Tofu Tips

http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/food-recipes/healthy/a18093/easy-tofu-cooking-tips-47012001/

http://www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-food/common-tofu-cooking-mistakes/

http://www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-food/how-to-make-your-own-vegan-chinese-dishes-at-home/

Blueberry Raspberry Pancakes

Photo to follow


Ingredients:

3 cups flour (oats, whole wheat, or other)
3 eggs or flax seeds
1/2 cup orange juice
2 bananas, blended smooth
2 cups plant milk
1/2 cup walnuts, crushed
2 cups berries, any


mix all together and bake in oven in cast iron skillet or make traditional pancakes on stove.  We chose to make a big, 7" pancake in a small skillet.

It is delicious, no syrup or toppings needed.

Burritos

No fancy name for these, just a delicious wrap chock full of nutrients.

Start with a whole wheat tortilla, and add black beans, salsa, chopped tomato, avocado, raw onions and cooked vegetables:  onions, mushrooms, kale.    Easy Peasy.

Pita Pizza

We use whole wheat pita bread for these.  They are harder to find but worth the effort.

Serves 1

1-Whole Wheat low sodium pita

½ cup - Pasta sauce* low sodium, low or no sugar

½ cup each of chopped onions and  mushrooms, 1 clove of minced garlic

Fresh spinach, one handful

Raw tomato, 1 medium

Other toppings as desired  (I love raw onions on mine, husband loves salsa)

Optional – vegan cheese

Seasonings:

Crushed red pepper flakes

Garlic powder

Nutritional yeast

* pasta sauce.   Either find a brand you are comfortable with, or easily make your own and store in the fridge.  

In a skillet, put the chopped onions, mushrooms, and garlic with ½ cup water and cook on medium or medium-high until the onions are translucent.  

If you like your crust crispy, bake it first then add tomato sauce and other toppings.

If you like it softer, add the toppings and then bake the whole thing.

Assembly:  pizza crust, add the sauce, add the cooked vegetables, add the raw spinach and sliced tomatoes.   Sprinkle with the seasonings and nutritional yeast and cheese, if using it.    Bake it for a few minutes even if you’ve already crisped the crust. 

TIPS for kids:  I add the cooked onions, mushrooms, and garlic into the food processor and blend with the pasta sauce.   My son hates chunks of these vegetables but doesn’t mind the flavors. 

Tofu Mushroom Burgers

These are very low calorie for a burger of any kind, but the flavor and texture are very good for a vegan burger.

Note: this one takes a bit of time to make the burgers as they stay in the pan about 15 minutes for each round of 2-4 burger patties.  So, I usually set my timer and go about my other business once the pan cooking starts (soup making or laundry!).    However, even though this recipe takes some time, it makes enough burgers for several meals, or you can freeze them for later use (they freeze wonderfully). 

Ingredients:


1 pound block of organic firm tofu
1 large onion

½ pound button mushrooms

½ pound other variety mushrooms (oyster is a favorite)

1-2 cups raw old fashioned or quick oatmeal, as needed

Seasonings (adjust as desired for your family’s tastes):

Pepper, about 2 teaspoons

Crushed red pepper, about 2 teaspoons (or cayenne, about 1 teaspoon)

Garlic powder, about 2 teaspoons

Paprika, couple dashes from the jar

Chili powder, 1 teaspoon

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Rough chop the vegetables.  Put the tofu, mushrooms, onions and seasonings in a food processor and blend until smooth.   (If mixing by hand, dice the onions and mushrooms fairly small, first.)   Then add 1-cups of oatmeal to thicken.   The consistency will not be runny but will not be firm either.  

In a skillet misted with oil or wiped out with a paper towel that has oil added on it, scoop out ½ cup of the mixture.   With a small or medium skillet, you may only be able to cook 2 patties at once.   My big one will do 3-4 at one time. 

Cook on medium-high until the burger starts to brown on bottom, allowing you to flip to the other side cleanly.   Once both sides are browned and it’s firm on the outside, remove the burgers to a baking pan or sheet.     You may have to refresh the oil spray or wipe between burgers but shouldn’t have to do so when you flip each one. 

Once all burgers are ready, put the baking pan in the oven on 350 for at least 30 minutes.    They will continue to firm up on the inside in the oven, and even more so as they cool once removed from the oven.    A convection oven will require less time. 

For toppings, we use as many vegetables as we can fit onto the bun… raw onions for sure, chopped lettuces, sliced tomato, and sauces like ETL friendly ketchup, mustard, and others (Bbq?).    On lower grain days, I use with romaine leaves – still delicious and cuts the calorie count down significantly.

Our bun is a 100% whole wheat, low sugar, not terrible on sodium one, or you can use a whole wheat pita that you cut down to the size of the burger patty (bake the pita scraps later for hummus).