Tofu Steaks with Red Pepper-Walnut Sauce

I am not a fan of tofu as a general rule unless it is fried to crispy oblivion. I was skeptical that this dish, based from plain extra firm tofu, could possibly be tasty. But my cousin prepared this for her family and promised even her meat loving, tofu hating papa found this to be scrumptious, so I gave it a try. I was not disappointed either, this dish is fabulous!

There are wonderful aromas in the preparation while chopping the fresh herbs and toasting the walnuts. I would recommend this dinner on a Sunday evening or a night where a little extra time can be spent in the kitchen. The end result is worth all the work and sink full of dishes.

Tofu Steaks with Red Pepper-Walnut Sauce (from Cooking Light)

1 (14 oz) package water-packed extra-firm tofu
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup water
2 TBS chopped fresh parsley
1 TBS chopped fresh thyme (I used about 1 tsp dry)
2 TBS white wine vinegar
1 TBS Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 crushed red pepper
8 garlic cloves, minced (I use about 4 cloves)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup egg substitute
2 cups panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
2 TBS olive oil
3 TBS chopped walnuts, toasted
1 (12 oz.) bottle roasted red peppers, drained

1. Cut tofu in 1/2 to thin, then again to make 4 slices. Place tofu slices between two clean kitchen towels (or several paper towels if needed) Place a heavy book on top and allow moisture to absorb into towels for 30 minutes.

2. Combine basil and next 8 ingredients through garlic, place in a zip lock bag. Add tofu and seal, marinating in refrigerator 1 hour, turning occasionally.

3. Place flour in a shallow dish. Place egg substitute in another shallow dish. Place panko in yet another shallow dish.

4. Remove tofu from marinade, reserving remaining marinade. Working with one tofu piece at a time, dredge tofu in flour, shaking off excess. Dip tofu in egg substitute, allowing excess to drip off. Coat tofu completely with panko, pressing lightly to adhere. Set aside. Repeat with remaining tofu, flour, egg substitute and panko.

5. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil to pan, swirling to coat. Add tofu to pan. Reduce heat to medium and cook 4 minutes on each side until browned. Remove tofu from pan, keep warm.

6. Combine reserved marinade, walnuts, and bell peppers in a blender, process until smooth. Pour bell pepper mixture into pan, cook over med-high heat 2 minutes until heated. Serve with tofu.

Seared Scallops with White Beans

Looking for a quick one dish wonder for a busy week night dinner? Here it is! This dish comes together in less than 30 minutes, offers protein and veggies and tastes delicious! Use either fresh or frozen scallops, but allow time for thawing if frozen scallops are chosen. Serve with a crusty dinner bread to soak up some of the yummy broth that is left in the pan.

Seared Scallops with White Beans (from Coo.king Light)

2 TBS olive oil, divided
1 pounds sea scallops
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup chopped onion
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 cup veggie broth
1 (15oz) can cannellini beans
1 (6oz) package fresh baby spinach
2 TBS chopped fresh basil

1. Heat 1 TBS oil in large nonstick skillet over med-high heat. Sprinkle scallops evenly with salt. Add scallops to pan and
cook 2 minutes each side until done. Remove from pan and keep warm.

2. Add remaining 1 TBS oil and onion to pan, saute 2 minutes. Add pepper and garlic, cook 20 seconds, stirring constantly. Stir in wine, cook 1 minute until most of liquid evaporates. Stir in broth and beans, cook 2 minutes. Add spinach, cook 1 minute until wilted. Remove from heat and stir in basil.

Black and White Beans with Orzo

This dish is delicious and fairly easy in preparation. I strayed from the directions ever so slightly and rather than steam the veggies I add them into the bean mixture instead, choosing to only steam the frozen green beans. This recipe calls for Curry powder to be added into the Orzo but lends only a mild Curry flavor. My hubby does not like traditional Curry dishes but enjoys this dish each time. So if you are not a fan of Curry give this one a try anyway as final flavoring is delicious and not overwhelmingly Curried.

