Superfood-Packed Roasted Tofu and Brown Rice

Hi there!  Hope you are having a fabulous weekend!  We are finally getting back into the swing of things over here, just in time to go on another trip.  We leave for Indianapolis on Tuesday so that Jay can attend a conference for work.  (But I'm sure we'll have time to squeeze in some fun things, too!)

I was talking to my mom yesterday over lunch and pedicures (not a bad Friday) about how it is so much harder than it seems to get things done in the summer.  Don't get me wrong, I would NEVER complain about having my summers off.  I've just come to realize that I am a much more productive person when I am in a routine.

I keep thinking I have all the time in the world to work out or make a nice dinner or write a blog post, but, when there is no set schedule, it is amazing how the day can just disappear.  I have no idea what has been happening to my time!

To get back on track, Jay and I have started doing a P90X3 workout program that comes with a calendar, so it tells you which workouts to do on which days.  I've also been trying to do a better job of planning out our meals.  Instead of throwing together another last minute "big bowl" (which has happened a lot over the past few days), last night I actually took the time to press some tofu and create a new recipe.  I decided that we were in serious need of turmeric back in our lives, so I came up with an Indian-ish meal that was full of the healthiest spices and veggies in the world.  It hit the spot!

One Pot Roasted Tofu & Brown Rice
Total time: 1 hour
Serves: 2-4

For the tofu:
1 package extra firm tofu, pressed, drained, and cut into 1-inch cubes
1/4 cup soy sauce or liquid aminos
1 teaspoon Sriracha
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast

For the rice/veggie mix:
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon minced ginger
1 can (13.5 oz. or 2 cups) light coconut milk
1 cup fire-roasted diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon peanut butter
1/3 cup water
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup long-grain brown rice
1 small head broccoli, cut into florets
1 small bunch kale, chopped

Optional toppings:
Chopped green onions
Chopped peanuts
Cilantro
Sriracha

Preheat oven to 425.  Toss the cubed tofu in the soy sauce/Sriracha/nutritional yeast mixture.  (If you have time, you can let it sit there and marinate for a while.)  Place cubes on a greased cooking sheet and bake for approximately 40 minutes, stirring once. (I line mine with foil for easy clean-up.)

Meanwhile, saute garlic and ginger in a large pan over medium heat in a little olive oil until fragrant.  Add the coconut milk, diced tomatoes, water, peanut butter, and spices.  Bring to a boil.  Add in 3/4 cup brown rice, cover, and reduce heat to low.  Simmer for approximately 45 minutes, or until rice is cooked and most of the liquid has been absorbed.  (You can add more water if it gets too thick.)

Add in your broccoli and kale for the last 15 minutes or so of cooking.  Or, substitute in the veggies of your choice.  Most anything would work!

Serve the roasted tofu atop the rice mixture and garnish with your favorite toppings.

Soy Joy: Easy Ways to Prepare Tofu & Tempeh

Since I don't eat much meat, soy products play a big role in my diet.  Soy is great because it is one of the only plant-based sources of complete protein and is full of fiber, potassium, magnesium, and isoflavones.

Soy sometimes gets a bad rap because of it's concentrated amount of isoflavones, which basically act as plant estrogens.  People worry about consuming these estrogens, when, in reality, isoflavones are 1000 times weaker than human estrogens and actually have many positive non-hormonal effects on the body.  Strong research has shown that isoflavones regulate cell growth and can help prevent many types of cancers.  People in Asia eat tons of soy, and they are some of the healthiest people with the lowest cancer rates in the world!

Here is a good video by Dr. Oz on the truth about soy.

As with all foods, it is better to eat soy in whole forms, such as edamame, tofu, and tempeh, rather than ultra-processed products (think soy hot dogs).  Each week, I usually pick up one block of organic tofu and one package of organic tempeh at the store.  I drink almond milk and don't buy too many fake meats or cheeses (aside from Daiya on occasion), so the tofu and tempeh account for most of my soy intake (around four servings per week).

Tofu is wonderful because it easily absorbs the flavor of spices and marinades (and it's cheap!).  The longer you let it sit, the stronger the flavor will be, so it is good to plan a little ahead.  I like to cook with extra-firm tofu, and I usually press it first for 30 minutes or so (although I am not entirely sure how necessary this step is??).  To press, just wrap the tofu up in a paper towel and place between two plates.  Put something heavy on top (like a giant book) and let it sit.

My favorite thing to do lately is to marinate tofu and then roll it around in some nutritional yeast before cooking.

I made a delicious pan-fried tofu the other night with only three ingredients.  First, I cut the tofu up into 1/2 inch thick strips, drizzled liquid aminos on both sides, and let it sit for 20(ish) minutes.  Then, I sprinkled nutritional yeast all over the strips and fried them in a cast-iron skillet with some olive oil over medium heat. If you let it get good and brown on each side, the nutritional yeast will turn into a crispy, cheesy crust.

Served here with some quinoa and roasted brussels sprouts.  Yum!

