Triple Green Curry

This southeast Asian curry has got a triple dose of green. First, you start with a blended green curry paste made with shallots, spices, and chilies. Second, you cook some nutritious green veggies (broccoli and bok choy) in a delicious coconut broth spiked with the curry paste. Third, you sprinkle fresh green herbs (basil and mint) over the whole thing at the end.

Triple Green Curry
From Cooking Light

• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 tablespoons chopped peeled fresh ginger
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 8 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1-3 small serrano chiles, seeded (depending on how heat-tolerant you are)
• 2 large shallots, coarsely chopped
• 4 cups coarsely chopped broccoli florets (about 1 head)
• 2 cups sliced baby bok choy
• 2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
• 4 teaspoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 14-oz can light coconut milk
• 14-oz package water-packed organic firm tofu, drained and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 2 cups hot cooked long-grain white rice
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

Combine first 7 ingredients (through shallots) in a food processor and process until smooth. Set aside.

Cook broccoli florets in boiling water in a large Dutch oven 3 minutes or until crisp-tender. Remove broccoli from water with a slotted spoon; drain and rinse with cold water. Drain and set aside. Return water to a boil. Add baby bok choy to pan; cook 1 minute. Drain and rinse with cold water. Drain and set aside.

Heat Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan and swirl to coat. Add cilantro mixture to pan; saute 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add sugar and next 4 ingredients (through coconut milk) to pan. Bring to a boil. Add tofu; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 6 minutes or until slightly thick. Add broccoli, bok choy, and juice. Cook 1 minute or until heated, tossing to combine.

Place 1/2 cup rice in each of 4 bowls. Spoon 1 1/2 cups tofu mixture over each serving. Sprinkle basil and herbs over each serving.

Gingery Asparagus, Corn, and Tofu Stir-Fry

I've never really considered myself an Asian stir-fry kind of person. I don't know why; they just usually don't get me all that excited. But this one I like so much that I've made it twice now (and recipes don't often get repeated in my house). It's got a great combination of veggies, chewy browned tofu cubes, and a really easy yet super aromatic sauce. And it's the perfect weeknight meal because it takes less than a half-hour to prepare.

Gingery Asparagus, Corn, and Tofu Stir-Fry
From Cooking Light

• 4 tablespoons canola oil, divided
• 10 oz extra-firm tofu, drained and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
• 2/3 cup fresh corn kernels
• 1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 small onion, sliced
• 1 julienne-cut red bell pepper
• 6 oz asparagus, steamed and cut into 1-inch pieces (you can skip the steaming if you have super-thin asparagus)
• 1/4 cup vegetable broth
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 2 cups hot cooked short-grain rice
• 2 scallions, sliced, for garnish

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; swirl to coat. Add tofu and saute for 10 minutes or until golden brown, stirring frequently. Remove tofu from pan with a slotted spoon; wipe pan dry with a paper towl. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in pan; swirl to coat. Add corn and next 4 ingredients (through bell pepper) and stir-fry 5 minutes. Add reserved tofu, asparagus, and next 4 ingredients (through crushed red pepper). Stir-fry 1 minute or until asparagus and tofu are heated. Divide the rice evenly among 4 plates. Spoon about 1 cup stir-fry mixture over rice, and top evenly with scallions.

Thai Curried Noodles with Broccoli and Tofu

This dish is just easy comfort food in a bowl. Noodles, tofu, and broccoli swimming in a curried coconut broth with a squeeze of lime. What's not to like about that? Did I mention you can make it in about 20 minutes? Yeah. That's right. My work is done here.

Thai Curried Noodles with Broccoli and Tofu

From Vegetarian Times

• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 2 large shallots, chopped
• 2 tablespoons red or yellow Thai curry paste
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 15-oz can light coconut milk
• 1/2 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
• 2 teaspoons light brown sugar
• 1 package firm tofu, drained and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 5-6 oz dry fettuccine
• 5 cups broccoli florets
• Lime wedges

Heat oil in medium pot over medium-high heat. Saute shallots in oil 2 minutes. Add curry paste, curry powder, and turmeric; cook 1 minute. Stir in coconut milk, broth, and brown sugar, and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium, and cook 5 minutes. Stir in tofu and simmer for 10 minutes.

Cook fettuccine in a large pot of boiling salted water according to package instructions. Add broccoli to pot for last 2 minutes of cooking time. Drain, and add to tofu-curry mixture. Mix well and serve with lime wedges.

