Spinach, Tomato and Brown Rice Bake

Some of you out there know that in my other life, I work as a postpartum doula (as well as other in childbirth & baby related roles), which means I help take care of women and their babies during the “Babymoon” period, a.k.a. the fourth trimester, a.k.a. the first three months of a newborn’s life. Along with breastfeeding support, giving tips on infant care, and light housecleaning, one of the most popular functions of a postpartum doula is, happily for me, meal preparation! I love this part of my job almost as much as holding sweet little bundles in order to give mama a break.

Many relatives and friends like to bring over casserole-style dishes, which are highly practical as they can be frozen, stored efficiently, and are easily reheated – they can, however, be a bit on the heavy side. I have a few favorite recipes for new families, with an emphasis on nutrition and digestibility, but I recently tinkered around and figured out what might be the ultimate meal for a new mama. A midwife in Jennifer Block’s book  “Pushed” described the postpartum meal that she always prepares for her clients as being nourishing, quickly absorbed, high in iron and in fiber; it’s typically based in greens and brown rice, then sweet potatoes, or any other favored vegetable. My version includes spinach (though you could use fresh kale or chard), brown rice and tomatoes. You could omit the tofu and use more cheese; I would just caution you to keep it minimal, as constipating foods can be especially difficult in the early postpartum days. (Did I just go there on a food blog? Yes I did. Co-blogger, please forgive me.)

For the sweet potato component, I simply toss some sweet potato slices in olive oil, garlic powder, smoked paprika and a touch of salt, then bake them on a cookie sheet at the same time the spinach-tomato casserole goes in. Finally, I’m sharing a recipe that was NOT mine originally (though I tweaked it), some lactation cookies. These treats include several galactagogues; ingredients known to help enhance milk production.

Bring these three items over to any new mama – satisfaction guaranteed.

SPINACH, TOMATO, TOFU & BROWN RICE BAKE

2 cups brown rice (I prefer short grain)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 10 ounce box frozen chopped spinach
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
14 ounces firm tofu, frozen, then defrosted and squeezed thoroughly dry
28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 tablespoon dried basil, or about 1/4 cup fresh, if you have it on hand
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese or, for a vegan option, 1/4 cup nutritional yeast

SWEET POTATO ROUNDS

2-3 sweet potatoes, sliced about 1/4 inch thick
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon salt

Step one is easily done while you prepare the rest. Combine rice with 4 cups water and a dash of salt in a large pot and bring to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer, cover, and cook for 45-50 minutes. Remove from heat when done (try not to peek until at least 45 minutes have elapsed), fluff with a fork and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 375 and add the prepared sweet potato slices, if making, as soon as it comes to temperature. Set the timer for 20 minutes and start checking them then; you’ll want them to get to golden brown on the bottom before you flip them (just once). We’re going for overlap with the casserole, or they may be finished at the same time. Either way works.

As the rice cooks, do the rest of your prep, including defrosting the spinach if it hasn’t been done yet, then removing the excess moisture by wringing it in a dishtowel or pressing it through a fine-mesh sieve.  Ready? Okay, now we heat the olive oil over medium-high in a large saute pan, then add the onion. Saute for 3-4 minutes, until starting to soften, then add red pepper and cook another 4-5 minutes, then in goes the garlic for another minute or so. Add the defrosted, squeezed tofu – you’ll want to crumble it right into the pan; the consistency will be a bit like ground meat. Saute it with the vegetables and oil for a few minutes. Add the crushed tomato, bring to a simmer and then let it cook for 5-10 minutes over low, stirring occasionally, until liquid has reduced a bit. Add spices, spinach, and about half the cheese, stir well.

Now spread the rice out in the bottom of a 9×12 glass or ceramic baking pan (sprayed with a touch of nonstick, just to be safe), then layer the spinach, tomato, tofu mixture over it. Sprinkle remaining Parmesan on top and bake for about 2o minutes (using which ever rack isn’t occupied by the sweet potatoes, which at this point might need to be flipped to brown on the other side, then rotated to the other rack anyway).

When both are finished,  get going on the cookies, if you haven’t started already/eaten your way through the dough.

Lactation Cookies

LACTATION COOKIES

1 cup butter (or palm shortening)
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
4 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons flaxseed meal
2 eggs or Ener-G egg replacer
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour OR flour of your choice
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground fenugreek
3 cups thick cut oats
1 cup chocolate chips
2 tablespoons brewer’s yeast

These are easy to healthify if you want to make them vegan and/or avoid white flour or refined sugar: just substitute a gluten-free or a whole grain flour, and use brown rice, pure maple syrup, or a substitute of your choice in place of the sugars. As denoted, palm shortening can replace the butter and Ener-G egg replacer for the eggs.

[This will be my first "cross-posting" - I'm sharing this post on Dou-la-la as well! It's also part of Pennywise Platter Thursdays over at Nourishing Gourmet.]

– posted by Anne

This recipe proves my theory that any recipe can be made delicious by adding sun dried tomatoes. Even a tofu recipe!

