Meatless Mondays

Meatless meals have always been part of my weekly menus although we are not vegetarians. My philosophy has always been that foods are best in moderation. My sister Melanie did things differently. When she took on a plant based diet - BOOM that was it. She loved it and tried to persuade everyone to follow her. When we lost her to complications of the Flu three years ago it was devastating. In her memory Mondays have become known as Meatless Mondays in our home and on my published weekly menus. Occasionally I will stray due to what is on hand in the freezer, fridge and pantry but I do my best to stick to serving a plant based meal on Monday evenings. This is actually quite interesting since my DH is a through and through carnivore that would be thrilled with a meat & potatoes diet 7 nights a week. He has been a real trooper and has found that he actually enjoys the plant based Meatless Monday meals he is presented with. The biggest challenge for me lately has been to create satisfying meatless meals that are low carb and high protein. Many of the vegetarian/vegan recipes in my repertoire had a tendency to be high in carbs. So todays challenge is to make a meatless meal that is low carb, rich in protein and warm and satisfying on a chilly night. For me that will be accomplished with a big warm one dish meal. Seasoned baked tofu cubes tossed into a bowl of steamed veggies and greens with a whole grain base and a spicy, slightly sweet & tangy sauce to drizzle on top. The whole grain could be replaced with either riced cauliflower or broccoli if you wanted an uber low carb meal but for me the whole grain will satisfy my craving for some carbohydrate.

Vegan Tofu Veggie Bowls

The Out of Town Cook

4 servings

Ingredients:

1 Block Extra Firm / Sprouted To 1 crown Broccoli - separated, washed & checked 4 cups Kale / Box Choy / Spinach (any deep leafy green on hand) 1 - 2 Avocados 2 cups shelled steamed Edamame Shredded Carrots &/ Shredded Daikon Radish 1 bunch Scallions chopped 1 cup Fresh Cilantro chopped 3 teaspoons Minced Garlic (more if you love garlic) Tamari Sauce Garlic Powder Ginger Powder 1 tablespoon Corn Starch 1/4 cup Peanut Butter / nut butter of your choice 1 tablespoon Rice wine Vinegar 2 teaspoons Sriracha Sauce (more if you like it spicy) 4 tablespoons Coconut /Cashew / Almond Milk 1 tablespoon Pure Maple Syrup (if you are going no carb you can use Swerve or Stevia) Salt & Pepper 1 cup dry Brown Rice/ Farro / Quinoa (grain of your choice) Water

Directions: Preheat oven to 425F. Prepare the grain on the stove top or in a rice steamer (1 cup dry grain = 2 cups cooked = 4 servings) or prepare your cauliflower/ broccoli rice.. Cut the tofu into 1/2 inch cubes and pat dry. In a bowl or ziplock bag combine 2 tablespoons Tamari sauce, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 tablespoon cornstarch and a pinch of black pepper. Toss the tofu into this mixture and then place on a parchment paper lined sheet panned bake for 15 to 20 minutes, turning once during cooking. Prepare the broccoli by steaming it. You may want to steam the leafy green option as well but it is nice served chopped raw as well. While the tofu continues to bake prepare your sauce. In a container with a lid mix together the peanut butter, 2 tablespoons Tamari sauce, 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar, 2 teaspoons Sriracha, minced garlic, 4 tablespoons coconut milk, 1 tablespoon Maple syrup and salt & pepper to taste. Shake until combined well. Thin with additional coconut milk or hot water until it is a consistency that you like for drizzling. To assemble the bowls put 1/2 cup of the cooked grain in the bottom of a bowl. top with the baked tofu, steamed veggies, shredded veggies, sliced avocado, chopped scallion and cilantro. Drizzle with the peanut sauce.