Ricotta, Tofu Ricotta

So evidently, an event of cosmic significants has occurred. And no, before you ask, we have not found a child with a midi-chlorian count higher than 20,000.  Veganomicon strikes again, this time with an inexpensive, dead easy, and delicious “cheese” filling.  I have been glancing at the recipe for tofu ricotta on and off ever since I received the book in December, and finally decided to use it the other night.

I LOVE Amy’s Roasted Veggie Cheese less pizza, and was trying to recreate something similar at home on Friday night and it seemed a perfect opportunity to try it! 😀

Roasted veggie pizza with caramelize onions (I am not writing the recipie for the crust because I always just use Fleischmanns Pizza crust yeast *you don’t have to let it rise!* dance around excitedly)

TOPPINGS

2 onions sliced in to thin rings

1/2 a pint of baby bella mushrooms sliced

1/4 each of red yellow and green peppers

1 crown of broccoli cut into tiny florets

2 T olive oil

SAUCE

1, 6 oz can of tomato paste

6 oz of warm water

2 t agave

1t garlic powder

3/4 t onion powder

1/4 t of each of the following spices

• dried oregano
• dried basil
• dried marjoram
• red pepper flakes
• black pepper

1/8 t cayenne pepper

salt to taste

TOFU RICOTTA from Veganomicon

(this is the whole recipe, but I only used half of it and saved the rest for later use)

1 lb extra firm tofu

2 t lemon juice

1 clove garlic minced

1/4 t salt

pinch of pepper

2 t olive oil

1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes

In a large deep skillet ( I use my cast iron one) put the onions and the oil. Set to med low heat and give everything a good toss. Cook on low, stirring very frequently for about 30 minutes, until the onions are pretty and gold and very sweet. While cooking the onions it’s a good time to make the sauce and ricotta. For the sauce, in a medium sized bowl add the paste and water and stir carefully. When it is completely incorporated, add the remaining ingredients and set aside.

For the Ricotta, in a large bowl mush the tofu up with your hands until crumbly. Add lemon juice, garlic salt and pepper, mush again with your hands and get it very mushy by squeezing through your fingers. (I enjoy this bit very much lol)  Add olive oil and nutritional yeast, and stir with a fork now because the olive oil makes it sticky. Set aside.

Heat your oven to 425 . Remove onions from skillet and, if oven safe, place the remainder of the veggies (minus the broccoli) in to skillet and roast for about 10 minutes. After that put the broccoli back in, stir and roast for 5 or 6 more minutes.

Kneed and roll out your dough on to a lightly oiled pan. I always dust mine with a little corn meal too. Assemble your pizza like this. Sauce, cheeze, onions (all of them) veggies and top wit a little more cheeze.

It’s a little time consuming, but veeeeeeeeeeeeeeery worth it.

Once I had made the ricotta, I kept thinking of ways to use it … on a sandwich?

Check! No there is nothing wrong with my tomato! I, as some of you may know, am addicted to produce. When I come across something unique I have a physical NEED to try it. I stumbled upon brown tomatoes last week and have been loving them sooooooo much.

My wonderfuly mommy had the idea to make the nutritional yeast cheeze sauce and make encheladas with it last week I think? Anyway, my dad loved them and after she mentioned them I HAD to have encheladas.  I obviously get my inability to remember and or write down recipies as I’m cooking from her because when I asked her how she made them her answer was along the lines of, ” Well, I made the sauce…and put a can of rotell in… and you know .. cooked some veggies, pretty ones, and then some spices… you know cumin and paprika and stuff….and rolled em up!”

I love her so much lol.

So Sunday I made the sauce like her, and sauteed some onions, mushrooms, a thinly diced sweet potato, garlic and some kale ( I am sure there was more but … I can’t remember) . Mixed it all with some leftover ricotta, and used flour tortillas because I do not possess the necessary skills to be able to assemble enchiladas with corn tortillas with out breaking things in frustration at the uncooperative pieces of bread.

These were beyond yummy and extremely filling too.

Oh yeah! I used a jalepeno too… hmm

And now for something completely different!

Isn’t so cute!!! I am freaking in love with that Intel one lol. There is a panda inside one that I was awfully tempted to get haha! Now all I need is like a good sticker of a Vulcan greeting and maybe the sign of the rebellion and I would be totally set ❤