Black Beans with Chile Aioli

Another WOW, lick the plate clean recipe.... a creamy heat to the black beans and tomatoes.  Very good!!!

1 Serrano chile, seeded and chopped
1 garlic clove crushed
2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup veganaise
1/2 tsp maple syrup
2 tbsp. olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 cups black beans
14.5 oz can of diced tomato
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

In a food processor combine the first 5 ingredients until smooth. With the machine running, slowly add the oil in a thin stream until mixture is thin and smooth.
Season with salt and pepper. Cover and set aside until needed.
In a saucepan, combine the beans and tomatoes and cook over medium heat until hot. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer the bean mixture to a shallow bowl. Drizzle with aioli and garnish with cilantro. Enjoy!!!

Scrambled Tofu

   Spice blend:
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed with your fingers
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced (or more, to taste)
1 pound extra-firm tofu, drained
1/8 cup nutritional yeast
Fresh black pepper to taste

First stir the spice blend together in a small cup. Add water and mix. Set aside.

Preheat a large, heavy bottomed pan over medium high heat. Saute the garlic in olive oil for about a minute. Break the tofu apart into bite sized pieces and saute for about 10 minutes, using a spatula to stir often.  The tofu should get browned on at least one side.

Add the spice blend and mix to incorporate. Add the nutritional yeast and fresh black pepper. Cook for about 5 more minutes. Serve warm.

You can include these additions to your scramble by themselves or in combination with one another.

Broccoli – Cut about one cup into small florets, thinly slice the stems. Add along with the tofu.
Onion – Finely chop one small onion. Add along with the garlic, and cook for about 5 minutes, until translucent. Proceed with recipe.
Red Peppers – Remove stem and seed, finely chop one red pepper. Add along with the garlic and cook for about 5 minutes. Proceed with recipe.
Mushrooms – Thinly slice about a cup of mushrooms. Add along with the tofu.
Olives – Chop about 1/3 a cup of sliced olives. Add towards the end of cooking, after mixing in the nutritional yeast.
Spinach – Add about 1 cup of chopped spinach towards the end of cooking, after mixing in the nutritional yeast. Cook until completely wilted.
Carrots – Grate half of an average sized carrot into the scramble towards the end of cooking. This is a great way to add color to the scramble.
Avocado – I almost always have avocado with my scramble. Just peel and slice it and serve on top.

Artichoke -Walnut Stuffed Pasta

I used cannelloni pasta, you could also use ravioli.

Olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 (10 oz) package frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 can artichoke hearts, chopped
1/3 cup firm tofu, drained and crumbled
1 cup toasted walnut pieces
1/4 cup tightly packed fresh parsley
Salt and freshly ground pepper
12 fresh sage leaves

In a large skillet, heat 2 tbsp. of the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic spinach and artichoke hearts. Cover and cook until the garlic is soft and the liquid is absorbed, about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer the mixture to a food processor. Add the tofu, 1/4 cup walnuts, the parsley, and the salt and pepper to taste.  Set aside to cool.
Prepare and stuff the pasta.
Heat the remaining oil over medium heat. Add the sage and the remaining walnuts and cook until the sage becomes crisp and the walnuts become fragrant. Add the cooked/stuffed pasta and cook, stirring gently, to coat with the sauce and heat through.