Ginger tofu with mushrooms

This recipe was adapted from this recipe.

Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 brown onion, thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, sliced
• 4cm piece fresh ginger, peeled, cut into thin matchsticks
• 2 packets firm tofu, cut into 3 cm squares
• 300 g mushrooms
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  
• 1/3 jar stir-fry sauce
• 1 bunch bok choi (or other asian greens), chop stems finely and chop leaves lengthwise.
• 1 packet of noodles

Method

1. Boil some water is a large pot. Add tofu pieces and boil for 20 minutes to make it extra-firm tofu.
2. You can prepare vegetables while you wait for tofu.
3. Remove tofu from boiling water with tongs or slotted spoon, trying to minimise the water you take with them.
4. Place noodles in the boiling water used to cook tofu, to soften noodles. 

1. Heat oil in a wok over medium-high heat. Stir-fry onion and garlic for 2 to 3 minutes or until just soft. 
2. Add ginger and tofu. Stir-fry for 3 minutes.
   
3. Add mushrooms, asian greens stem pieces, soy sauce and stir-fry sauce. Stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add rest of asian greens. Stir-fry 1 to 2 minutes or until  is just tender. Remove from heat.
4. Separate noodles with a fork or tongs and drain over a colander.

1. Serve noodles with ginger tofu and mushrooms.

Shopping list

(assuming you already have oil, garlic cloves, ginger, soy sauce)

Aldi

stir fry sauce, $1.79

singapore noodles, $1.89

2 packets firm tofu, $1.29 each, $2.58

Total: $6.26

Green grocer

300g mushrooms

1 bunch asian greens, such as bok choi

1 brown onion

Total: approx $4

Total: $10.26

Price per serve: $1.71

Spinach and Ricotta cannelloni

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• ricotta cheese
  
• spinach
  
• cannelloni
  
• pasta sauce
  
• grated cheese to top
  

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees.
   
2. Put spinach in microwave safe bowl and heat on high for 3 minutes.
   
3. Place ricotta in bowl with spinach and mix, seasoning with salt and pepper
   
4. Fill cannelloni tubes with ricotta and spinach mix.
   
5. Spread half the pasta sauce on the bottom of a large oven proof dish.
   
6. Arrange cannelloni tubes over sauce, cover with remaining pasta sauce and sprinkle with cheese
   
7. Bake for 30 minutes or until pasta is cooked and top is golden brown.
   

Shopping List

(assuming you already have some cheese)

Aldi shopping list

375g ricotta cheese, $2.89

250g cannelloni tubes, $1.89

250g frozen spinach, $1.29

400g pasta sauce, $2.69 (can just use passata $1.69 if you like)

Total: $8.76

Price per serving: $2.19

Tofu Parmigiana

This recipe is from allrecipes.com

I've made it a couple of times. It's really tasty.

Servings: 4 - 6

Ingredients

• 60 g seasoned bread crumbs
  
• 25 g grated Parmesan cheese
  
• dried oregano
  
• salt to taste
  
• ground black pepper to taste
  
• 336 g firm tofu
  
• 30 ml olive oil
  
• tomato sauce
  
• dried basil
  
• 1 clove garlic, minced
  
• 115 g shredded mozzarella cheese
  

Method

1. In a small bowl, combine bread crumbs, 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, 1 teaspoon oregano, salt, and black pepper.
   
2. Slice tofu into 1/4 inch thick slices, and place in bowl of cold water. One at a time, press tofu slices into crumb mixture, turning to coat all sides.
   
3. Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Cook tofu slices until crisp on one side. Drizzle with a bit more olive oil, turn, and brown on the other side.
   
4. Combine tomato sauce, basil, garlic, and remaining oregano. Place a thin layer of sauce in an 8 inch square baking pan. Arrange tofu slices in the pan. Spoon remaining sauce over tofu. Top with shredded mozzarella and remaining 3 tablespoons Parmesan.
   
