Sweet & Sour Red Cabbage with Feta (and Tofu)

Please don't laugh at this title and ingredient list. It's basically an Eastern / Central European - inspired sweet and sour red cabbage dish, bulked up with tofu, and garnished with Balkan seasonings and feta. You don't really taste the tofu, and could omit it to make this a side dish, or replace it with chicken if you're not concerned about mixing meat and dairy. It was surprisingly good, and I'll be making it again.

Sweet & Sour Red Cabbage with Feta (and Tofu)

1 lb firm tofu
2 tbsp canola oil, divided
1 large onion
1 small head red cabbage
1/2 cup grapefruit juice
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp honey -- optional. (I added this and found it too sweet.)
6 dried tomatoes, soaked, drained, and diced
4 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
1/2 tsp dried dill
1 large pinch fennel seeds

Drain the tofu and cube it. Heat 1 tbsp oil over high heat in a large frying pan. Add the tofu and brown lightly on one or two sides only (it will keep browning as you add other ingredients), about 8 minutes. Meanwhile, dice the onion, and core and dice the cabbage. Add the onion and cabbage to the tofu, along with remaining 1 tbsp oil, and continue to cook over high heat, stirring occasionally.

After about 8 minutes, when the vegetables have begun to wilt, add the grapefruit juice, vinegar, fennel seeds, and dried tomatoes. Continue to cook over high heat until just about all of the liquid has evaporated and the cabbage and onions are tender, 10-15 minutes.

Turn off the heat. Add the dill and feta; mix well. You can reserve some feta for garnish.

Serves 4 (with nothing else) or 6 (as part of a larger meal).

Tofu-and-Cabbage & Red Pepper Pasta : Two Fast, Tasty, Ugly Recipes

Here are two new recipe ideas (too casual to really call recipes). Tofu-and-Cabbage is something we make a LOT -- it's very fast, very nutritious, cheap, and strangely we both crave it pretty often (more than once a week, even). Red Pepper(s) Pasta I made tonight -- also fast, easy, tasty, and nutritious, and it's fun because it has three different red peppers in it. Unfortunately, both yield results that aren't what you'd call photogenic.

Tofu-and-Cabbage

1 brick silken or regular tofu -- really, any kind -- chopped into small pieces
1/2 medium head green cabbage
2 cloves garlic, diced
1/2 large onion, chopped or diced
1-2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 very heaping tbsp peanut butter
1/2 tsp Sriracha or other hot sauce
2-3 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 tsp ground ginger

Heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add the cabbage and onions. Cook about five minutes, until the cabbage has begun to wilt. Add the sesame oil and tofu, and work with your wooden spoon to crumble it into small pieces. Add the garlic. Cook three or four more minutes, until the cabbage is more thoroughly wilted. Add the soy sauce, Sriracha and ginger; cook two more minutes. Add the peanut butter and stir thoroughly to combine. Cook another minute or two. Eat!

If this is all you're having for dinner (i.e. no rice) then don't count on it serving more than 2. You can always up the proportion of cabbage to tofu, or serve with rice or noodles -- but we like it best plain.

Red Pepper(s) Pasta

1/2 box large shells or other chunky pasta
1 can plain tomato sauce, no-salt-added if possible
1 large red bell pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, sliced (I like the big pieces, but dice or use a garlic press if you must)
1/3 cup red wine
1 brick silken tofu, cut into small pieces
large pinch smoked paprika
6-7 dashes red pepper flakes

Put the water on to boil. Meanwhile, dice your bell pepper. Heat the oil over medium-high heat, and cook the pepper just until it barely begins to brown -- maybe 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Turn the heat to medium-low and add the garlic. When your water boils, add the pasta. Cook the peppers and garlic about two minutes, being careful not to burn the garlic. Add the tomato sauce, wine, and tofu, crumbling the tofu as much as possible with your wooden spoon. Add the paprika and red pepper flakes. Simmer until the pasta is done, then combine and eat.

Serves 2 with some leftovers (or one small dinner and one large lunch).

Spicy Tofu and Vegetables with Black Bean Sauce

An excellent and healthy summer meal to make while listening to the president talk about health insurance reform. Combines many flavors into something new -- not identifiably black bean, but still tasty. It's good with experimental half-whole-wheat cornbread.

