Tofu Green Curry

I've long wanted to give a try into making my own curry paste. It's so easy that I can't believe it took me this long to actually make it and I love the aroma of curry in the house after you cook it. I used real coconut milk from a coconut but canned milk will do as well.

Green curry paste:

1 stalk lemon grass, white part minced

2 tsp. ground coriander

1/2 tsp.  ground cumin

2 ½ tbsp. Bragg’s liquid amino’s or other wheat free soy sauce

2 tsp. brown sugar

2 green chilies, roasted on stove or on BBQ until skin is blistery and slightly black.

1 small shallot, minced

2 garlic cloves

1 thumb size fresh ginger, peeled

1 tbsp. limejuice

¼ cup fresh cilantro

¼ cup fresh basil

1 can coconut milk or 1 ½ cup fresh coconut milk

1 cup extra firm tofu, drained and cubed

1 large carrot, diced

1 cup asparagus tips

1 cup cauliflower

1 tbsp. canola oil

Salt to taste

•        Steam carrot, asparagus and cauliflower al dente.
•  
•        Place everything for the paste in a food processor or blender and puree. Add coconut milk and blend well.
•  
•       Heat oil in a large saucepan on medium heat and sauté tofu for a minute or two. Add curry sauce, vegetables and reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes.
• 
  
• ·      Add salt to taste.
• 
  
• ·      Serve over cooked rice or noodles.

Tofu and coconut stew

Last night dinner was tofu that the kids have been bugging me to cook for a while and since I had leftover coconut milk I used that and made a stew. I served with sprouted brown rice and my family all were super happy.

½ package extra firm tofu, drained and cut into cubes.

1 tbsp. canola oil

½  cup grated rutabaga

½ cup grated celeriac

Handful of corn

1 cup spinach, chopped

1 cup light coconut milk

Grate lemon peel from one lemon

Herb salt to taste

Black pepper

Place tofu cubes in a kitchen towel and place between two cutting boards and then place a weight on top for 30 minutes. This will completely drain the water out of the tofu. Heat oil in a skillet on medium heat and cook celeriac, corn and rutabaga for 5 minutes. Add spinach, coconut milk, grated lemon peel and herb salt. Reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with fresh black pepper if so wish.

eggless egg salad

This tofu based eggless egg salad is the perfect lunch or picnic food and super easy to make. I love placing it between fresh country bread, stuffed into a pita pocket or on the side of large mixed green salad. The recipe is originally Martha Steward's Favorite Comfort Food cookbook and I changed a bit as well as made it vegan.

1 container fresh extra firm tofu, drained by wrapping it up in a terry kitchen towel for at least 2 hours
1/2 cup vegan mayonaise
1/2 tsp mustard powder or use 3/4 tsp dijon mustard
3 tbs diced celery
1 tbs minced pickles
Salt & pepper to taste
1/4 tsp yellow curry powder


Mash the tofu with the back of a fork until crumble. Combine all the reminding ingredients in a bowl and blend well. Stir in the tofu and chill in fridge for at least one hour before serving. 

BBQ Tofu Neatloaf

Happy Valentine's day!

Today Bella is feeling better but I'm feeling sick instead. Typical for Valentine's day right? Well the weather is also behaving strange and it's been so cold and rainy lately and it does not help that we're stuck inside all day:( However later this evening me and James are going out for dinner just the two of us so I have something to look forward to.

To make something fun I made BBQ neatloaf that I know is very much appreciated and served it very traditional with  gravy, mashed potatoes and green beans.

Rainy days leaves plenty of time for cuddles

1/2 yellow onion, peeled and diced

1 tsp canola oil

1/2 cup rolled oats

1 package extra firm tofu, crumbled

1 tsp chili pepper

Salt to taste

1/2 cup BBQ sauce + extra to spread on top of the loaf

• Preheat oven to F400
• Grease a loaf pan. 
• Heat canola oil in a frying pan on medium heat and cook onions until glossy but not brown. 
• Combine onions, rolled oats, tofu, chili pepper, salt and BBQ sauce in a bowl and use fingers to blend well. 
• Press tofu into loaf pan cook in oven for about 20 minutes. 
• Spread a layer of BBQ sauce over loaf before serving. 

BBQ tofu stir fry

Bella is still feeling pretty bad and we're now on day 3 of fever and I'm getting fed up with it. My poor baby is so brave but not feeling well at all so she lays and rest a lot and we read books, paint etc. I sure hope she is feeling better by Tuesday because they are celebrating Valentine's day in her class and she has made 18 bird feeder and cards to hand out to all her friends.

