Roasted veggies with seasoned tofu

We are straddling two seasons as the root veggies start softening up, storage onions start sprouting greens and the fresh asparagus begins arriving from just a little south of us. For me, a meal is especially pleasing that has qualities of warmth and coolness, color and texture. This meal met all those aspects plus it came together simply. I steamed fresh asparagus in the last 10 minutes that the food in the oven was uncovered, and the kale salad softened the whole time the veggies roasted. I have to admit that my husband and I ate nearly all of this in one dinner, but adding an additional beet, sweet potato and a couple onions (or parsnips) this could feed 4 people! You can also double the tofu.

Roasted Veggies (bakes 1 hour)

Set oven to 350F

3 beets

2 carrots

1 sweet potato 

4 cippolini onions

teaspoon Herbes de Provence

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)

tsp olive oil optional

Scrub, peel and cut into medium, similar sized pieces. Place on tin foil in a baking pan - I prefer cast iron enamel to distribute the heat, but use what you have. Sprinkle the herbs, salt, pepper and oil (if you are using any), cover with another sheet of foil and place in oven. Set the timer for 40 minutes.

Kale salad

Use one good sized bunch of any kale you like - choosing moderate sized tender leaves.  We like curly and lacinato especially for this. Tear the leaf off the stem and tear into reasonabe edible pieces - not longer than your fingers or wider than your hand. Wash and spin dry. Place leaves in a fairly large bowl ( they do compact but start out needing space). In a separate bowl, mix together the dressing:

 1/2 c tarragon vinegar,

 1-2 Tblspn of a second vinegar like pomegranate or balsamic, 

add 2 cloves finely chopped garlic 

about 1/2 tsp salt. 

Smooth this dressing into the kale leaves, gently bruising the leaves and rubbing around to spread the dressing into all the pieces. Refrigerate while everything else cooks - smooshing  the leaves once more 10 minutes before serving (just about when you take the foil off the veggies).

Seasoned tofu

Cut a block of firm tofu into 6 short thick slices. Set out a bowl to soak them in. In a second bowl mix the mustard marinade:

1.5 Tblspn spicy mustard (your favorite)

1tsp Braggs Liquid Amino

1tsp tamari 

1/2 tsp ume plum vinegar

2tsp maple syrup

1Tblspn chili sauce (you could use ketchup with a little horseradish and vinegar added)

A shake of sriracha sauce

Pour this over the tofu and stir gently to cover all the surfaces.

After a few minutes, tip the bowl and recoat the surfaces with the sauce. Then add:

5 chopped shiitake mushrooms

2 chopped scallions

Let this sit, stir once or twice.

When the timer goes off, take the foil off the veggies, stir them gently and push them towards the edges if the pan. Put the seasoned tofu mixture into the center of the pan, spreading it so the tofu doesn't overlap too much. Cover with the foil and set the timer for 10 minutes.

When the timer goes off, take the covering off the baking pan and set the timer for the last 10 minutes. Steam the asparagus in that 19 minutes.

Enjoy!

Portobello Cannellini Boats

Planning to be out in the early evening, I knew I needed a plan that could be ready beforehand. There was a jar of leftover cannellini beans in the fridge, and I had recently bought two Portobello mushrooms. Thinking I might have a guest for dinner, I thought better of cooking the mushrooms as 2 mushrooms... This would make my guest feel they were intruding on our dinner-for-two. So here's what happened. I got to thinking about ports, and canals and Italian painters and well...  These turn out to be an amazingly good source of fiber and protein for just a wee bit of calories if that matters to you!

Portobello Cannellini Boats

233 g Cannellini beans (about a cup)
33 g fresh parsley (1.5 c chopped)
5 cloves garlic
14 grape tomates (more if you want)
35 g sweet red pepper (one lobe)
2 good sized Portobello mushroom caps
4 teaspoons Miso (I love the adzuki bean miso for this)
2 crushed rye-sesame crackers

1. Mash beans in a good sized bowl. Cut Portobello caps in half. Chop parsley finely, along with garlic, and red pepper. Cut grape tomatoes in half through their diameters. Crush the 2 rye crackers.
2. Peel off 4 leaves of savoy cabbage and place in oven pan with tin foil, putting the mushroom halves inside the curl. Mix together all the other ingredients with the miso - I used a teaspoon for each serving, so 4 teaspoons. Use a spoon and take care not to crush the tomatoes.

