Featured Recipes

BREAKFAST BURRITOS

Preparation Time:  10 minutes
Cooking Time:  10 minutes
Servings:  4

1  pound firm water-packed light tofu
¼ cup water
¼ cup chopped green onions
¼ cup chopped red bell pepper
1 tablespoon diced canned green chilies
2 teaspoons soy sauce
¼ teaspoon turmeric
pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
1/8 cup chopped fresh cilantro
mild salsa (optional)
corn or wheat tortillas

Drain the tofu well, mash and set aside.  Place the water in a non-stick frying pan and add the green onions and red bell pepper.  Cook stirring frequently for 3 minutes.  Add the mashed tofu, green chilies, soy sauce, turmeric and red pepper flakes.  Continue to cook and stir for another 5 minutes.  Stir in the cilantro.  Spoon some of this mixture down the center of a tortilla, add salsa if desired, roll up and eat.

Hint:  This may also be made with firm silken tofu, but the consistency will be much softer.  A handful of baby spinach leaves could be added just before the end of the cooking time as a delicious variation.  I also like to add some cooked chopped potatoes whenever there are some extra in the refrigerator.  I add these at the same time that I add the tofu.

EGGLESS EGG SALAD

I have been making many variations of this salad for over 20 years.  The only ingredients that have stayed the same are the tofu and the turmeric (needed for the yellow color).  Feel free to experiment with other ingredients that you may like in your "egg" salad, such as pickle relish.

Preparation Time:  10 minutes
Chilling Time:  2 hours
Servings:  Makes 1 ¾ cups

1  12.3 ounce package extra firm lite silken tofu
¼ cup tofu mayonnaise (see below)
¼ cup minced celery
1-2 green onions, finely chopped
2 teaspoons vinegar
½ teaspoon turmeric
¼ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon dill weed
¼ teaspoon salt

Place the tofu in a bowl and mash with a fork or bean masher until crumbled, but not smooth.  Add remaining ingredients and mix well.  Cover and chill at least 2 hours before serving.

Tofu Mayonnaise

1  12.3 ounce package firm lite silken tofu
1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon dry mustard
1/8 teaspoon white pepper

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth.  Cover and refrigerate.

This will keep in the refrigerator for at least 1 week.

MARDI GRAS BEANS

These have been a favorite on the lunch buffet during the Maximum Weight Loss Program.

Preparation Time:  20 minutes
Cooking Time:  30 minutes
Servings:  8

1 onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2-3 gloves garlic, minced
½ cup vegetable broth
½ pound mushrooms, sliced
2  15 ounce cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2  14.5 ounce cans chopped tomatoes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 cup chopped fresh Swiss chard

Place the onions, celery, carrots, bell pepper and garlic in a large pot with the vegetable broth.  Cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes.  Add the mushrooms and cook another 5 minutes.  Add the beans, tomatoes, herbs and pepper flakes.  Cook an additional 15 minutes, then add the mustard, brown sugar and chard.  Cook for 5 more minutes.  Serve hot over brown rice. 

WICKED MUSHROOMS
I have prepared this mushroom dish for over 25 years and everyone is always amazed that such a simple dish can taste so fabulous!

Preparation Time:  15 minutes
Cooking Time:  1 ¼ hours
Servings:  4

2 cups vegetable broth
1 onion, chunked
1 green bell pepper, chunked
1 ½ pounds mushrooms, cut into quarters
2 bay leaves
¼ teaspoon thyme
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 cup red wine
¼  cup tomato paste
1 tablespoon parsley flakes
freshly ground pepper to taste
 

Place ½ cup of the vegetable broth in a large pot.  Add the onions and bell pepper.  Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.  Add the mushrooms, bay leaves and thyme.  Cook for an additional 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the remaining broth and other ingredients.  Simmer slowly, uncovered, over low heat for at least 60 minutes longer until the liquid becomes a thick sauce.  Remove the bay leaves and serve hot over brown rice or other whole grains or potatoes.

CHU'S CORN SOUP

The first weekend during the McDougall Live-In Program the participants have lunch at Gary Chu's Chinese Restaurant.  Lately they have been preparing a delicious corn soup as one of the courses and I have had many requests for the recipe.  I have experimented with the basic directions that the chef gave me (chefs always seem to give general directions, never specifics) and think you will be pleased with the results. This is wonderful as a simple lunch soup or part of a more elaborate meal plan.

Preparation Time:  1 minute
Cooking Time:  10 minutes
Servings:  2-4
 

1  16 ounce package frozen corn kernels, thawed
1 cup vegetable broth

Place the corn in a saucepan with 1/3 cup water.  Bring to a boil, recuce heat slightly, cover and cook about 5 minutes, until corn is tender.  Remove from heat and let cool slightly.  Pour into a food processor and process until smooth.  Gradually add the broth while processing and continue until soup is quite smooth.  Return to saucepan , heat through and serve.

Variations:  At the restaurant this is served with various lightly steamed vegetables mixed into the soup.  Broccoli florets, sliced red pepper, mushrooms and pea pods are good choices.  Prepare the vegetables you plan to use before you start cooking the corn.  Then while the corn is cooking, steam the vegetables over boiling water for 5 minutes.  Add the steamed vegetables to the pureed soup and heat together in the saucepan.

SPINACH FRITTATA

Preparation Time:  20 minutes
Cooking Time:  1 hour 10 minutes
Resting Time:  10 minutes
Servings:  8

1 onion, chopped
1 leek, sliced
½ pound mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
¾ cup water
4 cups baby spinach leaves
2  12.3 ounce packages lite silken tofu
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons unbleached flour
2 ½ tablespoons cornstarch
1 ½ tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon nutritional yeast
½ teaspoon dried basil
¼ teaspoon turmeric
¼ teaspoon salt
dash cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons sliced black olives (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place the onions, leeks, mushrooms and garlic in a large non-stick frying pan with ¼ cup of the water.  Cook stirring frequently for 5 minutes.  Stir in the spinach and continue to cook an additional 2 minutes.  Remove from heat and drain.

Place the tofu and the remaining water, along with all the rest of the ingredients, except the cooked vegetables and the olives, in a food processor.  Process until smooth.  Transfer to a large bowl.  Add the cooked vegetable mixture and the optional olives, if desired, and mix well.  

Lightly oil a 10 inch deep dish pie plate.  Transfer the mixture to the pie plate and smooth down the top.  Bake for 60 minutes.  Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.