Tofu Tikka Masala

INGREDIENTS:
Marinade
1 block of tofu
Juice of ½ lemon
½ tsp cayenne pepper
½ tsp turmeric powder
½ tsp garam masala
1 clove of garlic crushed
½” piece of ginger crushed
Salt and pepper to season

Gravy
1 medium onion preferably red, chopped
½ a can of crushed tomatoes
2 cloves of garlic minced
1 inch piece of ginger minced
1 small stick cinnamon
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp garam masala
½ cup almond milk (plain)
2 tbsp almond butter (optional)
Lemon juice to make the gravy tart
Salt and pepper (if necessary)

DIRECTIONS:
Drain tofu and chop into squares. Combine spices and lemon juice in a bowl. Add tofu, stir around and let marinate. I let it sit for about 20 minutes and warmed the oven to 350. Transfer the tofu to a cooking sheet and bake for 30 minutes. Move them around after about 15 minutes. Remove and let cool.

In a skillet, heat water. Next add the whole spices and warm for a few minutes. I made it a bit more than paste by adding a bit more water. Add the onions, garlic and ginger and cook till the onions are translucent.

Next, add the crushed tomatoes. Cooking the tomatoes is the KEY step in this gravy. If the tomatoes stay undercooked, the taste of the final product will suffer. So how do you know, well add the tomatoes and the spices and cook till you see the edges of the tomatoes separating from the pan (never saw this with my tomatoes).

Next add the almond butter, ½ cup of water and almond milk. Mix and let it come to a boil. Once it comes to a boil, add lemon juice and season to taste. Finally add the tofu and let it go for another 5 minutes, so that the tofu can soak the liquid and spices.

NOTES: I omitted ALL of the olive oil, it wasn’t needed to saute the onion and didn’t want to load the dish with unnecessary fat. I might use the juice of 1 lemon for the marinade since I omitted the olive oil. All the tofu was well coated when it went into the oven.

I also wish I had used some more crushed tomatoes in the recipe, possibly a 1/4 cup more would have made for a more consistent gravy.

SOURCE: The Healthy Diary

Cilantro Hummus

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups garbanzo beans, cooked (1 – 15.5 oz. can)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoon tahini
2 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon coriander
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3/4 cup chopped cilantro
Spike Salt Free Gourmet Natural Seasoning (optional).

DIRECTIONS:
In a food processor add all the ingredients and blend until smooth.

NOTES: I added the Spike seasoning after I had the ingredients blended to taste. If you want to lower the fat content, you can omit the tahini as well, I tasted the hummus before I added the tahini and after. It’s another item that could be considered optional.

Baked Falafel

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups chickpeas
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon tahini
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper
5 tablespoons whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Chop the onion and cilantro. Add all ingredients except the cilantro and parsley into a food processor until mixed. Transfer mix to a bowl and add the cilantro and parsley. Roll mixture into 1 1/2″ balls or 2″ patties about 1/2″ think. Place onto baking pan covered with parchment paper.

Bake for 12 minutes on each side, until nicely browned (since it’s baked, only the part actually touching the pan will be browned and crispy).

Serve in pita pockets, with hummus, tahini sauce, tomatoes, lettuce and/or cucumber.

Serving Size: 16-20 balls/patties (depending on size)

Nutritional Facts:
Calories: 61
Total Fat: 1 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 147 mg
Potassium: 91 mg
Total Carbs: 11 mg
Protein: 2 g

Notes: I have changed this recipe a few times now, using the link below as the base. I have used a small onion and I have used dried, minced onion. The difference being when I added the small, chopped onion to the food processor it did require more whole wheat flour since there was a fair amount of liquid in the onion.

I have also soaked and cooked dry chickpeas and used canned, both yield similar results. I prefer the cooking my own chickpeas, to reduce the sodium level, even after I rinse and drained the canned chickpeas. This does some advance planning, I usually soak the chickpeas for 6-8 hours and then boil them for about 75-90 minutes.

Source: Chow Vegan

Black Bean & Millet Salad

Ingredients:
1 cup millet, uncooked
3 cups water
2 cups black beans, drained and rinsed
2 large tomatoes, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium cucumber, sliced

Dressing
1/3 cup water
3 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon Bragg’s Liquid Aminos
2 teaspoon garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt (optional)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon allspice

Directions:
In a pot add the water and millet, cook for 30 minutes and let cool. In a bowl combine millet, beans, tomato & onion. Chop cucumber and add to bowl.

Combine dressing ingredients, mix, pour over salad. Cover & refrigerate until chilled. Serve on lettuce leaves or stuff in pita.

Serving Size: 5 1/2-cup servings

Notes: I had to substitute the all spice since there was none in my pantry. I used a 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg (didn’t have any cloves either). It’s a filling salad, the onion seems a bit overbearing, I might make some adjustments to the dressing the next time I make this salad. 4/12/12

Source: My friend Jenniffer, who is masterful in the kitchen!

Cheese Sauce #2

Mac & Cheese Sauce #2INGREDIENTS:
1 can Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
1 roasted red pepper (rinsed from jar or prepared from fresh)
1/2 cup nutritional yeast flakes
1 tablespoon Bragg’s liquid aminos or low-sodium soy sauce
zest and juice of 1 lemon
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 cup water
Sriracha Hot Sauce to taste

DIRECTIONS:
In a blender, beans, roasted red pepper, nutritional yeast flakes, liquid aminos, cayenne pepper, and water. Blend on high until smooth and set aside. Add water for desired consistency.

NOTES:
This is my go to cheese-like sauce when I make macaroni and cheese. It’s quick and easy and tastes good. It seems to hold up well if you have leftovers and reheat it.