Unseasonable recipe

Anonymous

Hey all...As requested, I'm copying my recipe for a tofu Thanksgiving casserole. Of course, those of us who were ER+ need to be careful with the soy products, but my onc said that tofu up to twice a month should be completely safe. Anyway, here it is!


Tofu-Not-Turkey-Casserole

10-12 servings

Ingredients
3 each 14-oz. packages firm tofu

For basting liquid:
¼ cup sesame oil
1/8 cup soy sauce

For cornbread stuffing:
½ tbsp. Sesame oil
½ cup diced onion
½ cup diced celery
1 teas. Sage
1 teas. Thyme
2 teas. Parsley
1 ½ cups whole wheat bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 cup cubed cornbread
Salt and pepper to taste
¼ cup vegetable broth
1/3 cup walnuts or pecans (optional)

For gravy:
1 tbsp. Olive oil
½ onion, small-diced
½ cup sliced button mushrooms
2 ½ tbsp. flour
1 cup vegetable broth
¼ cup water
¼ cup soy sauce

Cornbread Stuffing: Heat the sesame oil in a medium-sized sauté pan over medium heat. Add onion and celery and cook until translucent, about 5-7 minutes. In a large bowl, combine herbs, cubed breads and salt & pepper. Add the vegetables and stir together. Pour vegetable broth over the mixture to moisten. Add nuts if desired. Taste for seasoning and adjust with salt & pepper if necessary.

Gravy: Heat oil in a medium-sized sauce pan over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the mushrooms and sauté for 1 minute more. Shake the flour, broth and water together in a jar and add this to the onion mixture. Mix in the soy sauce and cook, stirring constantly, until it reaches gravy consistency. Taste for seasonings.

Putting it all together

One hour or more before cooking, mash the tofu to resemble ground turkey and pack it into a colander lined with cheesecloth or a clean towel. Place the colander over a large bowl to catch the liquid from the tofu. Weight it down with a heavy object such as a can on top of a small plate. Note that not all of the liquid will be released.

Make basting liquid by combining the sesame oil and soy sauce in a small bowl by whisking together.

Preheat the oven to 400F. Oil a glass baking pan. Press a layer of drained tofu into the bottom of the pan. Spread the cornbread stuffing on top of that, in an even layer. Layer the remaining tofu on top of that. Drizzle ¾ of the sesame-soy mixture over the casserole. Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove the foil, drizzle the remaining sesame-soy mixture over the top. Return to the oven, uncovered, and bake another 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cut into squares and serve with the gravy.

ENJOY!!!!

Marin