I loved it so much that I used the same method on Thursday night, except this time I used a mixture of liquid aminos and dijon mustard to marinate.  I then coated the strips with nutritional yeast and baked them in the oven at 425 for around 40 minutes, turning once halfway through.

I sauteed some kale and roasted up a butternut squash for the sides.  It was equally amazing!

You can eat these tofu strips on their own or add them into stir-fries, salads, "big bowls," etc.  I love to use roasted tofu in the pad thai recipe I shared a while back.

Tempeh is made from fermented soybeans and is much denser and nuttier tasting than tofu.  I save my tempeh for nights when I don't have as much time to cook, since it doesn't have to be pressed in advance.  My favorite way to prepare tempeh is in "bacon" form, but there are lots of other tasty ways to enjoy it.

This BBQ tempeh with brown rice and roasted veggies was a big hit at our house.  To make the tempeh, I used the following:

• 1 8-ounce package of tempeh
• water for simmering
• 2 tbsp olive or vegetable oil
• 2 tbsp soy sauce or liquid aminos
• 1/2 cup barbecue sauce

To prepare, start by simmering the tempeh in a bit of water for 8-10 minutes.  (I read somewhere to do this, but, again, not sure if it's really necessary.)

Once drained and cooled, slice tempeh in half width-wise (like a bagel), then into fourths.

Blend the olive oil and soy sauce, pour it over the tempeh, and let it marinate for at least 20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400.

Line a baking pan with foil and transfer marinated tempeh to pan. Bake for 10 minutes then remove from oven.

Brush tempeh with barbecue sauce on both sides, then return tempeh to the oven for another 10-20 minutes, or until sauce has baked on.

Tempeh also crumbles well, so it can be used in place of ground beef in tons of recipes, from tacos to spaghetti.  A while back, I used crumbled up tempeh to make these super easy sloppy joes.

I just sauteed some peppers, onions, garlic, and crumbled tempeh in olive oil.  Let it all simmer in BBQ or sloppy joe sauce for a while so that the tempeh absorbs the flavor, and serve on a bun or bread of your choice.

I hope you liked these easy ideas for preparing tofu and tempeh!  Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Homemade Tofu Pad Thai

By most people's standards, I don't think I eat out all that much.  It is so much cheaper and healthier to eat at home, and I generally enjoy cooking in the evenings.  I find it sort of relaxing after a long day (especially when a glass of wine is involved).

I do have a pretty big weakness for Thai food, however, and it is something that I don't have much experience cooking.  As a result, I find myself frequenting my favorite local Thai place (Tana Thai) on a very regular basis, both with Jay and with friends.  They have the best pad thai, and I crave it all. the. time.

Jay kept asking why I don't try cooking pad thai at home since I love it so much.  I sort of just ignored him, until I saw some rice noodles on sale a couple weeks ago at the store.  There was a recipe for restaurant-style pad thai on the back of the box that didn't look too challenging, so I decided to give it a try.  It turned out good, but, sadly, not great.

The recipe had a lot of potential, so I gave it another shot last night, this time with a few more tweaks.  The second time was the charm!  While it still wasn't quiiite as good as Tana Thai (nothing is), I definitely thought it was great.  Plus, it is probably much healthier and certainly cheaper.

Tofu Pad Thai
Time: 45 minutes (plus the time to drain the tofu)
Makes: 3-4 servings

Ingredients:
1 package extra-firm tofu
1 tbsp. refined coconut oil or vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 green onions, chopped
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 package (8 oz.) rice noodles
1 cup fresh bean sprouts

Sauce:
1/4 cup lime juice
3 tbsp. liquid aminos or soy sauce (traditional recipes call for fish sauce)
3 tbsp. sugar (I thought this seemed like a lot, but when tried cutting it back it was just not as good)
Pinch or two of red pepper flakes

Garnish:
Cilantro, rinsed and chopped
Roasted peanuts, crushed
Green onion, chopped
Lime wedges for squeezing
Sriracha or red pepper flakes (if you like it spicy like we do!)

Directions:
1. Wrap your tofu up in a paper towel and place it between two plates.  Stick something heavy on top (I use my hardback Joy of Cooking cookbook) to help press the water out.  Leave it for about 30 minutes.

2. Once your tofu is drained, cut it up into 1-inch cubes.

3. Place tofu on greased baking sheet, drizzle with liquid aminos and Sriracha (if you want), and roast at 425 degrees for 30 minutes, stirring once.

4. While tofu roasts, mix up your sauce and chop your garnish ingredients.

5. Soak rice noodles in hot water for 8 minutes or until barely tender (they will cook a bit more at the end). Drain.

5.  Heat pan over medium-high heat.  Add oil, garlic, and green onions and stir until fragrant.  Add in two eggs and scramble.

6. Reduce heat to low; add sauce, noodles, tofu, and bean sprouts.  Toss well.  Garnish as desired (I used LOTS of cilantro, peanuts, lime juice, and hot sauce).

7. Grab some chopsticks and enjoy!

I hope your week is off to a great start!  Today was an exciting day for the blog...it reached 5,000 hits! Thank you for reading!