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
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whole wheat spaghetti
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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!

Strawberry Oatmeal Coconut Muffins

Mmmmmmmmmmmm!

1 C oatmeal
1 C plain yogurt
1 C flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 C canola oil
2/3 C brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 C shredded coconut
1 1/2 C fresh or frozen strawberries, chopped

Topping:
1/4 C white sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 TBSP shredded coconut

In a large bowl, combine oatmeal and yogurt and let soak at least 30 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small bowl mix flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. In separate bowl mix oil, brown sugar, egg, and coconut, then add to oatmeal mixture. Blend well. Stir in dry ingredients, mixing only enough to moisten. Gently fold in strawberries.

Grease muffin tins or line with paper liners. Spoon mixture into tins, filling about 3/4 full (should make about 18 muffins). In a small bowl, mix together topping ingredients and sprinkle on top of each muffin.

Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Black Bean Sauce (for Stir-Fry)

This sauce adds a twist to the standard stir-fry, and it's good excuse for an excursion to Chinatown!

For stir-fry:
Whatever veggies you like - I used broccoli, eggplant, and zucchini
1 carton of extra-firm tofu

Drain tofu well (pat it dry!) and cut into bite-sized pieces. Fry in a little bit of canola oil till it's browned and crispy on all sides. Cut up veggies and cook however you like; you could stir-fry them as well, or steam them for a few minutes.

For the sauce:

1 1/2 cups water
4 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons sherry
1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
4 garlic cloves, minced
1-inch chunk of fresh ginger, minced
2 tablespoons Chinese fermented black beans (I could only find black bean paste, so I used that instead)
1 tbs vegetable oil

Stir together the water, soy sauce, Sherry, maple syrup, vinegar, and the cornstarch until the cornstarch is evenly suspended.

Heat a tablespoon of veggie oil in a medium-sized pan or pot and stir-fry the ginger and garlic until fragrant, less than a minute. Stir the cornstarch mixture and add it to the pan. Whisk the sauce occasionally while bringing it to a boil and simmer 1 minute, until it thickens. Dump in the veggies and tofu and heat for another minute or so.

Serve over brown rice.

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!

Cold Cucumber Soup w/Avocado Cream

10-minute recipe! Woohoo! Especially lovely on a really hot day :)

2 large English cucumbers, peeled and sliced
1/4 cup cold water
1/2 tablespoon vinegar
3 teaspoons kosher salt
1 ripe avocado, peeled and pitted
1/2 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 8-oz container plain yogurt
1 cup ice cubes

Puree cukes with water, vinegar, and 2 teaspoons salt in blender till smooth.

Mash together avocado, lime juice, 1 tsp salt until smooth. Whisk in yogurt.

Just before serving, blend soup with ice until smooth. Serve topped with avocado cream.

"Tastes cucumber-ey." -my roomie

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!!)

Roasted Corn and Zucchini Salad

Farmer's market veggies are muy importante for this recipe.

2 small-to-medium zucchinis, chopped
kernels from 2 ears of corn
1-2 tbs olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
handful of chopped herbs: I use a combination of basil, parsley, chives, and oregano, but you can experiment :)

Toss the veggies with olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread on a baking sheet and roast in a 425-degree oven until the zucchini starts to brown and smell yummy (about 20-30 minutes or so). Give it a stir halfway through so the corn doesn't burn.

Let cool for a bit, then toss with the herbs. Tastes like summer!

Kung Pao Tempeh

My new favorite tempeh recipe, courtesy of Amanda and "The Whole Soy Cookbook." Peanut-ey and rich, but not overwhelming. It comes together really quickly, despite the long ingredient list.

1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/2 cup dry sherry
1 1/3 cups vegetable stock
2 tablespoons honey
1 pound tempeh
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
3 tablespoons roasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon cayenne (or to taste)
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 2-inch piece fresh ginger, minced
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup soy milk
vegetable of choice; swiss chard was super-yummy, but broccoli or asparagus would probably be great too

1. Whisk together the soy sauce, vinegar, 1/4 cup sherry, stock, honey, and set aside.
2. Cut tempeh into small squares and, in a steamer basket set over boiling water, steam for 5 minutes.
3 In a medium mixing bowl, combine 1/4 cup sherry, cornstarch, salt, pepper, and sesame oil. Add the tempeh and let marinate while sauteing the remaining ingredients.
4. Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat; add garlic and ginger and cook for about 30 seconds.
5. Stir in the peanut butter, soy milk and soy sauce mixture. Add the tempeh along with its marindae and simmer over very low heat for 10 minutes. Add the veggie at some point, depending on how crisp you'd like them to be.

