summer tofu salad

another salad, i know. and also, not yet officially summer. but seriously, this salad was so satisfying. perfect for a hot day.  the picture really doesn't do it justice. 

yields 2 big ass salads

orange tofu

12 oz of firm tofu marinaded in:

1/4 cup of orange juice

1 tbl soy sauce or tamari

1 tsp liquid smoke

-marinade for at least 3o minutes

-bake in marinade on 350 for 20 minutes

orange dressing

1 cup orange juice

1 tbl olive oil

1 tbl balsamic vinegar

salt and pepper

-mix it up!

salad:

mixed spring greens

normal salad stuff like carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes etc.

1/4 cup  of corn

cup of black beans

avacado sliced

orange tofu 

1/4 cup of mango salsa

orange dressing

-toss all the ingredient together, top with dressing

tofu stuffed portabella mushroom for one

when you're just cooking for yourself, but want to do something fancy.

balsamic marinade

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar

splash of olive oil

dried basil, oregano, salt and pepper

-combine all ingredients

tofu mixture

1/3 cup tofu

1 tsp basil

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp garlic

2 tsp nutritional yeast

2 tsp frozen chopped spinach

salt and pepper

recipe!

-poor marinade into a small over safe pan

-clean one portabella mushroom cap, and place it in pan, being sure to get marinade all over it

-marinade for at least 20 minutes

-preheat oven to 350

-with portabella cap side down, take the tofu and stuff

-cook for about 20 minutes

-serve over a bed of greens, and drizzle with the remaining marinade

tofu quinoa burrito with mango salsa

ok, so obviously this should be titled tofu quinoa burrito with mango salsa turned gigantic tofu quinoa soft taco with mango salsa. i have failed again at my life long goal of wrapping a decent burrito. but, fear not, it was delicious! 

yields 2 burritos

mango salsa:

1/2 cup diced mango (pretty small pieces) 

1/2 red onion finely diced

1/4 cup finely chopped red pepper

1/4 lime juice

1 tbl fresh chopped ginger

-mix it all together

-the salsa will be best if it sits in the fridge for a while. 

tofu filling

6 oz firm or extra firm tofu, cubed 

1 portabella mushroom, cut in cubes

1 bell pepper chopped

1 tbl cumin

1 tsp crushed red pepper

salt and pepper

1 tsp olive oil

-spray a frying pan with non-stick spray and add a very small amount of oil

-add the bell pepper and cook until slightly soft

-add the rest of the ingredients with a splash of water

-cook until mushrooms are cooked all the way through

burrito!

2 tortillas

tofu filling above

refried beans

1/2 cup cooked quinoa

mango salsa

whatever else you want!

-apparently you put all these ingredients into a warm tortilla, being careful not to overstuff, and somehow wrap it so it stays together. or you can be like me, fold it over and call it a soft taco! 

chilli omelettes

today is my last day visiting with my family in california. my mom wanted more of my pancakes. this time i made them with strawberries.

my dad used to always make me and my brother chili cheese omelettes, which is something i'm sure he got from my texan grandmother. i used the much revered fat-free vegan kitchen's vegan omelette recipe. i LOVE this recipe, you can put whatever you want in it. veggie sausage, potatoes, vegetables. you can make the omelettes mexican, italian, asian, whatever you want!

international respect for chickens day: balsamic blackberry tofu

today is international respect for chickens day! in honor of them enjoy chicken free nuggets, eggless treats, and pop in chicken run. learn more about "broiler" and egg-laying hens. 

below is a delicious cruelty free tofu dish. the sweet blackberries, full of antioxidants, mix wonderfully with tangy balsamic vinegar. plus, im sucker for purple food. 

balsamic blackberry tofu

-package of tofu

-1 cup of frozen blackberries

-1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

-1/2 cup vegetable broth

1. mix the vinegar, broth and blackberries in a shallow contained. 

2. marinade the tofu for at least 30 minutes. 

3. you can bake the tofu (with juice) at 350 degree for about 20 minutes, or you can throw them in a pan with juice. 

i threw in some walnuts in mine for some healthy omega 3 fatty acids. serve over wild rice! 

molasses tofu and roasted vegetable couscous with harissa

molasses is awesome! delicious and nutritionally dense, it is full of iron and calcium. i really don't use it enough. 

i know vegetable couscous is one of those entrees at a restaurant you were begrudgingly dragged to that is the only vegan option, but i'm pretty successful at managing to avoid those scenarios PLUS this couscous has roasted PURPLE cauliflower in it. yum.

TOFU:

-cut tofu into rectangles

-marinade tofu for at least 30 minutes in 1/4 c tamari or soy sauce and 1 tbl blackstrap molas

ses. 

-make a spice combination of thyme, sage, garlic powder, and a little salt and pepper. 

-roll the marinaded tofu in the spice mixture and put on grill (or in pan or oven, but grill is best)

-cook until heated through

COUSCOUS

-choose vegetables ( i chose eggplant, purple cauliflower, carrots and onions)

-heat oven to 400

-spray pan with oil, put veggies on pan, spray them with oil, and slightly season with salt and pepper. 

-let them cook for about 40 minutes.

-cook couscous

-toss together! 

i got my harissa recipe here. 

tofu scramble

breakfast!

what i love about tofu scramble is that it seems unhealthy, but it isn't! especially if you put the right stuff in it. to start with i use nasoya lite tofu...it has less than half the calories and fat and has more calcium and vitamin d. i always add spinach, tomatoes, and nutritional yeast so you get your vitamin a, lycopene, b12 and a whole lot more. you can always add whatever you want that day: mushrooms, okra, asparagus, basil, veggie sausage. what a good way to start the day!

tofu scramble:

about 5 crimini mushrooms chopped 

bell pepper (fresh or frozen)

1 yellow onion

1 package nasoya lite tofu

1/2 c frozen or 1 c fresh spinach

1/4 c nutritional yeast

1 tbl tamari or soy sauce

a little tumeric

garlic powder

pepper

red pepper flakes

dried basil and oregano 

1 tomato

1. saute onion, mushroom and bell pepper. 

2. crumble in tofu, add everything aside from tomato. 

3. once everything is heated though (about 5-8 minutes) add tomato. cook until tomato is slightly soft.