Yesterday was gross out so I had to skip my trip to the market that I had planned. We had very little left to make anything with but I think I managed to create something so great you wouldn’t realize it was made from scraps!

When I don’t know what I’m making for dinner I usually start making rice and chop up an onion, there are many possibilities that can blossom from that beginning. Last night I did just that with the addition of a chopped red pepper as well.

They sweat it out in the pan while I got to work on pressing some tofu.

When the peppers and onions were soft and browning, I added the tofu. Shortly thereafter I plopped on a couple spoonfuls of this black bean sauce.

It doesn’t really matter how much sauce you add, it won’t ruin it to put too much or too little. Just make it as saucy as you want it!

I spooned it over fluffy jasmine rice. Check out all the steam, it was super hot!

It was very warm and comforting on a cold and rainy evening.

Black bean tofu with veggies

An easy vegetarian dinner with only a few ingredients and the salty-sweet and spicy flavor of black bean sauce.

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients

• 1 block tofu (pressed and cubed)
• 1 medium red bell pepper
• 1 medium onion
• approx. 3 tbsp. black bean sauce
• sesame oil for sauteing

Cooking Directions

1. Dice peppers and onions and saute in sesame oil.
2. When onions are starting to caramelize, add tofu cubes.
3. Add as much black bean sauce as desired and stir.
4. Serve over jasmine rice and garnish with toasted sesame seeds if desired.

Poor Jeff is still sick. He’s already downed one whole batch of my cold cure drink so it was time to make some more last night.

I didn’t have any apple cider so I used plain water and added a thinly sliced apple and a big spoonful of my gingery pear and apple sauce. You wouldn’t have known it wasn’t cider.

He’s been sipping on it constantly and it’s definitely helping him to be able to at least go to work.

Ok, today I need to get everything ready to make a dessert for Thanksgiving with my side of the family tomorrow. Details on that to come!

November 24, 2010 Alayna Discussion, Recipes 6 comments

Dinner tonight was a total surprise, I had no idea what I was making until it was on the plate.  Every once in a while something just magically comes together out of completely humble beginnings.

I started by cutting up two small sweet potatoes and roasting them in olive oil at 400 degrees (more on that later.)  Then I pressed the extra liquid out of a block of extra firm tofu and crumbled it into a hot pan with sesame oil.

While it browned, I contemplated my next move.

I chopped up a handful of shiitakes…

…and started sauteing them with the nearly finished tofu.

Then I added this…

About this much of it….

Which turned the mixture into this glistening pan of yumminess.

By that time the sweet potatoes were all crisp on the outside and soft on the inside.

I put the tofu mixture on top of the potatoes and topped it all with some fresh avocado and toasted sesame seeds.

Wow.  This was all my favorite flavors on one plate!  Jeff and I kept looking at each other trying to figure out if it was “good unusual” or “bad unusual.”  Judging by the number of “mmmmm’s” uttered during dinner, I’d say it was a success.

This one goes into the “make again” category for dinner experiments!

September 15, 2010 Alayna Recipes Comments Off on Tofu in black bean sauce