let me introduce you

to a wonderful new friend named tofu. Now some of you may already know all about the wonderful qualities of tofu and others are being tempted to show a bit of tofu prejudice and skip this post all together. But stick with me. I hope it will be worth it. Now here is the deal. Tofu is an amazing friend - adaptable, unassuming and there to make your life healthier. Many of you who have tried tofu may be thinking "But it has no flavour." That is when these friends come in handy.

These are a wonderful trio of Indian spices that are ready to spice up the tofu that is so ready and waiting to be jazzed up. If you are ready to give tofu a chance or have already been acquainted and just want another opportunity to hang out, this recipe may interest you. All 3 of my kids love this. I make it every 3-4 weeks and it gets gobbled up. They actually go for the tofu first and ask for more when it has been picked out and eaten.

Curried Chickpeas and Tofu - serves 5
adapted from Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home

1 medium onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced or pressed
2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 package extra firm tofu, cut in 1/2 inch cubes
1 can chickpeas, drained
28 oz. can tomatoes (I use a can of whole tomatoes and squish them up with my hand, or used diced)
pinch of salt or more to taste

Saute the onion and garlic in the oil until the onions are translucent, stirring occasionally. Stir in the cumin, coriander, turmeric, and black pepper. Add the cubed tofu and cook for a minute or so, stirring occasionally. Add the tomatoes and continue to cook until heated through. (If I have done this ahead of time I will turn it off and let it sit on the stove to allow the tofu to suck up all the flavours.) Add the chickpeas until thoroughly heated. Serve with basmati rice and think green for a side dish - steamed broccoli maybe.

And when I was finished taking the picture of the tofu dish, Abigail had set up her own photo shoot of one of her children's cookbooks. She asked if she could have a blog. Like mother like daughter.