Baked Tofu with Marinades for Burger or Stir Fries

Dr Weil's Tofu Burger

(serves 8)

2 lbs. medium-firm or firm tofu (NOT silken tofu), frozen at least 48 hours

Marinade:
1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons soy sauce (regular or mushroom)
2 tablespoons ketchup (fruit-juice sweetened, cane-sugar sweetened, or organic)
2 teaspoons Marmite, Vegemite or other yeast extract (gives a "beefy" flavor) or 4 teaspoons red miso
1/4 teaspoon garlic granules
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon onion powder

Thaw out the tofu. Slice each pound block into three thick slices. Place the slices on a cookie sheet covered with a couple of clean, folded tea towels. Cover the slices with more tea towels and another cookie sheet. Weigh this arrangement down with something heavy for about 15-20 minutes. Now the tofu slices are ready for marinating. Mix the marinade ingredients together and pour over the prepared tofu slices in a shallow container in one layer. Cover and let marinate for several hours or days.
Just before serving, pan-fry on a lightly-oiled heavy skillet or nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until browned on both sides. Or cook on an indoor grill. Serve on buns with all the trimmings.

Orange-Ginger Tofu Triangles
1 pack firm tofu, pressed
Marinade:
1 cup fresh orange juice
¼ cup rice vinegar
1/3 cup soy sauce
¼ cup canola oil
1 Tbsp sesame oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp minced ginger
¼ tsp crushed red pepper
1 green onion (or more), chopped
2 dried chipotle chiles
¼ cup cilantro, chopped

Mix marinade and pour into a baking dish. Cut the thawed out tofu into 4 thin slices, then cut the block in half diagonally to make 8 triangles. Marinate for at least 30 minutes, up to overnight. Pour off some marinade so that tofu is covered halfway, and bake at 350F for 40-45 minutes, until tofu is golden and most of the marinade has been absorbed.

Kung Pao Tofu or Gong Bao Doufu
1 lb tofu, drained
1/2 c. Water (approx.)
1/3 c. tamari or soy sauce (or more)
2 tbsp. sesame oil
1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp. molasses
Pinch cayenne
Salt and pepper

Begin by draining the tofu. Place it on a plate or cutting board and put another plate on top of it. Set a heavy can on top of the plate to press the water out of the tofu. Leave it like this for 20 min.While the tofu drains, combine the rest of the ingredients (excluding the water) into a sauce and mix well.
Once the tofu is drained, slice it into several pieces that are about 1/2 inch thick. Arrange the slices of tofu in the bottom of a shallow pan. Pour the liquid on top. If the marinade does not cover the tofu, add water. Cover the container and refrigerate overnight.The next day, bake tofu and marinade at 350 F for about 20 min.

Tips
If you want, add scallions to the marinade.
If you do not have cayenne pepper, use red pepper flakes instead.
Do not add too much water. The final product should be salty from the tamari. The marinade may already taste salty but if you do not add enough salt and/or tamari or you dilute it with too much water, the tofu will come out tasting like it lacks flavor.

Snack Ideas (High Protein)

½ cup yogurt with 1 scoop protein powder plus frozen blueberries or jam

½ cup cottage cheese with 1 Tb strawberry jam

½ cup yogurt with ½ cup cottage cheese

Hard Boiled eggs with Salad

Tomato tofu soup (simmered tomatoes with blended silken tofu)

Edamame with salt and pepper and some salad vegetables

Hummus or bean dip with some crackers

Sour Cream Substitute over Half Sweet Potato : Mix 1/2 cup Small Curd Cottage Cheese in a food processor until smooth, and a tsp of lemon juice and that is it!Top it on a portion size baked potato and you have a meal.

Low-carb Pumpkin "Pie: 2 c canned 100% pumpkin mixed with a tsp. pumpkin pie spice, one packet of splenda and a little salt. Nuke this for about 35 seconds
Eat with a serving of cottage cheese (I use about one cup 1% CC)

Protein Pudding

Ingredients
(makes 2 servings)
1 package Jell-O fat-free, sugar free instant pudding
2 scoops protein powder
2 cups no-fat milk
Fresh berries or Kiwi (optional)

Directions
Combine well pudding mix in a bowl with protein powder. With a wire whisk beat the milk into the pudding/protein mix for 5 minutes until all lumps are gone. Pour immediately into individual serving dishes and refrigerate for 2 hours. Top the dessert with fresh berries or any other fruit.