5. Bake at 205 degrees C for 20 minutes.

Lentil shepherds pie

This recipe is adapted from Simon Bryant's recipe.

Servings: 6 - 8

Ingredients

• 30ml olive oil
  
• 1 onion diced
  
• 3 garlic cloves
  
• 3 stalks celery diced (and heart)
  
• 3 bay leaves
  
• 6 sprigs thyme
  
• 1 tsp Carroway seeds 
  
• Sprig of rosemary
  
• 200g mushrooms diced
  
• 2 tbls tomato paste
  
• 1 can diced tomtatoes
  
• 2 cans brown lentils, drained.
  
• 100g green beans sliced into 1cm pieces
  
• 2 carrots, diced
  
• 2 cups Veg stock or water
  
• 25 ml red wine vinegar
  
• 1 tbls Lemon zest
  
• 1/3 bunch parsley chopped
  
• Salt and pepper to taste
  

For mashed potatoes

• 500g potatoes
  
• Salt and white pepper
  
• 80g butter
  
• 100ml Milk
  
• ½ cup Parmesan
  

Method

1. Heat the oil in a large frypan and add the onion and garlic and saute for a few minutes.
   
2. Add the celery, carrot, carroway seeds, rosemary, bay leaves and thyme.
   
3. Saute for a few minutes and then add mushrooms.
   
4. De-glaze with red wine vinegar then add tomato paste and diced tomatoes and cook out for a few minutes.
   
5. Season to taste.
   
6. Add lemon zest, beans and cooked lentils and stock.
   
7. Simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated.
   
8. Season to taste, remove thyme sprigs and bay leaf.
   
9. Pour into a baking dish and top with mashed potatoes and bake until golden brown.
   

Mashed Potatoes

1. Boil potatoes in salted water until soft (or microwave).
   
2. Drain off water and dry in the pan before mashing with butter and milk.
   
3. Season to taste.
   

Shopping list

(assuming you already have olive oil, garlic cloves, bay leaves, thyme, carroway seeds, rosemary, parsley, tomato paste, vegetable stock powder/cubes, red wine vinegar, a lemon to zest, butter, milk, parmesan)

Aldi

1 can diced tomatoes, 75c

2 cans brown lentils, 99c each, $1.98

Total at Aldi: $2.73

Green grocer

500g potatoes

1 onion

half a bunch of celery

200 g mushrooms

100g green beans

2 carrots

Green grocer total: approx $7.00

Total: $9.73

Price per serving: $1.22 - $1.63

Moussaka

Servings: 6 - 8

Ingredients

• 3 large eggplants, thinly sliced
  
• 1/4 cup olive oil
  
• 2 cans brown lentils, drained
  
• 1 onion, chopped
  
• 1 tsp allspice
  
• 2 cans diced tomatoes
  
• 1/2 cup water
  
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
  
• 50g butter
  
• 2 tbs plain flour
  
• 1 1/2 cups milk
  
• pinch of nutmeg
  
• 1 egg
  
• 1/2 cup (40g) grated cheddar
  

Equipment

• large baking dish
• oven
• large fry pan

Method

1. 
   

• Preheat oven to 180°C.
• In batches, fry 3 large eggplants, thinly sliced, in olive oil until golden.
• Brown lentils 1 onion, chopped. Add 1 tsp allspice, diced tomatoes and 1/2 cup water. Simmer for 20-30 minutes. Stir in chopped parsley.
• Divide some eggplant among ovenproof dishes. Top with half the lentil mix. Layer again and finish with eggplant.
  
• Melt 50g butter. Stir in 2 tbs plain flour. Whisk in 1 1/2 cups milk. Stir over medium heat until it boils. Whisk in pinch of nutmeg and 1 egg. Pour over dishes and sprinkle 1/2 cup (40g) grated cheddar. Bake for 20-30 minutes.
  