Spicy Tofu and Vegetables with Black Bean Sauce

1 large red pepper, diced
1/2 habanero pepper, diced
8 diced scallions, divided
1.5 cups chopped green beans
1 brick firm tofu, diced in small cubes
1/2 can (8 oz.) refried black beans
2 heaping tbsp peanut butter
1/2 to 1 tsp Sriracha or other hot sauce
1 can no-sodium-added diced tomatoes
1 sliced avocado (for garnish)

In a large frying pan, saute the red pepper, green beans, habanero pepper, and 4 of the diced scallions in a little oil over low to medium heat, about 5 minutes. Add the tofu and continue to cook about 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Mix the beans and peanut butter together until smooth, adding a little bit of water -- a couple of tablespoons -- to form a smooth paste; mix in the Sriracha. Add this paste and the can of diced tomatoes to the pan. Cook over medium heat about 15 minutes, stirring frequently, until fairly thick and smooth. Serve with cornbread, garnished with avocado slices and the remaining scallions.

Serves 4.

Amazing Summer Tofu Salad

Wow. This is good. It's really hot today, and as I was studying this afternoon I was thinking about what cool and delicious yet filling dinner I wanted. And thought this might work. AND IT DOES. Soft, fresh, and crunchy all at the same time.

Amazing Summer Tofu Salad

1 container firm or extra firm tofu, well drained and cubed
3 cups diced green cabbage (can be roughly diced--I'm not a good dicer)
1 lb frozen peas
1/2 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
3 green onions, white and half the green part, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
1-2 tbsp cider vinegar
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
salt to taste


Boil water in a saucepan. Cook the peas about three to four minutes, until just hot through but not yet wrinkly.
While the peas are boiling, combine yogurt, vinegar, oil, fennel seeds, and salt; mix thoroughly.
When the peas are done, drain them and rinse immediately with cold water to cool them. Combine tofu, cabbage, peas, and yogurt mixture in a large bowl. Toss well to coat. Taste, and add more vinegar if necessary.
Garnish with chopped scallions.

Serves at least 4 as a main dish.

The idea of this was that it is fairly bland, but you could add some cilantro, some hot jalapenos, etc to spice it up a little.

Pumpkin Curry Stew with Tofu

What to do with leftover pumpkin, when you have about four minutes to eat and you're starving? (This helpfully also uses up your leftover tofu.) The sunflower seed butter gives the sauce some body.

This is another dish that just doesn't photograph well.

Pumpkin Curry Stew with Tofu

1 medium onion, diced
1 cup pumpkin puree (canned is fine)
2 tbsp sunflower seed butter
1/2 block firm tofu, cubed
1 head broccoli, cut into florets
1 tsp vegetable oil
1+ tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp black pepper
dash salt
2 shakes hot pepper flakes
1/2 cup water

Steam or boil the broccoli and reserve.
Saute the tofu and onions in oil over medium-high heat until the tofu is lightly browned (you might need to start the tofu before the onions to avoid burned onions). When lightly browned, add the spices and saute for another minute. Add the pumkpin, water, and sunflower seed butter, and turn the heat to low. Stir well to combine. Add the broccoli and stir to coat. Cook another minute or so, until all ingredients are coated in sauce and everything is hot. Serve with rice.

Serves 2.

Variations: Chicken would be good, instead of tofu. Alternately you could add some crushed tomatoes and remove the sunflower seed butter.

Tofu and Green Beans with Peanut Sauce

Easy, filling, and full of flavor. Definitely more appetizing than it looks in this photo!

Tofu and Green Beans with Peanut Sauce

About 20 green beans, trimmed and rinsed
7 oz. extra-firm tofu (about 1/4 package), cubed
1/2 small onion, sliced
1 clove garlic, chopped roughly
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1 heaping tbsp peanut butter
3 green onions, sliced
1 squeeze lime juice
1 pinch dried basil
1/4 tsp ginger
one good shake red pepper flakes
vegetable oil

Saute green beans over medium-high heat about three minutes. Add onions, garlic, and tofu cubes. Saute until tofu begins to brown and onions are soft but not burned. Add basil, lime juice, ginger, red pepper flakes, and soy sauce, turn heat to medium, and continue to cook about four minutes or until the soy sauce has reduced about by half. Turn heat to low. Add peanut butter and stir to coat evenly.
Serve garnished with green onions.

Serves 1.