tofu

Classic Tofu

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Growing up in a vegetarian, whole grain, milk-straight-from-the-cow/goat type house means that “comfort food” doesn’t necessarily mean your standard mac ‘n cheese.

Nope, my comfort foods are baked sweet potatoes, brown rice, and pan fried tofu with nutritional yeast.

This method of cooking tofu was standard in my childhood house.  In fact, I think we rarely had it any other way!  Years after all the girls in the neighborhood had moved out of their parents homes one of my oldest friends asked me for the recipe.  Recipe?  What recipe, that’s just how you make tofu!

I now make tofu all kinds of ways; baked, stuffed, in lasagna, scrambled with eggs, in stir frys, but pan fried with nutritional yeast will remain forever classic and comforting.

Classic ‘n Cozy Pan Fried Tofu with Nutritional Yeast

Here’s the non-recipe.

Slice extra-firm, organic tofu into thin pieces.

Pour some yeast into a shallow dish and coat each slice of tofu with it.

Heat a skillet over medium heat with a teaspoon or two of your favorite cooking oil.

I used coconut, which is a departure from the olive oil I’m pretty sure my dad used.  I love the flavor coconut oil brings to this dish plus there is some evidence that most vegetable oils have a imbalance of Omega-6 to Omega-3, which means they cause ill effect in the body.

Set slices in hot skillet.

Sprinkle slices with soy sauce and flip after a few minutes.

Serve!

This tofu is great on sandwiches, salads, served with mashed potatoes, or on top of brown rice. 😉

Thanks for all your thoughts, prayers, and comments on my health issues.  It’s an amazing feeling to know so many people are wishing me well and I am sure that it will help in my recovery.  I am feeling pretty good today, little to no pain and I am feeling good about my decision to have gotten the procedure.

Have a great weekend!

Balls and Rolls

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Yesterday was all about balls and rolls.

First, the rolls.

I have been interested in making cabbage rolls (stuffed cabbage?) for years.  Funny thing is, I don’t think I have ever eaten this dish and I am not even sure what goes into it (meat?) but I like the idea of it.

I didn’t have any cabbage and dark green is so pretty that my plan morphed and Tofu-Stuffed Collard Rolls were born.

To begin I gathered ingredients

Collards, egg, nutritional yeast, tofu, homemade tomato sauce, garlic, and canned straw mushrooms.

I dropped the ball on the mushrooms and forgot to add them to the tofu mixture because they got hidden underneath a stack of collards.  🙁

I ♥ my food processor.

  • one package of tofu
  • 4 T nutritional yeast
  • 1/2 t smoked paprika
  • 1/4 t (or more to taste) cayenne
  • 1/4 t salt
  • 1-2 t soy sauce
  • 2-3 cloves garlic
  • 1/2 t thyme
  • 1 egg

I intentionally added the egg last so that I could play with the spices and taste as I went along (I have a cookie dough raw egg clause but besides that it grosses me out).  I like things spicy so I was heavy handed with the cayenne but that’s adaptable to individual taste.

Tomato sauce the bottom of the baking dish.  I used about 2/3rd of a cup of homemade sauce.  Any sauce without (much) added sugar will do.

Start rolling!

 

Approximately 1/3 cup tofu mixture dolloped on the clean collard leaf

Fold, fold

And roll

Place seam side down to prevent unraveling

Cover smother with sauce

Bake at 400* for 35 minutes

Lunch time!

 

This recipe made 8 rolls, each with less than 125 calories and loads of protein and B vitamins.   I give this recipe a grade of 86 out of 100.  If only I have remembered the mushrooms…

It was really fun to make and a nice way to eat greens and tofu with different textures than usual.

The balls though, the balls were total winners.


Dates, raisins, walnuts, peanut butter, coconut, vanilla, flax seeds, and oats.

These were a take off on the “truffles” I made last month.  (Tate says that I shouldn’t call them truffles because than people expect something rich and decadent, like butter and more butter perhaps. I think I’ll stick with truffles because “Nut Balls” just doesn’t have the same ring ;))

So. Good.

So good in fact that I have no intention of going back to regularly eating white sugar once my 23 days are up.  I don’t want to exclude sharing a dessert out or tasting something at a dinner party but I plan to make primarily sugar free desserts from here out.

I must admit, I miss comment commit!   I am going to start posting my workout plan for the day on gracefulfitness’s Facebook page, feel free to post your as a comment to mine!

Time for some collard roll leftovers!