Tofu/Spinach/Mushroom Soba Noodle Soup

This has been my lunch for the past two days. Soooo good!! I modified this recipe a bit but the original version is from Gourmet Magazine.



Ingredients:
- 7 cups vegetable broth (I used mushroom broth)
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1 tsp. sugar
- 1/2 lb dried soba noodles (buckwheat noodles)
- 2 carrots, sliced thin
- 1 cup shiitake mushrooms, pieces
- 1/2 lb spinach, coarse stems discarded and the leaves washed well, and chopped
-8-10 ounces firm tofu, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
-3-4 tablespoons miso, to taste
- 2 scallions, minced


Directions:
- In a saucepan bring the broth to a boil.
- Stir in the soy sauce and the sugar and simmer the broth for 5 minutes.
- In a pot of salted boiling water cook the noodles for 3 to 5 minutes, or until they are al dente, being careful not to overcook them, drain them in a colander, and rinse them under cold water.
- Add the carrots and mushrooms to the broth and simmer them, covered, for 5 minutes.
- Stir in the spinach and the tofu and simmer the soup for 1 minute.
- In a small bowl stir together well 1/2 cup of the soup broth and the miso and pour the mixture back into the pan.
- Divide the noodles among 3 large bowls, ladle the soup over them, and sprinkle each serving with some of the scallions.

Yields 3 LARGE servings. I modified this for an entree/lunch portion.
For an appetizer/starter, just halve the calories for 6 portions.

Nutritional Information:
Calories: 370
Fat: 7.9 g
Carbohydrates: 56.1 g
- Fiber: 6.6 g
Protein: 24.9 g

Tofu Loaf

Last night for dinner, I really wanted a hearty meal - something to hit the spot. Since I didn't eat much throughout the day, and kinda felt like baking, I decided to attempt making a tofu loaf. Although it didn't turn out quite "loafy," I thought it was utterly delicious.

Ingredients: (Serves 4 people)
1 lb. Tofu, Firm
1 cup Dried Bread Crumbs
1/2 medium White Onion
1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
4 tablespoons Tomato Ketchup
2 tablespoons Soy Sauce
1 tablespoons Italian Herb Seasonings
1 teaspoons Pepper, Black
1/2 cup Carrots (I used 1 cup of canned mixed veggies since I didn't have anything fresh)
1/2 cup Celery
(I also added a long squirt of Dijon mustard, which was probably overkill and contributed to the consistency problem)


Some of my ingredients. The asparagus and chopped garlic were served on the side.

Instructions:
1) Preheat oven to 350°F.
2) Drain and press the tofu for about 15 minutes.


3) Dice up the tofu and put all the ingredients in a food processor, except for the carrots and celery.

How gross does THAT look?

4) Blend until smooth. Add the carrot and celery, and blend in the tofu mixture.

Looks like hummus!

5) Put in a greased loaf pan and bake for one hour.

Don't mind the white stuff, just some excess seasoning.

Now, while this loaf was baking, I fried up the asparagus and made some (instant, boo!) mashed potatoes. When it came out, I was sooo starving, and it smelled sooo good that I completely forgot to take a picture of it, or of my delicious looking, full plate. The best I could do is this, which is clearly after I had already taken my share.



The only major problem with this loaf was that, although it doesn't look like it here, it's texture was actually that of mashed potatoes. It was definitely not slice-able. Also, it was a bit too pungent for the normal person (at least according to my boyfried). I'm not sure how I could modify the recipe for next time. I would definitely omit the mustard, and probably add a tiny bit less soy sauce. The tofu might have to be a bit drier, as well.

It was very good though and I would DEFINITELY make this again. As a matter of fact, it's my lunch today!

Tofu Scramble & Randomness

Today was my first experiment in cooking with tofu and actually it turned out very delicious, even though I made something super-simple. For my main course, I had tofu scramble. Mmm... I honestly thought it was scrambled eggs for a split second. :) Now, feel free to throw in any ingredients you have on-hand. I didn't have any peppers or mushrooms so I was kinda suck with onion. :)

Scrambled Tofu

INGREDIENTS:
- 1 16 oz. block of firm tofu
- 3 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced thin
- 1/2 small onion
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup sliced scallions
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce

DIRECTIONS:
1) Drain the tofu and press it, using paper towels. Then crumble it using your clean hands.

2) Sautee the garlic and onion in olive oil on medium heat for 3-5 minutes.
3) Stir in the crumbled tofu then add turmeric, salt, pepper, scallions, and soy sauce.

Looks like eggs! Whoah!

4) Cook with tofu for 5 more minutes, stirring often.
5) Serve as an egg dish or with salsa and burrito wrappers.


Mmm... delicious!

To add to my meal, I also made some stir-fried asparagus, which is as simple as olive oil, salt, and pepper.


The final product:


And...last but not least, I made curried zucchini chips as an appetizer, which is something I kinda made up and throw all kinds of spices on.

INGREDIENTS
- 2 (or more) zucchini
- olive oil (for brushing)
- Salt
- Pepper
- Curry
- Paprika
- Garlic Powder

DIRECTIONS
1) Preheat the oven to 400
2) Take a large, flat oven tray and lightly brush it with olive oil
3 ) Cut the zucchini into thin slices and place them onto the tray
4) After all the chips are placed, take a small brush and cover the the tops of the chips, lightly, with olive oil.


5) After the zucchini is covered, take the spices (or make alterations, to taste) and sprinkle them loosely over the slices.


6) Bake for 15 minutes, then check and flip. Bake for another 15 minutes or until the chips are slightly browned at the edges.


Voila!

Bear in mind that the zucchini shrinks a lot in baking so I would recommend using at least 2 thin zucchini per person.