Crispy Tofu Squares

Adapted from About.com

Ingredients:

• 1 block of extra firm organic tofu (I used Nasoya brand)
• 2 Tbsp whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• pinch of red cayenne pepper
• 1-2 Tbsp olive oil

Directions:

1. Drain and rinse your block of tofu.
2. Place 2 folded kitchen towels on the counter.  Wrap the tofu in another kitchen towel.  Place wrapped tofu on the stacked towels.  Place another folded towel on top of that.  Place a huge stack of heavy cookbooks on top.  Let it sit for about 20-30 minutes.  This will drain all the water from the tofu.  (Thanks to Oh She Glows for this amazingly easy way to get all the water out of tofu.  I’ve spent forever trying to do this in the past.  This makes it SO much easier!)
3. Unwrap the tofu.  Cut the tofu into tiny square-sized pieces.
4. Mix all the flour and spices together in a bowl.
5. Throw the tofu squares into the bowl.  Toss until all pieces are coated with the mixture evenly.
6. Heat the olive oil in a pan on the stove over medium heat.  Add all the tofu pieces to the pan.  Cook over medium heat, turning the pieces occasionally.  They should be finished cooking in about 5-10 minutes.  Look for a nice golden brown color and crispiness on the outside.
7. Enjoy!  I liked them as-is.  My husband dipped his in ketchup.  I’d imagine they’d go great with honey mustard, too.

Black Bean, Guacamole, & Cabbage Roll

Adapted from Eating Well

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cooked black beans (or 1 can)
• 1 ripe avocado
• 1 lime
• garlic powder
• salt
• 2 cups shredded cabbage (I just cut mine into thin strips from a head of cabbage)
• 1 large carrot, shredded
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 1/2 small onion, minced
• 1 Tbsp oil
• 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
• whole wheat tortillas or wraps
• shredded cheese (optional)
• sour cream (optional)

Directions:

1. Peel and pit the avocado.  Place avocado with black beans in a medium-sized bowl.  Smash with a fork or potato masher.
2. Add minced onion, juice of 1 lime, plus the desired amount of garlic powder and salt.  Mix well.  (I taste tested it a couple times to get the garlic/lime/salt ratio just right.)
3. Place shredded cabbage, shredded carrot, and cilantro in another bowl.  Add 1 Tbsp oil and 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar.  Mix well until salad mixture is fully covered in dressing.  Salt a little if desired.  (Yes, I’m a salt-aholic.)
4. Spread a thin layer of avocado/bean mixture on one side of a tortilla.  On top of that, add a layer of the cabbage mixture.  Sprinkle with a little bit of cheese, if desired.
5. Roll up your wrap, cut down the middle, and enjoy!  Top with sour cream or salsa if you’d like.  I personally liked it as-is.

Potatoes, Cabbage, and White Bean Toss:

Ingredients:

• 6 Tbsp Clarified Butter (Ghee)
• About 1/2 pound of potatoes
• 2 shallots, minced
• 2 cups cooked white beans (do this step ahead of time)
• 3 cups shredded green cabbage
• grated Parmesan cheese, amount desired
• kosher salt

Directions:

1. Cook your white beans ahead of time.  Let them cool.  (You can do this hours or days beforehand.)
2. Prep:  Wash potatoes well.  Cut them into small cubes.  Shred cabbage.  Mince shallots.
3. Heat clarified butter in a pan on stovetop.  Add cubed potatoes and a bit of salt.  Toss potatoes to cover with oil and salt.
4. Cover pan and cook for about 10 minutes, until they are cooked through all the way.  (You’ll want to toss them a couple times throughout the cooking, so that they cook evenly and don’t stick too badly.)
5. Add shallots and beans.  Cook mixture until beans are nicely browned.
6. Add the shredded cabbage, and cook for another minute or two.
7. Serve each portion with a bit of parmesan cheese grated on top.  Enjoy!

Potato and Green Bean Curry

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds potatoes
• 1 lb fresh green beans
• 2 Tbsp Ghee (clarified butter)
• 6 Tbsp Sunflower Oil
• 2 green Serrano chile peppers
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
• 4 cloves garlic
• kosher salt

Directions:

1. Snip heads and tails of green beans.  Cut them into one-inch pieces.
2. Slice potatoes length-wise into thick slices, then cut each slice into quarters.
3. Heat ghee and sunflower oil in a large pot on the stove.  Wait for the sizzle.
4. Add the whole chile peppers, cumin, turmeric, and garam masala.  Stir and cook for a few seconds.
5. Add crushed garlic cloves into pan.  Stir again and cook for about 30 seconds max.
6. Add potatoes and season with desired amount of salt.
7. Stir them up until they are coated with the spicy oil mixture.
8. Next, stir in the green beans.  Once the entire mixture is coated, cover the pan, and cook on medium heat for about 15 minutes or so.  Stir occasionally.
9. When the potatoes are tender, the curry is ready.
10. Serve it over Basmati rice.  SO yum.

