As much as I love to go out to eat (it really is my favorite pastime!), I love cooking.  And after a busy weekend, it is nice to spend a Sunday afternoon unwinding and throwing together a quick, easy and delicious meal!  I looked around the kitchen and found a few things that I like to eat together and it all seemed to make sense as a meal…thawed block of frozen tofu, small round potatoes, and a bag of Trader Joe‘s brussels sprouts. I also ran into my neighbor earlier in the day and she handed me some scratch made applesauce she whipped together from an earlier apple picking adventure!

I have heard about the great texture of frozen tofu, so earlier in the week I froze a block and thought today would be a great day to test it out.  I sliced it into eight pieces and set it aside.

I started with the potatoes. Since it’s an unseasonably warm October evening, I thought the air fryer would be a great way to cook them without heating the house up too much. While the potatoes did their thing in the air fryer, I went on to saute the brussels sprouts. I was never a fan of brussels sprouts, until I tried them at Vedge. I met Rich Landau at a book signing, and he recommended I try them. I figured I would trust him, and he was right! How I cook them is basically the recipe from their cookbook but I add some tamari as the brussels cook. Because the brussels are shaved, they have a MUCH better texture. Pro tip: buy the pre-shredded brussels at Trader Joe’s. You can shave them on a mandolin or with a knife, but why bother when TJs already did the work for you? You can make the sauce for the brussels ahead of time; the flavors only get better. I usually make it an hour or two before, but you can even make it a day ahead of time.

After I cooked the brussels, I turned my attention back to the tofu. I cooked the tofu in a pan tonight, because the potatoes were in the air fryer. But, the air fryer does a great job with tofu, so give it a try sometime. If you want to try this, brown it in the air fryer, then toss it in the sauce.  I don’t have the applesauce recipe; you’ll have to befriend your own apple picking neighbors!

For a quick thrown together meal, I think it turned out really well. Kind of an interesting mix of foods, but it worked! Freezing the tofu and letting it thaw before cooking really does improve its texture. If you’re one of those who aren’t a fan of tofu texture, give this a whirl.  If you try any of these recipes, let me know what you think.

 

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Montreal Potatoes:

• 1 Pound Small / Fingerling Potatoes
• Olive or Avocado Oil
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• Montreal Steak Seasoning to Taste

I slice the potatoes in half, and simply toss in a bowl with all the other ingredients.  Toss in the air fryer, set at 400 degrees, and cook for 15-20 minutes.

Brussels Sprouts: 

• I bag of shaved Brussels
• 3 Cloves Garlic
• Salt & Pepper to Taste
• 1 tbsp Tamari Sauce
• Avocado Oil

Heat avocado oil in pan. Add brussels and toss until slightly browned. Add salt, pepper and garlic. Cook another 5 minutes. Add tamari and toss. Put in bowl and mix with brussels sauce, below.

Brussels Sauce:

• 1/2 c Vegan Mayo
• 2 tbsp Whole Ground Mustard
• 1 tbsp Water
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Whisk all ingredients together in a bowl. You can use as little or as much as you like with the brussels. I tend to do a little less sauce; my wife tends to drown her brussels.

Tofu:

• Block of frozen and thawed extra firm tofu
• Jar of Trader Joe’s Sweet Chili Sauce
• Avocado Oil
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Heat oil in pan. Salt and pepper tofu, add to pan, and cook until browned on both sides. Pour in about 1/4 jar of TJ’s sweet chili sauce and 2 tbsp water (you can alter these amounts to your taste). Stir and toss to coat tofu.