3. Plop the ingredients in a large cohesive blob onto the mushroom. This can sit, covered and wait until you are ready to bake it at 375F, covered for 10 minutes and uncovered for 30-35 minutes. Construction takes less than half an hour.

Portobello Cannellini Boats Nutrition Facts Serving Size: 1 Boat (714g) Amount Per Serving % Daily Value* Calories 248 12% Total Fat 1g 2% Saturated Fat 0g 1% Trans Fat 0g Cholesterol 0% Sodium 384mg 16% Total Carbohydrate 52g 17% Dietary Fiber 22g 87% Sugars 15g 0% Protein 16g 32% Vitamin A 24% • Vitamin C 338% Calcium 24% • Iron 22% * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calories needs. courtesy of cronomieter.com using my data.

The whole dinner was a lovely combination with Brussels sprouts served in a blood orange and onion sauce made with tahini, agave and a drop of ume plum vinegar, and a side salad of sliced beets, watermelon radish, chopped enoki mushrooms, cucumber, almonds and nicoise olives with a light dressing of tarragon balsamic vinegar with water and a drop of tamari.

B&B Patties - Black Beans & Beets

Looks good, but it ain't no burger! There was a bag of sweet little beets in the fridge and I was hankering after something different for lunch. The days of burgers are gone for my husband, and most frozen bean-based burgers seem like a replacement food, not something to crave. Added to the challenge is the question of how to make a patty without frying? Of course you can replace any of these ingredients, including using kidney beans rather than black beans, peppers instead of beets, etc.. You could definitely add hot sauce or pepper flakes, or cayenne if you are so inclined, So here's what I put in it this time.

B&B Patties (Black Beans & Beets) - It Ain't No Burger

2/3 c leftover smashed potato/carrot/parnsip (use any rice or sweet potato leftovers, or breadcrumbs)
3/4 c canned black beans (or homemade)
1/4 c frozen spinach (or leftovers)
1/4 c corn (frozen or leftover)
1 finely chopped shallot
2 finely chopped cremini (or other) mushrooms
1/4 c fine chopped beets (about 2 small beets)
2 Tblsp chick pea flour
2 Tblsp whole oats
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp sage
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp sesame seeds


1. Cook a couple small beets (along with others to have cold tomorrow!).
2. Chop up 2 mushrooms, beets when they are cooked, and finely chop a shallot.

3. In a medium sized bowl, stir together, mashing black beans, leftover mashed potato mixture (or whatever rice, sweet potato or other starch),  frozen spinach, corn, mushrooms, shallots, oats and spices. Microwave for one minute or let sit out a while to soften frozen veggies.
4. Add in chickpea flour, beets and mash together.

5. Scoop  1/4 cup  at a time onto a tin foil covered baking sheet, or pan, and gently shape into even sized patties. Be sure the thickness is fairly consistent. Sprinkle 1/2 tsp on top or so sesame seeds on the tops.
6. Broil for 5-10 minutes, flipping with a spatula and sprinkling another 1/2 tsp sesame seeds on top so that both sides crisp. Eat with a slab of tomato, avocado, onion, lettuce or whatever you like! Treat with ketchup, hot sauce or mustard, or eat with sprigs of cilantro. This is especially nice if you don't treat it like a burger and eat two patties.

But it does look like a burger ...

B&B Patties (Black Beans & Beets) Nutrition Facts for one patty Serving Size: 1 Serving (90g) Amount Per Serving % Daily Value* Calories 104 5% Total Fat 1g 2% Saturated Fat 0g 1% Trans Fat Cholesterol 0% Sodium 333mg 14% Total Carbohydrate 20g 7% Dietary Fiber 4g 18% Sugars 2g 0% Protein 5g 10% Vitamin A 6% • Vitamin C 9% Calcium 3% • Iron 9% * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calories needs. courtesy of cronometer.com using my data.