Baked Tofu and Spanish Rice- the PERFECT supper!

Fragrant, toothsome baked tofu and spanish (brown) rice!  This combination recipe might have been in Frances Moore Lappe's 1971 "Diet for a Small Planet" but if it was, it likely included some cheese and olive oil.  This particular recipe is LOW fat..... way low......... like, the only fat in this recipe is in the tofu and veggies!  But the flavour....... (oui oui... in Canada we use the tasty French way of spelling flavoUr)........ wow!

And next to the taste is the fragrance of the marinade-covered tofu as it bakes!  Oh yum yum yum-

But on with the recipes!!

SPANISH RICE (6-8 servings)

Ingredients:

2 cups dry Brown Rice 
1 red Onion, chopped
1 C. chopped Broccoli, fresh or frozen
3 Garlic cloves, crushed 
1 C. Water 
1 C. organic vegetarian Pasta Sauce (or 6 oz. Tomato Paste)

Salt, to taste

1. Cook the rice according to directions, or as you normally do
2. In a wok, or large pot, combine the onion, broccoli, garlic and water, and bring to a boil, then simmer, covered, for about 15 minutes, or until water is evaporated and veggies are tender.
3. Add rice, vegetarian Pasta Sauce, and salt to the veggies, coating the rice with the sauce.

BAKED TOFU (2-4 servings)

Ingredients:

1lb./500 g.(or near that) of ORGANIC, NON-GMO Tofu

2 T. Tamari Sauce or good organic Soya Sauce

2 T. Water or unsalted Vegetable Broth 

2 tsp. Sweetener (brown rice syrup, agave, palm sugar, etc. or 1/8 tsp. Stevia)

2 tsp Balsamic Vinegar 

2 tsp grated Garlic 

1 1/2 tsp grated fresh Ginger 

1/4 tsp. freshly grated Black Pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F/205 C
2. Put a piece of parchment or foil on the bottom of a small baking pan
3. Slice the tofu in half across the block (from side to side) and then cut into smaller pieces, carefully fitting into the pan so that they are well-packed
4. Mix all other items together and pour evenly over the tofu
5. Bake for about 30 minutes

These two recipes are changed forms of recipes found on the NutritionMD site, part of the sites operated by PCRM (Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine)

Grandpa Lets Me Use A Knife

I was looking for something else and ran across what I think of as an adorable picture of our granddaughter when she was about a year and a half to two years old, on the ferry with her Grandpa.

"I'm a big girl now-- Grandpa lets me use a knife"

And, oh my goodness, this is how our rose bush bloomed when we were first in this house! Gotta rescue that bush this year!

Jill's Delish Tangy Chick Pea Salad Recipe (Gluten-Free, Low Fat Vegan)

My friend Jill McKeever has a fantastic recipe for Tangy Chick Pea (Garbanzo Bean) Salad on her site at Simple Daily Recipes. My husband and I are eating Low Fat Vegan and trying to implement Dr. John McDougall's "Starch Solution" as well. I'm reading that book at present and am finding so many exciting facts that I didn't know-- such as you can eat tons of starches (potatoes, rice, corn, beans, quinoa, etc.) without gaining any weight IF you delete the fats and oils and too many processed foods from your recipe. Finding tasty recipes is key to keeping us "in" until we are over the period of fats withdrawal (whenever that happens!)

A delicious tangy chick pea salad open sandwich, thanks to the salad recipe from Jill McKeever at Simple Daily Recipes

Jill has made a great vid tutorial about the recipe that she gave me permission to use on here.  She will give you her recipe and I include my adapted recipe underneath it.  I have to say that this salad is every bit as much a hit in our house (there are only two of us who have sampled it so far) as it is in Jill's.  Just as she says, it is the kind of recipe that you can eat repeatedly and just enjoy it every time.  It actually reminds me of a cross between potato salad and egg salad in its flavour bursts and mouth appeal.  My husband is of German descent, so the combo of potato salad on an open face sandwich is irresistable.

Here is the video (look underneath for my recipe-- take notes for Jill's original of the recipe):

My adaptation of Jill's Tangy Chickpea Salad:

3-4 C. of Cooked Chickpeas (organic definitely work better/taste better to us)
2 T.         Dijon Mustard
2 T.         Bread and Butter Relish (check the labels for crap you don't want like fructose corn syrup)
6  drops   Liquid Smoke (we have Hickory, Jill used Mesquite... whatever smoke should be tasty)
1/2 C.      Yellow Onion, chopped fine (a fairly small onion-- best not to put leftover onion in fridge)*
1 T.         Tahini (sesame seed butter)
1/2          Lemon, squeezed (and mixed together with Tahini)
4             Celery Sticks, fine chopped
1 1/2 T.   Parsley, chopped

My Method:

1. Mix together the Tahini & Lemon Juice, set aside
2. Mash Chickpeas in a large pan or bowl OR put chickpeas, dijon mustard, relish, the tahini/lemon mix, smoke, and parsley in the bowl of a food processor and process until just homogenous (same throughout).
3. Dump contents of the food processor into a large bowl.  Work in the chopped onions and celery.  
4. Put a lid on (or plastic wrap) and let sit in fridge for about an hour to let flavours kick each other around a bit.

*A sliced onion will "draw" toxins from the air and from deep inside the body-- why it makes such a great poultice.  If you use a plastic baggie to store it in, it will draw toxins from the plastic, apparently.  Put it into a glass bowl with a glass saucer to cover.

Try this tangy, lovely  chick pea delight and see if your family doesn't take after it like Jill's and mine!

I think uber-health conscious Dr. Neal Barnard would also agree with this particular recipe.  You can hear him talk about his new book "Power Foods for the Brain" on July 8th.  You can register (free) by going HERE and then clicking on this same image in the right sidebar.  He will be interviewed by sparkling Lani Meulrath, the Plant-Based Fitness Expert.  Great information and Great Giveaways during this teleseminar-- tell others about it too!