Funny story about this recipe.

SP does the grocery shopping. I put baby bok choy on the shopping list, specifying that I needed 4 of them. I checked the crisper drawer a few days later and discovered he'd purchased 4 bunches of baby bok choy, as in almost 2 POUNDS of baby bok choy. Ha! Thankfully it freezes well so we can enjoy it another time.


As soon as this recipe for Oyster Sauce Chicken with Bok Choy popped up in my Google Reader I knew I had to make it. I also knew I wanted to sub tofu for the chicken. It was a great sub - this was truly delicious and the tofu actually soaked up the flavors of the sauce. I think I'm going to change my cooking method from now on.

As it turns out, 4 baby bok choy and 4 shiitake mushrooms weren't nearly enough for our tastes. I used 2 bunches, or approximately 8-10 baby bok choy. The mushrooms all but disintegrated into the dish so I'm increasing the amount needed in the recipe below. The sauce was delicious - I'm glad I doubled the original recipe so there was enough of it. Yum!

I served this over rice noodles with some egg rolls on the side.

Oyster Sauce Tofu with Bok Choy
Modified from Blissfully Delicious

1 block tofu, pressed and drained
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
1 heaping teaspoon Sriracha
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
2 tablespoons Shaohsing rice wine
10 fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced
10 baby bok choy, white parts cut into 1-inch pieces leaving green parts whole
2 large scallions, thinly sliced

Cut the tofu into bite-size pieces. Bring a pot of water to a boil, add salt and tofu. Cook 5 minutes. Drain on a plate lined with paper towels.

In a smaller bowl, combine the stock, cornstarch, oyster sauce, soy sauce, Sriracha and black pepper. Mix well and set aside.

Heat a wok or non-stick skillet over high heat and, when the wok starts to smoke, add the oil. Add the tofu and ginger. Let settle for 1 minute, and then stir occasionally for 3 minutes. As the tofu starts to turn brown and crispy, add the rice wine and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add the mushrooms and bok choy stalks and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the reserved sauce and bring to a boil, then stir in the bok choy leaves and cook for another minute. Remove from the heat and stir in half the scallions. Transfer to a serving dish, garnish with the remaining scallions and serve immediately.

It's been awhile since I made a tofu dish and I wanted something a little different. I printed out a bunch of tofu recipes from my friend Mary Ellen's blog awhile back and this Crispy Tofu with Garlic and Broccoli in a Soy-Hoisin Sauce sounded perfect.


This was another dish that tasted just like something I'd get at a Chinese restaurant. I had to substitute oyster sauce for the hoisin because I forgot to ask SP to get it at the store. SP thought the dish tasted a little fishy because of it but I loved it. The sweetness from the brown sugar and the kick from the red pepper flake was perfect. The sauce thickened nicely with some cornstarch and I was using the tofu to soak up every last drop.

This was my first time using rice noodles and I loved how easy they were to prepare. Boil water, turn off the heat, add the noodles and soak for 10 minutes. Awesome. They were chewy and delicious, a great alternative to rice.

Thanks again, Mary Ellen!

Crispy Tofu with Garlic and Broccoli
As seen on Mary Ellen’s Cooking Creations

1 block firm tofu, pressed and drained and cut into cubes
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 white onion, chopped
1/4 cup cooking sherry or brandy
2 small heads broccoli, chopped into florets
1 teaspoon (or to taste) red pepper flakes
2 cups chicken broth
1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons Hoisin or oyster sauce
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 green onions, chopped
1-7oz package Asian noodles, cooked according to directions

Heat 2-3 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat in a large non-stick pan. Add tofu and cook until browned on all sides, about 12-15 minutes. Once cooked, remove tofu and let drain on a plate covered with a paper towel.

Add the garlic and onions to the pan; sauté 2 minutes. Add cooking sherry, cook 1-2 minutes. Add broccoli and red pepper flakes; saute 3-4 minutes. Add chicken broth, soy sauce, brown sugar, and Hoison. Bring to a simmer for 5 minutes.

Mix a splash of water with the cornstarch in a small bowl until dissolved. Pour the mixture into the pan and stir. Return the tofu to the pan along with half of the green onions. Let simmer for a few minutes.

Serve over noodles and top with the rest of the green onions.

I'm actually surprised by how much we both love tofu. I know it's good for us and it's a great substitute for meat, but I didn't think we would both be head over heels for it. So far I've made 4 different tofu dishes and we've loved them all. This is shocking to me since my husband had always been a meat and potatoes kind of guy. If I served him a meatless meal the first thing he'd ask is, "where's the meat?" quickly followed by, "you know, some bacon would make this better."

