Monday, December 04, 2006

Italian style tofu and rice

Hi folks, I am a crazy stressed-out and overworked student, and so I've decided to take a few minutes away from work (but still on the computer so as not to feel TOO guilty) to post one of my favorite recipes.

It's easy and delicious. You will need:

1 package tofu cut into one inch cubes
olive oil
2 medium onions cut into wedges
2 medium sized zucchini (though any vegetable would do)
a couple handfuls of small mushrooms
1 or 2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tbsp flour
1 14oz can diced tomatoes, undrained OR the equivalent amount of fresh tomatoes (so good)
3/4 cup veggie broth
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp oregano
salt and pepper
sharp cheese

and your grain of choice - I've only made this with Basmati, though I'm sure it would be great with any other type of rice, with couscous, buckwheat, or maybe even quinoa?

Cook tofu in the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat until all the sides are browned, about 5-7 minutes. Remove from the saucepan and set aside for later.

Add the onions, zucchini, mushrooms, and garlic to the pan and saute for about 5 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook for another 1 or 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, broth, herbs, and tofu; heat to boiling.

Reduce the heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Season with salt and pepper, serve over warm rice, and top it off with some freshly grated cheese.

note: this is a great recipe because these are ingredients that you likely already have kicking around the house. When without tofu, just replace with chickpeas and skip the first step. Also, I think it would make an excellent spicy dish. I'll probably try that next time....

3 comments:

Anita said...

That's a good idea to fry the tofu first so that it gets a little crispy.
Renee, I know that you're French Canadian, but do you have Italian roots too?

renamaphone said...

nope, I'm about as franco as franco can be. You're not the first one to ask me though. Italian, Greek, Brazilian, I get it all....

J C said...

Exotic Amazonian River Goddess?