Notes:

*The clarified butter makes a BIG difference in taste and is simply divine.  I’ve come to love cooking with it.
*I highly recommend kosher salt.  It’s a coarser grain and cooks really well.  Another new obsession of mine.  I used to think it didn’t make a difference, but it does in my opinion.
*Please be very careful when adding the whole chile peppers to the hot oil.  Make sure they are completely dry if you just washed them.  I almost burnt myself when doing this.  Just a little warning to be careful and be ready for the popping noise. 
*Serving it over Basmati rice makes the dish.

Sweet Tater Tot Casserole

Ingredients:

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 cups of chopped carrots
• 2 cups of chopped celery
• 1 small onion
• 1 package tempeh (8 oz)
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 1 package Alexia Sweet Potato Puffs
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 3 Tablespoons whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/8 teaspoon ginger
• 3/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Heat a small amount of oil in pan on stovetop.  Add chopped onion, carrots, and celery and saute for about 5 minutes.
2. Grate tempeh into the pan.  (I just used a regular cheese grater.)
3. Add salt.
4. Cook for another 5 minutes, until tempeh starts to brown a little.
5. Add all spices and whole wheat flour.  Stir and cook for a minute.
6. (Preheat oven to 375 degrees.)
7. Add vegetable broth.  Heat until mixture thickens up.
8. Add peas and sugar.  Cook until heated through.
9. Transfer heated mixture to a 2-quart casserole dish.
10. Place sweet potato puffs on top of the mixture, one by one, until the entire surface is covered with the puffs.
11. Bake casserole for 45 minutes, until the casserole is bubbling and the potato puffs are golden brown.
12. Remove from oven.  Serve with Mmmm Sauce on top.  SO DELISH.

Baked Bean Cornbread Casserole:

(AKA Vegan’s Dream Comfort Dish)

Ingredients:

Baked Beans

• 1 and 1/2 cans Navy beans (I saved the extra 1/2 for dinner the next night)
• 1 small sweet onion or 1/2 large onion
• 1 garlic clove
• 3 Tbsp maple syrup
• 1/2 Tbsp ketchup
• 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup canned pumpkin (you can freeze the extra!)
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• salt to taste (just a nice sprinkle works well)

Cornbread Topping

• 1/2 cup whole grain cornmeal
• 1/2 cup flour (whole wheat or all-purpose)
• 1/8 cup sugar
• 1 Tbsp ground flax
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 Tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 cup almond or regular milk (I used almond, and it worked beautifully)
• 1/8 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Directions:

1. Heat up a splash of oil in a pan.  Add chopped onion and minced garlic.  Saute for about 5 minutes.
2. Add remainder of “Baked Beans” ingredients.  Mix up well.  Cook on low heat for about 5-10 minutes.  It should be heated through and be a nice thick mixture.
3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
4. For Cornbread Topping, combine all dry ingredients in one bowl and then add the wet ingredients.  Stir until combined well.
5. In a greased oven dish, add first the baked beans mixture and then the cornbread mixture on top of it.
6. Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes.  Toothpick should come out clean, and the cornbread layer should be a nice golden brown on top.
7. Remove from oven.  Serve with a nice slice of Smart Balance Organic Whipped Buttery Spread (Vegan) on top.  Let it melt into the cornbread, and ENJOY.

Greek Pitas With Chickpea Spread

Ingredients:

• 4 Pitas
• 1 can of chickpeas (~15 oz)
• 1/4 cup plain yogurt
• 2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice from a lemon
• 1 garlic clove, peeled
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/4 tsp cumin
• Romaine lettuce
• Grape tomatoes
• Cucumber, cut into slices
• crumbled feta cheese

Directions:

1. Place chickpeas, yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic clove, salt, pepper, and cumin in a food processor.  Puree the mixture until smooth.
2. Cut the top off of each pita to form a hollow pita with an opening.  Toast lightly, if you’d like.
3. Spread the pureed chickpea mixture into each pita.
4. Stuff the pita with lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, and feta cheese.
5. That’s it!  Enjoy!