Try Chocolate pudding mix + Vanilla protein powder
or banana flavor pudding mix + Vanilla (or chocolate) protein powder

Walnut cottage cheese pasta

Ingredients
(serves 2)

1/4 cup toasted walnut pieces
1 cup cottage cheese
1 cup dry pasta like rotini or penne ( 300 calorie or 4 oz equivalent)
1 large tomato, chopped
2 garlic cloves
1/2 chopped red onion
1 zuchhini chopped (optional)
pepper, salt and bit hot sauce (or red chilli powder) acc to taste
1/2 T olive oil

Directions
Saute tomato and garlic. Add onions, cottage cheese, walnuts and pasta till cheese has melted.

Uncheese Eggplant Casserole

Ingredients

( Serves 4)

2 Eggplants, medium to large size
2 Onions, medium size
4-6 Garlic cloves
4-6 or more thinly sliced tomatoes
2 cups White Beans
1 cup Nutritional Yeast
Juice of 2 lemons
1 Chipotle Pepper (optional), stem removed or cayenne pepper
Oregano

Pepper and salt

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 C. Add the beans to the container of a high speed blender. Add the peeled garlic, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, and chipotle pepper (or hot sauce if you prefer), salt and pepper . Cover the container and run the blender at high speed until the ingredients are creamy smooth. Place tomato slices on the bottom of the baking dish. Cut the eggplant into 1/3 inch thick slices and arrange in a tight, non-overlapping layer. Next, spoon on a thin layer of the bean cream sauce. Then place another layer of tomato slices layer. Scatter on some of the onions, separating and breaking up the larger rings. Sprinkle on a little oregano. Repeat the above steps until the casserole is filled and the ingredients are all used. Cover the casserole dish, and place in the oven and bake until the eggplant is tender ( about 1 – 1 1/2 hours). We suggest removing the cover for the last ten to fifteen minutes of cooking in order to firm and brown off the top.

Macaroni and un-Cheese with Tomatoes

Ingredients

(Serves 4)

3 cup dry Elbow Macaroni, whole wheat
6 Tomatoes, Roma
1 large Onion
2 cups White Beans
1/2 cup Nutritional Yeast
1/4 cup Lemon Juice
1/2 Chipotle Pepper, optional for a spicy smoke flavor
bit of salt and pepper

Directions
Microwave oven or conventional oven at 350 degrees F can be used to prepare this dish. Wash, peel, and dice the onions and place in a large covered baking dish. Cook until the onions begin to become semi transparent (about 5 minutes in the microwave oven).
While the onions are cooking, place the water in the pasta pot and heat to boiling.
Wash the tomatoes and remove the stem ends and any blemishes or bad spots. Cut into bite-sized pieces, and add to the onions when they are cooked. Cover the baking dish and cook until the tomatoes are hot, but not cooked through. When the pasta water boils, add the elbow macaroni, and cook until the macaroni softens, but is still slightly chewy.
Open the cans of beans and drain off the excess liquid. Place the beans in the container of a high speed blender. Add the nutritional yeast, lemon juice, and chipotle pepper (stem removed). Cover and run the blender at high speed until the ingredients are creamy smooth. Use the tamper rod as necessary. Combine the cooked and drained pasta and the bean sauce with the onions and tomatoes in the covered dish, and mix well. Cover and bake for about 10-15 minutes

Basic Brownies

Ingredients
(makes 16 squares)

1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1-2 cup chocolate chips (semisweet, white, butterscotch, peanut butter) or raisins or chopped maraschino cherries or nuts ( optional )

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8 inch square pan or line with foil. ( if recipe is doubled use - 9 x 13 inch pan).In a medium bowl combine melted butter and cocoa and stir until cocoa is dissolved. Add sugar and mix well. Add eggs one at a time and stir until well combined. Stir in vanilla, flour and salt until you no longer see any flour (do not overmix). Fold in optional ingredients.Spread in pan and bake for approximately 25 minutes. DO NOT OVER-BAKE -- your brownies will come out dry. Adjust time/temp accordingly for your oven. If you do the knife/toothpick test, it should come out with moist crumbs, not clean. Cool completely before cutting into squares.

Flaxseed Pancakes/Waffles

Ingredients

(makes 2 pancakes)

1/2 cup all-white liquid egg substitute
3 tablespoons ground flax seeds
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
4 tsp sugar or Splenda or any sugar substitute
cinnamon
nutmeg

2 tablespoons cream cheese or yogurt
vanilla
1 tsp sugar or Splenda or sugar substitute

Directions

Mix first seven ingredients in a small bowl. (The baking powder blobs up so you have to stir really well until it dissolves.)Spray a heated pan with non-stick spray and pour in half of the mixture. It will immediately sort of fluff up like a pancake. Brown on one side and flip. I cooked about 2 minutes on each side.The "frosting" for this is optional; mix together the last three ingredients in a small cup and spread on pancakes. You can experiment with the ingredients to alter the sweetness.

