Vegan Cheezy Brown Rice & Greens Casserole

This is comfort food at its best. This really is my new favorite dish - a retake of a childhood favorite, my mom's chicken, broccoli, rice casserole.

3 c. uncooked brown rice
1 bunch green veggies (i.e., kale, chard, collards, broccoli)

Cheezy Sauce
2/3 c. raw, unsalted cashews
1/4 c. vegan butter (like Earth Balance)
1/4 c. flour
2 c. vegetable broth
1/4 c. nutritional yeast
1/2 c. vegan cheese (I'm a Daiya loyalist)

Tofu
1 package extra firm tofu, cubed
1 tsp paprika
2 tsp garlic powder
dash of pepper

Step 1: Cook up some fluffy brown rice. About 3 cups, dry.

Step 2: Soak 2/3 cup of cashews in purified warm water for cashew cream. You can also buy cashew cream at some natural foods stores, but don't count on it.

Step 3: Go pick some greens (if you happen to be so lucky to have a winter garden tended by an awesome hubby, like I do). If not, buy some! Then wash and ribbon cut them. I'm using lacinato kale because it's my absolute favorite and its ready for picking, but curly kale, chard, collards, and broccoli would work really well too.

Step 4: Cube, season and pan fry your tofu.

Step 5: Toss your rice, greens and tofu together and lay down into large casserole dish

Step 6: Make your cheezy sauce...

...by whisking the seasoned flour into vegan butter in a medium-sized sauce pan on medium heat until browned. Whisk in vegetable broth, nutritional yeast and cashew cream one at a time until creamy. Add vegan cheese and stir until melted.











 







 Step 7: Liberally pour sauce over rice mixture in casserole dish, top with the rest of the "cheese" and bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes.

25-Minute Dinner: Sautéed Tofu & Kale with Quinoa

It's mid-week, we're all a little beat and The Dude's trying to make it to a 8pm yoga class. What to do for dinner? Something quite and light.

*Sidenote: I bought this new super firm tofu at Trader Joes the other day and it is seriously tasty and great to cook with. A new winner.

1 1/2 c dry quinoa
3 c. Water
1 tbls "not-chicken" base

Cooked the quinoa like you would rice, with the broth base.

1/2 cup diced red onion
1 pkg super (or extra) firm tofu, cubed
3 medium cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp paprika
8 oz of fresh kale
Salt & fresh ground pepper to taste (or Trade Joes' Everyday Seasoning, which I loooove)
2 tbls olive oil

Sauté the onion in the olive oil until caramelized. Add cubed tofu and brown until most sides of the tofu are golden brown. Add seasonings and cook for another few minutes, then add kale and garlic and sauté until kale begins to wilt. Turn of heat and add cooked quinoa to the sauté pan. Mix and serve!

That's all folks.

Good Ol' Fashioned Home Cookin'

As I transition from vegetarianism to veganism, I battle cravings for comfort foods that most would assume off-limits. But I've got skillz and manage to satisfy the cravings sans caving. Here's one of my dude's favorite meals because, well, it includes gravy.

Pan Fried Tofu with Quinoa & Vegan Gravy

1 package extra firm/firm tofu (drained well and blotted with paper towels to remove excess water)

1 1/2 cups quinoa

4 1/2 cups vegetable broth (I'm lazy & cheap and make mine with Rapunzel Vegan Bullion with Sea Salt & Herbs)

1 tbs vegan butter

1tbs unbleached or whole wheat flour

salt & pepper to taste

Chopped herbs (depending on what you're serving it with


Pan fry to tofu in a little olive oil and be sure to use a good non-stick pan. Don't flip until the tofu is nice and crispy on the first side.

Cook the quinoa just like you would rice with a 1:2 grain to veggie broth ratio.

After the tofu is done, remove it from the pan and use the pan to start the gravy. Brown the flour in the butter until toasty in color and whisk in the veggie broth. Whisking constantly is important to prevent lumps. Continue cooking until the gravy thicken - then add salt, pepper & herbs to taste. Add the tofu back into the pan with the gravy and cook together for just another couple of minutes. Serve the tofu & gravy over the quinoa with a seasonal veggie on the side and you have a better version of a classic.