Crispy Tofu "Egg"

I had a block of pressed tofu that was threatening to go bad on me (how can you tell? Just before it starts to turn, it'll smell faintly of corn. *cue "The More You Know" logo*). I wished for an egg sammich but since none was forthcoming I sliced this stuff up and threw in a little bit of whatever sounded good from my cabinets. Oh man. I've never tried this combination of spices before, but I loved it! They turned out so crispy-crunchy and good. I stacked three of them up on half a warm, buttered roll and ate them for breakfast. That's some good noms.

Crispy Tofu "Egg"

1 block extra firm tofu, pressed

1/4 tsp fenugreek powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp turmeric (just a pinch or two for color)
1/2 tsp salt
freshly ground black pepper
sesame oil
1 T vegetable oil

Slice tofu brick in half width-wise, then cut each half into 4 thin slices across making 8 thin, flat tofu slices, roughly 2"x3". Put in a large ziploc bag and pour in a few drops of sesame oil and about 1 T. or so of vegetable oil and toss to coat on all sides. Next, mix together a few pinches of each spice. (I listed measurements here but really, it's not rocket surgery. Just use a little of everything!) Toss spices in with the tofu, again making sure all slices are evenly coated. Place in a medium-hot frying pan and cook for 5-8 minutes on each side, or until crispy and browned.

Serve hot with whole-grain rolls and a side of grilled asparagus.

Kiwi Jam

Mom brought me a copy of the Vegetarian Times while I was in the hospital, and it was chock-full of really amazing recipes. I got the idea for this pretty speckled green jam out of that magazine, but scaled it down and skipped the canning process. Because of this, I recommend storing it in the fridge or freezer. I don't know how long it keeps, but since the recipe yields a bit less than two cups, it should go quickly... use it as a topping for ice cream, between cake layers, on toast, pancakes or even on a good ol' PBJ. You can even stir a spoonful into your favorite salsa and eat on tortilla chips. But you don't need me to tell you what to do with jam, do you? Eat it hot right out of the pan, I won't tell.

Kiwi Jam

5-6 ripe kiwifruit, peeled and halved
1 cup sugar
1 tsp fresh-squeezed lemon juice

Mash kiwi until smooth. In a saucepan, stir kiwi, sugar and lemon juice together and bring to a boil. Simmer 15 minutes or until thickened. (It will set up a bit thicker when chilled.) Pour into a clean container (I like to use an empty margarine tub, gets more mileage out of that plastic!) and stick it in the fridge.