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.

This is another of my 10-minute soups. Easy, fast, and amazingly flavorful. Use the crinkly-leaved Savoy spinach for this recipe. It stands up better than the smooth-leaved baby types.

Ingredients:
8 oz fresh Savoy spinach
1/2 block firm tofu
2 T. vegetable oil
1t. salt
2 1/2 c. water
2 T. soy sauce (add more if desired)
1 t. toasted sesame oil

To prepare:
Wash spinach well to get rid of any grit or sand, then remove the stems and ribs from the leaves. Spin or shake off excess water and dry well. Chop the leaves roughly but fairly small.

Cut tofu into small pieces and set aside.

In a wok or saucepan, heat the oil. Add the spinach and stir fry it until soft, then add salt and water or stock. Bring liquid to a boil, then turn the heat down and add tofu and soy sauce.

Cook for just another two to five minutes. Remove from heat, add the sesame oil, season with more salt and some pepper if desired, and serve hot.

Note: Ladle soup over leftover wontons for another serving variation.

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.

Everybody loves this classic Italian treat – and now you can convert this high-calorie favorite into a luscious dessert that’s both lower in fat and good for you too!

Ingredients:
1 pkg. firm tofu (drained and pressed to release most of the water)
1 c. confectioners sugar, sifted (plus a bit extra for garnish)
2 T. candied orange peel or 2-3 drops of orange oil* (not extract)
1/2 c. chopped semi-sweet chocolate bits (vegan, if possible)
1/4 t. ground cinnamon
6-8 prepared cannoli shells (vegan, if possible)

To prepare:
In a food processor or blender, process tofu until fairly smooth, but textured – about 15 seconds. Think of the consistency of ricotta cheese.

Add the confectioners sugar and pulse to blend, then process for another 10-15 seconds. Add orange peel or orange oil, the cinnamon, and about three tablespoons of the chopped chocolate bits. Pulse for an additional 10 seconds or just until all the ingredients are incorporated. Scrape into a bowl and set aside to chill. (The flavor of the filling improves if left to sit for at least an hour or more.)

Just before serving, fill cannoli shells with chilled tofu filling. I simply use a spoon for this. Holding filled cannoli by its middle, dip each end in the reserved chopped chocolate. When all cannoli are filled, place on a serving platter and dust with additional powdered sugar. Serve and enjoy!

I highly recommend Boyajian Citrus Oils. They’re the best available, last a long time, and you can usually find them locally in speciality stores. A little goes a very long way.

Hint: you can substitute chopped pistachios for the chocolate, if you like.

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.