Tofu Steaks

From Cooking Light



Ingredients:
1 (14-ounce) package water-packed reduced-fat extra-firm tofu
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
8 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup egg substitute
2 cups panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions:
1. Cut tofu crosswise into 4 slices. Place tofu slices on several layers of heavy-duty paper towels; cover with additional paper towels. Let stand 30 minutes, pressing down occasionally.

2. Combine basil and next 8 ingredients (through garlic) in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add tofu to bag; seal. Marinate in refrigerator 1 hour, turning bag occasionally.

3. Place flour in a shallow dish. Place egg substitute in another shallow dish. Place panko in 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 procedure 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 for 4 minutes on each side or until browned.

Comments:
I didn't eat this. I just can't get on the tofu wagon. There's something about it that just grosses me out. Adam had this and thought it was pretty good.

Hot and Sour Soup with Tofu

From Cooking Light



Ingredients:
1 (14-ounce) package firm water-packed tofu, drained
1 3/4 cups water, divided
1 (1/2-ounce) package dried sliced shiitake mushroom caps
4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup white vinegar
2 tablespoons less-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
2 teaspoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon white pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup canned sliced bamboo shoots, drained and cut into julienne strips
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup thinly diagonally sliced green onion tops

Directions:
1. Place tofu on several layers of paper towels. Cover tofu with several more layers of paper towels; top with a cast-iron skillet or other heavy pan. Let stand 30 minutes. Discard paper towels. Cut tofu into 1-inch cubes.

2. Bring 1 1/2 cups water to a boil in a small saucepan; remove from heat. Stir in mushrooms; let stand 30 minutes. Stir in broth and next 6 ingredients (through garlic); bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Combine remaining 1/4 cup water and cornstarch in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Stir cornstarch mixture, tofu, and bamboo shoots into broth mixture; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute, stirring occasionally; remove from heat. Slowly drizzle egg into broth mixture (do not stir). Place pan over low heat; cook 1 minute. Stir soup gently to combine. Sprinkle with green onions.

Comments:
This one was not for me. At all. I had no plans to even try it. But Adam liked it. Said it had a nice mixture of textures. To each their own, I say.

Quinoa & Vegetable Saute

From Clean Eating Summer 2008. Doesn't look like they post recipes online.



Ingredients:
quinoa
water (used chicken stock)
canola oil
red onion
bell pepper (left out)
green cabbage
herbes de Provence
salt
peas
tofu

Comments:
Adam mentioned quinoa a while back as some kind of miracle food that is a great nutritional staple and we should eat it every day. So I finally got around to finding a recipe to make with it. Adam determined they look like baby fish eyes. How appetizing. The taste is not extraordinary, but I suppose that's not really the point. This recipe as a whole was ok. I think I'd cut the tofu into smaller chunks next time as it seemed to kind of take over the whole dish. Also, the picture in the magazine? Doesn't look like they even cooked it. Kind of misleading.

Moo-Less Chocolate Pie

From Alton Brown via foodnetwork.com



Ingredients:
chocolate chips
coffee liqueur (Left out)
vanilla
silken tofu
honey
chocolate wafer crust

Comments:
I was interested in this recipe because it's pretty much a chocolate mousse pie made with tofu, thereby eliminating any dairy side effects. It took some effort to find the tofu. But we did it. It also took some effort to make the pie filling. We didn't have any coffee liqueur and I debated subbing some Godiva for it but ultimately just left it out. The vanilla made the chocolate seize up almost instantly and the tofu/chocolate mixture was too think for the blender. We had to thin it out a bit with some water to avoid burning up the blender's motor. It set up fine and tastes good. I might go with milk chocolate rather than semi-sweet chips if I attempt this again. It's very rich and it's almost required that it's cut with some whipped cream to eat. Heh.