Service over brown rice.

za'atar pita

I got seriously addicted to this while in Israel . . .

ingredients:
pita bread
za'atar (I haven't been able to find it here, so the recipe is below)
olive oil
sea salt

for za'atar, combine:
1/2 cup thyme
1/4 cup sumac
2 tablespoons sesame seeds

mix 1-2 tablespoons za'atar with 1-2 tablespoons olive oil and spread on warm pita bread. sprinkle with sea salt. so good! also yummy with a little yogurt on top :)

Cabbage Curry- South Indian style

Welcome Cabbage (wannabe) lovers,
Here is a favorite recipe of mine with cabbage made the traditional South Indian way.

1 cabbage (shredded as thinly as possible)
Handful unsweetened shredded coconut
Salt

For Seasoning,
2-3 TBSP canola/ corn oil,
1/2 TBSP mustard seeds,
1/4 TBSP cumin seeds,
a pinch of asafoetida powder,
2 Indian or Thai green chilli, finely diced (can de-seed them if you are avoiding spice)
Curry leaves (2-4 nos)

A one-stop-shop for all these ingredients will be your local Indian grocery store.

Preparation:
Heat oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds.
Add the above seasoning ingredients in the order mentioned and fry for a minute. Then add the shredded cabbage, some unsweetened shredded coconut (which you can get at the baking aisle), salt (according to taste) and cook for 10 minutes (take care to not stir too much while cooking to avoid making it mushy).
Sprinkle some chopped cilantro leaves and voila! You have some absolutely delicious cabbage.
Can be had with tortillas, rice, or just plain yogurt.

Chickpea and Brown Rice Burgers

Easy to make and totally delicious. I tried these first as burgers, and then a couple days later made them again but formed little 1 inch cubes instead (for a cube-themed meal!). I served the cubes with a yogurt-cucumber-lime sauce that was pretty awesome too if you're looking for a different option... Enjoy!

Burgers:
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2/3 C cooked brown rice
2 TBSP oats, chopped finely
1 medium carrot, grated
2 TBSP fresh parsley, chopped
2 TBSP fresh cilantro, chopped
2 medium scallions, minced
2 clove garlic, pressed
1 tsp lemon or lime zest
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 large egg, beaten

Salad:
1/2 C cucumber, diced
2 small tomatoes, diced
1/2 green pepper, diced
1 avocado, chopped
1/4 small red onion, slivered
2 TBSP fresh parsley, chopped
juice from 1/2 lemon or lime
1 TBSP olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

In a medium bowl, mash chickpeas until a course texture is reached. Add brown rice and mash until well combined. Add oats, carrots, parsley, scallions, cilantro, garlic, lemon/lime zest, coriander, salt, and pepper and mix well. Add egg, mix until combined, and refrigerate for 10 minutes.

In a separate small bowl, add all salad ingredients and toss gently. Set aside.

Set oven to 400 degrees. Coat baking sheet with cooking spray, form burger mixture into 5 patties and arrange on sheet. Lightly coat tops of burgers with cooking spray. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, flip burgers to second side, and bake an additional 10 minutes.

Serve burgers topped with salad. Yum!

Miso Soup

8 C water
3 cloves garlic, pressed
1 TBSP grated fresh ginger
3 TBSP dried wakame seaweed
1 lb soft tofu, cubed
4 scallions, white and green parts sliced thinly
3 TBSP miso (or more, depending on flavor)
Fistful of buckwheat soba noodles, cooked according to directions on package

Mix garlic, ginger, and seaweed into the water in a large pot. Bring to a boil and cook about 5 minutes until seaweed is tender. Add tofu and scallions and simmer 2 minutes. Remove about one cup of liquid to a small bowl and dissolve miso into the broth. Add back to soup and mix well. Add soba noodles, simmer another 2 minutes, and serve hot.

Black Bean, Avocado, Corn Salad

Spinach or mixed greens, washed thoroughly
1 medium sweet potato, thinly sliced
1 TBSP brown sugar
1 can black beans
2 ears corn, boiled and cut off the cob
1 avocado, peeled and chopped
2 scallions, white and green parts sliced thinly
1/2 mango, peeled and chopped
1/2 C cheddar cheese, grated (optional)
handful of fresh parsley and/or cilantro, chopped

Dressing:
juice from 1 lime
1/4 C olive oil
2 TBSP cidar vinegar
1 TBSP honey
salt and pepper to taste

Arrange sweet potatoes in a small baking dish and sprinkle with brown sugar. Bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes until tender.

Meanwhile, layer all remaining salad ingredients on top of mixed greens in a large bowl. In a small jar with a lid, add all dressing ingredients, cap, and shake thoroughly. Dress the salad, toss, and serve with tortilla chips or crusty bread.

Raw Zucchini Salad

With this salad, farmer's market fresh zucchini and summer squash makes all the difference...

4-5 small/medium-sized zucchini/summer squash
juice from 1 large lemon
drizzle of olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Slice zucchini and squash very thinly down the long axis - one of those hard cheese slicers works really well for this. Slices should be around 1mm thick. Fold slices in layers on a plate and drizzle lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper on top. Yummy!