Zucchini Curry Soup

Recipe from Heidi Swanson's "Super Natural Every Day".

1 block extra firm tofu, well-drained
1 TB red Thai curry paste
3 TB extra-virgin olive oil
2 shallots, chopped
3 or 4 zucchini, cut into chunks
1 large carrot, sliced
1-2 potatoes, diced into small cubes
4 cloves chopped garlic
2 cups vegetable broth or water
1 can coconut milk

Combine curry paste and olive oil in a small bowl.  Set aside.

In a small frying pan, crumble tofu with a small drizzle of oil and some salt.  Saute until golden.  Set aside.

In a large soup pot, heat curry mixture for about 1 minute.  Add shallots and a few pinches of salt and saute for a few minutes.  Add vegetables and cook until zucchini is a little tender.  Add garlic, then broth/water and coconut milk.  Bring just to a boil, then lower the heat to a gentle simmer for 15 minutes.  Taste and add more curry paste if desired. 

Serve with crumbled tofu on top.

***

This was delicious!  Next time I might leave out the potatoes and add a different vegetable in it's place.  My kids really liked this too.  Next time I will probably also make some basmati rice, brown rice or millet to mix in at the end.

Cabbage, Spinach and Tofu with Peanut Sauce

This recipe is from here, I made a few little changes, like adding peas.

cabbage, spinach and tofu with peanut sauce
1/2 block of extra firm tofu, cut into squares (I prefer to crumble it.  Be sure to drain it well first.)
1/2 head of cabbage, sliced into strips and then cut in half to make shorter strips
1 bunch spinach, cleaned & picked through
1/2 onion, cut into large chunks
2 stalks celery, cut on the diagonal into thick slices
1 cup frozen peas
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 T fresh ginger, minced
soy sauce
brown rice
1 t vegetable oil
lime wedges (optional)

for the sauce:
1/4 c peanut butter
1 T honey (or brown sugar if you swing vegan-style)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 t fresh ginger, minced
1 t sesame oil
2 T soy sauce
2 T rice wine vinegar
warm water

1. In a blender, mix all the ingredients for the peanut sauce, adding a bit of warm water if the mixture gets too thick. Taste. You may need to add a bit more honey depending on your own tastebuds. Set aside.

2. In a large skillet or wok, heat the oil and add the garlic and ginger when hot. Add the tofu and fry until golden on both sides. Add the onion and celery and when the onion becomes translucent, add the cabbage. Once the cabbage gets slightly wilty, add the spinach and a bit of soy sauce for flavour. Stir until spinach is cooked, then turn off heat.

3. In large bowls, add brown rice and then top with the tofu-vegetable mixture. Drizzle with peanut sauce.

***

This was good.  SO GOOD!  I could eat cabbage all day.  It was so filling and healthy, but we felt awesome after we ate it.  Yum...I want more...

Kung Pao Vegetables with Tofu

kung pao vegetables (+ tofu + udon)


1 t sesame oil
1 T canola oil
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 small head of broccoli, broken into florets
2 carrots, sliced on the diagonal
1 rib of celery, sliced on the diagonal
1 small packet of prepared udon noodles
1/2 block tofu, cubed
1/4 c peanuts, chopped

sauce:
1/4 c soy sauce
1/4 c orange juice
1 T cider vinegar
1 T ginger, minced
1 T chili paste or asian hot sauce (the one with the rooster on the bottle)
1 T brown sugar
1 T bottled peanut sauce
1 T cornstarch

1. Mix sauce ingredients in and set aside.

2. Heat oil in a wok or large skillet. Add onion and garlic and saute for 1 minute. Add carrots, celery and broccoli and stirfry until crisp-tender. Add the sauce and the udon noodles and combine well so everything gets saucy.

3. In a separate pan, fry up tofu in a bit of oil until brown on all sides. Add tofu and peanuts to the vegetable mixture, stirring gently to coat with sauce. Serve in deep bowls.

Credit: everybodylikessandwiches.com

***
Yum!  Udon noodles are my new favorite way to eat Asian pasta!  We added the sauce (I used storebought kung pao sauce this time, but will try homemade next time) individually so it wouldn't be too hot for the kids.  I also crumbled the tofu instead of cubing it and just threw it in with the other veggies.  This would also taste great with chicken or steak thrown in.

Tofu & Black Bean Tacos

Ingredients
1 (14-ounce) package extra-firm tofu, drained
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 green onions, finely chopped
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
12 corn tortillas, warmed
3 cups shredded green leaf lettuce
2 cups chopped tomatoes
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese

Put tofu, chili powder, oregano, cumin, coriander and salt into a bowl and mash together with a fork. Set aside.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and two-thirds of the green onions and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add tofu mixture and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the moisture has evaporated, 10 to 12 minutes. Add beans and remaining green onions, stir well and cook until beans are heated through, about 2 minutes more.

Spoon tofu mixture into tortillas, top with lettuce, tomatoes and cheese and serve.

***
Wow, these were really good!!  My kids ate the bean/tofu filling with spoons instead of making tacos.  I thought the tacos were excellent....next time I will use flour tortillas instead of corn.  I packed mine with tons of green leaf lettuce and tomatoes, and I think that made them even better.  Also next time, I will get some limes to squeeze on top.  These were fast, easy, and definitely a keeper at my house!  The tofu was really disguised by the other flavors, so it's a great way to try tofu out for the first time. 

Tofu Veggie Stir-Fry

1 pkg extra-firm tofu
Drain thoroughly by slicing into strips and placing on paper towels.  Put paper towels on top and set a cookie sheet on top.  Let sit for 15 minutes.  Change paper towels and repeat.  Cube when drained.
2 TB soy sauce
1 TB rice vinegar
1 tsp sesame oil
Combine in a small bowl with the tofu.  Let marinade for 5-10 minutes, while you prepare veggies. (Can also be covered and refridgerated for a few hours).
1-2 onions, sliced into wedges
1-2 carrots sliced
1-2 c sliced mushrooms
1 red pepper, diced
Handful of snowpeas and/or asparagus, washed
Several handfuls of fresh spinach
Heat oil in a large skillet.  Saute tofu (save marinade) over med-high heat until golden brown.  Set aside.  Saute onions and carrots until softened.  Add other veggies, except for spinach.  Saute until just softened.  Add marinade, tofu, spinach and saute just until spinach is heated through.  Add s&p.  Serve over brown rice and eat with chopsticks, if you dare!  Tastes great with melted swiss or provolone cheese on top. Can also season to taste with ginger. 

If you're not a tofu fan, TRY THIS!  Cube the tofu really small so it blends in more.  Then if you still don't like it, you can probably substitute chicken in this recipe.  Experiment, lots of possibilities with this healthy dish!!

PS...Not the most kid-friendly meal....BUT you might be surprised at what they'll eat!!  Cam will eat everything but the red peppers and spinach.  Both my kids love tofu!