Cold Peanut Noodle Salad with Tofu and Cabbage

Cold Peanut Noodle Salad with Tofu and Cabbage

This is a perfect lunch on a hot summer day.  It is cool, crunchy and packed with protein.

 

This dish is vegan.  Substitute rice noodles to make this recipe gluten free.

 

 

Serves 6

 

Peanut Sauce Ingredients

3/4 cup natural peanut butter

1/2 cup vegetable stock or water

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

1 tablespoon chili sauce (optional)

 

Noodle Salad Ingredients

2 cups whole wheat noodles, cooked and cooled

1 package tofu

2 cups cabbage, shredded

5 carrots, shredded  

5 green onions, chopped

1/4 teriyaki sauce

1 tablespoon olive oil

Peanut Sauce Directions

Get a large bowl, big enough for the salad as we will just add our ingredients as we go.  Place all of the Sauce ingredients in the bowl and whisk well.  Super easy, right!

Noodle Salad Directions

The first thing we have to do is cook the tofu.  Preheat a pan to medium heat.  Drain the tofu and chop it into bite size pieces.  Add the olive oil and tofu to the pan and cook for about 10 minutes.  Add the teriyaki sauce, toss well and cook for about 10 more minutes or until the sauce cooks down and the tofu has nice brown edges.  Remove from heat and allow the tofu to cool before adding it to the salad.

Place your cooked pasta into the bowl with the peanut sauce.  Toss well.  Continue this process of adding and tossing with the shredded cabbage, shredded carrots and chopped green onions.  Reserve a few carrot and onion pieces for garnish.  Add the cooked tofu to the salad and toss gently as to not break up the tofu.  To serve, place about 1 cup of the salad onto a plate and garnish with the remaining carrots and onions.  Enjoy!

 

Tofu Breakfast Tacos

Tofu Breakfast Tacos

These delcious breakfast tacos are a great way to start your day with a fiesta!

 This recipe is vegan, omit vegan breakfast sausage to make it gluten free.

 

 

Serves 4

 

Ingredients

  1 package Tofurky Vegan Breakfast Sausages

1 package firm tofu

12 corn tortillas

1 can, refried beans

1 green pepper, chopped

1 red pepper, chopped

1/4 onion, chopped

2 Roma tomatoes, chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

  Preheat a pan to medium heat.  Add the olive oil, peppers and onions to the pan.  While those start cooking, chop up the vegan sausages and tofu into bite size pieces.  Add them to the pan and toss everything together.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Let this mixture cook for about 20 minutes, tossing often, until everything gets a nice carmelization.  Get your refried beans cooking in a pot until they are nice and warm.  Remember to check the ingredients on the beans to ensure that they are vegetarian.

Warm the tortillas on a stove burner and store them in a clean kitchen towel until you are ready to serve.  

Chop the tomatoes and add them to the taco mixture.  Remove the pan from the heat.  Now we are ready to plate!  Lay out 3 corn tortillas on a plate.  Spread a couple of spoonfuls of beans onto the tortillas and top with 1/4 cup of the taco mixture.  Enjoy!

Tofu and Black Bean Enchildas

Tofu and Black Bean Enchiladas

These enchiladas are easy to make and super delicious!  This method can be used with cheese, beans or ground crumbles.  The only limit is your own creativity.

 

This dish is vegetarian.

 

Makes 10 Enchiladas

 

 

Enchilada Sauce

Ingredients

8oz can tomato paste

2 cups water

2 tablespoons chili powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

Directions

Place all of the ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.  Pour the Enchilada Sauce into a pot and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes.  That's it!

Enchiladas

 

Ingredients

10 flour tortillas

1 block extra firm tofu

15oz can black beans

1/2 tablespoon cumin

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 cup green onions, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Remove the tofu from the block and drain any excess liquid by wrapping the tofu in a paper towel.  Roughly chop the tofu into small squares.  Preheat a pan to medium.  Add the olive oil and tofu to the pan.  Break up the tofu with a wooden spoon, so that it resembles crumbles.  Drain and rinse the black beans and add to the pan.  Add the cumin, salt and pepper and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring often.

