I love to talk about food, and over the past couple of years I have found myself in many conversations about cooking tofu.  I get questions all the time like:  

What is tofu?  
Is it watery?  
How do you cook it?  
What does it taste like?  

If you rewind back a few years, I had those exact same questions about tofu.  I NEVER would have thought that I would be preparing and eating tofu at least once a week.  Life is funny sometimes.  

If you are a vegetarian, chances are you already eat tofu.  If you are a meat eater and are exploring going "flexitarian" like me, or even just doing meatless Monday, I think that you will find tofu to be a great meat substitute.  It is made with soy so it has a ton of protein, is super versatile, and is inexpensive.  A block of tofu has four servings, and is usually about $2.50 or $3.00 per block.  

One of the best things about tofu is that it takes on the flavor you add to it.  So you can use your favorite marinade, you can coat with BBQ sauce, you can add a dry seasoning - whatever!  Asian, Mexican, Italian, any flavor works.  

For beginners, I recommend extra firm tofu.  And yes, it does come in a package with water, so the first step to preparing tofu is to press it.  You simply put the tofu on a plate or shallow bowl, and put something heavy over it.  I use a plate or cutting board usually.  For pictures of the pressing process, check out my tofu tutorial that I wrote last year.  

Once your tofu is pressed, you are ready to cook!  I have highlighted three cooking methods that I love.  

Cubed & Sauteed:  

This is my go-to method, and the one highlighted in the tofu tutorial. 

1) Press Tofu for at least 20 minutes 
2) Cut into 32 even cubes.  
3) Marinate with your favorite marinade, if desired.   
4) Heat a nonstick skillet with about a tablespoon of olive oil, then add tofu.  Season if desired.    
5) Cook on all sides, taking the time to flip and cook each side until golden brown.  

A few favorite dishes with cubed & sauteed tofu:  
Beet & Kale Salad 
Spicy Tofu Tacos (includes a link to a yummy marinade!)  

Crumbled & Sauteed:  

1) Press tofu at least 20 minutes 
2) Heat a nonstick skillet with about 1 tablespoon of oil.  
3) Using clean hands, crumble the block of tofu into the skillet.  It should have the shape & crumble size of ground turkey.  
4) Sautee until golden, stirring and crumbling with a spatula.  
5) Add your favorite sauce if desired.  

Crumbled tofu is a great substitute for ground meat, so the possibilities are endless.  Two I love:  
Tofu Taco Salad 
Tofu Lettuce Wraps 

Breaded & Baked:  

1) Press tofu at least 20 minutes. 
2) Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Prepare a baking sheet by lining with nonstick foil, and spraying with oil.  
3) Cut block in half, then into strips so you have 12 tofu "fingers." 
4) Set up a breading station by cracking an egg into a bowl, and pouring some bread crumbs and your favorite seasoning on a plate.  Exactly what you would do for breaded baked chicken.  If you are a vegan, you can skip the egg and use almond milk instead.  
5) Coat each piece of tofu in the egg, and then coat with the bread crumbs.  
6) Place each piece of tofu on the prepared baking sheet, then spray the top with oil.  
7) Bake for about 30 minutes, flipping once, until golden brown.  

Dip in your favorite sauce and enjoy!  The inspiration for the batch pictured above is from Oh She Glows.  

Finally, if you are not into cooking, or too intimidated to prepare your own tofu, pick some up from the Whole Foods hot bar!  I forget the flavor of tofu that's pictured above, but I have never had a Whole Foods prepared tofu that I didn't like. 

Let me know if you try to cook your own tofu!  

Did everyone have a great Easter weekend?  I went to Mount Pleasant to spend the weekend with my family.  Let's get right to the food - I ate some really yummy dishes.  As always, I tried to balance a few treats with mostly healthy choices.  

Typically, my family has LONG discussions about what to eat for dinner, and Friday was no exception.  We finally decided to pick up pizza from a local shop in Mount Pleasant; since it was cold & rainy that night we didn't feel like going anywhere. My mom, sister & I split a thin crust pie with tomato, mushrooms, and sweet peppers.  I definitely went back for seconds.  

On Saturday for lunch, we went to my favorite Mount Pleasant lunch spot - Five Loaves Cafe.  My first visit to Five Loaves was last August, and it is seriously one of the best restaurants ever.  They have the exact type of food I like - lots of unique vegetarian options.  

