Wednesday, January 16, 2019

Tofu "fast turkey"

We love our Thanksgiving turkey, but it's a lot of work.  I simplified the original recipe for a "lunchmeat" or easy dinner.  See http://chefinyou.com/2009/11/18/tofu-turkey-recipe/ for the original.  The original involves "night before" preparation. The prep time is streamlined because of how we cook the "turkey" -- we shape it flat for baking so it can cook off the liquid more easily. In the original recipe, the overnight drain really gets you a very dry tofu. 

Preparation (15-30 minutes)
Press the tofu--get as much liquid out as you can.  You'll use 3 14-15 oz. tubs extra-firm tofu.

After it's pressed, put the tofu and the spices in the food processor.

For the Tofu Turkey


  • All the pressed tofu
  • 1/2  - 1 teaspoon ground dried thyme
  • 1 tablespoon onion powder
  • 1 - 2 tsp. garlic powder
  • salt (1 teaspoon) and pepper to taste


  • For the Basting Sauce


  • 1/4 -1/2 cups low sodium tamari or gluten free soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1/2 tsp sesame oil


  • Spread the "turkey" on a baking sheet pan with sides.  You can cook on parchment paper or a silicone liner.  Brush on basting sauce.

         


    Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.

    Brush on the basting sauce again.  Bake for 30-45 minutes more. The tofu will crack on top but still be moist inside when done.


    Makes an awesome "meat" dish with a side of veggies, mashed potatoes, or salad.  We love it on sandwiches.



    We cut off pieces for sandwiches/eating.



    Sunday, December 23, 2018

    Closing in on the end of the year -- reflection time!

    I've definitely kicked it up a notch or 5 at work.  I'm enjoying it, but I am not getting time to blog.  I have 4 blogs and posts are down on all of them, but it's okay.  Here I take a moment to reflect on the cooking and working out of this year.

    We love "eggs." In addition to our quiche, youngest daughter, Tia, "invented" scrambled eggs.  Tofu mixed with spices (garlic, chili powder, tumeric, curry) and the black salt.  Super yum. 

    I'm looking to perfect a veggie muffin this break.  I made one in the past, but I can't find the recipe that I used.  I'll keep digging. There's a chance it's on this blog here, but if not, I'll find another one/try to remember what I did. 

    Over break, I'll post a link to our new favorite "turkey" dinner.  Perfect for lunch meat too.  

    Made this soup last night for some friends.  I haven't made it for a while.  It's still good!  I did make the PB kind and the cashew cream kind.  It involves more pans, but at least all tummies are happy. 

    Oh, I find this little list super helpful for dinner ideas.  Sometimes little lists are a big help!

    Working out report (because it's the end of the year): Lots of tap! Okay on the Body Pump 1-2x every week.  Not enough Pilates.  Okay on the Hip Hop/Zumba (very aerobic) (1x a week).  Okay on the stretching.  Next year my goals include more of everything.  I'd like to do 2x a week body pump.  I am going to MAKE MYSELF do Pilates 15-20 minutes 2-3x a week.  My back is so much happier when I do.  Fifteen minutes is nothing. I just need to DO IT.  Hip Hop... If I can't do it more than 1x a week, I guess it'll be okay.  I think I can make it happen to do 2x a week by summer.  I fear I'm going to try to figure out how to stop time to make it all happen. 

    Other goals: youngest daughter and I have some Pokemon goals, I want to get funding for a new bit of work.  I'll add here if I think of more.




    Sunday, November 25, 2018

    Thanksgiving Grocery List and Tips

    This post is so not sexy, but it will help me next year.  I'm all about planning (sometimes).  This year was rough... I have been working so much and haven't had time to think about cooking / food at all.  I'll relay the events of our Thanksgiving later.  I didn't even get a single picture!  It was fun to hang with the fam!  So glad my niece could come!

