano work well). If you prefer a meaty sauce, you can add a package of Gimme Lean soy ground beef to the tomatoes for a delicious protein-packed sauce.

Finely chop or grate whatever combination of vegetables you are using. In a separate pan, heat 2 TBSP olive oil and saute vegetables until tender, adding salt and pepper to taste. In general, onions, squash, and mushrooms can all be thrown in at the same time. Spinach or any other greens should be added at the last minute.

In a medium sized bowl, whisk ricotta/cottage cheese, parmesan, eggs, parsley, and black pepper until thoroughly combined.

Brush sides and bottom of large baking dish (9x13") with olive oil. Layer five noodles in the bottom of pan, spread half the ricotta mixture over noodles, spread one third of the sauce over the ricotta, sprinkle one third of the mozzarella, and spread half of the vegetables. Repeat. Finish with one more layer of noodles, the remainder of the sauce, the remainder of the mozzarella, and a good handful of parmesan.

Bake in preheated 375 degree oven for 30-45 minutes until cheese is bubbly and browned. This recipe freezes very well, so feel free to make in advance and then increase the cooking time accordingly.

Enjoy!

Scrambled Tofu

From the amazing www.theppk.com -- look it up if you haven't already :)

Ingredients:
1 lb. extra firm tofu, drained and pressed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium chopped white onion (about a cup)
2 cups cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
juice of 1/2 a lime
1 carrot

spice blend:
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon thyme, crushed with your fingers
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon tumeric
1 teaspoon salt

Directions
Heat oil in skillet over medium-high. Saute onions 3 minutes, until softened. Add mushrooms, saute 5 minutes more. Add garlic, saute 2 minutes more. Add spice blend and mix it up for 15 seconds or so. Add 1/4 cup water and deglaze the pan, scraping the bottom to get all the garlic and spices.

Crumble in tofu and mix well. Let cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding splashes of water if necesary to keep it from sticking too much. Add lime juice and nutritional yeast and mix it up. If it seems too dry, add a splash or two of water.

Grate the carrot into it and fold. I served this with roasted potatoes (the cute little fingerling kind!! yummy!) and a green salad. Deee-licious.

Spaghetti and Giant Stuffed Baked Tofu Balls

Yes, that's right. The old tofu ball recipe, updated for 2008. Can I just say: These are phenomenal. And if you make them, you will totally impress anyone you serve them to, as they make for a most attractive and aromatic dish.

3 slices stale whole wheat bread
1 C milk
1 package extra firm tofu
1 large egg
1/2 C bread crumbs
3 large mushrooms, finely chopped
3 scallions, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely shredded
1/2 C grated parmigiano
splash or 2 of soy sauce
splash of cidar vinegar
salt and pepper
handful fresh parsley, chopped
8 1" cubes of feta cheese
OR
8 baby fresh mozzerella balls
extra virgin olive oil
----
whole wheat spaghetti
----
1 can whole tomatoes, crushed
1 C pesto
salt and pepper
grated parmigiano for garnish



In a shallow bowl, pour milk over torn up bread and let soak until evenly saturated (you may have to stir occasionally). Meanwhile, drain excess water from block of tofu and crumble into a large bowl. To the tofu, add the egg, bread crumbs, mushrooms, scallions, garlic, parmigiano, soy sauce, vinegar, salt, pepper, and parsley. Squeeze most of the milk from the bread and add bread to the tofu mixture. Using your hands, squish all ingredients together until thoroughly combined. Mold tofu into a giant disk and then divide into 8 even sections.

To form the balls: Take each section and form into a patty (it should resemble a burger). Place a feta cube or mozzerella ball (depending on your mood!) in the center of the patty, and then curl the sides up around the cheese and smooth into an even round shape. Space the eight balls evenly on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Bake in a hot oven (425 degrees) for about 20-25 minutes. (Optional: at the end of the baking time I popped my tray under the broiler for three minutes to get the tops nice and browned...lovely!)

While tofu balls are baking: Cook your spaghetti in salted boiling water for the time specified on the package. Drain and toss with a bit of olive oil to prevent noodles from sticking together. In a skillet over medium heat, simmer the crushed tomatoes with a bit of salt and pepper until fluid is significantly reduced. Just before serving, remove tomatoes from heat and stir in pesto (you can use pesto from a can, or feel free to make your own!!). Serve each plate with a pile of spaghetti, a whole bunch of delicious basil-tomato sauce, and two giant stuffed balls balanced on top. Sprinkle with parmigiano.

Heaven!

Lettuce-Wrapper Tofu

Yummy, and easy if you toss everything in a blender/food processor!

Start with:
1 block of extra-firm tofu, drained and crumbled.

For the tofu marinade, combine the following ingredients:
1 tsp cornstarch
2 tsp dry sherry
2 tsp water
1 tsp soy sauce
dash of pepper

Pour over tofu and stir to coat; let stand for 15 minutes.

