Found this today and had to post it. Haha...I think it's true. I mean, I personally would favor doing the Thriller dance than eating flesh or brains...but that's just me...

Tofu Fried Rice

I usually get home from work about 30 minutes before dinner time...and I say dinner time because my boys' are usually starving and won't stop yelling at me until they get fed. All I hear is "EAT, EAT, EAT"...ah, the vocabulary of two year olds. This is a really quick meal with a little prep work the night before. I generally keep some marinated tofu in the fridge for such occasions during the week. Bonus to me is that they LOVE this meal.

Start by freezing and then defrosting some firm or extra firm tofu (this gives the tofu a chewier texture.) Drain the liquid and place tofu on a small stack of folded papertowels. Place a few more folded papertowels on top of the tofu, followed by a pot, and then a can of beans for weight. Press the tofu for about 30 to 40 minutes, or as long as it takes to get a good majority of the water out. This will help the tofu suck up the marinade. (I use Soy Vay Island Teriyaki. It has minced garlic in it) Place the pressed tofu in a plastic dish and pour marinade on top. This can sit in your fridge for a couple of days as long as you keep it tightly covered. The longer it sits, the more marinade the tofu will suck up. I generally just marinade it overnight...

(Yeah, I know there are only peas in this picture...but I had them leftover in the fridge from the night prior and didn't want them to go to waste)

TOFU FRIED RICE

• 1 block marinaded tofu, cut into 1/2 in cubes
• 2 c cooked brown rice (frozen, steamable brown rice works perfectly)
• 1 bag frozen mixed vegetables of your choice (I use the Steamables kind)
• 1 T sesame oil
  
• 3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
• 2 stalks of green onions, cut up (optional)
• 2 eggs, whisked (optional)
  
• 2 T soy sauce
• 1/4 t garlic powder
• 1/4 t onion powder
• 1/8 t ginger powder

What to do:

1. If using steamable vegetables and rice, place in microwave and cook according to package directions.
2. Heat oil in a pan, add garlic and tofu. Once tofu starts to brown add rice, vegetables, and green onions, then mix well. (If using eggs, push all ingredients to side of pan, add a little more sesame oil, and add the eggs. Scramble eggs then mix into rest of ingredients) Add all spices and soy sauce, then mix again. Continue to heat on the stove for about 2 minutes just to mix the flavors, then serve.


TA DA - all done!! Wasn't that easy? Serves anywhere from 2 to 4 people, depending on serving size.

HAIL SEITAN!

So...I made seitan for the first time today...I will say that it came out pretty good!! I was always kinda leery about seitan. I don't know why, but I was. BUT - I've really been in the mood for gyros, seeing as someone I know has been eating and talking about real ones non-stop since they've been home (you know who you are!) and I've read that seitan is probably the closest I'm going to get to gyro meat. Below is the recipe for a Greek style seitan. I won't claim credit to this recipe, but I've had it so long I don't remember where I got it. ANYWAYS - slice it up and add it to a pita with some lettuce, tomato, and (if you aren't vegan) tzatziki....nom, nom, nom....


This recipe is for a half log of seitan...it looks REALLY small once it's made, but it produces enough to make about 4 gyros.

Greek Style Seitan

Dry Ingredients:

3/4 c vital wheat gluten
1/8 c nutritional yeast
1 t garlic powder
1 t onion powder
1 t dried oregano
1/4 t salt
1/4 t black pepper
1/4 t cayenne pepper (this is optional as it does give a slightly spicy taste to the seitan)

Wet Ingredients:

1/3 c water
2 T lemon juice
1 T soy sauce
1 T finely minced, fresh mint
1 T + 1/2 t tahini

What To Do:
1. Preheat oven to 325F

2. Mix dry ingredients and wet ingredients in separate bowls, then add mixed liquids to dry ingredients. Quickly combine (hands are the easiest to use) until a dough forms. Knead for a few seconds making sure to combine all ingredients well and evenly disperse herbs. The dough should remain moist, so if it feels a little dry add a splash of water.

3. Wrap tightly in a double layer of foil, twisting ends tightly (reminiscent of a peppermint candy wrapper.) Bake in the oven for about 70 minutes (if you're doubling the recipe to make a full log, bake for about 90 minutes.) Once it's done baking, remove the foil and let the seitan rest on the counter or wire rack for about 10 minutes before you slice it.

Makes 4 servings. Each serving contains:

141 calories
4 g fat
8 g carbs
20 g protein

While it may not taste EXACTLY like real gyro meat (that's kind of a no-brainer), it is a really great substitute!! ENJOY!