Roasted Eggplant Salad with Walnuts ( A Turkish Recipe)

from turkishcookbook.com
( serves 4)

Ingredients
2 large eggplants
Juice from 1/2 lemon juice ( or acc to taste)
50 ml extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
Salt
Pepper
Topping:
1/3 cup walnuts, crumbled

Directions
Before putting them in the oven, make holes on the eggplants with a fork so that they will soften and roast better. Then place them on an oven tray and roast for about 25 minutes on broil. Alternatively, you can barbecue them until softened. Then peel them, remove any seeds and place in a strainer to drain.
Place the roasted eggplants in an ovenproof dish. Cut into small pieces with a knife. Add the lemon juice, olive oil, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper and toss. Sprinkle the walnuts all over.
Place the dish on the second rack from the top in the oven. Grill for about 4 minutes until walnuts become lightly roasted.

Aubergine Ruffles

Ingredients
augbergines (eggplant)
olive oil
salt and pepper to season
Freshly chopped parsley to garnish

Directions
Thinly slice the aubergines and brush both sides of each slice with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Lay on a baking sheet and bake in a 500ºF/260ºC oven 15 minutes per side. Toss with salt, pepper, olive oil and freshly chopped parsley. Serve warm or at room temperature.
These can be eaten as chips with Tahini sauce or used as burger in a sandwich.

Tuscan Bean Soup

From VeganYumYum
( Serves 2)

Ingredients
1/2 Onion, finely chopped
2 Medium Carrots, sliced into very thin coins
1 Medium Russet Potato, cut into a 1/4″ dice
2 Cups Water
1 Can White Beans, drained and rinsed (I used Great Northern)
1/2 tsp Oregano
1/2 tsp Thyme
1 tsp Salt
2 Tbs Tomato Paste
1/2 Cup Seitan, sliced thin (optional)
2-3 Large Kale Leaves, deveined and roughly chopped
2-3 tsp Lemon Juice
Fresh herbs for garnish, optional

Directions
Saute the onions over medium-low heat in a medium sized, heavy pot that has a lid. Slice the carrots into 1/8″ coins and add to pot. Cut potato into 1/4″ dice and add to pot, stirring occasionally. Add water and loosen any stuff that has stuck to the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Add salt, oregano, tomato paste and stir. Cover and turn head down to a low boil.

Slice seitan and kale, drain and rinse the beans. Add seitan and beans to pot and stir. The stew should be quite thick. Add kale and lemon juice. Taste and season if necessary. Simmer for a few minutes until kale is tender. Carrots should be tender, and the potato should be soft but still hold its shape. Serve and garnish with fresh herbs, shown here with thyme.

Portugese Bean Soup

From Real Age Diet
( serves 4, makes about 7 cups of Soup)

Ingredients
2 t Olive oil
1 cup coarsely chopped white onion
3 cups vegetable broth or water
1 cup diced ( 1/2 inch) unpeeled sweet potato ( Diced and peeled butternut or delicata squash can be substituted too)
3 to 4 t chilli garlic sauce or chili puree with garlic
1 can diced tomatoes undrained ( or dice 2-3 fresh tomatoes)
2 cups cooked great northern or cannnellini beans
4 t balsamic vinegar (optional)
4 cups packed sliced Swiss Chard or Collard Greens ( Kale, turnip or beet greens can be substituted too)

Directions
Cook onion in heated oil in saucepan for three minutes or so. Add broth, sweet potato and chili sauce; bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered five minutes. Stir in tomatoes and beans; return to simmer. Stir in greens. Simmer five minutes until greens or potatoes are tender. Stir in vinegar if desired and ladle into 4 serving bowls.
The soup maybe be purred if desired; or thickened to served over bed of pasta or baked potato or rice or grain for that matter.

