Recipe Archive

Thanksgiving Salad

Triple Chocolate Pudding

Chopped Broccoli Piccata

Tofu Stew

Blueberry Cobbler

Cherry-Raspberry Crisp

Tofu Stew

Ropa vieja—a Cuban shredded beef dish whose name translates as “old clothes”—was the inspiration for this stew. Here, we’ve taken the liberty of making it with storebought baked tofu, which absorbs the wonderful flavors of the sauce. It’s best to use an unflavored baked tofu; but failing that, try to find one with Tex-Mex or mesquite flavors.

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 green bell pepper, cut into 1-inch chunks
12 ounces baked tofu, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
2 canned or bottled jalapeño peppers, minced
1 tablespoon semisweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons prune butter (lekvar)

1 In a nonstick Dutch oven or flameproof casserole, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is soft, about 7 minutes.

2 Stir in the bell peppers, and cook, stirring frequently, until the peppers are crisp-tender, about 5 minutes.

3 Add the tofu and stir to combine. Add the wine and cook until evaporated, about 3 minutes.

4 Stir in the tomatoes, 1/4 cup of the cilantro, the jalapeños, chocolate, prune butter, and salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook until the sauce is richly flavored and slightly thickened, about 20 minutes. Stir in the remaining 1/4 cup cilantro.

Makes 4 servings

Nutrition Information (per serving)
calories 282 • total fat 11g (saturated 2g) • 0mg cholesterol • dietary fiber 5g • carbohydrate 27g • protein 18g • sodium 460mg • Good source of: isoflavones, vitamin C