best baked tofu 'jerky'

Baked tofu is awesome. Perfectly chewey texture, really thoroughly flavorful BUT really unfordable on a student budget - unless - you make it yourself. This being said, I've made baked tofu a couple times (just simple marinade of soy sauce and lime juice compliments of Hannah and Des has been my fav recipe thus far) and it was only ok at best and no where near as good as packaged baked tofu. That is until now!!

This recipe is similar to the smokey miso tofu on Vegan Yumyum but with Liz tweaks. As far as I'm concerned this is 'miracle tofu' because both Bonje and Dad said they liked it (unprompted and unheard of!!) Ben even tried it but needless to say he didn't like it that much - this miracle only goes so far...

(so was this build up dramatic enough to get you to bake some tofu?!)


1 hour prep/bake time.
Makes 18-20 tofu 'jerky' slices.

Ingredients:
-1 block of firm tofu (medium or extra firm will work too...the firmer the tofu the chewier the 'jerky')
-2 Tbs red miso paste (or miso mayo which is easier to store...may fav flavor is red pepper)
-2 Tbs lemon juice
-2 Tbs soy sauce (or Braggs liquid aminos if you're on a low sodium diet)
-1 Tbs nutritional yeast (gives things a cheesy flavor)
-1/2 tsp smoked paprika (or 1/4 tsp liquid smoke...I like the paprika better)

Directions:
-preheat oven to 425.
-Thinly slice the tofu (maybe 1/4 of an inch thick) and lay out in baking pan.
-Mix the rest of the ingredients together in a bowl and pour over the tofu, completely covering it. I like the tofu to be immersed in the seasoning because it yields more thoroughly flavorful tofu 'jerky' this means (depending on the size of your pan) you might need to increase or even double the seasoning recipe.
-bake at 425 for about 45 mins (or when tofu reaches desired texture) and flip tofu slices half way through baking time.

This tofu 'jerky' is great in salads, on sandwiches, stir fries, or as stand alone snacks...enjoy! And again I forgot to take photos so I picked a similar looking one online!

broccoli soup

super fast, easy, and delicious!!

I had this at home over Christmas break, my Mom made it from a Suzanne Summer's 'get skinny' cookbook (although if getting skinny is a priority try the oil instead of the butter or skip it altogether and ditch the sour cream!) Because it is a broth based soup it is very lite, but this also means you should choose a broth you like the taste of because it can have a drastic effect on the soup's flavor (for me this means avoiding vacuum packed pre-made broth). If you prefer creamy soup - or just want to add some extra protein - puree a package of organic silken tofu into the soup. This will add a creamy texture and flavor (and no Ben it wont taste like tofu after its pureed with all the other flavors).

prep/cook time: 30 mins or less
feeds 2 hungry people (this recipe was supposed to feed 4 - 6 people....we added 2 extra cups of broth and it still only fed 3! ...maybe this is how Suzanne got skinny haha)


Ingredients:
-2 tbs earth balance (or olive oil)
-1-2 heads of broccoli (depending on the desired texture/thickness you want)
-4 cups veggie broth (my favorite is the 'no-chicken broth' powder often sold in bulk at natural foods stores but any broth cubes or pre-made broth will due)
-pepper to taste (salt from broth cubes should be sufficient but add more if desired)

Garnish:
-dollop vegan gourmet sour cream (a little healthier and a much tastier brand than toffuti!!)
-chopped chives
-siracha (if you want it spicy)

Directions:
1. stir fry broccoli in earth balance about 7 mins
2. add stock simmer for 20 mins
3. puree with blending stick, blender, or cuisinart
4. serve with garnish!

PS I didnt remember to photograph this so this is a random broccoli soup recipe from google images but hey they pretty much all look the same!