I ordered 1/2 an Artichoke Falafel Salad, and 1/2 a Roasted Cauliflower & Carrot Sandwich.  Both were amazing.  I love roasted cauliflower, but I never thought to put it on a sandwich.  And you guys, the falafel, wow.  It was so, so good.  I am officially obsessed with this place.  

On Saturday night for dinner, my sister Rachel prepared a "make your own" taco bar.  I had 2 corn tortillas with black beans, corn, salsa, and avocado.  And some cilantro rice on the side.  

I also mooched a beer from my brother-in-law.  And some {unpictured} cookies.    

After church on Easter, my Dad made brunch for everyone.  Matt had to stay back in Charlotte for the weekend since he had to work; and boy was he disappointed that he missed my Dad's food.  Biscuits, gravy, bacon, eggs, it was quite the spread.  I opted for a lighter meal and had a biscuit with egg & cheese, with fruit on the side.  

This isn't a complete food diary - I definitely ate my favorite PB Banana waffles every morning, and had a few unpictured treats like cookies, a peanut butter rice cake, and even a Godiva truffle!  But overall I was pleased with my food choices, I think I definitely followed my 80% healthy 20% unhealthy rule.  

Any amazing Easter foods to share?   

One of the best parts about living in a new city and starting a new job is all the new people I have been meeting - it seems like every week I am introduced to someone new!  As I am sharing meals with new friends and coworkers, I have been getting some questions lately about my diet.  

Q:  So are you a vegetarian?  
A:  Sort of.  

Q:  If you don't eat meat, what do you eat?  
A:  All kinds of stuff!  And a lot of peanut butter.  :)  

I don't ever find myself craving meat, the only time that I end up choosing something with turkey or chicken is when I'm in a situation where I don't see a lot of other options.  For example, I was at a crappy airport restaurant a few weeks ago, and every single salad had chicken on it.  The easy solution would have been to say "no chicken," but then the Asian chicken salad I ordered would have literally been lettuce, wonton strips, and dressing.  Meh.  

At home, I found myself in a similar situation when I thought about making a taco salad.  One of my staple meals from a few years back was taco salad with ground turkey.  It was SO good.  I could have made the taco salad without the turkey, but the warm seasoned flavor really gave the salad that little something extra.  I am proud to say that last week I re-introduced myself to my beloved taco salad - only this time it's meatless!  Cue the tofu.  

Doesn't it even look like ground turkey??  Here is what you do for 2 servings.  

Tofu Taco "meat" 

Ingredients:  
1/2 block of extra-firm tofu 
1 tablespoon oil 
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin 
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika 
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon water 
black pepper to taste 

Press your tofu for at least 20 minutes.  I do this by setting the block on a plate, then putting a heavy cutting board on top of it.  Drain off the excess water.  

Heat the oil in a nonstick skillet, then using your fingers crumble the tofu into the oil.  Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it begins to brown.

Whisk all other ingredients together to make a taco sauce.  Pour sauce over the tofu, then cook for a few minutes until fully incorporated.  Enjoy!!  

Once your tofu is cooked, it's time to assemble your salad.  Here is my bowl with lettuce, tomato, avocado, and black beans.   

Now add your tofu:  

And for the big finish - sour cream and salsa!  

I find that the salsa provides plenty of moisture, so there is no need for salad dressing on this baby.  

The tofu would also be great on tacos, in enchiladas - wherever you would normally use ground meat!  

Man, has the weather been amazing this weekend.  I have taken every opportunity available to be outside. I ate my meals outside, went on lots of dog walks, did an outdoor workout, and even enjoyed a beer outside at the Time Warner Cable Arena!  

I think one of the main reasons Matt was so excited to move to Charlotte from Harrisburg was the presence of all the sports teams.  We had a good time at the Bobcats game on Saturday night, but since I'm not the biggest basketball fan my favorite part of the evening was definitely drinking a Duck Rabbit Brown Ale  on the terrace and enjoying the uptown view.    

I'm not sure if Sadie loved or hated all the walks she got this weekend, she was such a tired doggy in the car yesterday on the way home from Reedy Creek Park.  And please ignore the fact that you can visibly see dust and dog hair all over my car.  

Despite all the good fun this weekend, I did find some time to do some meal planning for the week.  I am excited about this week's menu, it consists of a lot of my favorite foods as of late.  I am looking forward to making the crash hot potatoes - I watched them being prepared on the Food Network and they looked amazing.  

Meal Plan week of April 13, 2014 

Sunday:    Tofu Taco Salad (recipe coming soon!) 

