I never really ate a lot of cheese, but I did use bits of it in and on a great many of my traditional Italian or Greek recipes. Personally I found working around not adding cheese to my food to be really easy. However, that said, there are some recipes that really depended on either ricotta or feta as a main ingredient. Once I discovered how flexible and economical tofu can be as a cheese substitute I started working on a few recipes that utilize this fantastic food in a variety of delicious and creative ways. This weeks podcast of Herbed Tofu Cheese highlights just what you can do with tofu without sacrificing flavor or texture. Once you get this basic formula down ( it’s soooo easy) you’ll see all the great possibilities! I love this “cheese” instead of feta or ricotta on Flatbread Pizza or as a filling for lasagna or ravioli. Cubed and seasoned  Tofu can also become tart feta and is wonderful when added to salads like Greek Garbanzo Bean Salad. And, as is the case with all my recipes, you can add your own favorite herbs and spices, as much or little as you like. Tonight I used the basic herbed version as a base replacing traditional ricotta in a Caramelized Onion and Mushroom Tart. The best part? Not one person missed the cheese.

This recipe is an old German family favorite. Although when my mother made it, she used chicken, the parsley sauce was always my favorite part of the meal. And, this was one of the first dishes from my childhood that I was able to successfully convert to vegetarian and now it has become a new family favorite. Serve with egg noodles, macaroni, or my preferred way, over steamed potatoes.

Serves 4

Ingredients
I pkg. extra firm tofu, drained, pressed, cubed
Kosher salt
Vegetable oil for frying

1/2-1 c. fresh chopped parsley
5 c. mild vegetable stock
8 T. margarine
8-10 T. all purpose flour
Salt and pepper

To prepare:
Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add tofu and Kosher salt and brown tofu until crispy. When the tofu is finished, remove and drain on paper towels. Without rinsing the skillet, add margarine to the pan and melt it down. Allow it to get just a hint of color, then add the flour a few tablespoons at a time, stirring continuously. When all the flour is blended, begin whisking in the stock a few cups at a time. Once the sauce is nicely smooth, add the tofu and continue cooking for a few minutes, then throw in the parsley and stir well. Season with salt and pepper and serve hot on a bed of noodles or steamed potatoes.

Note: You can replace the tofu with your own favorite chicken substitute such as Quorn Tenders or Tofurkey.

Versatile, easy to prepare, and delicious, a pot pie is perfect for any night of the week or for a festive vegetarian holiday meal, served with all the traditional trimmings. We love this with our tart, crisp Fruit Chutney.
Using pre-made pie crust makes preparation even easier for stress free entertaining. These individual pot pies are fun for children who especially love digging into their very own little pie, but of course you can make it in one big casserole dish. If you’re rushing, you could also substitute the tofu with Quorn Chik’n Tenders, Veat Gourmet Bites or Morningstar Farms Meal Starters Chik’n Strips .

Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 pkg. vegetarian pie crust or one recipe (below) whole wheat pastry crust
1 pkg. extra firm tofu, drained, pressed, and cubed
2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
2 stalks of celery, diced
1 large onion, diced
1 medium potato, peeled and diced
8 T. flour
8 T. vegetable oil or vegan margarine
4-5 c. of vegetable stock, at room temperature
1 c. frozen petite green peas
1/2 c. chopped fresh parsley
Optional 8 rough chopped baby portabella mushrooms, chopped fresh dill, 2 T. capers
Oil for frying

To prepare:
In a heavy skillet, heat 5 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Add the tofu cubes and cook over medium heat until nicely browned and crispy, then remove and drain on paper towels. (If you decide to use a pre-made meat substitute instead of tofu you will not need to pre-cook it, just add it with your parsley and peas).

Add a little more oil to the pan then throw in the onions, carrots, celery, and potato (and optional mushrooms). Cook the vegetables until they are crisp tender, about 10 minutes. Now add remaining oil to the pan and heat it thoroughly before sprinkling in the flour. Toss everything gently to coat the vegetables evenly with flour and continue to cook for an additional 2 minutes. Slowly begin adding the vegetable stock, stirring constantly until a rich gravy develops. Even though the gravy may look a little thin at first, it will thicken in the oven during the baking. Finally, add the peas, parsley, and any of the optional ingredients, season with salt and pepper, and set aside.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and with cooking spray, prepare four medium-sized, single serving ramekins or small individual foil pans. Fill each ramekin with the gravy-vegetable mixture. Cover with pastry and crimp sides.