    Store List
    5 tubs of tofu
    3 baguettes for stuffing (buy a couple of days before and let get stale)
    celery a BIG bunch--you'll use it in the stuffing b/c you always want more than you get
    Cheesecloth

    Make sure you have:
    Onion Powder
    Garlic
    Salt
    Pepper
    A little thyme
    Don't use sage in the turkey or dressing--we learned that Nick likes everything if there's no sage in it.

    Asparagus (added 2023)

    Cucumbers (think about green salad)

    Brussels sprouts 3 bags


    Portobello Mushrooms -- we got 8 this year (oh, Nick doesn't like these)
    Carrots for carrot salad
    Potatoes (8)

    Gluten Free Baguette (for my niece)
    Quinoa
    Vegan cheese and olives -- great appetizer (Maybe Kira will do a post about vegan cheese in the future)

    Planning notes
    Do the turkey first (press tofu, let drip in the colander overnight (with cheesecloth), but NEW way to make the "turkey" now)
    Turkey in the oven 1.5 hours?
    Cut up the baguettes for dressing first thing in the morning or even the night before
    onion, celery, apple, cranberries, broth (little balsamic, little maple syrup) dressing on stove 20 minutes, can prep anytime--even day before. In oven  45 minutes?
    Cut up the Brussel Sprouts -- in the oven 40 - 60 minutes
    Prep the potatoes and boil 20-30 minutes -- mix 10? 
    Portobello prep and in oven 20-30 minutes?

    Make Carrot Salad ahead of time (day before?)
    Pumpkins cook a day ahead of time 2 is a good amount (should make 4 pies)--OH!  I made pumpkin pie from PUMPKINS!  Not Cans!  Super easy and Yummy!  I will post about that!


    Saturday, November 10, 2018

    New recipe in November

    Where has this year gone???

    I'm getting more writing done at work, but not here.  I guess I only have so much writing in me at any given point.

    I found this recipe and I knew I needed to modify it! It sounded so yummy, but I always substitute some other non-dairy milk for coconut milk, usually cashew milk and indeed, that's what I did here.  I also changed out the lentils for garbanzo beans. I used frozen veggies because I didn't have fresh and didn't feel like a store run. And I didn't have the kind of curry that she had so I googled to see what all went into it and improvised. 

    I mostly measured my spices... Or at least I did at first.  If I added more, I'm not sure how much so I put a range on those spices that I increased as I was cooking.

    Oh She Glows called this a Butternut and Cauliflower Curry. That's a pretty good description.  We'll stick with that.  It's a winner!  New dinner!

    Super easy dinner.  I threw everything into the pot and cooked it for 45-ish minutes. 
    1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
    2 cups water, 1/2 cup cashews, blended into cashew milk
    1 can (28-ounces) diced tomatoes, with juices
    1 bag frozen cauliflower
    1 -2 carrots 
    1 bag frozen butternut squash
    1 can (29-ounces) garbanzo beans
    1-2 tablespoons curry powder
    2 teaspoons onion powder
    1 -2 teaspoons garlic powder
    3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, or to taste
    1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
    1/8 teaspoon ginger
    1/4-1/2 teaspoon coriander
    1-3 teaspoons chili powder
    juice of 1/2 lemon

    2 cups frozen broccoli (put in after everything cooks for 15 -20 minutes) -- this could be kale if you prefer.

    Look, a bad picture.  I'll get a better one at some point.  Serve with sourdough bread, rice, quinoa, or just eat!


    Saturday, August 18, 2018

    Tomatoes

    Fresh from the garden, a whole mess of beautiful tomatoes.  I cut them up and sauteed with fresh basil, oregano, garlic, and a splash of balsamic.  It's the same salad I do cold but now I'm sauteing.  Nothing like fresh tomatoes! I made this earlier in the week and am making it again ('cause our tomatoes are prolific!) Good on bread or pasta. You can also take juice out as it's cooking for a very lazy version of tomato soup.  I didn't measure anything, but I am guessing a tablespoon or so of olive oil and 1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar?  Maybe?

    Lots of fresh basil -- 10-ish leaves? I have a very happy basil plant that needs to be cut back regularly.  If you don't cut it back, it goes to seed.

