One bake, two bake, three bake?

There was a lot of oven action involved in today's dish. On the menu was a baked penne with tofu "sausage", mushrooms, and broccoli. Of course, I would have loved to throw in all the ingredients raw and allow it to bake in the oven. That would have been the easy way. However, it left more uncertainty to the final product. The flavors, taste, depth, and texture was much more important to me than saving and hour or so of time. So there I was, baking away today.

Tofu "sausage", mushroom, and broccoli baked penne
Mixed greens with house balsamic vinaigrette

Before I assembled the casserole, everything was pre-cooked:

• a white wine marinara sauce made of extra-virgin olive oil, garlic, white wine, yellow onions, tomatoes, basil, tarragon, dried oregano, lemon juice, and also sun-dried tomatoes;
• tofu sausage where crumbled tofu was sauteed with a melange of roasted fennel, paprika, garlic powder, dried oregano, onion powder, red chili flakes, and tomato paste;
• broccoli and mushrooms simply tossed in extra-virgin olive oil, salt and pepper, and roasted;
  
• penne pasta cooked in salted water and
• a nutty mixture of macadamia nuts, lemon zest and juice, and parsley.

All of the above with the addition of Daiya shredded mozzarella cheese were mixed together and put into a casserole dish. It was then layered with additional marinara and "cheese". After baking the casserole for about 20 minutes at 350F with foil on, the foil was removed. Bread crumbs tossed in melted vegan soy butter was sprinkled on top and the penne was then baked again at 400F for 8 minutes until brown. Next time I would oil the foil a bit as some of the cheese melted and stuck to the foil after baking.

Tofu, greens, and rice

In Costa Rica, I had been exposed to a lot of coconut, passion fruit, and mosquitoes, to name a few! I remember coming up with this menu in the car, while traversing over the rough landscape of the inland of Costa Rica. The idea really started with the rice (which originally had fresh passion fruit), and then my mind took it from there.

Green tea and tamarind marinated and broiled tofu

Chinese broccoli with hoisin sauce

Coconut and scallion jasmine rice

Organic firm tofu marinated overnight in a mixture of pure tamarind puree, orange juice, apple cider vinegar, Chinese five-spice powder, maple syrup, Braggs amino acids, and green tea. A note about Chinese five-spice: the blend of spices is apparently based upon the Chinese philosophy of balancing yin and yang in food. The most common combination is star anise, cloves, cinnamon, Sichuan pepper, and fennel seed. It is quite fragrant. After marinating overnight, the tofu was broiled in a high temp oven, in this case, the pizza oven, and the marinade was reserved for a sauce to top the tofu while serving. I had the foresight to know that the tofu would be a bit dry, although flavorful, after it's encounter with high heat. The sauce was simply the marinade plus a touch of extra-virgin olive oil and sesame oil. Bite-sized Chinese broccoli was blanched and tossed with hoisin sauce and white pepper. And the jasmine rice was steamed with a blend of coconut milk, coconut water, and water (.5:.25:1.25 respective ratios for 2 cups of rice). Each component imparted a unique and subtle flavor and married along nicely.

The magic of broccoli

How much can one really like broccoli? I mean it's super healthy. Some sources say that broccoli contains twice the vitamin C of an orange, has a bunch of calcium (almost that much of whole milk), and contains minerals that have been found to have anti-cancer properties. With all this goodness, can this vegetable be delicious too? Hmmm... absolutely! In the dish below, broccoli is featured in three ways: raw, grilled, and sprouted. Yes. Broccoli seeds can be sprouted and they are super nutritious. See for yourself.

Penne pasta with raw broccoli and toasted pine nut pesto

The light, yet satisfying pesto is made from raw broccoli (mostly stems), lemon zest and fresh lemon juice, a bit of raw garlic, toasted pine nuts, sea salt, black peppers, and extra-virgin olive oil. You can use raw pine nuts too, but be sure to taste the pine nuts as some of the raw stuff has a particular nuance about them which roasting helps absorb. Bite-sized broccoli florets were lightly tossed in a bit of extra-virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper, then grilled. Then toss the cooked penne (cooked in salt water, of course) with the pesto, broccoli florets, a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, a splash of lemon juice, and a hint of Hawaiian sea salt. And last, but certainly not least, the dish is garnished with broccoli sprouts and whole leaf Italian parsley. Thanks broccoli!