I don’t trust tofu recipes. And I don’t trust people who review tofu recipes. I question their motives—are these people health nuts, fad dieters or normal humans who happen to enjoy flavorless blocks of fermented soy beans? I guess I fall in the last camp, so you probably shouldn’t trust this blog post either.

But I’ve been making a version of tofu-stuffed mushrooms from epicurious.com for several years—it’s one of the few tofu recipes I’ve found that’s worth repeating. What we love about the original recipe is the inclusion of walnuts (I often use pecans … it’s a Southern thing) that give the tofu a sweet, meaty flavor. The tofu also is frozen and defrosted before it’s cooked, which gives the flabby soy product the texture of cooked ground beef (or pretty close).

For this recipe, I kept the nut and tofu attributes intact, but I included a pound of greens since our CSA boxes have been overflowing with leaves for the past few weeks.

I made this meal after a stressful day at work. Honestly, all my brain wanted was a carb- and cheese-laden slice of pizza. As I cooked the tofu and greens and assembled the unfortunately cholesterol-free mushrooms, I was skeptical that this meal would satisfy my brain and body’s complex need for comfort.

With great pleasure, I report that these vegan stuffed mushrooms made deeply satisfying. The nuts helped calm my fat craving, and the tofu and mushrooms tricked my mouth into thinking it was eating meat. Plus, the kale and other sturdy greens I used in the stuffing took on a delicate sweetness and crispy texture after baking. At last, a new tofu victory worth repeating!

But you should be the judge. I’m the one using tofu for psychological intervention. 

Tofu and Greens-stuffed Portabellas
1 block firm or extra-firm tofu, frozen and defrosted
3 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound mixed greens (spinach, kale, turnip, chard, etc.), coarsely chopped
1/3 cup ground walnuts or pecans
3 tablespoon soy sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
6 large portabella mushrooms, stems and gills removed
1/4 cup fresh or panko bread crumbs, optional

Instructions
To freeze the tofu, wrap it in plastic wrap. Take it out the freezer to defrost at least 12 to 24 hours before you need it. Before cooking, squeeze out excess moisture and crumble.

Preheat oven to 375°.

Heat olive oil in a large, nonstick frying pan on medium heat. Add onion, and cook until translucent—about 5 minutes. Add garlic, and cook 1 minute more. Stir in tofu, and let it cook, undisturbed, for 5 to 6 minutes. Toss a few times, and allow it to cook for 4 to 5 minutes more, until just golden. Add greens to the pan, and cook until wilted and most of their liquid has evaporated. (Depending on the types of greens you use, this should take 4 to 8 minutes.) Stir in ground nuts, soy sauce, and salt and pepper to taste.

Place portabellas on a lightly greased baking pan. Sprinkle salt and pepper into the interior of each mushroom. Fill the mushrooms with the tofu mixture. Top with bread crumbs, if desired, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes.

Serves 6 for first course, 3 for main

This soup is as densely packed with protein and (healthy) fat as a vegan meal can be, hence the name famine stew—so donned by my coworkers.
Caloric stalwarts of the meal are peanut butter and tofu. The tofu is pureed, blended in and hidden from sight for tofu haters.

Sweet potatoes and tomatoes lend the orange hue, and chunks of bright bell peppers add a hint of fruit to this African-inspired dish. As with all of my meals, I tend to add more salt than what’s found in the original recipe, but the soup lacks oomph without enough sodium.

William and I love (love) this dish. It’s creamy and rich—maybe even luxurious if it weren’t so cheap to prepare. And when ladled over rice, it fills us more than sufficiently.

Where there’s hunger, I highly recommend famine stew.

Famine Stew
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 medium onions, diced
1 green bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
2 medium sweet potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 tablespoon finely chopped ginger
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or more to taste)
2 to 3 teaspoons coarse sea or kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cups pureed tomatoes
5 cups vegetable stock
1 cup natural peanut butter (crunchy or creamy)
1 14-ounce block soft or silken tofu, drained
1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced
2 1/2 cups cooked rice

Instructions
In a large pot, heat oil on medium-high heat. Add onion, peppers, sweet potatoes, and ginger; cook for 5 minutes. Add garlic, cooking 3 minutes more. Stir in cayenne, 2 teaspoons salt, and black pepper. Cook for a minute more, and then add the pureed tomatoes, scraping up any brown bits on the bottom of the pot. Pour in vegetable stock, bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to low. Cook for 20 to 25 minutes, until sweet potatoes are tender.

