Category Archives: Tofu

Kimchi Pancakes with Soy-Vinegar Dipping Sauce

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And just like that, the moment is gone.

I go’ FLY, Mama, she warns me, arms outstretched.

You can fly? I ask.  She gives me a serious nod.

Ready SE-GO! I FLY! She lowers her head like a baby goat and charges across the room to me, arms wide as wings.  Even though she expects nothing less, she chortles with surprise and delight every time I catch her up in my arms and swoop her over my head.  Then she wriggles to the floor and we do it again.

One two free FLY!

Fly to me, baby.  I have caught you, and your sisters before you, a thousand times.  My arms will always be waiting (although I’m learning from your sisters that I won’t always be able to lift you overhead so effortlessly).  One two free FLY!Kimchi and Tofu PancakesSometimes change is hard, like knowing that someday soon I won’t have a flying baby anymore.  And sometimes it’s easy, like switching up the latke routine at the tail end of Hanukkah.  Continue reading →

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Miso-Roasted Squash Salad with Tofu and Crispy Kale

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The only thing I like better than a one-pot meal is a one-pan meal, where instead of continual fussing over the stove you can just toss your pan in the oven and then go about your business (mostly) until dinner is served.  This, as you may have guessed, is such a meal.Roasted Squash Salad with Tofu and Crispy Kale Continue reading →

Kimchi Fried Rice

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I have to tell you, friends, I’m feeling a little pressure here. Like I need to choose my words carefully to convey to you how good this dish is. (How’s this? So good.) Most of the time I feel like I’m preaching to the choir when I write here–I mean, who among us doesn’t love baked chard stems and butternut squash tacos and raw Brussels sprout salads? But here, with this dish, maybe we’re going out on a limb a little bit together. It’s fermented. It’s a little spicy. And I used white rice.

Be fearless. This is the kind of food that makes your mouth tingle with happiness (maybe it’s all the salt, but still). The texture is crunch and chew, the flavors are savory and bright. If you’re not already mad for kimchi, you will be soon.

Kimchi Fried Rice

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Saag Tofu (or Paneer) with Whole Spices

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Wait, don’t go!

I understand the impulse, believe me. It took me thirty-some years (ahem) to come around to the idea of trying a version of saag paneer, my favorite Indian food, with tofu instead of cheese. It just seemed wrong, too ascetic, the wrong place to skimp. Saag tofu sounded worse than no saag at all. (Kale saag paneer, on the other hand, is amazing.)Of course, you already know how this story is going to end.

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Roasted Broccoli (or Thanksgiving Leftovers) and Tofu Rice Bowl

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There are really only two things to write about on a food blog the day after Thanksgiving.  One is using up leftovers, and the other is your holiday gift guide (isn’t this one nice?).  Since buying things isn’t my strong suit (except for groceries, of course, where I excel beyond all necessity), I guess I’d better give you an idea for using up some of those tuppies in the fridge.I roasted my broccoli especially for this recipe, but I am going to give you license, as always, to substitute.  Have leftover green beans, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cooked greens?  Any of those would be great here. Continue reading →

Spicy Peanut Butter Tofu with Greens and Rice

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I know that peanut butter is considered kid food, but I’ve never quite grown out of it.  It’s a great grab-and-go snack on apple slices or crackers.  It’s equally at home in cookies and in oatmeal.  And I’ve long considered the PB&J the ultimate travel food (yes, even before we had kids).  So I’m wondering, why don’t I use it in my savory cooking more?

What are your favorite savory peanut butter recipes? Continue reading →

Mirin-Glazed Tofu and Tomatoes

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The mise en place, to me, is a creature that exists in fantasy only.  Here’s how dinner happens in real life: I cook and chop at the same time.  It’s revolutionary, I know, but I suspect that many (most?) home cooks join me in rising up against French tradition in this regard.  First we chop the onions, and then once they’re in the pan we chop the next thing.  I’m not alone here, right?

But here’s the thing about on-the-fly prep when you’re making what’s essentially a stir-fry: you have to work fast.  So be prepared to let your knife fly—or get all Martha and chop your ingredients in advance. Continue reading →

Baked Rice with Tofu, Corn, Tomatillos and Tomatoes

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As a mostly-vegetarian (if you’ll forgive the term), I tend to organize my meals a bit differently from omnivores.  And frankly, I am occasionally envious of the ease with which a meal comes together around a piece of meat (and we do sometimes cook fish), because then all you have to worry about are salads and sides.  And hey, I sure do like salads and sides.

So I get excited when I can have it all in one place: my vegetables and my whole grains, nestled in with tofu and cheese, scented with garlic and spices.  Maybe even with a great salsa on the side.  Yes, it’s true: I made a casserole.

The basic premise here is that flavorful, doctored-up brown rice and tofu are layered with tomatillos and tomatoes.  The rice and tofu sop up the juices as the tomatoes and tomatillos soften and it all bakes up into one big pan of late-summer comfort.  There are a few more steps involved here than in our usual recipes, but it’s quite manageable if you take it a step at a time: Make rice.  Chop vegetables.  Cook onions, garlic, and corn, then add tofu, spices, rice and cheese.  Layer this mixture with thickly-sliced tomatillos and tomatoes, and scatter feta on top for an extra bite of tang and salt.  Bake.  You can do that.

The last thing I’ll recommend is that you try making this dish with tofu that has been frozen and then defrosted.  It gives the tofu a bit of a spongy texture, which is more appealing than it sounds.  Nobody will expect to find tofu in this dish, but it contributes flavor and texture as well as protein.  If you’d prefer to leave it out, you could whisk a few eggs into the rice instead, but then I’d recommend baking the dish covered and maybe for a little longer. Continue reading →

Chipotle Baked Tofu

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There’s no accounting for taste.  Thanks to the wonders of modern technology, I can see which posts are most popular among you, dear readers.  And I have this to say: zucchini fritters?  Really?  Aren’t you sick of zucchini yet?  (I mean, they’re great, but….)  And I also have this to say: you are missing out by passing over that Sloppy-Gloppy Crisp-and-Crunchy Tofu Reuben Sandwich.

Can I at least convince you to try the tofu part?

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Sloppy-Gloppy Crisp-and-Crunchy Tofu Reuben Sandwiches

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My first half-gallon of tangy, delicious sauerkraut ended badly……and I found myself looking for ways to serve the last few brine-less cups left in the bottom of the jar.

What would you do? Continue reading →