Spinach Tofu Manicotti - Top 10!

This meal is easily in my Top Ten favorite recipes after it's debut this week in our kitchen! Adam and I are right in the middle of our training for Orangeman (our first Half Ironman - 1.2mi swim, 50mi ride, 13.1mi run) and time is at a premium. The menu is written up on Friday night, we buy groceries Sunday and we cook all meals and pack them up for work every night. Our commitment to eating whole, natural, fresh food has rewarded us with health, strong immune systems and speedy recoveries from insane training days. More and more we're choosing plant based proteins over animal proteins. Regardless of your dietary regimen, including a few meat-free meals in your week is a great way to give your body a break from processing animal protein, be environmentally friendly and mix up your nutrition.

Our fridge, packed for 3 days meals!

 This meal is SO easy, the ingredients are inexpensive, it can be easily doubled or frozen, and tastes like a decadent Italian dish. I like to chop and wilt fresh spinach because it has more texture and flavor, but frozen spinach could easily be used. *Updated to add, we made this with a combination of green things (Brussels sprout leaves, kale, beet greens and spinach) and it was even better!!!! Hard to believe it's only 427 calories per serving and has 27g protein. Enjoy!

Serves 4 (about 3 manicotti each)
INGREDIENTS:

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 package Firm Tofu, drained and crumbled
• 1/3 white onion, finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 cups fresh spinach, roughly chopped
• Handful chopped: broccoli florets
• 1 bunch kale, chopped
• 1/2 can artichoke hearts, chopped
• sea salt, cracked pepper
• pinch nutmeg, ground
• 1 box  manicotti shells (I used organic Garden Time Semolina Manicotti)
• dash of olive oil
• 1 - 28oz can of crushed tomatoes (look for San Marzano tomatoes, amazing flavor!)
• 4 oil packed sun dried tomatoes
• 1 jar roasted bell peppers, drained
• pinch of dried basil
• pinch of crushed red pepper
• pinch of oregano
• 1 cup Daiya Mozzarella 

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375'
2. Boil pasta according to box directions. (Boil water, add a pinch of salt and a dash of olive oil. Add noodles, cook until tender about 8-10 minutes. Drain hot water out of pot, fill with cold water and let noodles rest in cold water (so they don't stick together)).
3. In large pot, combine onion, garlic and spinach over medium heat. Add spinach, kale, broccoli, cover and wilt about 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat and press out any liquid from greens. Place in large bowl. Add artichoke hearts. Season generously with salt and pepper and a pinch of nutmeg.
4. Drain tofu and press with paper towels to remove excess water. Crumble into bowl with greens and add 1/2 cup Daiya Mozzarella. Stir to combine thoroughly.
5. Puree bell peppers and sun dried tomatoes. Make sauce by heating crushed tomatoes and bell pepper puree with red pepper, oregano and basil over medium heat in small pan.
6. Ladle 1/2 of tomato sauce into bottom of 9x13 glass baking dish. Stuff manicotti shells with tofu spinach filling by gently packing filling into each tube. Place in baking dish and fit them in tightly until it's full. 
7. Ladle rest of sauce over top. Cover with foil and bake 25 minutes.
8. Remove foil and scatter remaining 1/2 cup of Daiya on top. Bake 5 more minutes.

Weeknight Pizza Pita

I have no time! I have no money! I can't cook! I'm on a diet, but want to satisfy my cravings! 

Does that sound like you or anyone you know?! This recipe is your new best friend. It takes about 10 minutes, costs about $1 per serving, takes no special skills and is under 400 calories and 22g protein per serving.

We make and bake four pizzas, and take the leftover two pizzas for lunch the next day at work. I like to serve these with a small side salad - a few handfuls of mixed greens or spinach, a few cherry tomatoes, slices of cucumber and a sprinkling of red wine vinegar. Everything is easily replaced on this to suit your diet. Gluten-Free? Look for gluten-free flat breads. Vegan? Vegan flat breads, Daiya "cheese" and a vegan sausage crumble (such as Field Roast Sausages). Use your imagination! 

