Vegan Balsamic Herb-Roasted Tofu

I'm sorry I've been so awful about updating. Life has been mean to me lately. Well, not really, I should say that my brain has been mean to me lately. Lots of stuff on my mind that make it hard to actually want to do healthy and productive things, like cooking. Anyway, I'm here now, and I am forcing myself to work on this again.

Seriously though, this recipe is probably my new fav. SO delish!

Vegan Balsamic Herb-Roasted Tofu

Takes about 30 minutes to prepare, 30 minutes to marinate, and 1 hour to bake. Serves about 4 people.

Ingredients:

2 (14-ounce) packages firm tofu

3/4 cup balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon dried or 1 tablespoon fresh chopped thyme, oregano or parsley (I used thyme)

Directions:

1. Drain tofu and place on a plate. Cover tofu with another plate and weight the top with a food can or other object of about 1 pound.




2. Let stand 20 to 30 minutes to extract excess liquid.

3. While waiting for the tofu to drain, in a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, mustard and herbs. Set aside until the tofu has fully drained.





4. Drain excess liquid and cut the tofu into 3/4 inch slices. The thinner the better.




5. Place the slices single layer in a shallow dish and pour mixture over the tofu and let marinate 30 minutes.



6. Preheat oven to 350. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove tofu from the marinade and place on the baking sheet. Bake until firm and lightly browned, about 1 hour.

Brown Sugar Kale Chips

You may remember my entry on sauteed kale back in January. And if you do remember that entry, you may also remember me stating I wasn't a huge fan of kale, mostly due to the texture. Well this recipe totally changes my opinion of kale. For the good. Crispy, sweet, and snackable brown sugar kale chips are AWESOME.

It all started when my colleague made me try her homemade baked chipotle kale chips. I was pretty 'eh' on the idea, but I went for it and was pleasantly surprised. I didn't mind them. Then she mentioned I may like brown sugar ones even more and explained the recipe (which I am only recalling by memory here...) Turns out, I love brown sugar kale chips!!! And I would like to share the recipe... so here it is!


Brown Sugar Kale Chips
Takes about 15 minutes to prep and 20-25 minutes to bake. Serves about 3 people. (Unless you're like me and eat the whole thing...)


Ingredients:
1 bunch of fresh kale
1 1/2 tbs olive oil
1/2 - 3/4 cup brown sugar




Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350. Line a baking sheet with tin foil.



2. Wash kale and lay out on a towel (or paper towels) to dry. To help the kale dry quickly, use a towel (or paper towels) and pat down the kale by hand. I hear you can also use a salad spinner to help. Try to get the kale as dry as possible.





3. Tear kale into chip-sized pieces and place in a large bowl. Note: Do not include the stems.





4. Add a splash (about 1 1/2 tbs) of olive oil and mix in with your hands.





5. Add the brown sugar and mix in with your hands. I eyeballed the amount. I just kept adding more until I felt it was well coated.



6. Spread kale mixture across a baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until crispy and slightly brown.




7. Be sure to remove from the baking sheet as soon as possible. The more time the kale chips have to cool, the more they will stick to the tin foil!!!