Creamy Pasta Salad with Tofu and Sunflower Seeds

So guess who didn't still expect to be playing around in the kitchen, let alone blogging. That would be me. My due date has come and gone and I'm still playing the waiting game. But that just means I get to share another recipe with you.

I've noticed that while I've gotten a lot more comfortable using tofu, mostly everything I make with it has an Asian influence to it. Which is all well and good, but I wanted to make something different this time. I decided to browse my blog reader for inspiration and discovered a cold pasta salad with tofu on The Pink Apron. I just love pasta salads, and since it's already getting quite warm where I live, it sounded wonderful!

I definitely used that recipe as inspiration rather than following it, but I was very pleased with the outcome. My family and I really enjoyed this, and the addition of tofu was actually a big hit. The pressing, marinating and baking steps keep this from being a quick-to-throw-together type of salad, but it was worth it, since my former tofu haters both loved the tofu in it. Plus the extra time in the kitchen is a good way to keep yourself occupied...like when you are waiting for big things to start happening.

Creamy Pasta Salad with Tofu and Sunflower Seeds
inspired by The Pink Apron's Honey Mustard Cashew & Tofu Pasta Salad (adapted from Penzey's)

1/4 cup dijon mustard, divided
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
2 tbsp canola or olive oil (I used a blend of the two)
kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
1 (16 oz) pkg of extra firm tofu, pressed and cut into small cubes
10 oz pasta of choice (about 4 cups) -I used a multi grain farfalle 
1 good sized broccoli crown, cut into small florets (about 3 cups)
1/4 cup light mayo -I used the kind with olive oil
1/4 cup light sour cream
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp dried dill
1/4 tsp parsley flakes
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
2 small carrots, cut into matchsticks or shredded
1/4 cup sunflower seeds

Combine 3 tablespoons of dijon, honey, rice vinegar and oil in a resealable container. Season with pepper. Add tofu and toss to coat. Marinate for at least an hour.

Transfer tofu on a baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray, leaving behind as much marinade as possible. Reserve and refrigerate remaining marinade. Bake tofu in oven preheated to 350 for about 25 minutes, flipping halfway through cooking time. Remove from oven and let cool.

Meanwhile, cook pasta in salted water according to package directions, adding broccoli during the very last minute of cook time. Immediately drain and rinse with cold water.

To reserved marinade, stir in remaining tbsp of dijon, along with the mayo, sour cream, garlic and onion powders, dill and parsley to make dressing. 

In a large bowl, toss cooled pasta and broccoli with red pepper, carrots, tofu and dressing. Adjust salt and pepper if needed. Chill for at least an hour. Prior to serving, add sunflower seeds. (If salad seems a little dry after chilling, you can drizzle with a touch of olive oil.)

Ginger Lime Tofu with Soba Noodles

For the longest time, I thought I hated ginger. Which I'm sure made my ginger-loving husband very sad. Luckily, I realized it was pickled ginger I didn't like (am I the only one who thinks it tastes like a cleaning product?). Since my discovery a while back that I do indeed like it, the fresh stuff frequently finds it's way into my recipes. The other night, we had a store bought ginger-sesame dressing with our salad, and after Sage oohed and aahed over it more than the dinner I'd actually made, it was pretty easy to figure out where I was getting the inspiration for the marinade for the next night's dinner.

I'd say I could measure the success of this meal by how much Sage and Beckett enjoyed this. Especially since neither of them were all that fond of tofu up until recent months. Beckett, who still insisted he doesn't like tofu before beginning to eat, actually ate all of it first. Before the noodles, mushrooms and broccoli- three of his favorite foods. And Sage called dibs on the leftovers for work the next day. To call this meal a hit with my family would be an understatement.

Ginger Lime Tofu with Soba Noodles 
3-4 servings

for the marinade/sauce:
1 1/2 tbsp fresh minced ginger
1 fat clove of garlic, minced
1/3 cup low sodium tamari (or soy sauce)
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
2 tbsp honey
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper

1 (16 oz) pkg firm tofu, pressed and cut into 1 inch cubes
1 (8 oz) box of soba noodles
2 tbsp canola or olive oil
4 cups broccoli florets (2 good sized crowns)
1 medium red bell pepper, sliced
4 oz. sliced button or cremini mushrooms
1 tsp cornstarch
2 tbsp cold water
sliced green onion and chopped cilantro, for serving

Mix marinade ingredients together. Add cubed tofu and toss to coat. Marinate for at least 1 hour.

Transfer tofu to a baking sheet, sprayed with cooking spray, reserving remaining marinade. Bake in oven preheated to 350 for 35 minutes, flipping half way through cook time.

About 15 minutes into baking of tofu, bring a pot of water to boil for the noodles and heat oil in a large skillet over medium. Cook noodles, according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

Once oil in skillet is hot, add broccoli. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add bell pepper and cook for 3 minutes, then add mushrooms. Cook until vegetables are tender, about 5 more minutes.

Blend cornstarch with cold water. Pour remaining marinade into skillet with vegetables, and stir to coat. Add cornstarch mixture and bring to a boil. Once slightly thickened (a minute or two) add baked tofu.

Serve vegetables, tofu and sauce over noodles. Garnish with green onion and cilantro as desired.

