Despite all the baking I love to do, I also make an effort to eat as healthfully as I can most of the time. Treats and sweets are usually reserved for weekends and so my meal planning centers mostly around things like vegetables and whole grains, leaner cuts of meat like chicken breast or extra lean beef, and fresh fruit. On occasion, I also like to experiment with non-meat main dishes such as tofu. Lately, this Tofu Oat Loaf has been appearing on my menu more often. A lot of people shy away from tofu because of its reputation as being “boring" and "bland”. Well, I can assure you that there is nothing boring or bland about this loaf. The recipe comes from one of my favorite cookbooks called Oat Cuisine which as the title suggests, incorporates heart-healthy oats into most of its recipes. Here, the tofu is mixed together with uncooked oatmeal, tomato sauce, and fresh herbs. I also included some peppers for an extra kick. Eat it with some marinara sauce on top or maybe as a sandwich with some melted low fat cheese and toasted rye bread? Now I’m not promising that you’ll enjoy this more than a “true” meatloaf mind you, but it does make a nice, healthy alternative and who knows, you just might find yourself getting excited about tofu.Tofu Oat Loaf (adapted from Oat Cuisine by Bobbie Hinman):
ingredients--
1 pound firm tofu
1/3 cup tomato or marinara sauce
1/3 cup fresh basil chopped
1/3 cup fresh chives chopped
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 chopped, seeded jalapeno pepper
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup wheat germ
directions--
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
2. Coat a loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray
3. Rinse the tofu and pat dry; place it in a large bowl with 1/3 cup of marinara sauce. Add the herbs, spices, jalapeno pepper and ground pepper. Mash everything well together with a fork.
4. Add the oats and wheat germ and mix well until blended.
5. Press mixture firmly into prepared pan.
6. Bake for 45 minutes; after baking, allow the loaf to cool slightly for about 5 minutes, then invert onto a plate.
3 comments:
I have actually never had tofu before. I keep telling myself I'm going to try it, but I haven't yet...
That looks good but I could never get this past my husband although I could probably tell him that it was chicken LOL.
I enjoy tofu out but I've never managed to make it taste good at home.
Thanks for a new veggie recipe. It looks yummy. If it's good enough to post on your blog, that's enough for me to give it a try. Great time to try it too, with fresh herbs growing in my garden.
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