This Kung Pao Tofu is another take-out fake-out (to quote Rachael Ray) that is actually better than anything we could get at a local Chinese restaurant. The flavors were outstanding and the fresh veggies and crispy tofu rounded out the meal. I made a few modifications to the original recipe, adding some chicken broth (or you could use vegetable to keep it vegetarian) and a few splashed of fish sauce to bump up the amount of sauce. We like our stir-fries saucy, what can I say. I don't have coconut oil so I cooked everything in canola oil and it worked just fine.

Between the 30 minutes to bake the tofu and the actual cooking time of the dish, this is not exactly a weeknight-friendly meal unless you get home from work early. Unfortunately we think Baby Girl might have a mild peanut allergy so she didn't get to sample this meal. I took these pictures before I remembered the green onion garnish, which I added before we ate and definitely helped brighten up the dish.



Kung Pao Tofu
Modified from Prevention RD

Cooking spray
2 blocks extra firm tofu, pressed and drained, then cubed
2/3 cup roasted peanuts
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or more to taste
1 large red bell pepper, sliced into strips
12 oz mushrooms, sliced
4 green onions, sliced and divided
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
4 tablespoons soy sauce
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 inch piece fresh ginger, grated
1 cup chicken (or vegetable) broth
A couple shakes of fish sauce, optional

Preheat oven to 425 F. Line a baking sheet with tin foil and spray well with non-stick cooking spray. Arrange tofu on the baking sheet and lightly mist with oil. Bake for 30 minutes, turning the cubes after 15 minutes.

Heat canola oil in a wok over medium-high heat. Add peanuts and red pepper flakes and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add tofu and stir. Add bell pepper and mushrooms and cook another 1 -2 minutes.

Add half of the green onions, vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, chicken/vegetable broth and fish sauce. Reduce heat and allow sauce to thicken for 2-3 minutes. Serve over cooked rice topped with remaining green onions.

Once I started cooking with tofu I asked the ladies on my cooking board for some recipe recommendations. My friend Mary Ellen listed this Sweet and Spicy Tofu with Green Beans as one of her favorites.

I had a few mishaps making this, mainly mistaking the oyster sauce in the fridge for hoisin sauce. No biggie, I just used the oyster sauce. Stir fries are so forgiving. I also ran out of sherry, so I used rice wine vinegar to make up the difference. I was running late getting dinner on the table and the sauce was taking forever to thicken, so I made a slurry with cornstarch and some water and mixed that in to thicken the sauce quickly. I love cornstarch in stir fries - it makes the sauce so velvety and sooth.


I doubled the recipe so we'd have leftovers for lunch. And speaking of leftovers, I had half an avocado in the fridge from earlier in the week. I've seen a few Asian dishes with avocado so I thought I'd dice it up and throw it in with my leftovers. All I can say is WOW. I added an avocado to the ingredient list as optional but I HIGHLY recommend adding it in if you love avocado. Not only did it help temper the spice from the sriracha, the creamy texture was a great compliment to the crispy green beans and water chestnuts.

I'm really loving cooking with tofu and this dish was no exception. A delicious, spicy sauce and healthy to boot. Win-win!

Sweet and Spicy Tofu with Green Beans
As seen on Mary Ellen's Cooking Creations

1 block of extra-firm tofu, drained and pressed and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons hoisin (or oyster sauce)
1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons light soy sauce
3 tablespoons dry cooking sherry (or rice wine vinegar)
2 teaspoons chili garlic paste (sriracha)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 lb green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 small onion, sliced
1/2 can water chestnuts, sliced
1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth
1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water
1/2 avocado, diced (optional)

Heat olive oil and sesame oil in a large saute pan or wok. Add tofu; cook until browned on all sides, about 12 minutes. Remove to a plate lined with paper towels.

Add garlic and onions to the wok, saute 1-2 minutes. Add water chestnuts and green beans, saute 1-2 minutes.

Mix hoisin, brown sugar, soy sauce, sherry, chili garlic paste, and broth. Add to the pan and bring to a simmer. Return tofu to the pan; let cook a few minutes. Reduce heat and add the cornstarch mixed with water. Let simmer to thicken.

Serve over rice or noodles topped with diced avocado, if desired.

I have to say, I'm really starting to get into this whole vegetarian thing. Don't get me wrong, we aren't giving up meat entirely but I'm finding that I don't really miss it. We are eating mostly vegetarian meals during the week and tofu has become my new go-to. Not only is it cheap ($1.69 per block at my store), it's a blank canvas. I'm so happy my friend Mary Ellen has a variety of tofu recipes on her blog like this one for Tofu Parm with Spinach and Mushrooms. Otherwise I'd be stuck with stir-fries and that would get really old, really fast.