Shopping list

(assuming you already have olive oil, herbs, spices, an egg, plain flour and butter and cheese)

Aldi

2 cans lentils, $0.99 each, $1.98

2 cans diced tomatoes, $0.75 each, $1.50

soymilk, $1.49

Total at Aldi $4.97

Green grocer

3 large eggplants

1 onion

parsley

Total at green grocer: approx. $5

Total: $9.97

Price per serve: $1.25 - $1.66

Red meat and cancer

Accessed from The Age on the web 24/03/2009
http://www.theage.com.au/national/cancer-alert-on-barbecue-meat-20090324-980l.html

Cancer alert on barbecue meat
March 24, 2009 - 11:17AM

The Aussie tradition of a steak on the barbecue is in the gun, after a major dietary study found people who eat red meat are more likely to die from cancer or heart attack.

Barbecuing red meat was also the cooking method that caused the most cancer causing "carcinogens", experts have warned.

The US study looked at the diets of more than 500,000 people and a follow-up 10 years later found those who ate the most red, or processed, meat had a higher incidence of death.

Eating white meat - poultry or fish - did not have the same effect and was associated with a slightly decreased risk.

Cancer Council Australia chief executive Professor Ian Olver says that while the study could not be said to show that red meat caused cancer, the apparent link warranted further research.

"Such population studies demonstrate these relationships between red meat and cancer deaths but are not able to prove that one causes the other," he says.

"With red meat, for example, the method of cooking is important.

"For example, more carcinogens would be expected to be produced from barbecue than by slow cooking (while) the other factor predisposing to cancer is the fat content of the meat."

The research, produced as part of the National Institutes of Health-AARP Diet and Health Study, is published in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine.

The study raised the question of what role meat should play in the diet, says Mark Wahlqvist, Director of the Asia Pacific Health and Nutrition Centre at Victoria's Monash University.

He says that red meat in small amounts - even about an ounce or 30 grams daily - could make a significant difference to the risk of micronutrient (vitamins and minerals) deficiency.

"(But) the corollary is that a plant-based diet is a preferred orientation for food intake in the human species and many studies support this conclusion," Professor Wahlqvist says.

Tofu stir fry

Servings: 6 - 8

Ingredients

• 1 packet firm tofu, drained and cut into 2cm x 1 cm 'cubes'
• 1 packet singapore or hokkien noodles
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 bok choi, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  
• 2 cups chopped broccoli
• 1 red capsicum, sliced jullienne
• 1 carrot, sliced jullienne
• 10 mushrooms, sliced
• stir fry sauce of your choice
• 2 tbsp oil

Equipment

• large wok
• wooden spoon or tongs
• small pot
• colander
• 2 burners

Method

1. Boil water in a small pot. Add tofu 'cubes' and boil for 20 minutes to turn firm tofu into extra firm tofu.
   
2. Heat oil in a wok. Add onion and garlic, cook 2 minutes until golden.
3. Add bok choi, mushrooms, carrots, red capsicum, broccoli. Stir fry for 4 minutes until broccoli softens. Add stir fry sauce.
4. Open up packet of noodles and place in colander over basin. Once tofu has been cooking in boiling water for 20 minutes, drain over noodles in colander to loosen noodles.
5. Add loosened noodles and the tofu 'cubes' to the wok and combine.
6. Stir fry until carrot is al dente and all ingredients well coated with sauce.

Shopping List

 (assuming you already have oil and garlic cloves or minced garlic)

Aldi (prices correct at time of posting)

firm tofu available in freezer aisle $1.29

packet singapore or hokkien noodles available in freezer aisle near tofu $1.89

stir fry sauce (satay or sweet soy and garlic or sweet chilli or sweet and sour) $1.79

Total at Aldi: $4.97

Green grocer

3 bok choi (bunch)

1 onion

red capsicum (small)

10 mushrooms (small)

1 medium carrot

1 small broccoli

Total at green grocer: about $6

Total: about $10.97

Price per serve: $1.40 - $1.85