tofu: baked soft and yummy

This recipe comes from the famous San Francisco vegan eatery- the Millennium Restaurant. This tofu is so yummy even one year old Lukas loves it. (future vegan!)

1 pound firm tofu
1/4 cup tamari
1 tsp maple syrup - I put in two for Lukas' batch
1/2 tsp sesame oil

Squeeze all water from tofu- I use my handy Tofu X-press. Cut tofu in half length-wise and then into slices. I like mine 1/2 inch thick.

Combine liquid ingredients and place in shallow baking pan (I used a super large ceramic pie plate.) Place tofu in marinade.
Let sit for an hour or so. I flipped the tofu so both sides were covered.

Preheat oven to 350
Bake in oven for about 20 minutes. Easy.

Sorry no photo.

No photo! No worries! I made this recipe for dinner tonight & here's the pic of our leftovers. My granddaughter, Brynn, likes Caramelized Tofu best but I think this should be renamed Soft Baked Tofu Deliciousness.  (Leah here btw)

Coconut cream pie, yum

When I was visiting Sanibel Island I found a coconut. I always dream of coconut cream pie, why not make it with my own coconut? I pedaled my bike to the post office and paid to ship it. All I had to do was pay and they slapped a label on the coconut! No wrapping. The coconut stayed on my coffee table for weeks. Finally it was time. Jennie (my wonderful 16 year old friend and vegan cook) and I were determined to make the pie.

We started by making the crust, then it was time to get that coconut. 

After 30 minutes with a sledge hammer, screw driver and scissors we gave up. We bought some unsweetened coconut. Here is the recipe which began with the wonderful recipe from the Minimalist Baker. Small adaptations and the addition of chocolate makes it a 10.

Crust:
1 cup oats
1 cup raw almonds
2 Tbs coconut sugar
5TB melted coconut oil
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut  and more to sprinkle on top of crust

1/4- 1/3 cup vegan chocolate chips (optional, we just LOVE chocolate on everything)

Filling:
3 Tbs cornstarch
1/3 cup coconut sugar
1 can (1 2/3 cup)  lite or regular coconut milk
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup toasted coconut to add (optional) We like it coconutty


Coconut whip:
2 cans full fat coconut milk refrigerated for 6 hours or more
1/2 tsp vanilla
3-7 Tbs confectioners sugar-depending on your desired sweetness- taste it and see

Make crust:
Heat oven to 350.  Grease 9inch pie plate Pulse together all dry crust ingredients (except coconut) in food processor/or vitamix.  Add melted coconut oil. Fold together while adding  coconut to form a crust that is a bit batter and a bit dough.
Pile dough into pie plate then press down. Sprinkle toasted coconut on top.
Bake for 17-20 minutes till golden brown and delicious smelling.
Take out of over sprinkle chocolate chips and set in fridge to cool.

Pudding:
Before beginning place metal or glass bowl in freezer. this is for next step.

Next, prepare pudding in a saucepan. Add cornstarch, coconut sugar, and whisk in coconut milk. Whisk vigorously to avoid clumping.
Place over medium heat and cook till bubbly..continue whisking. Reduce heat to low and cook for 4-6 minutes. use a rubber spatula to  scrape sides constantly. It will appear jiggly when done.
Remove from heat and whisk in vanilla and coconut flakes. Place plastic wrap over the top to keep skin from forming. Place in fridge 2-3 hours...till cooled and set.

Coconut Whip:
Gentle scoop out coconut cream from cold cans full fat coconut milk. Leave behind the "water".. (You can cook with this or place in smoothies.)
Place cream in chilled bowl. Whip with hand held mixer for a minute then add the amount of powdered sugar you want. I have also used maple syrup- yummy but different texture. Set in fridge.
Once pudding is completely chilled put half of the whipped cream in  the pudding . Blend till just mixed.
Place pudding/cream mixture into chilled crust. Top with rest of whipped coconut cream. Set in fridge for at least 4 hours.
I made mine super early and it stayed in the fridge for 3 days! It was still yummy. You can place toasted coconut on top.
The Sunday night crowd gave it a 9, and a 10 for the chocolate version.
Lukas, the 1 year old, licked every bit off his tray and plate.

Blueberry Lime Ice

Another one from the Golden Door.
Get out the Vitamix or food processor quick! You will want this delicious treat right away. Unfortunately you have to wait until it sets up in the freezer before to can whip it into shape.