Now, prepare cooking sauce:
2 1/3 tbs soy sauce
1 tbs dry sherry
2 tbs water
1 tsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp sugar
2 tsp cornstarch

Combine ingredients and set aside.

Finally -- the real ingredients! All of these need to be minced; you can toss all of them into the food processor.
8 medium-sized mushrooms, minced
1 tsp minced fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 green onions, minced
1 can bamboo shoots, minced
1 can water chesnuts, minced

To cook:

Stir-fry marinated tofu for about 3 minutes, until hot. Set aside.

Add about 1 tbs of oil to pan and heat. Add ginger, garlic, and onion and cook for about one minute. Add mushrooms, bamboo shoots, and water chesnuts to pan and stir-fry for about 3 minutes. Return tofu to pan. Stir cooking sauce, add to pan, and cook, stirring, until sauce bubbles and thickens.

To serve, you'll need:
about 30 lettuce leaves, washed and drained
hoison sauce
brown rice

Spread each leaf with hoison sauce; add a spoonful of rice and a spoonful of the tofu mixture. Wrap up in a little package and eat!

Lentils and Quinoa with Avocado

According to a guy who works at Murray's Bagels on 8th Ave, eating lentils will make you live forever. Here's to heart health! Woohoo!

1 pound lentils
6 C water
2 carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 onion, chopped
4 cremini mushrooms, chopped
3 garlic cloves
6 kale leaves, chopped
2 splashes apple cider vinegar
4 splashes soy sauce
1/4 tsp cardamom
1/2 tsp ground coriander seed
handful fresh parsley, chopped
1 C quinoa
2 C water
salt
black pepper
avocado
fat-free or dairy-free sour cream (optional)

In a large pot, combine lentils, 6 C water, carrots, celery, onion, mushrooms, whole garlic cloves, a solid pinch of salt, and plenty of black pepper. Simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes with lid tilted. Add kale, vinegar, soy sauce, cardamom, and coriander, stir well, and cook another 10 minutes. Remove from heat, add parsley, squash garlic cloves against the side of the pot, and stir. Meanwhile, as lentils are cooking, bring 2 C water to a boil in a saucepan. Add quinoa and a pinch of salt and cook for 15 minutes covered on low heat.

To serve, layer a scoop of quinoa and a scoop of lentils in a shallow bowl. Arrange avocado slices on top of lentils and finish with a dollop of sour cream. Heart-healthy and oh-so tasty...

The Ultimate Baked Potato

Comfort food at its very best...

2 medium Idaho potatoes
1 small onion, diced
4 baby bella mushrooms, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small head of broccoli, chopped
1 small ear of corn, boiled and corn cut off
1/2 C grated cheddar cheese
1 C cottage cheese
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
handful fresh parsley, chopped
cooking spray

Garnish with:
dollop of sour cream
scallions, minced

Prick potatoes all over with a fork and either bake in the oven or microwave on the baked potato setting until tender. Meanwhile, spray a non-stick pan with a bit of cooking spray and saute onions, mushrooms, and garlic until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes over medium heat. Add broccoli and corn and continue to saute, stirring frequently, until broccoli is tender. Add in cheddar and cottage cheese and mix well until cheeses melt, about one minute. Remove from heat and add salt, pepper, and chopped parsley.

Slice open potatoes, use fork to fluff the centers, and smother with the veggie/cheese mixture. Top each with a dollop of sour cream and some minced scallions. Serves 2.

(If you use non-fat cottage cheese and sour cream, and low-fat cheddar, I promise you won't taste the difference AND the dish becomes surprisingly good for you!!)

Lentil and mushroom shepherds pie

2 cups vegetable broth,
2 teaspoons Marmite (or use yeast to make your own yeast extract)
1.5 cups dry lentils
2 large carrots, diced
1 onion, finely chopped
6 potatoes, chopped
milk or butter for mashed potatoes
1 large portabello mushroom cut into chunks
half a bundle of spinach
oregano
garlic
cheese (cheddar or Wensleydale)
salt and pepper to taste
*i'm very haphazard about measuring things,so trust your instincts especially with lentils and water.
*This makes a huge shepherds pie because we had lots of potatoes to use up and a big pan. You may want to use half measures.

Preheat oven to 350F
First start cooking the potatoes in boiling, lightly salted water. Then put the broth and lentils on a low heat with the marmite garlic and oregano. After about ten minutes add carrots and onions, and a little water. I also threw in more garlic and oregano. Thats going to need to simmer for about 20 more minutes, so during that time make your mash. We went with slightly cheesy mash with milk, salt and pepper. Set this aside.
Next saute the mushroom with garlic and olive oil. Throw in the spinach. Once your lentils are cooked you just need to layer things into an oven proof pan. Mushrooms and spinach go on the bottom, followed by lentils and then mashed potatoes. Sprinkle cheese on the top and then put into the oven for about 30 mins.