Bake until the crust is a nice golden brown, about 45 minutes to an hour, depending upon your oven. Remove the pot pies and set them aside to cool for a few minutes, then dig in.

Note: Pot pies can also be frozen. To reheat, simply remove them from the freezer, cover with aluminum foil for the first 10 minutes of baking, then place them in a preheated oven and bake until hot and the crust is browned, about another 30-40 minutes.

To make whole wheat crust, follow the following instructions. This recipe makes two 9″ crusts.

Ingredients:
2 c. whole wheat pastry flour
1 t. sea salt
3/4 c. vegan margarine
5-6 T. ice water

Cut margarine into sifted flour until it resembles coarse meal. The crumbs should be in about pea size pieces. Sprinkle some ice water over the mixture, a tablespoon at a time, and knead lightly just until dough comes together into a ball. Cut the dough ball in half and shape each half into a disc. Wrap each disc in wax paper and chill for about half and hour, then roll out and press the bottom crust into a deep casserole dish. Add pot pie filling and top with second crust, crimping the edges. Vent the crust with a sharp knife.

Sometimes I surprise myself with a new spin on a favorite recipe. This past week, I made Tofu Cutlets using the basic recipe for Tofu Bites, which are just lightly fried crispy tofu, brushed with Tamari soy sauce and sprinkled with nutritional yeast. For the bruschetta, the tofu is cut into slices rather than into cubes, each slice about a quarter of an inch each.

We had a few absolutely beautiful and perfectly ripe tomatoes which we promptly forgot to put into a salad we made. So after sampling a few bites of the tofu we laid a slice of fresh tomato on top, a little salt and pepper and a touch of fresh cilantro. It was really delicious – very light with a nice blend of sweet, salty, and savory.

With a light drizzle of olive oil it transforms into bruschetta, but without the bread. The next night I was testing tofu recipes again. Starting with lightly fried pieces of tofu – about cracker size – I spooned on some of my homemade salsa and a slice of avocado. It was a great combination that would work well for those family members or guests who are sure they don’t like tofu. The robust tart flavor of the salsa on the crispy, almost cheesy, tofu squares were delicious and definitely on my list of “do agains.” Naturally I had to try this out on my non-veg friends and it was a hit. This is a great example of how just knowing a few good recipes opens the door to endless possibilities.

A delicious vegetarian alternative to traditional Maryland Crabcakes without any compromise on flavor.

Ingredients:
½ c. celery
½ c. minced yellow onion
1/3 c. minced carrot
½ of a small green pepper, minced
¼ c. chopped parsley
½ t. neutral oil (canola or grapeseed)
16 oz. firm tofu, pressed and dry
1 sheet Nori seaweed, chopped
½ c. vegan mayonnaise
5 slices whole wheat bread toasted and processed into fine crumbs (can be done ahead) *
1 T. Old Bay seasoning
2 t. dry mustard
1 t. salt
1 c. Panko bread crumbs (for coating and frying)
Cooking spray

To prepare:
Preheat the oven to 350 if baking.

In a lightly oiled skillet, sauté celery, onion, carrot, pepper, and parsley until the vegetables are softened but firm. Set them aside. Process tofu in food processor until it has a cottage cheese consistency, but do not purée.

In a bowl, combine the processed tofu, vegetables, half of the whole wheat bread crumbs, mayo, seaweed, and seasonings and mix everything well. If the mixture seems too wet and isn’t holding together, add the remaining toasted crumbs a little at a time until you have a mixture that is moist and easy to shape into patties. Usually I use the entire amount of toasted crumbs, however depending on how dry the tofu is, you may need less.

Form about 10 half-inch thick patties, using about 1/3 cup of mixture for each. Coat each pattie with Panko bread crumbs.

Spray or heat a little oil in a seasoned (or nonstick) skillet until the pan is hot but the oil isn’t smoking. Gently lay each pattie in the pan and fry. Don’t fuss with these until they move freely when you gently shake the pan. When the pattie is golden brown on one side, gently turn it over and fry the other side.

Alternatively, you can place the patties on an oiled, seasoned (or nonstick) baking sheet. Spray each pattie lightly with cooking spray and bake about 15 minutes. Then, gently turn the patties and continue baking until toasty brown.

Serve hot or warm with Wasabi Mayonnaise . I like these with oven french fries and coleslaw.

Our very first episode of Totally Vegetarian was created because of the dilemma of what to make for a vegetarian holiday meal. Because holiday meals are usually based on family and cultural traditions, often the idea of introducing something new and different presents panic and dismay, yet there are so many wonderful meat replacers that substitute for turkey, chicken, pork, or beef in your favorite holiday recipes.