Peanut-Orange Marinated Tofu with Stir-Fry Vegetables

When it comes to tofu, I'm not very picky on how it's prepared. Sage and Beckett are another story. I've learned that if I making it at home, they only really care for it when it's been pressed, sliced thin, marinated simply in soy sauce with a touch of sesame oil and baked. Then I almost have to fight them for my share. While I'm pleased to have converted them into tofu-likers, I've been on the lookout for other marinating options I think they will enjoy just for some variety.

The other day, Heather at Where's the Beach shared a peanut marinade/sauce she used on some baked tofu and stir-fried vegetables and it sounded delicious. I had tofu on hand, and I got myself all excited about recreating it...and then I remembered I was out of soy sauce. Naturally, I'd just been to the grocery store that day, and I wasn't going to make a special trip back. Luckily, a couple days later Sage had to stop for something else, and I was able to have him grab it.

This was hands-down one of my favorite meals in recent history. I kept thinking about it for the remainder of the night and made sure to put a claim on the leftovers. Since Heather didn't give exact measurements, I just added the marinade ingredients to taste. I used vegetables I had on hand- carrots, snow peas, zucchini and celery- but you could use red pepper, broccoli, mushrooms, you name it. We had ours with rice, but it would be great over noodles, and if tofu isn't your thing, it would go wonderfully with chicken as well.

Peanut-Orange Marinated Tofu with Stir-Fry Vegetables
marinade/sauce adapted from Where's the Beach
3 generous servings, with the additon of a starch

for the marinade:
1/4 cup reduced sodium tamari (or soy sauce)
1/4 tsp creamy natural peanut butter
1 tbsp honey
1/3 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
1/2 tsp ground ginger

1 (16 oz) package extra-firm tofu, well pressed and cut into 1 inch cubes
1 tbsp olive oil (you could use peanut or canola if you prefer)
3 medium carrots, sliced
2 celery ribs, sliced 1/3 inch thick on the bias
1 medium zucchini, sliced into 1/3 inch thick half moons
3 green onions, sliced lengthwise and crosswise and separated
2 1/2 cups snow peas
brown or white rice, or noodles, for serving

Whisk together marinade ingredients until well blended. Toss tofu to coat and marinate for at least an hour.

Place tofu in a single layer on a baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray, and bake in a preheated oven of 350 for 35 minutes, flipping halfway through cooking time. Reserve remaining marinade.

After tofu has been baking for about 20 minutes, heat a wok (or large skillet) over medium-high heat. Add oil and once hot, add the carrots and celery. Use a wide, flat spatula to keep the vegetables moving. After a few minutes, add the zucchini and onion and cook (again keeping the vegetables moving) for about 10 minutes, or until vegetables have nearly reached desired tenderness. Add snow peas, baked tofu and remaining marinade, and cook for another few minutes. Remove from heat.

Serve over rice or noodles, as desired.

Tofu and Noodles in Peanut-Tomato Sauce

Tofu is one of those things I've been eating for a long time but never attempted working with at home. I'm not so sure what I was afraid of. I can't tell you how many times I've had it in my hands at the grocery, only to chicken out, put it back down, and then... go buy some chicken.

The other day, I stood over the tofu, took a deep breath, tossed it into my cart and quickly walked away before I could change my mind. (Okay, that might be a little more dramatic than how it really went down.) Point is, I made it home with tofu and needed to find the perfect recipe with it. This was actually the hard part.

Most of the recipes I kept finding were Thai dishes, and while I had all of the stuff on hand to make many of those dishes, I've never been able to make an authentic Thai dish at home that I really loved. While I'm not giving up on that challenge, I didn't want to combine that with my first at-home tofu experience. But then I thought of a dish I've had lots of success with, Peanut Butter Chicken. Since its already one of Sage's favorite dinners, I thought it would be a great one to use.

Since it was my first time, I wanted to cook the tofu separately, and baking it seemed easiest. I made a few other changes to my standard recipe- I used green beans instead of bell peppers (since I'd used all of my peppers in these awesome fajitas the night before.) I always think recipes that have peanut sauces with noodles sound so yummy, so I went with that instead of our usual rice. The result was a great dinner we all enjoyed. I think from now on, tofu will be making more appearances in my shopping cart.

Tofu and Noodles in Peanut-Tomato Sauce, serves 4
1 (14 oz.) pkg firm tofu, pressed and cut in 3/4 inch cubes
1 tbsp tamari or soy sauce
7 oz. uncooked multi-grain or whole wheat spaghetti
1 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1/3 lb. green beans, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
4 oz. sliced cremini mushrooms
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
sea salt and fresh ground pepper
1 (15 oz.) can tomatoes with mild green chilies
1 cup vegetable stock
1/2 cup natural peanut butter
juice from 1/2 a lime (mine wasn't very juicy so I used the entire lime)

Toss cubed tofu gently in tamari/soy to coat. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.

Spread tofu onto a baking sheet coated with cooking spray and place into oven preheated to 375. Bake for about 35 minutes, flipping tofu a few times through cooking process.

Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. Set aside.

Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and green beans and cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add mushrooms, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper, and continue cooking for about 5 minutes.

Add tomatoes with their juices and stock. Cover, and without reducing heat, simmer for about 10 minutes, or until green beans are tender. Uncover and stir in peanut butter until sauce is relatively smooth and begins to thicken, about 2 minutes.

Toss sauce with cooked noodles, tofu and lime juice.