Miso Tofu

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Serves 3

We have learned to love tofu more and more.  This recipe is a winner, especially if you’re new to tofu.  Make this and serve it alongside a salad, roasted veggies or with pasta or rice.

1 block of extra firm tofu
1 garlic cloves 
2 Tablespoon white miso paste 
1½ Tablespoon rice vinegar 
1 Tablespoon sesame oil 
1 Tablespoon maple syrup 
½ Tablespoon tamari sauce

To get a meatier texture, freeze the tofu in the original packaging. On the day you plan to make this recipe, defrost it. Once the tofu is thawed, use a tofu press, if you have one, or wrap it in a clean towel and weigh it down with something heavy to remove as much water as possible.
Once the tofu is dry, tear in into chunks (or cut it into cubes if you prefer.)
Heat oil on a large non-stick pan on medium-high heat.
Once the pan is hot, add the tofu squares, sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper, and cook on each side until they turn golden and slightly crispy. This should take about 3 to 5 minutes per side.
Prepare the miso sauce: In a small bowl, mix together the miso paste, minced garlic (or garlic powder), soy sauce, rice vinegar (or apple cider vinegar), and maple syrup (or agave nectar) until well combined.
Once the tofu is cooked and golden, reduce the heat to low. Pour the miso sauce over the tofu in the pan and stir to coat the tofu evenly, flipping over the tofu a few times. Allow the tofu to cook slightly in the sauce on low heat to enhance the flavor.  Add water to the pan to deglaze as it cooks.
Once the tofu is fully coated with the miso sauce, turn off the heat.
Serve the miso tofu on top of rice, as a delicious protein source to any meal. 
If you prefer, you can roast the tofu at 375-400F for 20-30 minutes. (I’ve tried roasting and it works, but I think it tastes much better (texture wise) if it’s cooked in a skillet.

Sesame Tempeh Bowls (Vegan)

Servings: 4

Recipe from Budget Bytes 

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

This was a real treat and made the hubster very happy.  We really like tempeh for a few reasons.  It's a fermented food, which means it's good for the gut.  We really like the texture... chewy, in a good way.  It's also economical.  When I first tried cooking with tempeh, I made the mistake of not steaming or simmering the tempeh in water before proceeding.  This very important step takes away any bitterness.  Be sure not to skip that step in the recipe.  

1/4 cup soy sauce (I used low sodium soy sauce.)

2 Tablespoons water 

1 Tablespoon sesame oil 

3 Tablespoons brown sugar 

1 Tablespoon rice vinegar 

1 tsp grated fresh ginger 

2 cloves garlic, minced 

1 Tablespoon sesame seeds 

1/2 Tablespoon cornstarch 

8 oz. tempeh 

2 green onions, sliced (I didn't have green onions, so I used 1/4 red onion.)

4 cups cooked jasmine rice*

1 lb. fresh or frozen broccoli florets, cooked** (I used fresh.)

Begin by mixing together the sesame sauce. In a medium bowl, stir together the soy sauce, 2 Tablespoons water, sesame oil, brown sugar, rice vinegar, grated ginger, minced garlic, sesame seeds, and cornstarch until the cornstarch is dissolved. Set the sauce aside.

Cut the brick of tempeh into 8 squares, then cut each square diagonally into a triangle. Turn each triangle on its side and slice it in half so you have two thinner triangles. To achieve the proper tempeh to sauce ratio, you don't want thick pieces. 

Place the tempeh in a large skillet and add 1/2 cup water. Place the skillet over medium-high heat and let the tempeh simmer until all of the water evaporates (about 5-8 minutes). Flip the tempeh a couple times as it simmers.

Once the water has evaporated, turn the heat down to medium and pour in the sesame sauce. The skillet will still be quite hot, so the sauce may begin to thicken immediately. Stir the tempeh in the sauce until the sauce has thickened (1-2 minutes), then remove it from the heat immediately to prevent further evaporation and thickening.

To build the bowls, place one cup of rice in each dish, top with 1/4 of the sesame tempeh, 1/4 of the broccoli florets, and a sprinkle of green onion.

Notes

*You can sub brown rice or plain white rice if desired.

**To cook the broccoli (fresh), add some water with a pinch of salt to a saucepan.  Bring the water to a boil.  Add the broccoli and cover with a lid.  Cook for 2 minutes.  Drain and proceed with the recipe.

Nutritional Information for Original Recipe: Calories: 441.63kcal | Carbohydrates: 68.25g | Protein: 20.83g | Fat: 11.18g | Sodium: 909.33mg | Fiber: 5.03g

 

Sweet & Spicy Miso Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Sambal Tahini Mayo (Vegan)

Recipe from PickUpLimes

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Makes 2-3 servings

Well, this just knocked our socks off!  Wowza!  I’m excited to find another fabulous recipe using sweet potatoes.  Make this now!!

Sweet Potatoes

3 medium sweet potatoes, scrubbed

1 Tablespoon sesame oil

2 teaspoons miso paste

2 teaspoons sambal oelek

2 teaspoons maple syrup

1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger

Spicy Sambal Tahini Mayo

1 Tablespoon vegan mayo

1 Tablespoon tahini

2 teaspoons water

1 teaspoon sambal oelek

1 teaspoon sodium reduced soy sauce or tamari sauce

Preheat the oven to 350F.  Keep the skin on the potatoes for extra crispiness and fiber, if desired.  Otherwise, peel the potatoes.  (I keep the skin on.). Wash and cut the sweet potatoes into wedges.

