With a somewhat picky 2-year old, when I make something he eats all of (instead of picking out some parts or outright refusing in favor of yogurt or cereal), I consider that a win and make it again and again. This recipe is great because it is easy to choose any veggies you like, and you can even swap in chicken or beef instead of the tofu (or just make this a veggie stir fry). Veggies I’ve used in various combinations are: Carrots, celery, baby corn, mushrooms, green beans, snow peas, snap peas, broccoli, cauliflower, baby bok choy…you get the idea.

A very important element of this dish is the tofu preparation – instead of frying tofu which can take long time and make a mess, I bake it until it’s crispy so you get the same texture. It also helps to make sure that the tofu, which is pretty smooth raw, is nice and textured so the sauce sticks.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour

Ingredients

2 16-oz containers of firm tofu
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups of fresh veggies of your choice, cut into bite-sized pieces (mushrooms, broccoli, green beans, carrots, etc.)
3 Tbsp rice vinegar (I like Nakano)
3 Tbsp gluten-free soy sauce or Tamari
1 tsp fish sauce (I use Red Boat)
1/2 tsp sriracha (optional)
2 Tbsp hot water
1 tsp corn starch

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and grease an 12×16 baking sheet or jelly roll pan.
2. Prepare tofu using this preparation.
3. Meanwhile, heat sesame and olive oils in a wide pot. Add onion and saute over medium heat for 10 minutes until onions are soft. Add garlic and saute another 2-3 minutes, watching to make sure the garlic does not burn.
4. Add your choice of veggies and cook another 10 minutes, stirring often. Add rice vinegar, soy sauce, fish sauce and sriracha (if using), bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 5 minutes.
5. Whisk corn starch into the hot water (don’t do it the other way around or it may seize up and be lumpy).
6. Remove tofu from the oven and use a spatula to scoop it into your pot. Stir to incorporate. Bring to a boil and stream in cornstarch slurry, stirring constantly until sauce thickens. Remove from heat.
7. Serve over steamed rice or rice noodles.

Thank you Emily Goodstein Photography for the gorgeous shot of our little man.

Soups are a stand-by weeknight dinner for us, and I’m always looking for new and different ways to mix things up. However, this soup is one that I keep making over and over again. It’s great hot or cold, it’s pretty no-fuss once you have all of the items chopped (and you don’t have to peel anything! Just scrub), and it can be served as an appetizer or a full meal if you throw in a few pieces of crusty gluten-free bread.

This is soup is also incredibly versatile.  The preparation method adds an incredible depth of flavor and can be used with any number of fruit and vegetable combinations, so whatever you have in your fridge right now will probably make a great soup.

Ingredients

2 large sweet potatoes (or a small butternut squash)
2 green apples
1 large onion
1 leek, split and cleaned
2 carrots
2 celery ribs
6 garlic cloves
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
5 cups water
2 tsp lemon juice + more to taste

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and grease two large baking sheets.
2. Chop veggies and apple into large but evenly sized pieces. Smash and peel garlic cloves. Toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper and spread evenly between the two baking sheets (you don’t want things to be too crowded, they will steam rather than roast).
3. Roast in the oven for 40-60 minutes until everything is browned and soft.
4. In the meantime, heat water in a large stock pot. When veggies are done, add them to boiling water, turn down flame and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
5. Using a stick/immersion blender, blend everything until smooth. Stir in lemon juice and add additional lemon juice, salt, and pepper to taste. Serve hot or cold topped with your choice of minced herbs.

• easy to eat one-handed and while walking at a brisk pace
• small enough to throw in a purse or folio
• healthy enough to work for breakfast in a pinch
• small enough to sneak into meetings

With all of those things in mind, granola or cereal bars are usually the best solution (although if you have other ideas, feel free to comment and let me know!), the one caveat being that many gluten-free bars are crumbly and make a mess (not good if you are trying to sneak a snack in a meeting!). I’ve tried a lot of products and was recently provided a sample of Bakery on Main’s line of soft & chewy granola bars.

These bars met all of my criteria–easily gobbled up while running to my next meeting, small enough to carry to and fro, packed with whole grains and seeds, and because of the chia and flax seed, they hold together very well and won’t crumble in your lap.

These aren’t granola bars in the traditional sense (or at least what I imagine when I think “granola bar”)–they remind me more of a cereal bar because they have a lot of different grains, as well as flax and chia seeds which give them a different feel. There are three different flavors, all of which are free of gluten and dairy, but some flavors do contain different food allergens so make sure to read the allergen warnings if you have food allergies.

• Apple Cinnamon: peanut & tree nut cross-contamination warning (these were my favorite)
• Chocolate Almond: contain tree nuts and soy, peanut cross-contamination warning
• Peanut Butter & Jelly: contain peanuts, tree nut cross-contamination warning

Bakery on Main, we officially certify that your soft & chewy granola bars are a Chosen Bite!

Want to win a package of Bakery on Main soft & chewy granola bars (your choice of flavor!)? Enter to win below. This contest will be open until August 31, 2014 at midnight. Winners will need to provide their name, mailing address, phone number, and email in order to receive their prize, and will be automatically added to the Bakery on Main monthly newsletter. Good luck!

