I make eggplant with this sauce quite often. Sometimes I add chopped tomatoes or roughly chopped onions instead of tofu. Sometimes I add a few leaves of parsley or cilantro. A lot of times it's just eggplant without anything extra. It's still very tasty and flavourful. Usually I cook the eggplant in sauce which makes the finished dish look somewhat not too photogenic, so this time I decided to take a different approach and pour the sauce on top. I must say, however, that as soon as I took the picture I mixed everything together and it was as good as always.

For 1 very generous serving or 2 portions if served over rice noodles or vegetables.

• Asian eggplant - 2
• Firm tofu - 1/2 package
• Oil - 2 tablespoons
• Black bean sauce - 1 heaping tablespoon
• Garlic, minced - 1 teaspoon
• Ginger, grated - 1 teaspoon
• Sesame oil - 1 teaspoon
• Parsley, sesame seeds to taste

- Wrap the tofu in paper towel and squeeze excess liquid without breaking the tofu.
- Cube the tofu.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a pan on medium heat.
- Fry the tofu cubes until the crust forms, about 1-2 minutes, flip the cubes and fry on the other side. You may wish to fry every side or just two.
- Transfer the tofu onto a paper towel.
- Slice the eggplant and quarter each slice.
- Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in the pan and fry the eggplant on medium heat for about 1-2 minutes.
- Make the sauce: mix the black bean sauce, garlic, ginger and sesame oil.
- Add the sauce to the eggplant, lower the heat, cover the pan with a lid and let the eggplants soften for about 5-7 minutes.
- Add the tofu cubes to the pan, mix and heat through.
- Serve sprinkled with sesame seeds and chopped parsley/cilantro.

Comments
- As I mentioned above, tofu is not mandatory in this recipe. It can be substituted for chopped tomatoes and/or chopped onion, this way everything is cooked together.

I was walking home ysterday and thinking about dinner. I knew I had to do something with one last avocado that was literally dying on my counter. Yes, I could just eat it out of a shell with a spoon, just sprinkled with a little salt and some fresh lemon juice, it would be so simple and, oh, so good, but I wanted something more out of that avocado. I really believed that it had something else to give me except for its pure buttery goodness. So, I was walking and I was thinking... Guacamole? No, not enough avocado and no tortiallas at home, besides, I had it twice last week already. And then it hit me! I remembered how in my last post about Strawberry Shake with Tofu I said that the consistency of that concoction reminded me of a mousse after it was chilled in my fridge. Ta-da!! And hence this recipe was born!!

I really loved my "invention"! It was light and airy, but without added calories of whipped cream and/or cream cheese. The tofu taste was completely masked by the taste of avocado and lemon juice, but it added a so much needed lightness to buttery and rich avocado.

• Avocado - 1 (1.5 would be better but I only had 1)
• Soft silken tofu - 125 g
• Garlic, crashed - 1 clove (or more)
• Lemon juice - 1/2 lemon
• Cilantro - to taste (unfortunately I only had a couple of leaves left, but I adore avocado with cilantro)
• Salt, pepper

- Put all the ingredients in a food processor and process until everything is smooth and well blended.
- Refrigirate for at least an hour.
- Serve with slices of baguette or some crackers.

A couple of days ago I saw a package of really cheap strawberries. What can be cheaper than 99 cents? I couldn't resist, especially because the strawberry smell was intoxicating. In the end they turned out to be quite plain, but the smell, oh, the smell! So, I ended up with a package of berries and no idea on how to use them. In the old days, I'd mix them with some yogurt, but now that I try to eat as vegan as possible (not all the time, but most of the time), that wasn't an option. And then I remembered...

I've seen a few recipes where tofu is used instead of milk or cream. To be honest, I was intrigued, but a little hesitant. I mean it's... Tofu!! I like tofu in soups or fried or even baked, but in dessert? Really?

The "milk"shake turned out amazing! Smooth, creamy, tasty, fresh, light and very filling at the same time. With no "tofu aftertaste" and very much like regular milkshake. I was surprized and amazed at the same time! What a beautiful easy and healthy treat. I made it a few times since then and I am planning on trying it with different fruit in the summer.

For 2 large glasses

• Soft silken tofu, drained - 1 package (500g)
• Icing sugar - 1/3 cup (or to taste... I even think it can be substituted with honey or maple syrup for even healthier treat)
• Strawberries, hulled - 1 package (about 18)

- Blend all the ingredients in a blender until smooth.

Comments

- I'd like to note that it's quite drinkable but quite thick right out of the blender. But after a night in the fridge it becomes almost a mousse consistency and taste like those whipped yogurts! Perfect for breakfast!