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

• Sausages (we used about 1.5lb of chicken-basil sausages)
• 4 whole wheat pitas (about 6" diameter)
• 1 jar roasted red peppers (such as Trader Joe's)
• handful of chopped onion
• 5-6 mushrooms, sliced
• 1 small bell pepper diced
• 4oz feta cheese (or non-dairy sub)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 400'. Place baking sheet on bottom rack to catch any drippings, as pizzas will sit directly on oven rack to crisp!
2. Prepare sauce: Drain jar of roasted peppers and puree peppers. Simmer to thicken slightly in pan over medium-low heat.
3. Crumble sausage into large pan and cook over medium-high heat until sausage is browned and thoroughly cooked. Remove sausage to bowl.
4. Add onion, mushrooms and bell peppers to pan with any remaining fat from the sausage (if there's more than 1 Tbsp grease, remove excess first).
5. Saute onions, mushrooms and peppers until slightly softened about 2 minutes. Remove from pan to a separate bowl.
6. Prepare each pizza by spreading top with roasted pepper sauce, sausage, pepper/onion/mushroom mix and top with a little feta cheese.
7. Bake until cheese is softened slightly and pizza is golden and slightly crisp about 5-6 minutes.

Miso Glazed Tofu with Roasted Vegetable Pilaf

This simple and nutritious meal has quickly become a staple at our house. I've been playing around with a mixed grain pilaf for some time now, but this version Adam swears he'd eat every night. It's best to make a big batch of it, and then modify it throughout the week. In this version, I added a bunch of roasted chopped vegetables (kale, bell peppers, onion, carrot and broccoli) and topped it with a mix of tempeh and tofu. We had one package of each and made extra for lunch the following day, so we figured why not have a little variety!? 

The pilaf can be made gluten-free as we did the other week when we had GF company. Keep a close eye on packaging and seek out GF 'grains' such as quinoa, wild rice, millet, and amaranth. Interesting to note that the gluten free grains tend to be the most nutritious! I personally like to use quinoa, wild rice and pearl cous cous as it's a nice blend of textures and tastes. Whatever works for you, but I suggest making the majority of the pilaf something with a high nutrition content like quinoa.

The glaze is Adam's genius (as are all things sauce-related here at The BMK). We use this miso paste, local organic honey, mirin, and water. For those of you omnivores or pescetarians, this glaze is great on black cod.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

• large spoonful of white or yellow miso paste
• large spoonful of organic honey
• 1/4c mirin (rice wine) 
• water - if needed to thin out and make glaze creamy

• 2 packages extra firm tofu (or tempeh, see notes below)
• 1 bunch kale, chopped
• 1 large carrot, diced
• 1/2 red onion, chopped
• 1/2 bell pepper, chopped
• 1 head broccoli (fist sized) chopped
• 1/2c quinoa + 1c water
• 1/2c wild rice + 1c water
• 1/4c pearl couscous + 1/2c water
• sea salt, cracked pepper
• cooking spray

INGREDIENTS:

1. In small pan, bring 1c water to boil. Add wild rice, cover with lid and reduce heat to simmer. Simmer until rice is tender and just beginning to split open about 25-35 minutes. When done, remove from pan and place in large bowl.
2. In small pan, heat 1/2c quinoa and 1c water to boil. Reduce heat and simmer partially covered until water is absorbed and quinoa is translucent and fluffy about 15 minutes.When done, remove from pan and add to wild rice.
3. In small pan, toast 1/4c cous cous over medium heat for 1-2 minutes. Add 1/2c water and simmer uncovered stirring occasionally until water is absorbed. When done, remove from pan and add to grain bowl. Stir all grains gently. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400' and make miso glaze.
5. Whisk miso, honey, and mirin until miso is dissolved (or you can use an immersion blender). Add water as necessary to thin out glaze or adjust with more miso to your tastes. Pour into shallow bowl.
6. Line two baking sheets with foil (spray foil with cooking spray). Scatter all chopped vegetables on baking sheets. Mist with spray oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast until browning on edges and tender, about 10 minutes. Remove and toss with grains.
7. Remove tofu from package, drain and press with paper towels to remove extra water. Cut into slices or cubes. 
8. Heat grill pan or grill. Mist with cooking spray. Dip each tofu piece into glaze and add to grill. Grill tofu until browned with grill marks showing. Brush tops and flip over to cook other side. Grill until grill marks show. Remove from heat.
9. Plate equal serving of pilaf, top with tofu, drizzle with additional glaze.

Want to use tempeh!?: Bring small pan of water to boil. Add tempeh. Boil for 5-8 minutes. Remove and cool to touch. Slice in half (so it's thinner), and then cut into slices or squares. Follow the rest of instructions as for tofu.