Take a 9x13 glass baking dish and place a layer of enchilada sauce on the bottom.  This will prevent our enchiladas from sticking to the bottom of the dish.  To assemble the enchiladas, take one tortilla and place 1/2 cup of the tofu/black bean mixture in the center.  Roll the tortilla into a tube, leaving the ends open.  Place the enchilada into the baking dish.  Repeat until you have 10 enchiladas and your dish is full.  Pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the enchiladas making sure that everything is completely covered.  Sprinkle the cheese over the top of the enchiladas and cover the baking dish with foil.

Place the baking dish into an oven that has been preheated to 425 degrees.  Cook for 35 minutes, remove the foil and cook for an additional 10 minutes.  Top with green onions and serve with a simple salad.  Enjoy!

 

 

 

Tofu Scramble with Polenta

Tofu Scramble with Polenta

A tofu scramble is a delicious and protein packed breakfast.  Add polenta and you get a comfort food that will fill you up and keep you going throughout your busy day.

 

Make extra polenta to use as fries for tomorrow's meal!

 

 

Makes 4 servings

 

Ingredients

 

Polenta

1 cup of yellow corn meal (polenta)

5 cups of water

1 tablespoon parsley

salt and pepper to taste

Spinach

5oz fresh spinach

1/2 tablespoon olive oil

 1 garlic clove, minced

salt and pepper to taste

Scramble

1 block of tofu

6 morning star veggie sausage links

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 oz muenster cheese

2 roma tomatoes

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Polenta

Bring four cups of water to a boil.  Add the yellow corn meal and simmer.  You will need to stir the mixture very frequently.  Simmer this mixture for about twenty minutes, slowly adding the last cup of water throughout.  Add the salt, pepper and parsley.  Keep stirring :)  When the polenta begins to pull away from the walls of the pot, you are done.

Spinach

Place the olive oil and garlic into a cold pan.  Turn the heat to medium.  When the garlic starts to sizzle, add the spinach to the pan.  Toss the spinach around with the garlic.  (Make sure to not leave the garlic on the bottom of the pan or it will burn and make the whole dish bitter.)  Add the salt and pepper and cook for approximately 10 minutes.

Scramble

 Preheat the pan to medium heat.  Add the olive oil and veggie sausages.  Cook for about 5 minutes and remove the sausages from the pan, chop them into bite size pieces and return them to the pan.  Remove the tofu from it's container and dry off any extra moisture with a paper towel.  Cut the tofu into bite size pieces and add it to the pan.  Add salt and pepper.  Cook for about 15 minutes.

Now it's time to assemble the scramble.  Place 1 cup of cooked polenta onto the plate.  Add 1 1/4 oz of the spinach and a quarter of the scramble mixuture.  Add 1 oz of shredded muenster cheese and the chopped tomatoes.  Enjoy!

 

 

Tofu Stir Fry with Peanut Sauce

Tofu Stir Fry with Peanut Sauce

This recipe is a tofu treat for your vegan taste buds.

Keep leftovers in the freezer for easy weeknight meals!

 

 

Ingredients

 

Peanut Sauce

3/4 cups unsalted peanut butter

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup water

1 tablespoon chili sauce (optional)

Stir Fry

6 oz spaghetti noodles, cooked

1 package firm tofu

1/4 cup teriyaki sauce

2 tablespoons sesame seeds

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1/2 tablespoon fresh ginger, chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 carrots, sliced thinly

5 green onions, chopped

1 cup alfalfa sprouts

1 cup edamame

Directions

 

Peanut Sauce

Place all of the ingredients in a large bowl and whisk until they are fully incorporated.  It's just that easy!

Stir Fry

 Let's start with the tofu.  Preheat a large skillet or wok to medium heat.  Add the olive oil and tofu and cook for about 5 minutes.  Pour in the teriyaki sauce and make sure that all of the tofu is evenly coated.  The goal here is to get a nice teriyaki crust on the tofu, which should take about 10 minutes.  Toss frequently.  Add the sesame seeds and crushed red pepper, always making sure to coat the tofu.  