Feta Stuffed Zucchini Boat

( serves 2 as main dish or 4 as side dish or 8 as appetizer)

Ingredients
2 zucchini, about 7 inches long, halved lengthwise, stem end left intact
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large shallot, minced ( or even regular 1/4 onion will do)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 egg
1 1/2 tablespoon flour ( WW)
2 ounces feta, crumbled
Pimenton (Spanish paprika)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease an ovenproof dish. ( I used cookie sheet lined with foil)
With a small knife, cut around the zucchini, leaving a rim. Cross hatch the center, then scoop out with a grapefruit knife. ( can use spoon and small knife)
In a small skillet, heat the olive oil . Add the zucchini scoopings, shallot and garlic and saute until soft/bit brown. In a small bowl, beat the egg lightly. Stir in the flour, feta and cooked zucchini. ( also put in some pepper and salt). Stuff the zucchini boats. Sprinkle with paprika.
Bake for 30 to 40 minutes till they look cooked and then brown slightly under the broiler.

Roasted Eggplant with Tomatoes (Baigan Bharta)

(Serves 4)

Ingredients
2 Medium eggplants
2 tablespoons water
3 medium onions -- peeled and finely chopped
3 cloves garlic -- peeled and minced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger root -- minced
2 green chiles -- or jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced (optional)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons curry powder -- or garam masala ( or 1 T sabzi masala instead of cumin and curry powder)
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup fresh peas -- (or frozen)
2 tomatoes chopped
1 cup diced peppers (mixture of green,yellow, orange, red) (optional)
2 tablespoons cilantro – chopped
1/3 green lentils dry (then cooked) (optional)
1 cup cooked chickpeas (optional)
½ T olive oil (optional)

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Prick each eggplant with a fork in two or three places. On a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil, arrange the eggplants. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the eggplants are tender and the skin begins to char. Let cool. Carefully peel away and discard the skin. Chop the pulp coarsely and set aside. ( you can mash eggplant too)

In a large nonstick skillet, heat the water or oil if using. Add the onions and sauté for while till bit brown. Add garlic and ginger and sauté for 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook till tomatoes are mushy. Then add green chilies, and cook for 2 more minutes, until the whole thing wet solid. Add spices, salt, peas, peppers and simmer over medium-low heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the mashed eggplant, lentils, chickpeas and chopped cilantro. Cook, stirring, for 10 minutes, until the flavors are well blended.
You can prepare this dish 2 days in advance. Refrigerate, then reheat before serving. Eat with flat bread or baked pita chips.

If used as appetizer, one can omit chickpeas and lentils. For main dish, these protein sources can be added.

Low Fat Banana Bread

( makes 2 loaves, 24 slices)

Ingredients
1 ¼ cup sugar ( I used 1 cup )
½ cup softened butter or atleast 65% vegetable oil stick margarine
2 large eggs
1 ½ cup mashed very ripe bananas ( 3 medium)
1/2 cup buttermilk or low fat yogurt
1 t vanilla
2 ½ cups all purpose flour
1 t baking soda
1 t salt
1 cup chopped nuts or 1 cup frozen blueberries ( optional)

Directions
Make sure that oven rack is such that tops of pans are in middle of oven. Preheat ovean to350 deg C. Grease (only bottoms and not sides, so that bread is round on top ) two pans of either size 8 ½ X 4 ½ X 2 ½ inches or 9 X 5 X 3 inches.

Mix sugar and butter in large bowl. Stir in eggs until well blended. Stir in Bananas, buttermilk and vanilla; beat until smooth. Stir in flour, baking soda, salt just until moistened ( don’t mix too much). Stir in nuts and divide batter evenly between 2 pans.

Bake 8 inch loaf pan for about hour and 9 inch one for 1 hr 15 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pans on wire rack. Loosen pans, and remove loaves from pan to wire rack. Cool for 2 hrs and then only slice ( if not cooled properly, slices might crumble). Wrap tightly and store at room temp for 4 days or in fridge for 10 days.

Dr Weil's Barley Salad (Tabbouleh )

(serves 4)

This summer salad combines barley, a satisfying, nutty grain, with fresh vegetables. Flavored with mint, parsley, garlic and lemon, it might remind you of tabbouleh, a Middle Eastern dish traditionally made with bulghur wheat. Barley has one of the lowest glycemic loads of any grain, and parsley has carminative (intestinal gas-relieving) and diuretic properties, making it an excellent tonic ingredient. Look for the flat-leaf (Italian) parsley, which has a more pronounced flavor than the curly leaf variety. This dish makes a healthy alternative to the usual picnic or potluck potato salad. Try it as a light meal all on its own, or as a wonderful accompaniment to other dishes.