**Bakery on Main provided me with complimentary product samples but all opinions are my own.

One of the biggest complaints I have heard about tofu is that it has a funny texture, and it tends to break apart if it’s not fried. Personally, I don’t like frying tofu (or much of anything) because it makes it less healthy, and guess what? You can get the EXACT same fried tofu texture with much less effort by baking it in the oven.

It’s simple–cut your tofu into evenly-sized cubes, place them on a greased baking sheet (with plenty of space between the cubes!), and then bake them in the oven until they are crispy and golden on the outside. You can bake them even longer so they are dry on the inside too, but I prefer to leave them somewhat creamy on the inside.

The best part about this preparation? You don’t have to press the tofu to remove excess water! I prefer the texture of extra firm tofu, but I buy firm tofu at Costco because it is ridiculously cheap. In the past I’ve had to press firm tofu to get the texture I like, but baking it in the oven evaporates the extra water so it ends up just how I like it.

Because baking it the oven crisps it up, tofu prepared this way will hold together really well in stir fries, curries, pad Thai, or any other dish you want to add it too, without having the added fat from frying, or the frustration of the tofu crumbling. Because the outside is drier, it also holds sauce much better than wet tofu.

But don’t take my word for it, try it for yourself and let me know what you think!

Ingredients

1 block of firm or extra firm tofu

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and grease a large baking sheet or pan (I use a 12×16 jelly roll pan).
2. Cube the tofu into bite-sized pieces (I usually slice the tofu in half lengthwise, then into strips, then into cubes).
3. Place the cubes on the baking sheet, leaving at least 1/4 inch of space between each cube so none of them are touching (This is critical! The cubes won’t crisp up if they are too close together! I use an entire jelly roll pan for a 1 lb block of tofu).
4. Bake at 375 for 30-50 minutes, depending on the size of your cubes. The cubes will turn golden brown and the edges will be crispy when they are done. Bake shorter or longer depending on your desired texture (I usually do 35-40 minutes–pull one out and taste it after 30 minutes to see if it’s crispy enough for you, bake longer if it’s not).

I’m not usually big on store-bought baked goods, especially out of the frozen aisle, but I have to say these Veggie Muffins are pretty darn good. And given how my schedule has been lately, these make an excellent breakfast on the go because you can heat them up right in the bag! I pop it into the microwave for just 35 seconds, throw it in my bag, and eat it as I’m walking to the metro. You can also let them defrost naturally, so add it to your lunch bag and it will be a great 2pm pick-me-up (although I have to say, they are better when they are warmed a bit).

There are five flavors in all:

• Veggie Blueberry Oat
• Zucchini Banana Chocolate Chip
• Zucchini Chocolate
• Carrot Berry Veggie
• Golden Corn Veggie

My favorite were the Zucchini Banana Chocolate Chip and Veggie Blueberry Oat, but honestly they were all pretty good. All of the Veggie Muffins are gluten-free, dairy-free, and nut-free, and 3 out of 5 flavors are also soy-free (the chocolate chips in the Zucchini Banana Chocolate Chip and Zucchini Chocolate contain soy lecithin). As a plus, these contain a good amount of protein and fiber.

Congratulations Garden Lites, we officially certify that your Veggie Muffins are a Chosen Bite!

*Garden Lites sent me a complimentary tasting package of their Veggie Muffins but all opinions are my own.*

My biggest breakthrough was discovering that increasing the amount of yeast helped with the rise significantly but did not make them taste like beer bread. I also increased the amount of xanthan gum to provide more elasticity, creating more chew.

I hope you like these rolls as much as I did. I may or may not have eaten two within 10 minutes of them coming out of the oven. I baked mine as separate rolls, but you could also do these pull-apart style in two 8-inch round baking pans, just increase the baking time by 8-10 minutes.

Ingredients

5 tsp active dry yeast
2 cups warm water
1 Tbsp sugar or honey
1 1/3 cup brown rice flour
1 1/4 cups white rice flour
3/4 cup potato starch
1/3 cup tapioca starch
2 + 3/4 tsp xanthan gum
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup olive oil
2 eggs
1 egg yolk (for egg wash)
1/2 tsp cold water