Get a pot of water boiling and cook the edamame for 5 minutes.

Back to the stir fry, add the garlic, ginger, 2 of the sliced carrots, and the peanut sauce to the wok.  Cook for about 5 minutes.  Add 3/4 cups of the alfalfa sprouts, the edamame, cooked noodles and green onions to the stir fry.  Cook for about 2 minutes.

To serve, place about a cup of the stir fry onto a place and garnish with the remaining carrots, green onions and sprouts.  Enjoy!

 

 

Eggless Egg salad

Eggless Egg salad

Eggless Egg salad is not only quick and delicious, but it is also packed with protein.

Make Eggless Egg Salad ahead of time, for a great post-run recovery meal.

 

 

Ingredients

1 package firm tofu

3 tablespoons veganaise

2 tablespoons yellow mustard

1 tablespoon dijon mustard

1 celery rib, chopped

1/8 cup onion, chopped

1/2 tablespoon celery salt

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

Drain the tofu and soak up excessive liquid with a paper towel.  Roughly chop the tofu and place into a large bowl.  Add all of the remaining ingredients and mix well.  I like to smash the tofu as I mix, to give it the texture of a traditional egg salad.   You can eat it by itself, or serve it with your favorite bread.  A side serving of fruit will complete the meal.  Enjoy!

 

Palak Tofu "Paneer"

Palak Tofu "Paneer"

Palak Paneer is a classic Indian dish using spinach and paneer, a soft cow's milk cheese native to India.  In my version, I substitute tofu for the paneer to add protein and subtract some fat.  This dish is vegan and gluten free, making it a great meal for everyone to enjoy.

Tofu is not only healthier than Paneer, it is also less expensive and easier to find!

 

 

 Ingredients

2 small garlic cloves chopped

1/2 inch piece of ginger chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil (1/2 for the spinach and 1/2 for the tofu)

6oz baby spinach

1 large tomato

1/2 cup almond or soy milk

1 tablespoon curry powder (1/2 for the spinach and 1/2 for the tofu)

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

1 16oz package of firm tofu

Salt, to taste

Directions

First step is cooking the spinach.  Chop up your garlic and ginger (make sure to remove the skin of the ginger) and place it into a cold pan.  Add 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil and turn the heat onto medium.  When the garlic and ginger begin to sizzle, add all of your spinach.  This will look like a ton, but it will cook down quite a bit.  Mix up the spinach with the garlic and ginger.  You don't want to leave the garlic and ginger on the bottom of the pan or it will get burned.  Salt to taste.  Cover the pan and cook down for about 10 minutes, stirring often.

Now the the spinach is cooked we will place it in the blender to combine with our 1/2 cup of almond/soy milk and spices.  Place the spinach in the blender first, followed by the 1/2 tablespoon of curry powder and the 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper (more or less based on how much heat you like), and finally add the 1/2 cup of almond/soy milk.  Blend that up until it is a smooth, soupy consistency.  Don't worry about the mixure being too liquidy, we are going to cook it down with the tofu.

Speaking of tofu, it's time to cook it up!  Preheat a large pan to medium high heat.  Add 1/2 tablespoon olive oil and coat the pan.  Remove the block of tofu from the package and wrap it in a paper towel to remove some of it's moisture.  Chop up the tofu into 1/2 inch squares, with a thickness of about 1/4 inch.  Add the tofu to the pan.  Add 1/2 tablespoon of curry powder and salt to taste.  Toss the tofu around, making sure that each piece is covered in curry.  Cook this for about 15 minutes, tossing frequenty.  You want the tofu to get lightly browned on all sides.  Now add the spinach mixture to the pan.  Cook for an additional 10 minutes, until the spinach thickens up.  Serve with Naan Bread, Homemade Flat Bread or brown rice (gluten free).   Enjoy!