Tofu with Indian-Spiced Tomato Sauce
Tofu is one of my new favorite foods. Not only is it high in protein, it is low in fat and can help lower cholesterol. There are many interesting ways to cook it that make it not only nutritious but also very tasty. Here’s a great example in this fantastic recipe which I adapted from Judith Finlayson’s recipe in The Vegetarian Slow Cooker.
Makes 4-5 servings.
Here’s what you’ll need:
1 tbsp olive oil
2 onions, chopped
1/2 cup sweet pepper, diced (I used green because that’s what I had)
1/2 cup carrots, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp minced gingerroot
6 whole cloves
4 white or green cardamom pods
1 piece (2 inches) cinnamon stick
1 tsp caraway seeds
1/2 tsp cracked black peppercorns)
4 cups diced tomatoes
1 long green chile pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1/2 cup water
Tofu:
1/4 cup all purpose flower
1 1/2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp garham masala
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
1 lb firm tofu cut into cubes
1 tbsp olive oil
Cook onions in olive oil on medium heat for about 3 minutes. Then add garlic, ginger, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon stick, caraway seeds, and peppercorns. (to crack the peppercorns, place them in a baggie and hit them with a rolling pin. :)) Cook for about a minute.
Add tomatoes, carrots and water and bring to a boil.
Transfer to crockpot and stir in sweet pepper. I cooked mine on high for about 5 hours but my crockpot isn’t very hot. Recipe calls for 3 hours on high or 6 hours on low so adjust accordingly.
When it is ready it should be hot and bubbly. Remove the cinnamon stick, cloves and cardamom and stir in the green chili pepper.
In a small bowl mix together the flour, curry powder, cumin, garham masala, and cayenne pepper. Then spread on a plate.
Roll the tofu in the flour mixture.
Fry in olive oil on medium until browned.
Pour tomato sauce in a bowl and place tofu on top. Serve with naan bread.
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You will Love this Tofu Loaf with Tomato Basil Sauce!
Here’s another super-simple recipe that provides an excellent dose of protein, is very filling and satisfying, AND is DELICIOUS!! 🙂 It is even better cold the next day, or it can be sliced and fried for sandwiches using the leftovers.
The recipe comes from Tofu Cookery by Louise Hagler. I’ve adapted it slightly. She recommends serving it with ketchup, but there was no way I was going to do that! Instead I recommend serving it with a tomato basil sauce. The recipe included here was adapted from the Tomato Coulee recipe in the Eden Alley Cafe Cookbook Stir-Well to Heaven
Here’s what you’ll need:
For tofu loaf:
1 lb tofu, mashed
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/3 cup parsley, chopped
1/4 cup onion, chopped
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
1/4 tsp black pepper
For tomato basil sauce:
1 medium sized onion
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 1/2 tsp of olive oil
1 1/2 tsp of sunflower oil
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp chili powder
4 cups of diced tomatoes (including liquid)
Handful of chopped basil (1-2 tbsp or to taste)
Mix all the tofu loaf ingredients together in a large bowl.
Oil a loaf pan with approx 2 tbsp of canola oil and press the tofu mixture into the pan. Bake for 1 hour. Let cool for approx 10 minutes. Remove from pan and place on a large platter.
If you haven’t made the tomato basil sauce ahead you’ll have plenty of time to prepare it while the loaf is cooking. Cook onions, garlic, oil, chili powder, pepper in a large pot on medium heat until onions are translucent.
Add tomatoes and basil and simmer on low heat for about 30 minutes stirring frequently.
After letting the tofu loaf cool for 10 minutes, remove from the pan and place on a large platter. Ladle tomato basil sauce over the loaf and garnish with mashed potatoes and parsley!
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Fruit Jumbles – A Sweet Yet Nutritious Treat!
Here’s a delicious cookie recipe that comes from an old cookbook found at an auction sale! The cookbook was put together by the Women’s Auxiliary of Hallville United Church in Hallville, Ontario for their 140th anniversary, and this particular recipe comes from Mrs. W. T. Coleman. These cookies really pack a punch as they include dates, dried fruit and walnuts, so not only are they a sweet treat, but they also have nutritional value. 🙂
I have adapted the recipe slightly, including using half whole wheat flour and half white flour which is something I often do with my recipes. It’s a good idea to store whole wheat flour in the refrigerator since it has a higher fat content than white flour and is more inclined to go rancid.
The original recipe only called for 2 tablespoons of milk, but I found the batter seemed a bit too dry so I added a couple more and it seemed to help. So add as much milk as you need to make the batter sufficiently moist.
Here’s what you’ll need:
4 tbsp butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg
4 tbsp milk
1 cup chopped dates
1 cup mixed candied peel (dried candied fruit–I found this in the bulk food area of Whole Foods)
1/2 cup chopped dried cherries
1/2 cup broken walnuts
3/4 cup white flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream together the butter and sugar.
Add salt and well-beaten egg.
Add milk, flour, baking powder and mix well.
Mix in fruit and walnuts.
Grease cookie sheet or spray with non-stick spray. Drop cookie dough onto sheet using an ice cream scoop to measure evenly-sized cookies. Press the cookies down slightly with a spatula. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes.
Veggie Yogi 