Fried Udon Noodles

Sometimes I make a dish fairly frequently (in other words, more than twice -- I don't usually repeat things) but forget to blog about it the first few go-rounds. Then I'm making it for, like, the third or fourth time, and I'm shocked that I haven't put it up on the blog yet. This is one of those. There's not a lot of description needed. It's just a really easy and yummy noodle dish from my homegirl Alicia Silverstone's book The Kind Life. Perfect for a weeknight, especially when you're craving something comfort food-y. Great with baked tofu, whether you make it yourself while you cook the noodles or happen to have some pre-made on hand.

Fried Udon Noodles
Paraphrased from The Kind Life

• 8 oz package dry udon noodles
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
• 1 head of green cabbage, sliced
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• Salt and pepper
• 1 1/2 tablespoons sweet paprika
• Baked tofu, for serving (optional) (if making yourself, see instructions in this recipe)

Cook the udon noodles in boiling water according to package instructions. Drain and set aside. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the sliced cabbage and cook until soft, about 15 minutes. Add a little water if the cabbage starts to stick or burn. Remove to a plate. Heat the other tablespoon of oil and add the sliced onion, garlic, salt, pepper, and paprika. Cook until the onion is translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Add a little water and scrape up the paprika to make a thick creamy sauce coating the onions. Add the cabbage back to the pan, along with the noodles. Toss to combine, adjust salt and pepper if needed, and serve (with baked tofu if desired).

Lemony Chard Stuffed Shells

This is one of my favorite veggie Italian dinners. It's got everything a great meal needs: pasta, protein, leafy greens, tomato sauce, a lemony zip... Plus, people tend to be kind of impressed by stuffed shells even though they're not very hard to make.

The last time I made these, I served them with some spaghetti squash, which was great because it goes so well with tomato sauce. This time, my grocery store was out of the squash, so I just cooked up a quick side of zucchini sauteed with lots of garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper, a squeeze of lemon juice, and some fresh basil. As you can see from the picture, it's not the most beautiful meal I've ever assembled, but it definitely hit the spot anyway.

Lemony Chard Stuffed Shells
From One Dish Vegetarian Meals

• 12 large pasta shells
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup minced shallots
• 1 bunch Swiss chard, washed well and coarsely chopped
• 1 block of firm tofu, blotted dry and crumbled
• Juice and zest of one lemon
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan or soy Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 3 cups tomato sauce, homemade or store-bought cans

Preheat oven to 350 F. Cook the pasta shells according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.

Heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook until softened, about 3-4 minutes. Add the chard and cook until wilted, about another 5 minutes. Place this cooked mixture into a bowl and add the tofu, lemon zest and juice, Parmesan, salt, and pepper.

Using a teaspoon, stuff the cooked pasta shells with the filling until well packed. Spread a layer of tomato sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish, arrange the shells on top of the sauce, and pour the remaining sauce over and around the shells.

Cover and bake for 30 minutes or until hot.

Variations: Add 1 cup of chopped mushrooms, if you're into that kind of thing (yuck). Just add them to the pan at the same time as the chard.

Roasted Tomato Enchiladas

This is one of my fave quick and easy dinners. I've made it a couple times now, so I was actually kind of surprised to learn that I had never posted it to the ol' blog. What?! I shall now rectify the situation immediately.

There's not too much introduction needed for this recipe. It produces a tray of delicious enchiladas stuffed with chewy tofu cubes, black beans, and cumin and smothered with roasted tomatoes and onions. And you can make it in, like, 20 minutes if you're speedy. Also, it has tons of protein and tastes great!

Roasted Tomato Enchiladas

• One block of firm tofu, pressed ahead of time for 30 minutes to an hour, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (if you didn't press in advance, just blot the cubes with paper towels to remove excess water)
• One 16-oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Onion, chopped
• Two regular cans or one big can of diced fire-roasted tomatoes
• 4 large burrito-size flour tortillas

Preheat your oven to 350 F and lightly oil a 9x13 baking pan with some cooking spray. Hit a large non-stick skillet with some more of the cooking spray and heat over medium-high. Saute the tofu cubes until they're a nice golden brown on all sides, which could take anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes. While this is going on, combine the black beans, cumin, salt and pepper in a bowl. When the tofu is done browning, add to the black bean mixture and stir to combine well.

In the same skillet, add a bit more cooking spray and saute the onion until softened, 3-4 minutes. Add the can(s) of fire-roasted tomatoes with their juice and bring to a low simmer. While that's going, divide the tofu-bean mixture evenly among the four tortillas, roll them up, and put them in the baking pan with the seam side facing down. Pour the onion-tomato sauce evenly over the enchiladas and bake for 10 minutes or until completely warmed through.

