Tofu and Mushroom Stroganoff

Baked Tofu Experiment

Tofu is a really versatile food.  It takes on the flavor of whatever it is cooked with.  It also takes on different textures, depending on how you prepare it.  If you bake it, it gets crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside.  It makes a delicious protein addition to salads, or works well as a meat substitute.  When I baked the tofu for this recipe, I had to stop myself from eating it all so I would have something to add to the recipe.  You can read more about baked tofu here. 

It is important to press the tofu well before baking it.  The Mori Nu brand tofu that is allowed on the Medifast meatless options guide doesn't seem to be very wet when you take it out of the package.  However, you will be surprised how much water you will press out of it.  To press tofu, place several thicknesses of paper towels on a dinner plate or cutting board.  Place the tofu on the paper towels.  Place more paper towels over the tofu.  Place an inverted dinner plate on top of the pile, and weight it with something heavy, like a large can of food.  Let it sit at least 30 minutes, up to overnight. 

Ingredients

12 oz package of Mori Nu extra-firm silken tofu, pressed
1/2 tsp cooking oil
1 1/2 cups mushrooms, sliced
1 tsp minced garlic
1/4 cup reduced-sodium beef broth or vegetable broth
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 cup Fage Total 0% Greek yogurt, plain
1 tbsp. fresh parsley, or 1 tsp dried parsley

Instructions

After pressing tofu, slice into cubes.  Bake at 400 degrees on parchment-covered baking sheet for 30 minutes, turning every 10 minutes.  This step can be completed ahead of time.  Set tofu aside while mushrooms are cooking.

Saute the mushrooms and garlic in the oil, until the mushrooms have released their liquid, about 5-10 minutes.  Add beef broth, onion powder, and paprika.  If using dried parsley, add that as well.  Cook 2-3 minutes more.  Add baked tofu and stir in Greek yogurt.  Also add fresh parsley, if using.  Cook until tofu is heated through.  Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Makes 1 serving
Per serving, 1 lean and 3 greens
285 calories, 9.6 grams fat, 435 mg sodium, 15.5 grams carbohydrates, 36.2 grams protein

Cauliflower Mac n Cheese

More Cheesy Adventures

The cauliflower "mockeroni" and cheese recipe on Sandy's Kitchen is delicious.  Everyone I have served it to has agreed.  I love it.  Problem is, if you're on Medifast, it's not on plan.  Using nutrition values for Kraft 2% shredded cheddar and colby jack, Sandy's version weighs in at 421 calories and 29.5 grams of fat.  For optimal weight loss, Medifast recommends keeping daily calories around 850.  The maximum allowable amount of fat on the Medifast program is 30 grams, and the maximum allowable calorie count is 1000.  Considering that all Medifast meals are around 110 calories and contain some fat, if you ate this you would be very close to maximum calories, and over maximum fat grams.  I don't love that.

So the lesson I learned is that I need to analyze every recipe I make, using the plan guides and an online recipe analyzer.  This enables you to use the brands of foods you buy to figure out the nutrition information for the recipe the way you are going to make it, with any additions, substitutions, or tweaks.

So I set out to lighten up this recipe, while preserving its cheesy goodness.  It was surprisingly easy.  I just substituted 1% milkfat cottage cheese for half of the cheese in the original recipe.  Macaroni and cheese recipes with cottage cheese are very popular, and I can see why now.  I think the results are even better than the original!  I also added some parmesan for depth of flavor.  We'll see if it passes the toddler test tomorrow.

Ingredients

3 cups cauliflower (6 greens)
1 cup cottage cheese, 1% milkfat (2/3 lean)
1 cup reduced fat shredded cheddar (1 lean)
1/4 tsp garlic powder (1/2 condiment)
1/4 tsp onion powder (1/2 condiment)
1/4 tsp ground mustard (1/4 condiment)
2 tbsp grated parmesan (2 condiments)

Directions

Chop cauliflower using the slicing blade of food processor.  Microwave the cauliflower until it is tender.  It needs to be soft, without any crispness, to mimic the texture of pasta. 

Puree cottage cheese in blender or food processor.  In a large saucepan, combine cottage cheese, cheddar, parmesan, garlic powder, onion powder and ground mustard.  Heat until combined and cheddar is melted.  Add cooked cauliflower, breaking up the larger pieces with spoon. 

Pour cheese and cauliflower mixture into baking pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.


Makes 2 servings
Per serving, 1 lean, 3 greens, 1 5/8 condiments
292 calories, 14.8 grams fat, 1026 mg sodium, 9.2 grams carbohydrates, 2.6 grams fiber, 32.1 grams protein