Meatless Monday: Grilled Tofu Kebabs & Garlic Mashed Cauliflower

Happy Meatless Monday! I’ve got two delicious recipes for you today. However, I can only take credit for one of them. The recipe for garlic mashed cauliflower is from the blog One Happy Table. SO many tasty recipes from this blog, I love it!

Anyways, I’m keeping this post short and sweet because I’ve got a lot on the go at the moment. This new internship is certainly keeping me busy! I also forgot to mention… my boyfriend got a job that coincidentally happens to be located only 20 minutes from my office. It’s strange how things have a habit of working themselves out, no? Since my commute to work is ridiculously long (I drive and it takes almost two hours some mornings) and he currently lives over two hours away from where his new job is located, we decided to look for our first apartment together :) Exciting! Hopefully I’ll still be able to keep up with my blog.

Grilled Tofu Kebabs & Garlic Mashed Cauliflower

Click here to see the garlic mashed cauliflower recipe!

Ingredients for tofu kebabs:

1 package extra firm tofu, sliced into large cubes and patted dry

1 tbsp vegetable broth

1 tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce

1 tbsp maple syrup

1/2 tbsp grainy mustard

Pinch of chili flakes (optional)

3-4 wooden skewers

Directions:

1. Preheat the BBQ to medium heat (I cheated and used a George Foreman grill). Combine the vegetable broth, soy sauce, maple syrup, mustard and chili flakes in a small bowl. Add the maple-soy marinade and tofu cubes to a medium-sized bowl. Stir to coat and let sit for about 10-20 minutes.

2. Once the tofu has absorbed the marinade, place about 4 cubes on each wooden skewer. Grill, turning occasionally, until all sides are a nice golden brown. Enjoy with some garlic mashed cauliflower and steamed veggies. Mmmm :)

Mini Vegetarian Lasagna “Cupcakes”

To make up for not posting a Meatless Monday recipe yesterday, I made something extra delicious today. ”Cupcakes” for dinner!!!! These were easy to make and SO GOOD! This might be my new favourite recipe, and I’m proud to say I came up with it myself (although the idea for making lasagna cupcakes came to me after browsing Pinterest earlier.. I just made them meat-free). Even my mom (a tofu-hater) said they were very tasty :)

Mini Vegetarian Lasagna “Cupcakes”

 

Makes 6 “cupcakes”

Ingredients:

18 wonton wrappers (3 per “cupcake”)

1/2 tsp olive oil

1 clove of garlic, minced

1/4 cup diced onions

2/3 cup chopped mushrooms

1 large handful of fresh spinach, roughly chopped

1 generous cup of extra firm tofu, crumbled (textured soy protein would also work)

About 3/4 cup of your favourite pasta sauce (be mindful of sodium and sugar content!)

Roughly 1/4 cup ricotta cheese

Roughly 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Parmesan cheese, for sprinkling

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Lightly coat the inside of a 6-serving muffin tin with cooking spray.

2. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté for about 1 minute. Add the onions, mushrooms, and tofu and sauté until tofu is heated through and onions are softened. Season with a bit of pepper and red chili flakes, if you like.

3. Add the chopped spinach and sauté until wilted. Add about 1/2 cup of the pasta sauce (you can add a bit more, depending on how much sauce you like) and stir until heated through. Remove from the heat and set aside.

4. Carefully line each cupcake mold with one wonton wrapper. Spread a small spoonful of ricotta cheese on the bottom of each wonton (I used a mix of ricotta and goat cheese). Add a heaping spoonful of the tofu mixture on top. Carefully place another wonton wrapper on top of the tofu mixture, gently tucking it in to the sides of the cupcake mold. This is what it should look like:

Sprinkle a bit of mozzarella cheese on top and add another heaping spoonful of the tofu mixture. Place one final wonton wrapper on top, add a small spoonful of the remaining pasta sauce, and sprinkle with a bit of mozzarella cheese and some Parmesan. The finished product should look something like this:

5. Bake the “cupcakes” for about 15-20 minutes, until nicely browned. Mine took about 18 minutes. Let the “cupcakes” cool for a few minutes, and then carefully remove them with a small spatula – they should come out very easily!