Bella's appetite has been obviously down so I really have to be creative and make food I think she will really like and last nights dinner was one of those; tofu, BBQ  sauce and some veggies hidden in the midst of it shhhhhhhhh!!!

1 tbs canola oil
1 celery stalk, tops and ends cut of and chopped
1 cup corn
1 cup zucchini, chopped
1 package extra firm tofu, cubed
1/2 cup BBQ sauce
Salt & pepper to taste

Heat oil in a skillet on medium heat and cook seller, corn and zucchini for 5 minutes. Pour in the water and bring to a boil. Cook for 3 minutes. Add tofu and BBQ sauce, salt and pepper and blend carefully. Simmer for a minute or two before serving with pasta or rice.

Bell pepper & tomato sauce and marinated tofu

Yesterday’s dinner was a chaotic zoo with both kids whining or crying about everything and nothing. James was late so I was on my own. I was feeding Noah while Bella was trying to negotiate with me and singing her little heart out the same time. On top of this I was starved and I could hear our bunny stomping his feet as to say, what about my dinner? I ended up eating my dinner standing up while rocking Noah, (not good for digestion) and when James finally came home, I was happy to say, “here are YOUR kids”.

However, dinner was so good with herb roasted vegetables, marinated tofu and an amazing rich flavored sauce with that. The sauce is so easy to make that I know I will do it again soon. The sauce is creamy but there is not an ounce of cream in it, cashews are what makes it creamy. The tofu I don't know the exact measurements because I did it pretty fast but it's a very tasty way for a quick marinade.

Bell pepper & tomato sauce

1 large garlic clove, grated

2 tsp. canola oil

1 cup ripe tomatoes, chopped

½ cup red bell pepper, chopped

1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar

Salt to taste

Chili pepper to taste

½ cup raw cashews

Heat oil in a skillet on medium/low heat.  Sauté garlic for 1 minute. Add bell pepper and tomato and cook for a few minutes. Puree vegetables in a blender or food processor along with apple cider vinegar and cashews. Return to skillet to reheat and add spices.

Marinated tofu

1/2 package extra firm tofu

Bragg's liquid amino's or tamari

Grated fresh ginger

Lemon juice

honey

Mix everything or the marinade and blend with diced tofu. Let it soak up the flavors in the fridge for at least 1 hour. 

Pomegranate salad dressed with a chive and mustard dressing

I have to admit I love pomegranate and love how they grow locally here but I almost never buy them nor cook with them. Went we were at the farmer's market last Sunday I decided to change that and bought a few. Pomegranate is loaded with all good stuff such as fibers, potassium and antioxidants so it's a fruit I indeed would like to eat more of.

Besides just eating it like it is I made a salad with the fruit and it was so colorful and bursting with flavors. I also discovered that Noah really enjoyed the seeds as well although I kept and watchful eye on him to make sure he did not choke on them. He is getting so good at feeding himself and therefore family dinner time is more enjoyable for everyone.

I also want to remind you of the book and bag give away which ends on Friday. To enter for your chance to win a copy of my cookbook and a handmade bag send your name and email to Fredrica@Green-Mom.com. Don't miss out!!! The bags are beautiful orange and perfect for shopping your greens and veggies:)

2 cup lettuce, washed and town into pieces
1 cup cooked pasta ( I used leftover quinoa pasta for yesterdays dinner)
2 thin slices of tofu, lightly grilled on each side
1/2 cup grated carrot
2/3 cup pomegranate seeds


Dressing:
1 tbs olive oil
1 tbs raspberry vinegar
1/2 tbs honey
1 tbs fresh chives, minced
1 tsp capers
1 tbs dijon mustard
1 tbs sour cream ( I used tofutti)
Salt & pepper to taste

Mix everything and drizzle over salad

Provencal tofu casserole

We're having a heatwave here and me and Noah are so miserable because we can't go outside and we're getting a little cabin fever. On top of this Noah is teething and not his happy wonderful self. I try to take kids out for a walk in the morning and playing in the garden in the early evening so at least we get some fresh air.

Tonight me and James actually have a date and we're going to a spanish restaurant for dinner and kissie, kissie time:) I still had to cook dinner for nanny and kids and they had provencal tofu casserole served with purple beans and new potatoes.