Even the very simple adjustment of replacing vegetable broth for animal-based stock, making a wonderful nut or mushroom loaf, entrées like stuffed squash, or creating a festive Tofu Pot Pie can easily solve your vegetarian menu problems, while at the same time making your friends and family feel welcome and engaged in healthier, more compassionate holiday meal choices.

My experience overall is that most people find baked tofu tastier and generally more welcoming when used in salads, sandwiches, wraps, and with pasta. Since the tofu is baked there is low water content and a nice chewy texture and flavor. There are many pre-made versions available in most grocery or whole food markets. Some varieties are marinated, some are smoked, but all of them are delicious.

You can also skewer the tofu and barbecue it basted in your favorite sauce without any additional preparation. Simple and nutritious. Perfect for summer or anytime. If you have never tried baked tofu, here is a recipe for a great salad that makes use of it.

Ingredients:

One 12-oz. pkg. baked tofu (any flavor), diced
1 med. bag of baby mesclun greens, washed and dried well
1 or 2 firm ripe Hass avocados, diced
2 green tart apples, cored and diced
1/2 c. dried cranberries
1/2 c. walnuts whole, preferably toasted
Juice of 1 lemon

Combine the avocado, apples, cranberries, and lemon juice. In a separate bowl combine tofu, lettuce and nuts. Add the fruit and lemon juice mixture to the lettuce mixture and toss. Dress the salad lightly with your favorite dressing. This is also terrific stuffed into a sandwich pocket or wrap. Enjoy.

Grand Cayman boasts an eclectic blend of excellent ethnic restaurants – from Thai, Indian, and Italian to authentic island fare, all beautifully prepared and presented. One dish I had that I really enjoyed because it was spicy, tasty, local, and different was Tofu Jerk on a bed a vegetables.

Jerk is a spice mixture usually used to prepare pork and chicken, so this was a nice surprise that allowed me to sample local cuisine. There really wasn’t much to it – the recipe relies on the famous Jerk spice or marinade which has, as its key ingredient, fiery hot peppers along with allspice and cane sugar.

Try my version different ways with either tofu, tempeh, or vegetables. It really is worth trying, especially if you like heat and spice. There are many authentic jerk seasonings (available even at your local grocery store) and each is unique. Here is what I had and am passing on to you:

Jerk Tofu

Ingredients:

1 lb. pressed tofu slices, cubed or cut into strips (or tempeh)
2 T. vegetable oil
1-2 t. Jerk marinade

Carefully toss tofu with jerk spice and oil. Let the tofu marinate for at least an hour, or overnight for more intensity. After the flavor is infused, grill over high heat in a grill pan, or any heavy cast iron skillet.

Grilling implies that the pan is fairly dry but brushed with a little oil – since neither tofu or tempeh contain much fat, it requires a little help. You also have the option of grilling the tofu outside, just brush the slabs with oil and marinade mixture and grill slowly, until the tofu is a rich golden brown.

Serve this spicy boost of protein on a bed of julienne stir-fried yellow summer squash and carrots. Make sure your squash and carrots are still firm yet tender. Lightly fried plantain on the side is a great idea, as it adds a sweet, savory flavor to the menu.

I might prepare this on a future program, but for now it is a exclusive sneak peek. Enjoy it with your favorite Island cocktail.

Original Recipe: Atkins Nutty Meatballs:
1 pound ground beef (85% lean)
3 tablespoons sour cream
1 tablespoon diced onion
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
1 garlic clove, pushed through a press
1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Delicious alternative: Baked Veggie Tofu Balls

Ingredients:

1 lb. firm tofu, pressed and mashed
2 T. ground toasted walnuts
1/2 c.  wheat germ
1/4 c. chopped parsley
2 T. soy sauce
2 T. nutritional yeast ( optional)
1 T. onion powder
1/2 t. garlic powder
1/4 t. oregano
2-3 T. olive oil

To prepare:

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Press water out of tofu and wrap tofu cake in paper towels until it feels fairly dry. Mash the tofu until it has the consistency of cottage cheese. Mix tofu together with all remaining ingredients.

Oil an 8″x8″ baking dish with the olive oil. Form the tofu mixture into sixteen 1-inch balls and place in pan. Drizzle any remaining olive oil over the balls and place in oven. Bake for 30 – 35 minutes, turning the balls carefully every ten minutes or so until they are evenly brown and crispy.

Serve as is or add to tomato sauce. These “meatballs” are delicious cold and will disappear quickly!