Tonight I enjoyed my “cupcakes” with some steamed asparagus and spinach. Mmmmm… Can’t wait to make these again!

Meatless Monday: Veggie & Tofu Stirfry with Quinoa

I have been slacking MAJORLY on my workouts lately, but today I was finally motivated enough to go to the gym. Gotta make up for all that booze I consumed on St.Patty’s Day, right? It felt great to get back into things, I felt so refreshed and energized afterwards. I knew I had to make an equally energizing, nutritious meal to reward all my hard work. This week’s Meatless Monday recipe is easy, delicious, and oh-so-good for you! The ingredients can be played around with easily as well.

Veggie & Tofu Stirfry with Quinoa

Ingredients:

1/2 cup quinoa

1 cup water or vegetable broth (I used half water, half broth)

2 slices of extra firm tofu (about 1-2 cm thick)

1 tbsp of your favourite marinade (I used Lime Chili marinade)

2 tsp olive oil

1-2 cups of chopped veggies (I used portobello mushrooms, red and yellow bell peppers, and zucchini)

1 handful of fresh bean sprouts

An assortment of your favourite spices (I used some garlic powder, onion powder, cilantro, and chili flakes)

Directions:

1. Add the quinoa and water/broth to a small pot and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to low, cover, and simmer for about 15 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes, and then fluff with a fork.

2. Rinse the tofu and gently pat it dry; slice it into bite-sized pieces. Toss with the marinade and set aside (do this step well in advance in order to let the flavours really sink in).

3. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the tofu for about 4-5 minutes. Then add the chopped veggies and spices and stirfry until tender.

4. Serve your stirfry over a bed of quinoa and top everything off with a handful of fresh bean sprouts. Yum yum!

I only ate about 1/3 of the cooked quinoa, so I’m going to use the rest in a salad – I will share the recipe tomorrow!

I hope you take advantage of this BEAUTIFUL weather and spend some time outdoors!

- Be Well xo

Meatless Monday: Vegetarian Lasagna Rolls

I have some very exciting news… my 16-year-old brother recently agreed to switch from white bread to whole wheat! Okay, maybe this isn’t exciting to you, but I have been on his case for a while about eating healthier. Although it’s just one small change, he’s one step closer to eating healthier and one step further from his usual diet of frozen pizza pops and chicken wings! Next step: getting him to eat more vegetables and less meat.

Here is this week’s Meatless Monday recipe, courtesy of EatingWell.com:

Vegetarian Lasagna Rolls

Serves 2 people (x2 rolls per person)

Ingredients:

4 whole-wheat lasagna noodles

1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1/3 of a 14-ounce package of extra-firm tofu – drained, rinsed and crumbled

1 cup chopped spinach

2 tbsp shredded Parmesan cheese

A pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

1 cup marinara sauce, divided (this is a rough estimate.. I can’t exactly remember how much I used)

1/4 shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese (I used havarti because that’s all I had available at the time)

Directions:

1. Cook the lasagna noodles according to the instructions on the package. Drain, rinse, return to the pot, and cover with cold water.

2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant (about 20 seconds). Add the crumbled tofu and spinach and cook until the spinach wilts (about 3-4 minutes). Transfer to a bowl and stir in Parmesan cheese, crushed red pepper, and about 1/4 cup of the marinara sauce.

3. Wipe out the frying pan and spread 1/2 cup of the remaining marinara sauce on the bottom. To make a lasagna roll, place a noodle on a clean work surface. Spread a few spoonfuls of the tofu filling along it; roll it up carefully and place seam-side down in the pan. Repeat with the rest of the noodles and filling. Spoon the rest of the marinara sauce over the rolls.

4. Let the rolls simmer on medium heat for about 3 minutes. Sprinkle the rolls with mozzarella and cook, covered, until the cheese melts (about 1-2 minutes). Garnish with a bit of parsley, and you’re good to go!