Black and White Beans with Orzo (adapted from Low Fat Ways to Cook Vegetarian)

Olive oil
1 medium/large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (15oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15oz) can Cannelloni beans (white kidney beans), rinsed and drained
2 1/4 cups veggie broth (divided)
1/2 tsp ground cumin powder
1 cup uncooked orzo
2 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp ground red pepper
2 medium zucchini, chopped
2 cups cauliflower flowerets
2 cups frozen green beans

Bring 1 3/4 cups veggie broth to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add orzo, curry powder and red pepper. Reduce heat and simmer ~ 10 minutes until most of liquid is absorbed and orzo is tender. Stir often to prevent sticking.

Add olive oil to large skillet over med-high heat. Add onion and garlic, saute 5 minutes. Stir in beans, zucchini, cauliflower and 1/2 cup veggie broth. Cover and simmer 15 minutes, stirring frequently.

Meanwhile steam green beans in separate saucepan.

Add steamed green beans to bean mixture and serve over orzo.

Spicy Peas and Spinach

I have been so bad about updating the food blog - sorry! To my defense I have alot going on right now, but that is really no excuse to not share delicious recipes with friends.

This dish was part of a special dinner I hosted a couple weeks ago. We had Moroccan Ficken and this Spicy Pea dish which went together nicely. The Moroccan Ficken has a sweetness to the flavor due to the dried apricots, so the spicy of this dish is a nice contrast. I love sweet and savory in the same meal!

Spicy Peas and Spinach (from What's Coo.king Veg.etarian by Jenny Stacey)

1 1/4 cups green split peas ****need to soak before cooking!****
2 pounds fresh spinach
olive oil
1 onion, halved and sliced
1 tsp grated ginger root
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground coriander
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 1/4 cup veggie broth
salt/ and pepper

1. Rinse and sort through split peas, then transfer to a bowl and soak in water for 2 hours.
2. Heat oil in saucepan and add onion, spices and garlic. Saute for 3 - 5 minutes.
3. Add drained split peas, spinach and broth. Simmer covered 10 - 15 minutes until peas are cooked and liquid has been mostly absorbed. Season with salt and pepper.

Garlicky Spaghetti with Beans and Greens

What a simple and tasty summer time pasta! I made this last night and we both loved it's simplicity and flavor.

Garlicky Spaghetti with Beans and Greens (From Cooking Light August 2009)

12 oz uncooked spaghetti

1/4 tsp salt, divided

3 TBS olive oil

2 TBS minced fresh garlic (I only used 4 cloves)

1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved

1 (16 oz) can cannelloni beans, rinsed and drained

5 oz fresh arugula leaves (I used more, maybe 6 - 7 oz)

2 TBS fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Scoop out 1/2 cup pasta water before draining. Place drained pasta in a bowl, add 1/4 tsp of salt, and set aside.

2. Return pot to medium heat and add oil and garlic. Cook 1 - 2 minutes until garlic is lightly browned, stirring often. Stir in remaining salt, tomatoes, and beans. Cook about 2 minutes.

3. Add pasta, reserved pasta water and arugula, tossing gently to combine. Remove from heat. Stir in lemon juice and cheese.

Avocado and Veggie Soup

I love this soup in the summer time! It is actually a hot soup, as strange as it may sound with avocado. This is an easy soup to make and does not take much time to cook. Trust me, it is delicious! This is not a main course style soup, so plan to serve it with some other dish so bellies leave the table full and satisfied! A mexican style salad would be a great match with this soup. You can either blend half the soup, all the soup or none of the soup ... your choice!

Avocado and Veggie Soup

2 large avocado

2 TBS lemon or lime juice

1 TBS olive oil

1 can of corn, drained

2 tomatoes, chopped

1 garlic clove, crushed

1 - 2 leeks, chopped (rinsed well before and after chopping)

1 red chili, chopped

1/2 tsp dried cumin

2 cups veggie broth

2/3 cup 2% milk

1. Peel and mash avocado using a fork. Stir in lemon or lime juice, set aside.

2. Heat oil in a pan over med-high heat and saute the corn, tomato, garlic, leek, chili and cumin for about 3 - 5 minutes until veggies are softened.

3. Add avocado, broth and milk and cook over medium heat 5 - 10 minutes until heated, stirring gently.

Pantry Organization

My pantry was out of control and I finally found motivation to clean it up and organize a couple weeks ago. No more stuffing, pushing and holding my breath that things will not just fall out and on my toes when I reach into the pantry!

Before Organization

After Organization

So, it is still crowded ( I need a bigger pantry!!!!) but I think it is a vast improvement thank you very much!