Saturday, February 17, 2007

Tofu Quiche

This is a pretty simple recipe that can be easily adapted to personal tastes.


OVEN 375°

The Crust!
*1/2 cup all-purpose flour
*1/2 cup whole wheat flour
*1/4 cup cold margarine, cut up
*2 to 5 tbsp cold water

1. In a food processor, combine the flour and margarine until coarse and crumbly.
2. Add the cold water, one tablespoon at a time, until the dough becomes soft but not sticky.
3. Roll out on a floured surface and then press into a 9-inch pie pan. Set aside.

The Filling!
*8 oz firm tofu
*1/2 cup unsweetened soymilk
*1/4 cup flour
*2 tsp prepared mustard
*1 tbsp garlic granules
*2 tsp paprika
*1 tsp salt
*1 tsp black pepper
*3ish cups chopped vegetables of your choice (I'm fond of broccoli, mushrooms, spinach, green onion, and red bell pepper)

1. In a food processor, combine the tofu, soymilk, flour, mustard, and spices until very smooth. Pour into a mixing bowl.
2. Add the chopped veggies to the tofu mixture and stir until well-combined.
3. Spoon the filling into the crust and spread until smooth and even on top.
4. Put in preheated oven and bake about 45 minutes, or until browned on top.


Tyler and I followed this up with some homemade chocolate chip cookies. Yaaaay!

Sunday, February 11, 2007

Baked Tofu Tutorial

Sorry, everyone. I got a new job last week, and it's pretty much consumed all my mental energies.
However, it's the weekend now and I'm beginning to feel almost well-rested, so you may find yourselves with another new recipe on your hands later today. We'll see... In the meantime, I'm posting this excellent tutorial for baking tofu, mostly for my baby sister who works at Pizza Hut and doesn't know nothin bout no healthy faggot food...but she wants to. Katie, remember baked tofu can go in ANYTHING--salads, stir fries, sandwiches, or you can marinate it and eat it by itself as a snack. It's mighty tasty.


OVEN 375°
1. Wrap the block of tofu in a clean, lint-free towel, place it in a colander, and place the colander in the sink.
2. Place a plate over the towel-covered tofu, then a heavy can or other weight on top, and leave to press for 30 minutes.
3. Remove the tofu from the towel and cut into 1/2-inch thick slices. I like to cut it into triangles because it makes the corners nice and crispy.
4. Lightly oil (or spray with oil) a 9 x 13-inch baking pan, place the tofu slices in a single layer in the baking pan.
5. Put that shit in the oven, and bake it about 30 minutes, or until crispy and golden brown on the outside. Remember to flip the tofu over after about the first 15 minutes, so it bakes evenly on both sides.


This tutorial comes courtesy of VeganChef.com, by the way. Unfortunately, I am unable to invent a clever new way to bake tofu, and this one pretty much covers the bases.

Tofu can be marinated the same as meat, but you never need to let it sit more than an hour. Really, a half hour is more than sufficient. Tofu is a mighty absorbent food. Also, it's always yummy to just sprinkle some dry spices over the tofu before popping it in the oven. Easy, done. Good luck!

Thursday, February 01, 2007

Cinnamon-ey Brownies? Yes, please!

I've been a little stressed out lately.



Okay, I've been waaaaay stressed out lately.



As a result, I've been making a lot of brownies. And eating a lot of brownies. Which, naturally, compelled me to try to figure out a way to make brownies less unhealthy and more delicious.
Here's the end result:


OVEN 350°
*1/4 cup margarine
*1/4 cup soymilk
*2 1/2 tbsp cocoa powder
*2 tsp ground cinnamon
*1 cup sugar
*substitute for 1 egg
*3/4 cup flour
*1 tsp baking powder
*1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

1. Preheat your oven, and lightly grease an 8x8inch baking pan. Set aside.
2. Melt the margarine, and add the cocoa powder, cinnamon, soymilk, and sugar. Stir until well-combined.
3. Add the "egg," stir until just combined.
4. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and optional walnuts, until the batter is relatively smooth.
5. Spread the batter in the prepared pan. Bake 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.


These come with the Craig and Ursula Seal of Approval, which means they are excellent. Ursula likes them with milk and caramel pudding. Blasphemer.