Ok, ok, we know you’ve always walked by that block of white stuff stashed in the corner of the produce department and thought “I should eat tofu,” but you never knew what to do with the stuff. Well, we here at FFF have a solution: Sun Dried Tomato Spread made with THREE ingredients: 16 ounces extra firm tofu; 1 jar (8 ounce) sun dried tomatoes in oil; and garlic powder. That’s it! (You can, of course add S & P and a little diced parsley to make it look pretty, but those are entirely optional.)

Serve with Crispy Pita Triangles

Throw everything in with the tofu

The Secret Weapon: Sun Dried Tomatoes

Just one trick: Place the block of tofu between a plate and put a heavy can of something on top and then let the tofu sit  for about an hour so that the water can be “pressed” out. Then, all you do is take the ingredients for a spin in your food processor and you’re done!

And. . .  (SHAMELESS PLUG COMING) . . .  if you like this easy healthy deliciousness, check out “101 Things To Do With Tofu” by . . .  us! You’ll find 100 other tofu recipes to put on your “Must Try” list!

– posted by Donna

Anne's Food-Network-Worthy ULTIMATE VEGGIE CHILI

If you haven’t tried Anne’s ULTIMATE VEGGIE CHILI recipe, put this on your “Must Try” list this Fall!  It is easily the best veggie chili I have ever eaten. It has a fabulous rich, smoky flavor and texture and is very frugal. It is packed with budget-friendly healthy protein in the form of beans and tofu.

We originally featured it in our very first food collaboration, the co-authored cookbook, “1o1 Things To Do With Tofu”. A few months after it was published, Anne was chosen as a finalist for the Food Network’s Ultimate Recipe Showdown series two seasons ago, and she made it on to the show to compete and came in Second Place in her category! Last week I appeared on Utah’s Studio 5 to share the recipe, so I thought it warranted a repeat here.  — Donna

We applaud food blogger Cook Sister for hosting the blog event “My Legume Love Affair” this month, and The Well Seasoned Cook for starting this event.  This post is an entry to this event (stay tuned for more legume posts and entries soon!)  Really, shouldn’t we all eat more legumes?

Here is Anne’s story, a shot of her in action on the “Comfort Foods” episode, and the recipe:

I’ve worked on this recipe literally for years, fine tuning it and trying different ingredients and approaches. This version is the one that includes all of my favorite variations over the years. I love the combination of diced and crushed tomatoes, and I am partial to black beans and corn as a pair. I like this amount of spice, and the smokiness of the chipotle powder – but it goes without saying that you should adjust it as you please.

The cashews are probably the most unusual ingredient – I got that idea from a chili I used to eat regularly back in college, when I was a dance major at the Boston Conservatory. The Trident Bookstore & Café on Newbury Street had a very tasty veggie chili that included cashews – I loved both the texture and how they added a kind of additional meaty texture.

Observe how the chili emits an otherworldly glow . . .

ULTIMATE VEGGIE CHILI

1 yellow onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon each chipotle chili powder & crushed red pepper flakes
14 ounces extra-firm tofu, frozen and thawed
2 (14-ounce) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 (4-ounce) can diced jalapenos, drained
1 (4-ounce) can green chiles, drained
2 (14-ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (14-ounce) can dark kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup fresh or frozen corn
1 cup whole roasted cashews, diced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

In a large stockpot, sauté onion, bell pepper, and garlic in the olive oil over medium-high heat until onions are starting to soften. Stir in cumin, chipotle, and red pepper flakes. Crumble the thawed tofu into the mixture and sauté 5 minutes more.

Reduce heat to medium. Add all tomatoes, jalapenos, green chiles, black beans, kidney beans, corn and cashews; mix well. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Add salt and pepper, to taste.

*****

As the recipe stands, it’s an effortlessly vegan recipe. I personally prefer to add a little sour cream and grated sharp cheddar, but it stands alone perfectly well too, or you could use a vegan sour cream and/or cheese.

This is a great pantry recipe – only a few fresh produce items are called for, and as I said before, it really couldn’t be much easier. The one technique that might be new to a lot of people is the freezing, thawing and crumbling of the tofu. This is a crucial step! The freezing process causes the moisture within the tofu to separate from the soybean curd, which results in a denser, chewier texture, which is perfect for crumbling into any recipe you would normally use ground beef, turkey, sausage, etc. If you tried to crumble the tofu without freezing it first, the texture is much more like scrambled egg than ground meat.

Squeezing water from frozen & then thawed tofu

My favorite way to do this is, after defrosting the tofu, placing it in a clean dishtowel and wringing it out (see above), thus squeezing the water out and crumbling the tofu at the same time. I usually crumble it a bit more by hand after I open the towel, just to make sure it’s even – and then right into the pot it goes!

A few other food bloggers’ veggie chilis that look fabulous enough to try:
Pierce Street Vegetarian Chili, 101 Cookbooks
Spicy Vegetarian Chili, Simply Recipes
Throw-in-a-Pot Vegetarian Chili, Kath Eats Real Food
Black and White Vegetarian Chili, Figs and Bri
Vegetarian Bean and Pumkin Chili, Tasty Eats at Home

– originally posted by Anne

This is a choose-your-own-adventure recipe, price-wise. I may do this from time to time if you like the idea: take a base recipe (i.e. the curry) and offer different levels of frugality, shall we say; typically reflected in the protein choice. I happened to have some shrimp in the freezer that was getting into the danger zone & needed to be used soon, so it happened to be a frugal choice for me in this instance (who wants to throw away perfectly great shrimp?). But a much cheaper route would be to use chicken as the protein, and the cheapest of all would be our beloved tofu. Any of the choices will be delicious, and will still highlight the same great curry flavors.