This would probably be really good with green beans or peas added.

Laurel's Famous Tofu Balls

Alex requested this recipe, so here is a close approximation. My mom made various versions of these when I was little but never actually measured the ingredients. I've been making them for about four years and of course I've never actually measured the ingredients either, so you might have to futz with the wet/dry proportions a little. Sooooooo delicious as a vegetarian alternative to meat balls on spaghetti. (Just make sure the boys in your life don't eat eight and make themselves sick. For real. Not only are sick boys no fun, but you totally want to have leftovers for lunch tomorrow.)

Basic ingredients:
1 package firm tofu
1 medium onion, diced
4-6 cloves garlic, minced
1 TBSP olive oil
2 large eggs
3/4-1 C bread crumbs
fresh parsley, chopped
fresh/dried basil
salt and pepper
vegetable oil for frying

Magic ingredients:
splash soy sauce
toasted sunflower seeds
chopped walnuts
handful of poppy seeds
sauted diced mushrooms
chopped olives
parmigiano
any other spices that sound good to you

Saute onion and garlic together in the olive oil over medium heat until onion is translucent and fragrant. Drain tofu well and crumble it into a large bowl. Add sauted veggies, eggs, bread crumbs, herbs, and salt and pepper. (Note on the breadcrumbs: if you don't have any lying around, feel free to throw crackers or stale bread into the blender and pulse until crumbled. And for the gluten-free among you, rice crackers work great for this!) Here's the fun part: with your hands, mush and crumble all ingredients together until well mixed. If it feels too wet, add another small handful of bread crumbs. Now, you want to think about adding a magic ingredient or two. These balls are delicious just like this, but everybody likes a little magic, and I've had great success adding various combinations from this list. The walnuts are probably my all-time fave, but add whatever sounds good to you. Of course, if you have a stroke of genius and come up with another amazing ingredient addition, by all means do it and post a note about it. Mix thorougly.

Roll the mixture between your hands in medium chunks to form about a dozen balls. Heat a good amount of vegetable oil in a non-stick frying pan, and when hot, add half the balls. Allow them to brown on the bottom (usually 4-5 minutes depending on the heat of the oil), before turning to the next side. I think I end up browning them on four sides usually, so they come out of the pan looking a little bit like little pyramids.

Serve over pasta and sauce with plenty of parmigiano sprinkled on top! Yummy!

PS - This is your new favorite recipe.

Tofu-Veggie Saute with Tahini

You should just use whatever combination of veggies you have on hand. Mushrooms, asparagus, chard, carrots...really anything you have in your fridge would be great in this stir fry. Personally, I loved the broccoli, kale, avocado combination. And it's oh-so green and cancer-fighting!

Ingredients:
plenty olive oil
6 cloves garlic, minced or sliced
1 package extra firm tofu, drained and cubed
1 medium head broccoli, chopped
2-3 TBSP soy sauce
1/2 pound kale, washed well and chopped
3-4 scallions, sliced (white AND green parts)
1 avocado, peeled and sliced
1/4 C tahini
splash of cider vinegar
pepper to taste

In a very large pan, saute garlic, tofu, and broccoli in enough olive oil for about 3 or 4 minutes on medium heat. Add soy sauce, stir well. Add kale and 3/4 of the scallions, cover pan and steam for 3 more minutes, or until kale is wilted and broccoli is bright green. Uncover, stir in avocado, tahini, a capful of cider vinegar, and pepper. Mix well. Serve over cous cous or brown rice with the remaining scallions sprinkled on top for eye appeal!

The best tofu burgers EVER

This recipe is adapted from Moosewood . . . it'll make anyone who says they don't like tofu change their minds. (Well, at least it's made my meat-and-potatoes-kinda-guy Dad actually ask me to make tofu). You can also use the mixture to stuff portabello mushrooms.

Serves 4

1 cake firm tofu
1 tbs vegetable oil
1 cup diced onions
1/2 cup peeled and grated carrots
1/2 cup diced bell peppers
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
1 1/2 teaspoons dried dill
1 teaspoon dried sage
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup bread crumbs
2 tablespoons tahini
2 tablespoons light miso
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 to 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

Drain the tofu very well. Heat the oil in a frying pan and saute the onions, carrots, peppers, oregano, basil, dill, and sage for about 7 minutes, until the veggie are just tender. Crumble the tofu in a large bowl. Stir in walnuts, bread crumbs, tahini, miso, soy sauce, mustard, and veggies. Mix well.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and generously oil a baking sheet.

Form the burgers into four patties and place on baking sheet. Bake for about 30 minutes until burgers are firm and browned. Yummy!