1 package extra firm tofu, drained and sliced

Fresh lemon juice

1 1/2 cup cream ( I used mimic)

1 tbs dried french provencal herbs

Salt & pepper

1/2 cup orange or red bell pepper, diced

Preheat oven to F400

Arrange tofu sliced in a baking dish. Mix cream, provencal herbs,salt and pepper and pour over tofu. sprinkle bell pepper over. Bake for 15 minutes. Serve with potatoes, rice or other grains.

Warm spelt berry salad

Our first weekend back home and we've been working in the garden all day. Our zucchini plant had grown all over the place so we cut it back as well as our artichoke plant. There were also a lot of dead flower to remove and new to plant. The morning was beautiful with perfect temperatures but by lunch we were warm part due to all the hard work but also because now the sun was out and it was getting noticeably hot out side.

I craved a salad for lunch but James is not big on them so I compromised by making a very hearty warm salad. I served it on a bed of spelt berries which are high in nutrition and because of its high water solubility the body can absorb all that goodness. It's also a easy to digest and high in protein. I almost only bake with spelt flour but I also love eating spelt. This salad has a little of everything; salt, sour, sweet as well as different texture, just how I like it.

2 cups spelt berries, cooked according to description

1 tbs canola oil

1/2 cup leeks, chopped

1 garlic clove, grated

1 zucchini, diced

1/2 cup sugar snaps

Salt & pepper to taste

1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half

1/4 cup fresh basil leafs, chopped

2 thin sliced extra firm tofu

4 tbs pumpkin seeds

1 tbs olive oil

1 tbs balsamic vinegar

1 tbs honey

Heat oil in a frying pan on medium heat. Sauté garlic, green onion for 2 minutes and then add zucchini and cook for 2 more minutes. Add sugar snaps, tomatoes, sprinkle with salt and pepper and blend. Place vegetables on top of spelt berries, sprinkle with basil any place tofu sliced on top of that. Drizzle oil, balsamic vinegar and honey over salad and sprinkle pumpkin seeds over before serving.

Marinated tofu

Today was one of those amazing and beautiful Swedish summer day with warm weather and sun so BBQ for dinner was a must. I marinated tofu and put in on the grill but this marinate is so good you could also use it as a dressing or why grill the tofu, instead eat it uncooked in the marinade.

Sunset view from our dinner table

1 package Extra firm plain tofu

2 tbs olive oil

2 tbs lemon juice

1/8 cup cream

2 tbs honey mustard

1 tbs brown sugar

Herb salt to taste

Mix everything except the tofu in a bowl. Cut tofu into cubes and marinade for at least 1 hour before serving or cooking.

Swiss chard and mushroom quiche

Noah has been a little crank today. I think his teeth are bothering him and the only way to keep him calm has been to strap him to my chest and cook. No I'm not kidding, this kid will relax and even fall asleep while I'm cooking and even using the cuisinart. I think it's a sound he's familiar with since his time in the womb so it's calming. I don't know but I know it works so I cook away.

So what did we cook? A quiche with swiss chard and mushrooms and it was heavenly and I ate it for lunch with a nice green salad. traditional quiches are made with eggs and if you are a vegetarian then that's easy but to make it vegan is a little trickier but not impossible. I used tofu instead and it worked great.

Crust:

2 cup spelt flour

4 ounces butter

1-2 tbs cold water

1. Preheat oven to F400.
2. Blend everything to dough and press it into a pie mold,
3. Prick bottom with a form a few times.
4. Bake for 5-10 minutes or until crust is dry and partially baked.
5. Add filling and bake for 30 minutes.

Filling:

4 cups chopped and lightly steamed swiss chard

1 cup mushrooms, chopped and fried ( I used oyster mushrooms)

1 tbs herb salt

1 cup chive and garlic flavored cream cheese

1 cup firm tofu

1/2 cup salsa

1. Place tofu, herb salt, cream cheese and salsa in a bowl or use a cuisinart to blend really well until there any no lumps at all.
2. Add swiss chard and mushrooms and mix.
3. Pour into the partial baked pie crust and bake according to instructions above, 30 minutes. Enjoy with a nice crisp salad.

Tofu & thyme patties

Bella has been my little sous chef today; helping me set the table and she had a lot of fun mashing the tofu for these patties. We enjoyed them with roasted potatoes, grated raw carrots and steamed broccoli, yum!