    Garlic -- I used dried, maybe 1 teaspoon?

    Oregano -- also dried and I used probably 1 tablespoon?  (I'm a big fan of oregano!)

    I cooked it for an hour or two?  It cooked down a lot! 
     
    I also made roasted zucchini and popped about 4 tomatoes in the oven.  I was curious about that versus pan cooking.

    (I'm thinking about trying to make some sort of roasted zucchini and tomato sauce in the food processor for pasta... I'll let you know what happens.)

    I also made watermelon (we grew it), basil, (also home grown) and lime (also grown at home with love) granita.  I love it.  The husband, and the younger two daughters don't like it. I think daughter #1 will.  I will let you know.

    Super fun cooking day!

    Thursday, August 16, 2018

    We invented eggs...

    Not really... but black salt with tofu is amazing.  (You blend the tofu with black salt and you think you have eggs!)  This quiche recipe is a new favorite of ours.

    Crust:
    •1 tablespoon ground flax + 3 tablespoons water, mixed together
    •1 cup whole almonds, ground into flour
    •1 cup rolled oats ground into flour
    •1 teaspoon dried parsley
    •1 teaspoon dried oregano
    •1/2 tsp kosher salt
    •1 tbsp olive oil
    •1-2.5 tbsp water, as needed  (I needed a lot more the first time I made this.  The second time I didn't. I don't know why.)

    (double for two crusts read  below)

    Preheat oven to 350F and lightly grease a round 10-inch  pan.

    Mix flax and water mixture in a small bowl and set aside

    In a large bowl, stir together the almond meal, oat flour, parsley, oregano, and salt.

    Add in the flax mixture and oil.

    Mix until mostly combined, adding the remaining water until the dough about the consistency of cookie dough. The dough should stick together when you press it between your fingers.

    Crumble the dough evenly over the base of the tart pan (or pie dish). Starting from the center of the pan, press the mixture evenly, working your way out from the center and up the sides of the pan. Poke a few fork holes in the dough so air can escape.

    Bake the crust at 350F for 13-16 minutes, or until lightly golden and firm to touch. Set aside to cool while you finish preparing the filling.
     

    For the quiche
     
    Saute:
    An onion
    Broccoli
    Kale
    in a little olive oil
    (we do a lot of this and just have leftovers)

    Blend: (this is doubled already)
    •2-3 boxes of tofu
    Use Mori-Nu Silken Tofu which has a little liquid, but not much — no need to drain or press needed for the recipe--it just works.

    •1 tablespoon olive oil
    •1-2 teaspoons onion powder
    •1-2 large garlic cloves
    •1-2 tbsp nutritional yeast
    •1 teaspoon dried oregano
    •3/4-1 teaspoon black salt
    •Black pepper, to taste
    •Red pepper flakes, to taste (about 1/4 teaspoon for us)

    We double the crust part of the recipe, and make two crusts for 2 quiches; in 1, we put the veggies and in the other we just put in the tofu mix with daiya cheese.  Add about 1/2 of the tofu blend to the "cheese" quiche add in the "cheese" and stir.    Put sauteed veggies on the bottom of one of the quiche crusts and then pour the blended tofu over (stir slightly so that the veggies are covered with the tofu blend--add more veggies if necessary and more tofu blend until full).  There should be plenty of tofu mix for two quiches. 


    The pie crust is from one of my favorite recipe blogs, Oh She Glows and the filling is based on that recipe.

    Sunday, July 29, 2018

    Lame blog post

    Wow... it's been a while.  I do have new recipes, but no time to blog.

    We made an awesome quiche this summer and LOVELY lemon zucchini bread.  A basil plant is giving us lots of pesto. We're getting beautiful tomatoes (and zucchini, but no pictures yet). 




    I know we made other stuff, but I can't think now.  I just mostly came over to drop this link to a store with vegan leather.  We haven't bought from it yet so I can't tell you if we like it or not.  More soon.