Let’s give this a whirl, shall we?

COCONUT CURRY, 3 PRICES

1 tablespoon olive or peanut oil
1 onion, sliced
1 red bell pepper, julienned
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon ginger, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
2 teaspoons curry powder
15 ounce can light coconut milk
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Protein choices:
SPLURGY: 1 pound jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined OR
THRIFTY: 1 chicken breast, sliced into thin strips OR
FRUGALICIOUS: 14 ounces firm tofu, drained, pressed and cubed

1 cup peas (frozen is fine)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons fresh basil, cut into chiffonade

Heat oil in large, nonstick saucepan over medium heat. Saute onions for about a minute, then add red pepper and garlic until vegetables begin to soften, about 4 minutes. If using chicken or tofu, add now. Add cumin, coriander, and curry powder. Cook for 1 more minute. Stir in coconut milk, sugar, and crushed red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered for 3-4 minutes.

If using shrimp, add now and increase heat to medium-high. Cook and stir until shrimp is cooked through, about 4 minutes. In a small bowl, combine cornstarch with 1 tablespoon water. Stir into pan  and cook until sauce has thickened, about two minutes. Stir in basil, and remove from heat. Serve over jasmine rice, brown rice, or, as pictured, quinoa.

P.S. Yes, I’m tagging this vegan and vegetarian, because it would be if you choose door #3.

– posted by Anne

Will your kids guess the secret (and healthy!) ingredient? You may even be surprised yourself: Tofu!

I’m posting this now for you moms who might want to keep a bowl in the fridge for after-school snacks or put in kids’ lunches. It’s great hot or cold. My son Jake will stand in front of the fridge with a fork and eat it right out of the fridge until I catch him!

When Anne and I were reunited in 1999 as a birth mother and daughter we discovered that we had many things in common, not the least of which was our shared love of cooking and enjoying good food. We spent many late nights in our kitchens cooking and catching up on a lifetime of experiences. Anne had spent many years as a vegetarian and I had been cooking for kids for many years, so we developed this wonderful synergy of healthy (Anne) meets homey (me). A wonderful thing was born of our reunion: a tofu cookbook! I am very proud of our “101 Things to do with Tofu,” published by Gibbs Smith, publisher.

This recipe was created for the book, now with a few small tweaks, and has become a Sunday lunch staple at our home. We love it even better than the roux-based mac and cheese that was its predecessor in my kitchen. It is creamy and comforting. Any Sunday, stop by my house and we’ll dish you up some surprisingly yummy “tofu mac.”

HEALTHY LUNCHBOX MAC ‘N’ CHEESE

1 bag (16 ounces) regular or whole wheat elbow macaroni
½ cup evaporated milk
1 container (16 ounces) silken tofu
8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1 teaspoon seasoned salt (or more to taste)
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce

Cook macaroni according to directions on package, then drain and set aside. In blender, add tofu one spoonful at a time to milk, blending until smooth. Add seasoned salt and Tabasco. Pour tofu mixture into pan and cook over medium heat until bubbly. Slowly add in cheese, stirring until melted. Add in macaroni and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and let sit for a few minutes before serving. Serves 6 to 8.

Other unique mac’s by food bloggers:
Triple Smokey Macaroni and Cheese, Herbivoracious
Gruyere and Tomatoes Mac and Cheese, Andrea’s Recipes
Low Carb Macaroni and Cheese, Kalyn’s Kitchen
Bacon Mac and Cheese, Not Quite Nigella
Spicy Italian Mac and Cheese, Chili Cheese Fries

More info about “101 Things To Do With Tofu” here.

– posted by Donna

CONNECTICUT CHOWDAH

4 cups vegetable stock
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 leek, chopped (an onion is fine if you don’t have a leek on hand)
2 large potatoes, peeled and diced
1 bay leaf
3 inches kombu sea vegetable
1 1/2 teaspoon each salt and coarsely ground black pepper (or more to taste)
1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
16 ounces silken tofu
1 tablespoon mellow white miso paste
8 ounces oyster mushrooms, chopped

Spray a large stockpot with nonstick cooking spray. Using about two tablespoons of the stock, heat the celery and leek over medium heat until softened, 3-4 minutes. Add remaining stock, potatoes, bay leaves, kombu, salt, pepper, and Old Bay; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and let simmer for 30 minutes.

Remove bay leaves and kombu. In blender, combine tofu with 2 ½ cups of the simmered soup and puree. Pour pureed soup back into the stockpot. Dissolve the miso paste in 3 tablespoons of hot water and stir into soup. Heat a large skillet with cooking spray and sauté the mushrooms for 3 minutes, until soft. Add to stockpot. Serve with (what else?) oyster crackers.

– posted by Anne