3 pints of fresh or frozen blueberries
1/2 cup fresh orange juice (2 oranges)
3 TB thawed frozen apple juice concentrate
3 TB fresh lime juice (2 limes)
6-12 orange slices for serving (optional)
6 springs of mint of serving (optional)

In a shallow glass pan combine berries and juices. Stir well and cover. Place in freezer for 3-6 hours. (I used frozen blueberries so it only took 1 1/2)
When the mixture is frozen, remove and let stand for 10 minutes. With metal spoon, break up the frozen fruit into smaller pieces. Transfer the mixture to food processor or Vitamix. Process till smooth and creamy. 5-8 minutes.
Serve immediately or freeze for up to an hour and process again.
To serve, place a scoop or two in a martini glasses and garnish with blueberries, orange slices, and mint.
My husband gave it a 10. (on a scale of 1-10) That is a very rare thing!

PS i think it would taste awesome with some whipped coconut cream by its side.

Light & Easy, Not So Cheesy Spinach Lasagna

This recipe is taken from quick-fix vegetarian by robin robertson. She calls it beat-the-clock spinach lasagna. I've never made lasagna before. It just seemed like too much trouble but this recipe is really simple, light & tasty. You don't even have to cook the noodles or chop anything!

Ingredients
8 lasagna noodles (the regular kind)
1 - 10 oz package of frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1 pound of firm tofu, drained & crumbled (I pressed it for a short time, while I gathered the other ingredients)
1 tbs freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp of salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 - 24 oz jar of marinara sauce
1/2 cup of grated soy mozzarella or grated soy Parmesan

Method
Preheat the oven to 350F. Place the noodles in a shallow dish & pour in just enough hot water to cover the noodles. Set aside. Squeeze the water out of the spinach & place in a large bowl. Add the tofu, lemon juice, basil, oregano, salt & pepper. Mix well. Drain the noodles. Do not blot dry.
Spoon a layer of marinara sauce into the bottom of a 9x9 inch baking dish. Top with half of the noodles. Spread half of the tofu mixture evenly over the noodles. Repeat with a layer of the remaining noodles. Top with a thin layer of sauce and then the remaining tofu mixture, ending with the remaining sauce. Top with the cheese. Cover tightly with aluminum foil & bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil & bake for 10 minutes or more. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Serves 4-6.

Healthy Cherry Bean Salad

Meal Salad for 1

Ingredients:

Greens- your choice, I used baby spinach

Beets- roasted

10 or so cherries cut into pieces

Handful of cannelli beans
 half of an avocado

 a splash of Cherry balsamic vinegar

 a sprinkle of Sunny Spain- salt free lemon pepper
I also threw in a tiny piece of vegan creamy pepper cheese. It was minuscule so it doesn't count.

When I was in Evanston I had the pleasure of visiting the must amazing spice place appropriately named The Spice Shop. What was supposed to be a two minute zip -in and out turned into an hour exploration. Not only were the products interesting, but the staff was super knowledgeable.  Raynard helped me. He had so much information on the spices their uses and combinations. (He gets a ten star rating from me!) I brought so many small packs home with me! Do check out their website- linked above. It is another wonderful resource for not only their products but also recipes. I can't wait to try them all.

vegan food pyramid

• Consume high-net-gain foods: leafy greens & colorful vegetables deliver energy by way of conservation rather than consumption. The digestive process is energy-intensive – highly processed, refined, denatured foods require much more digestive energy to break it down in our systems. By shifting from processed and refined carbs (pasta and bread) to fruits and pseudo grains (amaranth, buckwheat, millet, quinoa and wild rice), our body can assimilate easier and also obtain more nutrients.
• Consume alkaline-forming foods: keeping a balanced pH is important to achieving peak health. People with low pH are prone to many ailments and fatigue. Brian suggests consuming more high alkaline-forming foods (asparagus, beets, bell peppers, broccoli, carrots cauliflower, celery, chicory, cucumbers, dill, green beans, leafy greens, leeks, onion, parsley, parsnips, peas, sea vegetables, sprouts and zucchini). Prescription drugs, artificial sweeteners and synthetic vitamins & minerals are extremely acid-forming and consumption should be monitored.
• Eliminate biological debt: there are 2 types of energy, one brought about from stimulation (short term energy), the other from nourishment. If you are well-nourished, you have no need for food stimulation. Brian states “Caffeine is North America’s second favorite drug next to refined sugar. Obtaining energy by way of stimulation is like shopping with a credit card. You get something you desire now, but you will still have to pay eventually. With that bill comes incurred biological interest: fatigue.”

This information is courtesy of the Thrive group headed by Brendan Brazier.
I found this write-up on the blog Enrich. The article is eating for energy.

coffee caramel snapachinno

1/2 envelope vega sport protein or any protein powder with no extra flavoring or sweetener
unsweetened almond milk
cold brew coffee
ice and 3 cold brew coffee ice cubes
a drop of caramel extract
tiny bit maple syrup