To a large bowl or pie plate, combine the sesame oil, miso paste, sambal, maple syrup, and ginger.  Use a fork to mash and mix to combine.  Add the sweet potato wedges and toss to coat. 

Transfer the coated sweet potatoes to a parchment lined baking sheet.  Roast at 350F for 35-40 minutes or until for tender and golden on the edges.  Tip:  once the potatoes are baked, you can crisp them up a bit more by turning on the broiler and broiling them for 1-2 minutes.

While the potatoes are roasting, make the mayo.  Add all the mayo ingredients to a small bowl and mix to combine.  You can serve the sweet potatoes drizzled with the mayo or you can serve the mayo as a dipping sauce.

You can store any leftovers in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.  They are best reheated in the oven.  You can also roast other vegetables such as bell peppers, carrots or zucchini for this recipe.

Marinated Peanut Tempeh

Recipe from Minimalist Baker

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Serves 4

Well, this was just beyond good.  It was a big hit with the husband too.  I served this with Buffalo Cauliflower Salad, but now that I’ve made it, I’m excited to try it in other dishes, like spring rolls.

Tempeh:

8 ounces tempeh

Marinade:

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes or 1 fresh or dried bird’s eye chili, minced

1 ½ Tablespoons sesame oil

2 Tablespoons creamy peanut butter or almond butter or cashew butter

2 Tablespoons tamari or soy sauce (plus more, if desired*)

2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice

3 Tablespoons maple syrup

To remove bitterness from the tempeh, add to a rimmed skillet or saucepan filled with 1 inch of water and bring to a low boil over medium heat.  Cover the pan and steam the tempeh for a total of 10-12 minutes, flipping once at the halfway point.  Then rinse, pat dry on a clean towel, and cut into thin, bite-size pieces.  (I cut the tempeh in half lengthwise and then cut it into small triangles. The smaller the pieces, the better they can soak up the marinade.)

Mix the marinade ingredients with a whisk until smooth and thoroughly combined.  Taste and adjust the flavor as needed, adding more red pepper flakes for heat, maple syrup for sweetness, lime juice for acidity, or tamari for saltiness. 

Put the tempeh in a shallow dish and pour the marinade over the tempeh.  Flip the tempeh pieces to ensure each piece is coated with the marinade.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, preferably for 24 hours.  While marinating, carefully flip the tempeh over to ensure even coating. 

Preheat the oven to 375 F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Place the tempeh on the parchment lined baking sheet, leaving a little room between the pieces.  There should be some marinade left in the shallow dish.  Add about 1 Tablespoon tamari* to what’s left of the marinade and stir.  Brush this over the top of each tempeh piece. Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 22 to 30 minutes or until caramelized and deep golden brown. 

Serve this tempeh as the protein for a meal or add it to spring rolls, salads, stir-fry, and noodle dishes.  Store leftovers in the fridge, covered, up to 3 days.

Nutritional Info: 250 calories; 15.2 g fat (2.8 g sat. fat); 463 mg sodium; 19.3 g carbohydrates; 1 g fiber; 10.2 g sugars; 13.4 g protein

Cold Sesame Whole-Wheat Noodles with Spiralized (or Shredded) Vegetables

Here it is all mixed together and ready to serve.

Here it is unmixed and ready to toss for a great lunch.

Servings: 4*

Recipe from https://sweetpeasandsaffron.com

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

This vegan meal is fantastic and company-worthy.  If you don’t have a spiralizer, you can sometimes find spiralized vegetables in the produce section.  You can also just shred the vegetables using the largest holes.  I purchased a Brieftons Spiralizer on Amazon last year and I’ve been happy with it.  Besides the delectable taste of this meal, I love the idea of mixing some whole-wheat pasta with vegetable “noodles.”  If you are watching carbs and needing to add vegetables to your diet, this is a great way to do it.  The recipe says it makes 4 servings, but my husband and I filled our 8-inch plate with it (1 serving each), then I was able to pack up the rest in 3 “food prep” containers for lunch for the next few days.  So, I would say this makes 5 servings.  All of the components can be prepared in advance and then put together at dinner time.  Give this Meatless Monday meal a try next week. 

NOTE: 452 calories per serving

4 ounces whole-wheat spaghetti, uncooked

1 medium-large zucchini, spiralized or shredded

2 large carrots spriralized or shredded

2 cups chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1-2 scallions, thinly sliced

1 Tablespoon sesame seeds

¼ cup natural almond butter (You can substitute other nut butters like peanut or cashew.)

1 teaspoon finely grated ginger

1 clove garlic, minced

2 Tablespoons soy sauce or tamari sauce or Braggs Aminos

3 Tablespoons brown rice vinegar

1 Tablespoon sesame oil

1 Tablespoon real maple syrup (not pancake syrup!)

1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lime juice

½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (Omit this for a non-spicy version.)

Cook the pasta according to the package directions.  Rinse under cold water and set aside to cool completely.  (If you are worried about it sticking together, you can add 1 Tablespoon olive oil and toss.)

While the pasta is cooking, prepare the vegetables and the sauce.  Toss the cooled pasta with the vegetables and chickpeas.  Pour the sauce over the pasta, vegetable, chickpea mixture and toss well to coat.  Sprinkle with the scallions and sesame seeds.  Serve cold.  This can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days.