SP was a little skeptical of how healthy this is since I shallow-fried the tofu cubes in oil, but I figure the benefits of the tofu, mushrooms, spinach and homemade sauce helps to balance it out. Man, SP makes an incredible Sunday sauce, let me tell you. He simmered it all day and the house smelled amazing. I need to get him in the kitchen more often. This was a filling, delicious, flavorful meal that I can't wait to make it again. Even Baby Girl chowed down on the tofu (she skipped the spinach and mushrooms, oh well).

Tofu Parm with Spinach and Mushrooms
As seen on Mary Ellen's Cooking Creations

2 blocks extra firm tofu, pressed and drained
Canola oil
2 eggs, beaten with 2 tablespoons water
1 cup bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon each - salt, pepper, garlic powder, oregano, onion powder, red pepper flakes
2 cups marinara
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 bag baby spinach
12 ounces chopped fresh mushrooms

Cut the pressed and drained tofu into 24 squares (each block into 12 squares). Heat enough oil to coat the bottom of a non-stick saute pan over medium heat. Add egg and water to one pie plate, breadcrumbs and seasonings to another. Dip tofu in egg, then coat in bread crumbs. Add tofu to the pan and fry until golden-brown, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels.

Pour half of the sauce in the bottom of a 9 x 13" baking dish. Add tofu in a single layer, and top each piece with a bit of sauce and cheese.

Clean out the pan and add a touch more oil. Saute mushrooms 4-5 minutes. Sprinkle over tofu in baking dish. Saute the spinach until wilted. Spread over the tofu. Top everything with more cheese. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes until cheese melts.

I have a food confession. Until I made this recipe I had never cooked tofu. I'd eaten it a handful of times, mainly when my vegetarian aunt visits and we get Chinese food to share. I was missing out.

I've mentioned several times that I'm trying to cook healthier meals, but lately we've been tossing around the idea of going mostly vegetarian. We won't cut out all meat, but we've decided to make a concerted effort to eat meat less often, maybe twice a week. This goes for everything from red meat to chicken.

Enter the humble tofu. All I really know about tofu is that it tastes like whatever you cook it in. I've had my eye on this Chili Lime Tofu with Rice and Spinach for awhile now, so when it was submitted for the last recipe swap I knew I had to make it. As luck would have it, I was given Stefanie's blog for this swap and the stars aligned. Stefanie really enjoyed the dish and Heather, the blogger that gave the recipe to Stefanie, loves it so much so that she puts it on her weekly menu every other week. That's a serious recommendation, so I figured what better recipe to try for my first tofu experience.


We loved this. Absolutely loved it. SP said if this is the kind of stuff he needs to be eating to stay healthy it wouldn't be as hard as he thought. The flavors from the sauce were outstanding. I doubled the sauce and I'm glad I did. There wouldn't have been nearly enough otherwise. The crispy tofu was delicious, although we decided I needed to cut the slices thicker. The thinner pieces were too chewy while the thicker ones were just right.

I also had a minor mishap with the tofu due to my own ignorance of how to prepare it. I started slicing the tofu, marveling at the amount of water that was coming out of the brick and wondering how it was going to get crispy in the skillet. Then I reread the directions and realized I needed to press and drain it. A quick Google search led me to instructions. I've added the steps to the ingredient list below for other tofu novices.

Chili Lime Tofu with Rice and Spinach
As seen on Kickin It in the Kitch, originally from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks

1 cup jasmine, basmati or white rice
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 limes
1 teaspoon nutmeg
2 tablespoons sugar
6 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons garlic chili pepper sauce
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 package extra-firm tofu
2 cups fresh spinach
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 garlic cloves, minced

In a medium sized saucepan combine the rice, water, salt, zest of 1 lime, and nutmeg. Cook according to the package directions.

In a small bowl combine the sugar, soy sauce, garlic chili pepper sauce, garlic cloves, and juice of both limes. Mix well and set aside.

Unwrap the tofu. Place on a plate lined with 4 paper towels. Cover with 4 more paper towels and weigh down with a plate or skillet topped with heavy cans. Allow to press and drain for 30 minutes - 1 hour. Once drained, slice the tofu into 4 slices lengthwise. Cut each rectangle in half then each square into two triangles. Spray a skillet with cooking spray and cook the tofu for 10 minutes on each side or until it is golden brown.

Lower the heat and pour the chili lime sauce over top of the tofu. The sauce will bubble up, reduce, and form a glaze. Watch carefully so the glaze doesn't become too thick. Remove from heat once the sauce is at your desired consistency.

In a medium pan sauté the spinach, sesame oil, and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes or until the spinach is wilted but still green. Serve the rice topped with spinach with the tofu on top.