The scenario: You both come home late from work and you're both tired. Dinner needs to be on the table ASAP. What do you do?

This dinner was originally created out of a coincidence of ingredients that we just happened to have on hand in the house on just such a night. Some good friends had recently introduced us to the tasty and convenient Seeds of Change grain packets and they were sitting in the pantry. We had noticed and purchased this package of Hodo Moroccan-flavored tofu at the supermarket and it was in the fridge. We ALWAYS have a jar of Costco pesto in the fridge (plus more in the freezer). We were in the exact position described above one night so I began to assess what we had on hand that could be transformed into a dinner. Things were starting to come together. 

Some weeknight years ago, I tossed together these disparate ingredients for a quick weeknight meal. We loved it enough that it has been part of the rotation of the sometimes-needed quick, weeknight meals. Nothing glamorous here; but it's a tummy- filling, healthy, high-fiber recipe for those late weeknight meals. A meal for the two of you--not fancy dinner party fare.

The key to this meal's satisfaction is the "toothiness" of the slightly crispy grains (similar to the crispy crust on paella called socarrat). At the end, you let the mix sit unstirred in the skillet over the heat and allow the bottom to get just a bit crispy. You can let it sit longer if you want more crispiness.

There are just a few key ingredients:

Hodo Moroccan Tofu Cubes
We bought one time a year or two ago just try them out. We enjoyed them enough to get more every once in awhile. At this time, I don't see it on Amazon (though they do carry other Hodo products). We get it at our local Safeway. 

Seeds of Change Quinoa and Brown Rice mix

We bought these at the recommendation of some friends. I've purchased these at my local Costco and I've ordered them through Amazon if you want a twelve pack. Single envelopes are also available at Safeway. Look for them at your local supermarket.

Once you have those two ingredients (or maybe your own facsimile) you can keep those in the fridge and pantry. 

Crispy Moroccan Tofu with Grains and Greens

Ingredients:

• 1 package (8 oz.) Hodo Moroccan Tofu Cubes
• 1 package (8.5 oz.) Seeds of Change Quinoa and Brown Rice Mix
• 3 - 4 cups arugula (other greens could also work)
• 2 Tbsp. Basil pesto
• Olive oil
• Black pepper
• Red chili flakes (optional)

Directions:

1. Massage the unopened packages of tofu and quinoa/rice to break up the contents. 
2. Heat a 12" skillet with a good drizzle of olive oil over medium high heat.
3. Add the package of tofu breaking up the large chunks with a spatula. Stir only occasionally for about 5 minutes or until tofu gets some browning.
   
   
   
4. Add the Seeds of Change envelope and stir to mix.
   
   
   
5. Drizzle with more olive oil (about 2 Tbsp.) to moisten the grains and stir to mix.
6. Add the greens and stir until wilted.
   
   
   
7. Add the pesto, black pepper, and red pepper flakes (optional).
8. Stir to mix and let the mixture sit for 3-4 mins. on medium heat to get some crispiness on the bottom.
   
   
   
9. Serve immediately on bowls or plates. 

One skillet clean up. You just might have some leftovers for lunch the next day!

Bok Choy and Tofu Noodle Bowl

Bok choy, or Chinese cabbage, has never been too high on the list of veggies that we just love to eat. But we tend to get waves of it in our box and I try to figure out tasty ways to use it up. So I've been trying different recipes that make the most of our bok choy and here's where I currently stand.

This recipe was inspired by a Sunset magazine recipe that caught my eye. The first time I made it, though, I wrote down a number of improvements to upgrade the recipe. So what follows is my current version of the recipe after making it a handful of times.

It's becoming our "go to" recipe for bok choy and it's a great weeknight Asian noodle bowl experience.

Bok Choy and Tofu Noodle Bowl

Ingredients: (Serves 2- 4)

• 2 pkg. Udon noodles - or substitute another Asian noodle
• 1 pkg. baked flavored tofu - there are many to choose from
• 2 tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 tsp. sesame oil
• 1-2 cloves garlic - minced
• 4-5 baby bok choy - coarsely chopped
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 1 tsp. Sriracha sauce
• 2 green onions, trimmed and chopped
• Ginger powder - a few shakes - or use 1 tbsp. of the real thing, minced
• cooking oil

Directions:

Clean the bok choy. There are lots of places in bok choy for dirt and small critters so give it a thorough washing. Coarsely chop discarding the bases.

Cut the tofu into rectangles.

In a bowl, combine the broth, soy sauce, ginger, sesame oil, and Sririacha. Stir to mix.

Bring a pot of water to boil and add the udon noodles. Now, I got packaged udon noodle in the refrigerated section of my grocery store. Even though I picked up the "original" flavor package, it still came with the seasoning envelope. These things are scary. The first two ingredients are sugar and salt. And then there's a whole host of ingredients that breaks the Michael Pollan rule to not eat stuff your grandmother would not recognize. Instead cook the noodles in a water/broth mix and toss in some soy sauce and/or Sriracha to give the noodles some flavor. Cook the noodles for a few minutes and drain in a colander.

While the water comes to a boil, chop those green onions.

In a large skillet or wok, heat the cooking oil. Add the minced garlic and cook for a minute. Add the ginger, bok choy, and tofu and cook for a few minutes. Add the broth mixture and cook until heated.

Divide the noodles among the bowls. Add the bok choy/tofu mixture. Spoon in the sauce from the skillet or wok. Sprinkle green onions on top and serve.

Tofu Yu Burrito Mix

We recently visited the new Whole Foods store just off Lake Merritt in Oakland. It's a nice roomy store where you make a circular trip through the store and visit the various sections. Only a small fraction of the store is laid out in the traditional aisle format. Most of it fits the new model of the supermarket.

We picked up a new brand of baked, flavored tofu that we were not familiar with. It was billed as a jalapeno smoked tofu. The company was Tofu-Yu and it's located right here in the Bay Area. Visit their web site and you'll find that it's a new company looking specialize in gourmet tofu. They sell at various farmer's markets and are trying to get into the distribution channels of local stores.



This tofu is quite good and "meaty" in texture. The seasonings are bold which is a good thing with tofu. The outer, browned coating tends to separate but the flavors permeate deeply.

I made a burrito mix containing:

• 1 8 oz. package of jalapeno smoked tofu, diced
  
• small yellow onion, diced
• 1/2 can of red kidney beans
• 3/4 can of corn kernels
• garlic
• seasoning - use what you have. I used some seasoning from a Rancho La Puerta mix
  
• grated cheese
• thinly sliced romaine lettuce (from the backyard!)
  
• Salt and pepper to taste
• fresh tortillas - Trader Joe's Truly Handmade Tortillas are what we used
  
• your favorite salsa - currently on a tomatillo salsa kick
  

Good tofu that we'll have to look for in the future.