Lemongrass Coconut Tofu

Since going vegan I've been especially focused on my protein intake and making sure I'm getting enough. Tofu, despite the mixed opinions of it, is a protein source that I eat a few times a week. I'm always looking for new ways to prepare this soy-based food, and I'm delighted to share a new one.

Thai food is easily among my favorite cuisines and I was very excited when I saw that the latest issue of VegNews has a feature on it. I used the magazine's lemongrass tofu recipe and added a few ingredients of my own to create the most delicious tofu I've prepared to date. 

A note on lemongrass: I had never worked with lemongrass until this recipe, and I'll save you the trouble of looking up how in the world you're supposed to prepare it. I

f you try to chop it right off the bat, you will fail. The trick is to peel off the outer layers until you reach the more tender core. Try slicing it now. I promise it'll be a lot easier.

Lemongrass Coconut Tofu
By Caroline Mac, based on VegNews

Ingredients: 
1 16-oz block extra firm tofu, pressed and drained, and cut into 1/4 inch strips
2 T light agave nectar
1 T low-sodium tamari
1 T finely chopped fresh lemongrass
1 garlic clove, pressed
2 t coconut oil
1 T shredded coconut


Step 1: Mix all ingredients except tofu together until thoroughly mixed.

Step 2: Layer tofu and sauce in a medium sized bowl, pouring remaining sauce over  the top. Cover and refrigerate for as much time as possible before baking. A few hours is plenty, but I did mine overnight. The longer you marinate, the more flavorful the tofu will taste.

Step 3: Preheat oven to 400 degrees and place tofu in a baking dish in one layer. Brush any remaining sauce over the tofu. Bake for 30 minutes, flip tofu, and bake for another five minutes. Serve warm.

Enjoy!

~Caroline~

Sweet and Sour Tofu with Coconut Rice

Tonight was my first night of group cooking! Well, two person cooking. I had my friend Emily over for  dinner, who is also a vegetarian and also gluten-free! I eat gluten, but I was totally up for making a gluten-free recipe. This was a relatively elaborate meal, but it was so worth the extra effort. Better yet, I finally know how to make a delicious sweet and sour sauce! We both agreed as we ate this meal that it was delicious. Utterly delicious.

Sweet and Sour Tofu with Coconut Rice
Adapted from Peachy Palate
Ingredients:
Tofu
1 block extra firm, high protein tofu (Drained and cut into triangles)
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 orange bell pepper, diced
1/2 white onion
2 T diced pineapple
1/3 c bamboo shoots
1 T olive oil

Sauce
Note: Separate 1/3 of the sauce once made for cooking the veggies
4 1/2 T Rice vinegar
1 1/2 T cane sugar
3 T tomato Ketchup
3 t minced garlic
6 T pineapple puree


Rice
1 bag Trader Joe's frozen brown rice, defrosted/ cooked
1/2 cup lite coconut milk
3 t shredded desiccated coconut
1 t coconut oil
1/2 t black pepper
pinch salt

Step 1: Combine all rice ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir until rice is evenly coated and sauce completely mixed. Set aside. Reheat rice in the microwave for 40 seconds when everything else is ready.

Step 2: Combine all sauce ingredients and whisk until completely blended. Transfer to a sauce pan and heat until boiling. Stir constantly. Reduce heat slightly and continue to cook sauce until it thickens. This should take less than 5 minutes. Remove from heat and separate 1/3 of the sauce for the veggies.

Step 3: Coat the tofu with the remaining 2/3 of the sauce and set aside to marinate for 15-20 minutes.

Step 4: Once the tofu is marinated, add red bell pepper, orange pepper, and  half of the onions to a pan with olive oil. Saute until onions begin to go clear. Add the bamboo shoots, pineapple, and tofu. Cook until tofu begins to turn golden, constantly stirring (6-8 minutes).

Step 5: Add remaining sauce to the pan and stir until veggies and tofu are evenly coated. Let simmer for a couple more minutes.

Step 6: Serve tofu and veggies over coconut rice with a sprinkling of onion.

Enjoy!

Thai Red Curry with Noodles and Veggies

I was very apprehensive about trying this recipe for the first time. Why? Well, it's VERY easy to make a bad curry. The flavors are so important and if there's a disproportionate amount of one particular spice, the whole thing just tastes weird. Understandably, it would not have surprised me if my first curry came out less than fantastic. However, I got lucky and found a great recipe and was very happy with the result! My parents even thought it was great. My dad said it was "restaurant quality." Then again, they may just have been being nice. I ate it as well, though, and thought it was quite tasty. I topped this dish with the Curry Baked Tofu and loved the combination.


Thai Red Curry with Noodles and Veggies
Adapted from Vanilla and Spice

Ingredients:
8 oz dry rice noodles (I used Mai Fun)
2T canola oil
1/4C Thai red curry paste
1t curry powder
1/2t turmeric
1 inch piece of minced ginger, or about 1t powdered ginger
1 can coconut milk
1/2t sucanat (This is a form of brown sugar)
1t soy sauce
2 cups vegetable broth
1 zucchini, sliced
1-2c diced carrots
3 sticks of celery, cut into bite sized pieces
1 onion, peeled and diced
Limes for serving

Step 1) Cook the rice noodles according to the directions on the package. It usually only takes a few minutes in boiling water. Set aside.

Step 2) Heat the vegetable oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add in the red curry paste and stir for 1-2 minutes. Stir in the curry powder and turmeric.

Step 3) Add the onions, veggies, and ginger to the curry mixture. Cook until onion becomes translucent and vegetables become tender, constantly stirring. Make sure the veggies are evenly coated in seasoning.

Step 4) Pour the coconut milk in the pot, stir, and bring to a boil. Add the sucanat and soy sauce, stir until evenly mixed, and then add the vegetable broth. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 5 minutes.

Step 5) Serve by placing some noodles in a bowl and spooning the vegetable curry on top. Finish with a squirt of lime. You can also garnish with some chopped cilantro.

Enjoy!