Mama Mandy

I’m having a love affair with tofu. I used to be afraid of it with all the GMO madness, but I’ve found delightful organic, sprouted, GMO-free tofu at Trader Joe’s and, of course, Whole Foods. It’s a low calorie, meatless way to get lots of protein and I find it a very homey, nummy ingredient to play with. I’ll share my Mexican Tofu Bake with you next!

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 bag frozen spinach

2 cans stewed tomatoes (my fav is Del Monte Original Recipe)

1/2 jar of your fav marinara sauce

1 block extra firm tofu, cubed

1 cup dry brown rice pasta (we LOVE Trader Joe’s brown rice pasta-all varieties)

1/2 block soy cheese, cubed (husband’s fav is Soy Kaas Mozzarella)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Saute onion in oil until soft and golden (I like to caramelize my onions cuz that makes em yum to me, but cook ‘em however you like ‘em). Add garlic when your onions are done and toss just to heat the garlic a bit (don’t want to burn garlic-bitterness).

Add spinach straight from the bag, tomatoes, and tomato sauce. Bring up to a simmer.  Add tofu and let the flavors meld for about 10 minutes.

While your sauce is melding, cook your pasta al dente according to package directions (SALT the pasta water! This is the only chance you have of seasoning the pasta and it makes a huge difference. Add a good tablespoon to the water. Trust me).

When pasta is cooked, drain and add to the pot.

Lightly oil the bottom and sides of an oven safe casserole dish, lasagna pan, whathaveyou.  Remove pot from heat and toss tofu cheese in the pot just before spooning it into the casserole (this make easier pot clean-up).

Bake at 350 degrees for thirty minutes. You don’t have to bake this, but I find it boosts the flavor of the tofu and thickens the sauce a bit.

Play with this! Add any veggies you like, make it with dairy cheese if you’re like me (a cheese whore)…this is super yummy, healthy comfort food that clocks in at about 250 calories for a one-cup serving. So eat your face off and report back. xoxo

PS As I type this, Ian is finishing his lunch of banana/fig puree, cucumber, tofu, and of course, hummus. PROUD MAMA.