Attention all Tofu Lovers
A few weeks back, Liz ran into Kathlene, a mother of two, who asked for advice on giving her recipe for tofu spinach pie a flavorful and kid-friendly makeover. After taking a look, Liz quickly concluded that the recipe was a bit on the bland side and had more spinach than most young kids would be willing to eat. Let’s face it, sometimes recipes can go overboard on the healthy stuff, and while we love veggies, we recognize that too much of a good thing can be overwhelming. Anyway, after some makeover magic, here’s what we came up with.
Vegetable Garden Tofu Pie
Makes 6 Servings
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
One 5 or 6-ounce bag baby spinach
1 small carrot, peeled and grated (about ½ cup)
1 pound tofu, drained, cut into six slices, and patted dry with paper towels (any kind of tofu — firm, silken or soft — is fine)
2 large eggs
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup preshredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly oil or coat a 9-inch pie plate with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
2. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until golden, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Raise the heat to medium-high, add the spinach and carrot, and cook, stirring frequently, until the spinach wilts and the carrot is tender, about 5 minutes. Place on a cutting board and coarsely chop.
3. Meanwhile, blend the tofu, eggs, Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper in a food processor until creamy. Transfer to a large bowl and stir in the Cheddar cheese and the cooked veggies.
4. Pour the mixture into the prepared pie plate and cook until golden brown, about 35 minutes.
Nutrition Information per Serving: 170 calories, 10g fat (4g saturated, 0.1g omega-3), 500mg sodium, 7g carbohydrate, 2g fiber, 16g protein, 50% vitamin A, 25% calcium, 15% iron
This weekend, Liz’s son, Simon, and his friend, Aram tried the pie and unanimously agreed it was “awesome.” Though we haven’t even sent the new-and-improved recipe to Kathlene and her family yet, we’ll be sure to report back once we get their reaction.