This is a recipe that I call a happy accident. I had the ingredients on hand from other dishes I had made and put this delightful meal together. I love the lemon herb olive oil that I usually use on top of tofu – it is one of my favorite flavor combos. So here, it gets tossed into this dish, as the sauce, for amazing flavor! Continue reading “Spaghetti Squash with Lemon Herb Oil, Tofu, Corn & Scallions”
Tag: tofu
Tofu Scallopine with Shallots, Peas & Asparagus in White Wine Sauce
I love making different variations of tofu and vegetables. This happens to be one of my favorites. Thinly cut pieces of tofu, called scaloppine, are dredged in seasoned chickpea flour and pan fried to perfection.
I have to admit that I usually make this when I have an open bottle of Vegan Vine chardonnay, which, when cooked with the shallots, reduces down into a nice, very light sauce. And then I add peas (that kind of shriveled up!) and fresh asparagus finish it off.
Serves 2
1/2 block extra firm tofu *
1/4 cup chickpea flour
1 big shallot
1/2 cup frozen peas, defrosted
6 stalks of asparagus
1/2 cup white wine
Water, as needed
S and P, to taste
1 teaspoon sunflower oil, for sautéing the tofu
*I use extra firm tofu that I have pressed for at least a day. Press it for as long as you have time for but I would suggest buying a tofu press and using it to press the tofu in the refrigerator.
Peel and slice the shallot. Add to pan with sides and add the white wine. Bring to a slight boil and cook until the shallots are starting to soften. Add water if the pan seems dry, but the wine will mostly evaporate and kind of thicken up.
Cut off the tough end of the asparagus. One way to do this is to bend back each stalk and let it snap off. Discard the tough end side and cut the rest into small pieces. Add to the pan with the shallots. Add a touch of water to ensure that the asparagus have liquid to cook in. Add the peas right before you are ready to serve and heat them through.
Thinly slice the tofu into 4 pieces.
Season the chickpea flour with a pinch of salt and a turn of the pepper mill. Dredge the tofu in the chickpea flour and shake off the excess.
Heat a nonstick skillet and add 1 teaspoon of oil. Gently place the tofu scaloppine in the oil. Shake it around just slightly so that the tofu doesn’t stick. Flip over after a minute or two and cook on the other side. It should be golden and hot.
To serve, top the tofu with the vegetables. Enjoy!
Tofu Florentine Benedict
There is the classic Benedict and the classic Florentine. This is both, veganized and updated, of course.
Homemade bread (instead of an English muffin) topped with steamed kale (instead of spinach), easy citrus tofu and a delicious, fast and easy vegan hollandaise sauce. Perfect brunch.
This recipe makes enough for 2 Tofu Florentine Benedicts.
Bread
Tofu
Kale
Hollandaise sauce (see recipe below)
Toast the bread. Pan sear the tofu. Steam the kale.
Assemble and enjoy!
Hollandaise Sauce
3 tablespoons vegan mayonnaise
The juice of 1/2 lemon
A few shakes of ground turmeric (mostly for color)
Pinch cayenne
Whisk together. If too thick, add a tablespoon of filtered water.
Baked Tofu with Lemon & Fresh Herbs
I love these little herbed up tofu bites. Perfect with steamed vegetables and a baked potato or as “croutons” on a big salad.
1 lb. extra-firm tofu
The juice of 2 lemons
1/4 cup tamari
2 tablespoons Bee Free Honee
2 sprigs each fresh rosemary and savory
Preheat the oven to 375.
Take the herbs off the stems and finely chop them. Whisk the lemon juice, tamari and honee together. Mix in the herbs. Cut the tofu into small cubes and gently toss into the marinade.
Turn out onto a lined baking sheet (I like parchment paper for this) and bake the tofu for 25 to 30 minutes or until it looks brown and crispy. Enjoy!
Blue Plate Special #54: Lemon Rosemary Tofu with Carrot-Lentil-Leek Quinoa and Steamed Spinach
Here how this happened. I opened the refrigerator in which I had cooked lentils and quinoa, tofu, rosemary, carrots, leeks and spinach. I figured a lentil quinoa pilaf would be nice with carrots and leeks topped with easy citrus tofu (with a little rosemary for a change of pace) and a side of greens. This could have easily happened with tempeh as the centerpiece, quinoa with zucchini and shallots or a beautiful rice pilaf. Therefore, this is not a recipe as much as it is a method. Be creative with what is in your refrigerator.
Serves 2
Lemon Rosemary Tofu
4 pieces of extra firm tofu (1/2 a regular package)
1 lemon
A sprig of rosemary
Press the tofu for as long as you have time for. Brush a nonstick skillet with oil so it is just lightly coated.
Pull the rosemary from the stem and chop it finely. Place the tofu into the pan and season the top side with a pinch of salt, a few turns of freshly ground pepper, and the rosemary.
After about 2 minutes, squeeze the lemon juice down over the tofu. Let it bubble up and start to caramelize, about another 2 minutes. Carefully turn the tofu over; tongs work best here. Cook until the edges start to brown, about another 2 minutes.
Carrot-Lentil-Leek Quinoa
1 leek
1 carrot
1/2 cup cooked lentils
1/2 cup cooked quinoa
Clean and slice the leek into rounds. Slice the carrots into rounds and place both a in nonstick pan with a few tablespoons of water. Sauté until softening. Add the lentils and quinoa and heat through.
Steamed Spinach
1 bunch spinach
Clean and steam.
Plate it up and enjoy!