Add peanut butter to the pot, and stir until incorporated. Combine 2 cups (or more) of the soup and the tofu in a blender; puree until smooth. Pour the tofu mixture into the pot, and stir to combine. Taste and add more salt and cayenne as necessary.

Serve over rice, topped with sliced scallions.

Serves 8

Thursday night I made Mark Bittman’s Sesame Scallion Tofu and Sea Slaw recipes that I found through Serious Eats’s “Eat for Eight Bucks” series—a great resource for recession-friendly meals ideas. While William and I are sold on the idea of tofu, quite often tofu-centric recipes fail to impress us. This recipe, however, for what’s essentially a fried tofu patty, has made it to the ranks of tofu favorites (along with the Grit’s Golden Bowl, peanut soup and tofu-walnut stuffed mushrooms).

The tofu patties were full of flavor from a scattering of scallions, soy, seaweed and sesame. The seaweed, especially, imparted an unmistakable funk. Frying the patties gave them a nice crust, while the interior remained soft and silky. The side dish slaw—made with cabbage, carrot, mayo, soy, sugar, rice vinegar, seaweed and cilantro—was the perfect sidekick.

And as an added bonus, the patty mixture took less than 10 minutes to assemble. I made the patties in the morning, and fried them for a super quick evening meal.

I planned on making a vegetarian version of Jamie Oliver’s chicken tikka masala, but, apparently,  I had run out of garam masala and didn’t have any cardamom on hand to make my own blend. Instead, I decided on a sweet korma, which I rarely order out (I prefer heftier heat) but found quite satisfying at home.

I picked up a pre-made korma blend while visiting William’s parents in England. But you can blend your own or use spice proportions similar to those in this Food Network recipe.  

Next time I might add vegetables—red bell pepper, tomato, or peas. But this is a good starter recipe, and it would work with a variety of curry powders.  

Tofu Korma
3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
3 tablespoons korma curry blend
1 tablespoon lemon
1 14-ounce container, extra firm tofu
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon ginger, minced
1/2 cup heavy cream or coconut milk
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon sugar (optional)
1/2 cup ground almonds
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup chopped cilantro 

Instructions 
Combine yogurt, korma blend, and lemon juice in a medium bowl. Stir in tofu and refrigerate for a half hour or more. 

Heat oil in a large, wide saucepan over medium. Add onions and cook 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and ginger, and cook 1 minute more. Add tofu and yogurt mixture, and cook 3 to 5 minutes, stirring. Stir in cream and water and bring to a boil. Cover, and reduce heat to low for 10 minutes.

Remove lid, and add sugar and salt. Cook for another 5 to 7 minutes, until mixture has thickened. Stir in almonds, and cook for 3 minutes more. Serve over rice and garnished with chopped cilantro.

Serves 3 to 4

Growing up in rural Georgia, I didn’t set foot in a vegetarian restaurant until late in high school. And my first encounter came at The Grit in Athens, Georgia, while visiting my sister at UGA. A few years later I moved to Athens myself, and meals at the Grit were among some of my more healthy in college.

The Golden Bowl is the Grit’s star. There’s something transforming about double-fried tofu. So when I discovered the Golden Bowl recipe on VegetarianTimes.com, I penciled it in for our weekly menu and stocked up on tofu, veggies and nutritional yeast, which I’ve never cooked with. 

I’m no tofu expert, and William vetoes repeats of about half of the tofu recipes we try. But the Golden Bowl, for its simplicity and familiar flavors, will make it into the permanent lineup. My only changes: I used a tablespoon more oil than called for to fry the tofu and vegetables and added a extra soy and nutritional yeast . Otherwise the recipe is golden.