BBQ Tofu, Homestyle Potatoes and Broccoli

The other night we made fried tofu with BBQ sauce, steamed broccoli and carrots, and oven-baked homestyle potatoes.

First, the potatoes were sliced and then put in a casserole dish, added some Earth Balance vegan butter and spices, and let it all bake for about 15 minutes. Then we added some whole wheat bread crumbs (I just put a slice of bread in the food processor and pulse for quick crumbs) and let it all bake for about 10 more minutes, until the potatoes are cooked through and it all looks brown and yummy. The bread crumbs make it crunchy.


For the tofu, it is a good idea to press it between paper towels for a few minutes to get the excess water out. Put a couple of layers of paper towels around the block of tofu then set something heavy on top. (I let it press for a couple minutes while I cut up the broccoli and carrots.) Then we sliced the tofu in triangles and fried it in some coconut oil until slightly brown. Next we poured BBQ sauce on top and put it in the oven for about five minutes.


It was a hearty dinner!

Typical summer lunch

Did I mention that I love braised greens and quinoa?  Oh, I already did?  Oops.  The pic is kind of blurry but the lunch was fresh and delish!  On the side is avocado, tomato, and french bread with hummus.  My favorite lunch.

Spinach Pasta with Tomato Sauce

I've seen this locally-made pasta made by Decio Pasta sold at farmers markets and Whole Foods, so I thought I'd give it a try. They have many different flavors, and I decided on "Spinach Basil Garlic" infused linguine. (Upon visiting their website I realized this is their #1 seller). In just four minutes the noodles are perfectly al dente. The flavor isn't over-powering, but the essence of spinach, basil and garlic was there.


I also sauted some onions and garlic, then added sliced veggie italian sausage (Lightlife brand Smart Sausage). A friend gave me some cherry tomatoes from her garden, so I sliced them in half and sauteed them before adding a jar of organic pasta sauce.


I can't wait to try other some of the other pasta "flavors" made by Decio. It was delicious!