Directions

1. Grease 2 jelly roll pans or baking sheet (you can use parchment paper but the rolls won’t brown as well).
2. In a measuring cup or small glass bowl, stir yeast and sugar into warm water and allow to sit for 5-8 minutes until frothy.
3. In the bowl of a mixer (or you can use elbow grease too), stir together white rice flour, brown rice flour, potato starch, tapioca starch, xanthan gum, and salt.
4. Whisk together olive oil and 2 eggs (not the extra yolk).
5. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in yeast and egg-oil mixture. Using a dough hook, mix on a low speed for 5 minutes, scraping down the sides and around the bottom until the mixture is incorporated. The dough should be sticky but not wet, add a few extra Tbsp of brown rice flour if your dough is wet.
6. Using a large (2 oz) cookie scoop (or very well oiled hands), portion the dough into 12-15 rolls, spaced about 2 inches apart on baking sheets. You want to do this pretty quickly because the dough will begin rising immediately.
7. If you like, oil your hands and smooth out the rolls (I don’t mind a rustic look so I don’t do this).
8. Cover the rolls with a thin towel and set aside to rise for 20-30 minutes or until the rolls double in size (my kitchen was very warm the last time I made these so they doubled in 20 minutes, just keep an eye on them so they don’t over-rise).
9. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees (if you have convection, use it!).
10. Whisk together the egg yolk and cold water. Remove the towels and using a pastry brush, VERY gently pat the rolls with the egg wash (actually brushing will deflate them).
11. Bake for 10-12 minutes until the rolls are a light golden brown and they sound hollow when you tap on the bottom.
12. Remove rolls to a wire rack and cool completely. Store in the fridge for up to 1 week and in the freezer for up to 3 months (toast a bit before eating for best results).

This recipe is great for any spring meal, but it is also very Passover friendly. It’s also versatile in that you can add any vegetables and herbs that are in season in your area. Some of my favorite combinations are:

• Baby asparagus, heirloom grape tomatoes, scallions with dill
• Red, orange, yellow, and green bell peppers with basil or mint
• Roasted beets and butternut squash with rosemary
• Roasted eggplant and grape tomatoes with sauted onions and scallions (pictured above)

I like to keep the dressing light and simple–just lemon juice, good quality olive oil, salt and pepper. But feel free to experiment!

This recipe will serve 4-6 as a side dish, and can easily be double or tripled but you may need more dressing.

Chag sameach (happy holidays)!

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour

Ingredients

1 cup of quinoa
1 + 1/4 cups water
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups of veggies of your choice
1/4 cup chopped herb of your choice
juice of 2 lemons (about 1/4 cup)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Directions

1. Place quinoa, water, and 1/4 tsp salt in a small pot. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low, and cook for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to sit, still covered, for 15 minutes. Uncover and fluff with a fork. Scoop into a bowl and set aside to cool.
2. In the meantime, chop or roast your desired vegetables and herbs (for roasting, I recommend cubing evenly and roasted at 400 for 20-25 minutes). Whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper.
3. Toss quinoa with vegetables and dressing. Adjust salt and lemon juice to taste.

While I do like to be adventurous sometimes, my absolute favorite way to fill hamentashen is with apricot jam (try this homemade cinnamon apricot jam!). The recipe below provides a soft and pliable dough, and I find that I get the best results (i.e. the least stick-age) by rolling out the dough between two pieces of parchment paper.

Allergy notes:

• If you have a soy allergy, you can use a soy-free margarine, or 3/4 cup of coconut oil in place of the margarine. If you use coconut oil, the dough will be a bit oily but resist adding more flour or the dough will be too dry and crumbly to roll or shape.
• If you can’t have rice, you can substitute millet flour, sorghum flour, or potato starch for the rice flour in this recipe but add an extra 1/2 tsp of xanthan gum.
• You could use a very finely ground almond flour if you want grain-free hamentashen, but they will be a bit challenging to shape. I recommend cutting, filling, and shaping the hamentashen, then moving the parchment paper to a baking sheet rather than trying to move the individual hamentashen. If the dough is too crumbly to shape, try adding an extra egg.

Ingredients

1 cup (2 sticks) of margarine
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups brown rice flour
1 1/2 cups tapioca starch/flour
1 1/4 cups sweet rice flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 tsp salt
apricot jam

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (if you have convection, use it!) and place parchment paper on three baking sheets (I find this works better than greased baking sheets).
2. Cream margarine and sugar on high for 2-3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, allowing to combine before adding the next. Add vanilla.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together brown rice flour, tapioca starch/flour, sweet rice flour, baking powder, xanthan gum, and salt. Turn mixer to the lowest speed and add flour mixture to the wet mixture 1 cup at a time, allowing the dry ingredients to be incorporated before adding more. The dough should be soft but not sticky (you should be able to roll the dough between your palms without anything sticking to you–if it’s too sticky, add 1/4 cup more sweet rice flour).
4. Place about 1/4 of the dough on a piece of parchment paper on the counter (keep the rest of the dough covered with a damp towel). Cover with a second piece of parchment paper and roll with a rolling pin until the dough is about 1/4 inch thick.
5. Using a small dinner glass, a wide-mouth pint mason jar, or any glass about 3 inches in diameter, cut the dough into circles (if the dough is sticking to the glass, try oiling and/or flouring the rim). Fill circles with 1/2 tsp of apricot jam, pinch the corners into a triangle, and carefully move to the prepared baking sheets. These won’t rise or spread much so you can put up to 12 on each baking sheet.
6. Gather up leftover dough, add more dough as necessary, and repeat rolling, filling, and pinching until you have used all of the dough.
7. Bake for 15-18 minutes until the edges are golden brown. Remove to a wire rack and cool completely. Store in an air-tight container on the counter for up to a week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.