Ingredients
3 cups vegetable stock or water
1 cup pearl barley or hulled barley
Salt to taste
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 bunch scallions, sliced thin
1 bunch radishes, sliced
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint (or 1/4 cup dried mint)
1 cup kidney beans ( optional)

Dressing:
3 T extra-virgin olive oil or less ( I used 1 T )
3 T fresh lemon juice
3-4 cloves garlic, mashed
Salt to taste

Directions
Bring to a boil the vegetable stock (or water). Add barley and salt. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer until barley is tender and liquid is absorbed, about 45 minutes. Drain well and place in a medium bowl. Mix the dressing ingredients together and pour over barley.
Allow barley to cool, then add the parsley, scallions, radishes, cucumber, red pepper and mint. Mix well and chill for several hours before serving.

Lentil Walnut Feta Salad

(serves 4)

Ingredients
3/4 cup dry lentils
1/2 cup walnut pieces
3-4 green onions
4 garlic cloves
2 bay leaves
2- 3 T red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar
1/2 t dijon mustard
salt and pepper acc to taste
crumbled goat cheese (30 - 50 g per serving)
1 T olive oil
1/2 cucumber deseeded and cut into pieces
3- 4 mushrooms
1 tomato cut into pieces without seeds
Any other kind of vegetables like peppers, radishes etc

Directions
Wash the lentils, then place in pot with bay leaves and enough water to cover by two inches. Bring to a boil, lower heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until tender but not mushy, about 20 minutes. Drain and discard bay leaves. Let cool for a few minutes.Meanwhile, heat cooking oil, add shallots or onions, garlic, and 1/2 t salt, and sauté for 10-15 minutes, until lightly colored. Add 2 T red wine vinegar and cook another 3 minutes, then remove from heat.
Meanwhile, toast the walnuts in a 325° oven for 5 minutes or a frying pan over medium heat, until golden. Whisk together remaining T vinegar, bit salt, mustard, pepper, and olive oil. Combine lentils, shallots, walnuts, and dressing and other vegetables in the medium bowl, then gently stir in cheese. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Moroccan Eggplant with Garbanzo Beans and Lentils

(serves 4 )
Ingredients
1 large onion cut in half and sliced thin
5 medium cloves garlic, pressed
1 medium red bell pepper cut in 1 inch squares ( or mixture of yellow, green and red peppers)
1 medium eggplant, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 medium zucchini
2 -3 Shitake or regular mushrooms
pinch of red pepper flakes
2 tsp turmeric
½ tsp garam masala
1 cup garbanzo beans
½ cup dry lentils, drained
1- 2 pureed tomatoes
1¼ cups water
½ cup raisins
1 TBS chopped fresh cilantro
salt & black pepper to taste
1 Tbs olive oil

Directions
Sprinkle salt on eggplant and zucchini and leave it for 30 minutes. In meantime cook lentils in 2 cup water. It will take about 20 minutes. Lentils should be still crunchy. Wash salt from eggplant and zucchini and drain water. Then sauté onions in olive oil till brown. Add garlic. Then fry eggplant, zucchini , mushrooms and peppers for minute or two. Add puree tomato and turmeric, garam masala and red pepper flakes. Add water after a minute or two and cook till eggplant is tender. Add lentils, beans and raisins and simmer for 3 minutes. Add pepper and salt acc to taste. Sprinkle fresh cilantro before serving.

Basic Fruit Smoothie

Serves 2 with one cup each

Ingredients
1 banana frozen or otherwise OR 1 cup mango slices
1 cup berries (frozen for thickness)
1 cup fruit juice or Soymilk
ice cubes (optional)
1/4 cup isolated soy protein powder (optional)
1 tsp flaxseed oil (optional) or 2 tsp nutritional yeast

some combination = blueberries, raspberries or mango + apple juice
strawberries + orange juice

Edamame Salad

(serves 4- 6)
Ingredients
1 lb edamame (frozen blanched shelled soybeans)or about 4 cups
3 Tbsp seasoned rice wine vinegar
2 Tbsp light soy sauce
1 tsp canola oil
1 tsp sesame oil
¼ tsp red-pepper flakes
4 scallions, minced diagonally
1 med cucumber, peeled, halved, seeded, and chopped
1 med red bell pepper, chopped
Lettuce leaves (optional)

Directions
In a large pot over high heat, bring 2 cups of water to a boil.
Add the edamame, and simmer for 4 minutes in covered pot, or until tender. Drain well. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the vinegar, soy sauce, canola oil, sesame oil, and red-pepper flakes. Add the drained soybeans, scallions, cucumber, and bell pepper. Toss to coat. Serve on a bed of lettuce (if using).