Confetti Fried Rice with Baked Tofu

There's a Chinese restaurant across the street from our apartment called Tasteful Delight (does that sound dirty to you, or is it just me?). Their food is nothing spectacular, but for some reason on especially cold nights the whole street just smells so intensely of whatever it is they're cooking in there. Like, fried goodness and hoisin sauce and brothy noodles and pork.

Needless to say, the temptation to stop in on my way home is often great. But, unsurprisingly, their food is really unhealthy. So when the craving for a little Tasteful Delight strikes, I try to make some healthy Chinese food at home. This dish, adapted from (you guessed it) Appetite for Reduction, is so quick and easy, especially if you use leftover rice. (I made something with rice last night, so I just made a few extra cups and stuck them in the fridge for this very purpose.) And it's so pretty with the shredded veggies -- that's why I called it confetti rice. You might even say that this dish is a tasteful delight.

Confetti Fried Rice with Baked Tofu

• One block of firm or extra-firm tofu, pressed for 30 minutes to an hour
• Soy sauce
• 1 cup dry rice or about 3 cups leftover cooked rice
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1/3 cup minced shallot
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons minced ginger
• Zucchini, grated on the large holes of a box grater
• Carrot (or 2 smallish carrots), grated on the large holes of a box grater
• Scallions, chopped, for garnish

Preheat your oven to 375 F. If your rice isn't cooked yet, cook it according to package instructions and let cool spread out on a baking sheet for about 15 minutes. Slice the pressed block of tofu into 8 equal rectangles. Spray a baking sheet with some cooking spray and lay the tofu rectangles on it. Brush soy sauce onto both sides of the tofu. Bake for 20 minutes; spray the tofu with a little more cooking spray, flip, and bake 10 more minutes. For extra chewiness, put the tofu under the broiler for 3 minutes at the end.

Meanwhile, heat the sesame oil in a large saucepan or wok over medium heat. Cook the shallot, garlic, and ginger about 2 minutes. Add the zucchini and carrot and cook another 2-3 minutes. Add the rice and drizzle with about 1 and 1/2 tablespoons of soy sauce. Mix thoroughly and cook until heated through, about 2 more minutes. Serve with the baked tofu and garnished with the scallions.

Curried Chickpeas and Tofu

This is one of those meals that was incredibly easy to photograph because it's just so pretty and colorful. Sometimes I have to take a dozen shots before I get a photo I like, but with this one it was just one click and I was done.

On top of that fact (which I realize is probably not particularly relevant to anyone who may be reading this), this dish is also very tasty and a total snap to prepare. Start to finish, 20 minutes, tops. It's so simple that you can have a side dish going at the same time -- as you can see from the picture, I chose some simple steamed green beans.

Curried Chickpeas and Tofu

From Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home

• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced 
• 1-2 tablespoons vegetable oil (use 2 if you are not using a non-stick skillet)
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• Pinch of cayenne (optional, but great)
• 1 cake tofu (3/4 pound), pressed for about a half hour (if you have time) and cut into cubes
• 2 cups undrained cooked chickpeas (one 16-ounce can)
• 2-3 tomatoes, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
• Chopped fresh cilantro 
• Plain yogurt

Saute the onion and garlic in the oil until the onions are translucent, stirring occasionally. Stir in the spices. Add the cubed tofu and cook for a minute or so, stirring constantly. Add the chickpeas and about 1/2 cup of their liquid, and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and continue to cook until thoroughly heated. Serve topped with cilantro and/or yogurt if you like.

Variations: Vegans can feel free to omit the yogurt or to use soy yogurt instead.

Tofu Saag

This recipe needs little by way of introduction. It's a variant on an Indian standby, saag paneer, but replacing the paneer with easier-to-come-by tofu. This version also happens to be vegan and very healthy. Don't worry, it's still delish. Not quite as good as the fattening take-out version, but pretty darn great for a home-cooked meal.

Tofu Saag

• 1 pound extra-firm tofu
• 2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
• 1/4 cup water (or 1 1/2 tablespoons sesame oil)
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped small
• 4 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and minced
• 1 pound frozen spinach (leaf, not chopped), thawed and pressed (to get some of the water out)
• 1 cup seeded, chopped tomato
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1/2 cup soy, rice, or coconut milk
• Crushed red pepper to taste
• Cooked brown rice

Preheat the oven or a toaster oven to 350 F and oil a baking sheet. Cube the tofu, press some of the water out, toss with soy sauce or tamari, and place on the baking sheet. Let it sit for 5 minutes before placing it in the oven. Roast for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, place the water (or sesame oil) in a large nonstick skillet or saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, and ginger, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Lower the heat to low, add the spinach, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the tofu, tomatoes, and the remaining ingredients, and cook for 5 minutes. Serve with brown rice.