1 package extra firm tofu

1 tbs dried thyme

salt to taste

pinch of pepper

1/4 cup spelt flour

1 tbs canola oil

Mash the tofu until it's a grainy mash. Add thyme, salt, pepper and flour and blend well. Let the mix rest in fridge for 10 minutes. Form into 10 small patties or a fewer larger ones. Dip patties into some flour to coat them on each side. Heat oil in a frying pan. Fry patties on medium heat until golden brown.

Tofu & cashew casserole

I suddenly have all this energy at 36 weeks pregnant and have been cooking and baking up a storm which is freaking out hubby who thinks it's the calm before the storm and I will go into labor soon. I personally think it's just me loving how my new kitchen is coming along and the fact that I can cook in it again.

Because of our kitchen remodel we had to eat out a little more than usual and it's very hard to find healthy food suitable for a whole family. All the eating out gave me terrible heartburn so I did not enjoy my self at all. Luckily we have Whole Foods prepared food available to us and that was better than restaurants sometimes.

I've been craving tofu lately which I don't eat very often due to my thyroid problem. I made a tofu casserole which we ate with millet and green beans, mmmm the creamy sauce is soooooogood.

1 package extra firm tofu

1/2 cup cream ( I used unsweetened mimic cream

1/2 cup sour cream ( I used tofutti)

3 tbs soy sauce or Bragg's liquid amino's

Black pepper to taste

3 tbs mango chutney

2/3 cup salted & roasted cashew nuts

Preheat oven to F450

Drain and slice tofu and pat them dry with a paper towel. Place in a baking dish. Mix cream, sour cream, soy sauce, peppers and chutney together and pour over the tofu, covering thepieces completely. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the sauce starts bubbling. Sprinkle cashews over before serving.

White wine & tofu gratain

We're having very cool weather here which is unusual for San Diego. Being seven month pregnant, I personal love it and relish in making stews and gratins. This is a festive tofu gratin with a creamy white wine sauce. It was a perfect dish to celebrate hubby's birthday. The dish taste great with mashed potatoes, rice or pasta. Have a great weekend everyone!!!

1 package extra firm tofu

1/2 lemon

1 tbs margarine

1/2 cup leeks, diced

1/2 cup fennel bulb, diced

1 tbs all-purpose flour

1/2 cup white wine

1/2 bouillon cube, crumbled

2/3 cup milk ( I used almond)

1 tbs fresh dill, chopped

1/2 cup cheese, grated

Salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to F415

Slice tofu and place in single layer in a baking dish. Squeeze a little lemon juice over tofu.

Melt margarine in a sauce pan on medium heat. Satay onion and fennel for 2 minutes until glossy. remove from heat and sprinkle flour over and mix well. Add wine and mix until there are no lumps left. Add milk and bouillon and mix well. Simmer for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and add dill, cheese, salt & pepper. pour over tofu. Bake for about 15 minutes.

Asian BBQ marinade

Like I said in previous post, we've been having such beautiful weather here in San Diego, sunny and warm but not too hot. We been loving spending time outdoors so BBQ made sense for lunch and dinner. I've tried a lot of marinades but this one is my favorite. I marinated portabella mushrooms for me and quorn files for my wonderful family. Later in the evening I used left over marinade for some tofu I made for dinner and it too tasted very nice with this particular marinate. According to my hubby, the mushroom and tofu tasted the best.

Asian marinade

3 tbs ketchup

3 tbs Bragg's liquid amino's

1 tsp ginger

2 garlic cloves, grated

lime peel for one lime, grated

2 tbs brown sugar

1 tbs canola oil

Blend everything in a large bowl and marinate whatever you want for at least 2 hours in fridge.

Honey roasted vegetables and mustard marinated tofu

Sunday was Charger game here and everyone except me and Bella went. I knew they would be hungry when they came home so I cooked a hearty meal for them. I felt my friends who now been eating my cooking of vegan food for 10 days was ready for tofu. I don't think I was their favorite thing and they ate it all up.

Roasted vegetables and marinated tofu

Tofu:

I package extra firm tofu, drained and sliced in 1 inch slices

2 TBS olive oil

2 TBS dijon mustard

1 tsp agave nectar

1/4 cup vegetable stock

salt and pepper to taste

Blend everything except the tofu in a large bowl. Add tofu slices and marinate for at least one hour in the fridge. Turn the tofu every 20 minutes or so. Heat a frying pan on high heat and layer it with tofu. Fry for about 2 minutes and flip and cook for another 2 minutes. Repeat until all tofu has been fried.