Monday:  Garden Enchilada Bake 

Tuesday:  post-gym smoothies 

Wednesday:  Crispy Tofu Strips and Pioneer Woman Crash Hot Potatoes 

Thursday:  Cornbread Quiche with Zucchini & Onions 

Friday:  Visit my family in Mt. Pleasant, SC  

No, this isn't just a big plate of avocado and mango, there is some cornbread quiche underneath the avocado. Although I could probably just eat a big plate of avocado and mango and call it dinner.  

Anyone else have any meals planned for the week?  

Last week, Matt and I decided to embrace being "Charlotteans" and try out a popular local event - Alive After Five.  For non-local readers, Alive After Five is a weekly event every Thursday over the summer with live outdoor music & drinks.  Sounds like fun, right??  

So we headed to the Epicenter in Uptown Charlotte to check it out.  I had two observations:  1) I realized I was tired and hungry after a long day at work; and 2) the sponsor and main beverage provider was Bud Light, so I wasn't too into the drink selection.  You guys know I like a nice dark beer.   

I didn't want to abandon Alive After Five altogether since it was a really nice night, and I wanted to listen to the band.  Matt & I ended up finding a great option - grabbing a table at an Epicenter restaurant:  BlackFinn Saloon.  We were able to enjoy some drinks, food, and listen to the music, all from the comfort of an outdoor table.  Win!    

I wanted to order something light, so I ended up choosing the Shrimp Spring Rolls.  These look really pretty, and the idea of them is great, but my honest opinion is that they lacked flavor.  There was a dipping sauce on the side that could have helped, but it was too salty for my typical low sodium diet.  I still ate two of these since I was hungry.  Maybe a little marinade or seasoning on the shrimp & veggies would have helped.  

I also had a small side Greek salad that was much better.  It was really similar to the Panera Bread side Greek salad that I like to order, so it tasted great to me.    

I guess if I am attempting to eat healthy at restaurants, not every choice is going to taste great.  The drink selection was definitely better though - I had a refreshing glass of Pinot Grigio instead of drinking Bud Light out of an aluminum bottle.  That's a win in my book!  

And to leave everyone with something adorable- Sadie!!  Here she is caught in the act of tearing apart another expensive dog toy.  

So would I recommend BlackFinn as a must-try Charlotte destination?  No.  Is is a good location to grab drinks?  Absolutely.

Happy Saturday!  Popping in for a quick recipe post.  If you guys need something to make this weekend, try this easy recipe.  I LOVE enchiladas verde, and I typically take the time to make homemade verde sauce for my usual chicken enchiladas verde.  However, if you can't (or won't!) dedicate the time to making your own sauce, buy a bottle from Trader Joe's and get to work on this easy version.  It is really delicious.  

For toppings, just add your favorite.  Cheese is an essential, but you could also do avocado, tomato and green onion like I did.  Or if you don't like those toppings, try something else.  Black olives would be good, sour cream, greek yogurt as a sour cream substitute, whatever you want.  Enjoy!  

Easy Chicken Enchiladas Verde

Ingredients (for 8 enchiladas, or 4 servings):  
1 lb cooked chicken breast, shredded 
1 jar salsa verde 
2 big spoonfuls plain greek yogurt 
1 onion, thinly sliced 
8 small tortillas; I used soft corn tortillas 
1 cup shredded cheese of your choice 

Optional Toppings:  avocado, tomato, green onion, olives, sour cream 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and prepare an 11x17 baking dish by lining with nonstick foil, if desired (easy clean up!).  Pour a little salsa into the bottom of the baking dish and spread around, a couple tablespoons usually does the trick.   

In a skillet, sautee sliced onion in a little olive oil until soft, about 10 minutes.  Add in shredded chicken, yogurt, and about 1/3 of the jar of salsa.  Heat for a few minutes until ingredients are incorporated.  

Spoon some of the chicken mixture into each tortilla, roll up, and place seam side down in your prepared baking dish.  If all your filling wouldn't fit in the tortillas, just add it to the baking dish.  Top the enchiladas with the rest of the salsa, using a spoon to spread it out so a little bit gets on each tortilla.  Top the whole thing with cheese.  

Bake for about 20 minutes, until hot & bubbly.  Add option toppings, and dig in!   

I thought it would be fun to do a "day in the life" post about a typical day of eating for me.  When I shared my meal plans, I only included dinners.  But of course I ate breakfast, lunch, and treats too!  So here is my food diary from last Sunday.  I might start doing this more often in order to showcase some quick, easy meals, but also to hold myself accountable for what I am eating throughout the day.   

Breakfast: