Before last night, I was a tofu cooking virgin. I had eaten my share of tofu at Asian restaurants, in some of my vegetarian friend's dishes she brings to potlucks, etc. Then after ogling various tofu creations around blog world I just knew I had to take a shot at it. How hard could it be? Basically chop, marinate, cook, and eat, right? Yep. That's all it took to get a delicious, new meal creation on our table. Tofu and Broccoli Slaw Salad.

For the tofu, I used a marinade and cooking tips from Kristen at Iowa Girl Eats. Find her baked tofu recipe here. I'll give you a little picture recap of my tofu preparation and cooking, but for the details you have to check her out. Fair is fair right, and she deserves the credit. 😉

Open the Tofu

Press Tofu (in a bowl with paper towels & pressed with a plate + carton of broth)

Cube the 'Fu

Mix the Marinade

Let it Soak it All In

Bake to Perfection

Now for the Broccoli Slaw. I made this one on my own by adapting things I liked from 5 random recipes  I found online. Here is what I did this time, although I knew there will be changes next time. As good as it was, some things could be subbed to make it even better.

Ingredients for Asian Slaw

• 1 bag broccoli slaw
• 1.5 T olive oil
• 1T sesame oil
• 1.5T cider vinegar
• 1T rice vinegar
• 1 package Oriental Ramen (can't believe I am using this!)
• 1/2 red onion, diced

Step by Step

1. Whisk together the oils, vinegars, and the seasoning packet from the Ramen in a small bowl.
2. Crunch the Ramen noodles in a ziploc bag. Which, btw, is so weird to be doing since I have actually never had Ramen. The dried block of noodles weirded me out.
3. Toast the Ramen in a skillet until they brown slightly. Just about 3-4 minutes.
4. Place the broccoli slaw, toasted Ramen, and diced onion in a bowl.
5. Pour dressing mix over the top and toss to evenly coat. I like to use my Pyrex bowls with the lids to mix. Put the lid on and shake away to get it evenly coated.
6. Set in the fridge to chill and allow the flavors to soak in. The longer the better. I had it set for about 4 hours.
   

   Chilling with Other Goodies

7. Finally, serve it up in a dish with your hot from the oven tofu. Devour because it is so good.

This was so simple, so yummy, and so healthy with all of those nice to the heart good-fats. I do think I will try it without the Ramen next time and instead use some different veggies, either extra broccoli slaw or maybe some shredded cabbage. I don't think the Ramen really added any texture to it, which is why I figured it was in ALL of the recipes I looked through for ideas. And in my opinion, if it didn't really DO anything for the dish and doesn't add any health benefits then the recipe doesn't need it. However, I will still use the Oriental flavor packet from the Ramen because that does add the right taste. Plus, why not look like a college bachelor during check out? 😉 Maybe some slivered almonds would be great in here too. Or some water chestnuts or shredded carrots or baby corns? Okay, I will be making this again SOON with some variations. I welcome a new staple recipe to our house. Good news it was deemed "okay and at least edible" by Peter, and thoroughly enjoyed by my other food critic as well.

I want to start by saying a huge thank you from the bottom of my heart for all of the comments, emails, and support I have received since the last post. Like I have said before about other posts, I am not afraid to lay it all out there. I think honesty is the best policy. Plus, I know that the biggest motivation for me is when I can find someone I relate to. So by no means will I ever sugar coat things or gloss over my thoughts. Deal?

Now for the recipes. Last night I took a dinner to a mother from the mom's group I participate in since she just had a baby. And her husband is in Afghanistan serving our country. She deserved some comfort food I would say. So I opted to make my own twist on a basic pasta bake and then do some fancier green beans. I have to say I give myself a pat on the back for this one. I never get creative in the kitchen. And yes, this is still a super simple recipe, but I did something on my own without a recipe. Maybe the food blogs I read are rubbing off on me. 😉

INGREDIENTS for CHICKEN SAUSAGE VEGGIE PASTA BAKE

• 1 package whole wheat pasta
• 1 package Spinach & Mozzarella Chicken Sausages
• 1 medium zucchini
• 1 medium onion
• 1 small green bell pepper
• olive oil
• 8oz shredded mozzarella
• 1 can natural tomato sauce

STEP BY STEP

1. Cook and drain pasta.
2. Chop zucchini, onion, and bell pepper into even chunks (1/2" - 1" in size).
3. Saute the zucchini, onion, and bell pepper in 1-2T olive oil until they begin to soften.
4. Chop the chicken sausage into bite sized pieces. I used fully cooked Trader Joe's chicken sausage, so no pre-cooking was needed. If you use raw chicken or turkey sausage, you will need to cook it first.
5. Mix the sauteed veggie mixture with the pasta, chopped chicken sausage, and jar of tomato sauce in a 9x13 baking dish.
6. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over the top of the dish.  
7. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes, until cheese melts and is bubbly.  

Note: I totally meant to use roasted red peppers in this recipe, but forgot we were out. I also think this recipe could have used MORE veggies. When I get around to making this for myself there will be plenty more.

INGREDIENTS for BALSAMIC GLAZED GREEN BEANS

• 12 oz or so of fresh green beans
• 1/4c or so of sliced almonds
• 1c balsamic vinegar

STEP BY STEP

1. Pour balsamic vinegar into a small saucepan and let it simmer on medium heat for about 10-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Keep your eye on it! When it starts to get thick and syrupy remove from heat.
2. Steam green beans to desired doneness.
3. Toss green beans, sliced almonds, and glaze all together until evenly coated. DONE!

Note: I did nab a green bean. It was great! 😉