Vegetables:

2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed

3 large carrots, peeled and cubed

1 large parsnip, peeled and cubed

1 small rutabaga, peeled and cubed

2 cups green beans, washed and ends snipped

1 medium zucchini, washed and cubed

1/4 cup honey

2 TBS olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven for F400

place everything except the zucchini in a large Pyrex and blend well with the spices, oil and honey. Place middle of oven and cook for about 20 minutes, add zucchini and flip the vegetables. Cook another 10-20 minutes depending on how large the cubes are. You want the vegetables to be nice and soft. Keep flipping them once in a while not to burn one side.

Just what the doctor ordered and marinated tofu

The road to recovery is long and hard but I'm still happy with my progress. I'm still not eating anything that's rocking my world. Today I had a green smoothie for breakfast: almond milk, avocado, blueberries, hemp and flax seeds. Sounds maybe not very appetising but I loved it and so did Bella who drank half of it. My lunch was raspberries and a quinoa salad I bought at the farmers market yesterday and dinner I hope will be spinach soup.  My big treat everyday is Coconut Bliss ice cream mmmmmmm. I'm so happy I found it but on other hand I wish I never did because it's so good I could eat it all the time. So many vegan Ice creams are either soy or rice based. Rice is  just to icy for me and soy well I can't eat it and I don't like it anyway. Bliss is so cream you could swear it's regular ice cream. My personal favorite is chocolate hazelnut or mint. 

I still make dinner for James and Isabella everyday and I don't want them to share in my misery of dull food so I make them something different from what I eat. Today it's mustard coated tofu with red peppers and zucchini from ou

r garden. It's simple and good and they will eat it with rice.

Tofu and pasta, for the hungry family

Something to help me heal faster ;-)

Mustard coated tofu and vegetables for two

1,5 cup extra firm tofu, cubed

1/2 cup red pepper, cut into smaller pieces

1/2 cup zucchini, cut into smaller pieces

2 TBS Dijon Mustard

1 TBS brown sugar

1 TBS olive oil

1 tsp cumin

salt to taste

Blend everything except the tofu and vegetables in a large bowl and then add the remaining ingredients, making sure everything get coated well. Leave for at least one hour in the fridge. Heat a frying pan on medium heat and add the mix, Fry for a couple of minutes, flipping once in a while until it has a nice crust.

Peppered tofu and mushroom sauce

This was a total comfort food for my family who loves mushrooms and tofu. It might have been to0 heavy of a meal on such warm day but it still tasted very good.

Peppered tofu with mushroom sauce, serving 4

Tofu:

1 package extra firm tofu

1 tbs olive oil

1 tbs Bragg's liquid amino's ( or use tamari)

Black pepper

Drain tofu and slice it in  1 inch slices. Heat oil on frying pan on high heat and place tofu in pan. Do a quick fry on each side, about 1 minute on each and add Bragg's. Reduce heat to medium and sprinkle pepper on both side. Set tofu a side. 

sauce:

2 tbs vegetarian margarine

1 cup mushrooms, sliced

2 tbs all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cup almond milk

salt & pepper to taste

Melt margarine in a pot on medium heat, when it sizzles add mushrooms and fry for about 2 minutes. Sprinkle flour over and blend well so the mushrooms are coated. Add milk and use a whisker to stir and dissolve flour into liquid. Bring to a boil, and boil for 3 minutes stirring often. If the sauce seems too thick just add more milk.  Add salt and pepper.  Pour a generous amount of sauce on top of the tofu.

Lettuce wraps

I'm blessed with a child who looooooves tofu and what better and more nutritional food can you feed your child. It has complete protein and good amount of calcium. I didn't write down the exact measurements for the marinate but it's very simple to make it just taste it and add ingredients until desired flavor. I love tofu because it really soak up any spices or marinate and and makes it taste wonderful.

Lettuce wrap for 4

1 package extra firm tofu, drained and cubed

1 Yellow pepper, cut into smaller pieces

1/2 zucchini, sliced  into smaller pieces

1 head of lettuce, rinsed and cut into sheets

Israeli couscous for 4 people, cooked according to package

Marinate:

Mexican hot sauce

ketchup

olive oil

Apple cider vinegar

salt & pepper to taste

Mix marinate in bowl and add tofu and vegetables and marinate for at least 4 hours. Place everything in a frying pan on high heat and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often. 

To assemble wraps, let each person make their own as the go. Place tofu mix on one lettuce sheet, add some couscous and fold and enjoy!!!