Tofu Rigatoni Casserole

I understand that not everyone is vegetarian or even really all that concerned about what they ear. But I'm both and I would really encourage everyone to at least watch what you eat! It really can make all the difference in your daily life, why not start by trying that new(er) idea: Meatless Mondays. As Americans, and much of the human race in general, we eat way more meat than we need to in a day, and in addition to not eating nearly enough greens, fruits and other vegetables, our health is suffering because of it. So, I'm going to put this up as a healthy Meatless Monday option. Word on the street is that even kids find this yummy!

These are nearly all the ingredients that you will be using, shown in the above picture. All the ingredients are listed below:

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO), plus more for drizzling
1/2 onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves
1 (28-oz) can crushed tomatoes
1 pinch dried oregano
1 (12 to 14-oz) package firm tofu, drained (don't let this scare you, tofu is a friend, not scary!)
1 large egg
1 pinch grated nutmeg
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 (10-oz) package spinach (I did not use all the spinach! You can if you want, or you can use most of it, like 8 oz, then the rest for lunch)
1 (1-lb) bag rigatoni, cooked al dente and drained (Barilla Plus is good, otherwise whatever you have)
1 lb fresh mozzarella, grated (about 4 cups)
3 oz grated Parmesan (about 3/4 cup)


1. Preheat the oven to 350F. You might also want to start your pasta at this point (follow the directions on the package for that.
2. Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium-heat. Add the onion. Saute for 3 minutes, then add the garlic and cook until the onion is translucent, about 2 minutes more.
3. Add the tomatoes and oregano. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, in a blender, process the tofu, egg, nutmeg, salt, and pepper until smooth.

4. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and fold in the spinach, cooked rigatoni, tomato sauce, 1 cup of mozzarella, and 1/2 cup of the Parmesan.
5. Drizzle a coating of olive oil into a 13x9-inch baking pan. Add the pasta mixture and sprinkle the remaining cheeses over the top. Bake until golden and bubbling, 35-40 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

This recipe was adapted from Epicurious.com and the kitchen of a coworker of mine. I also want to put in two notes here:

1. This really is very good. My entire family loved it (and they are cautious about tofu and spinach!).

2. I am working on getting a new camera, thinking of getting either a digital camera or a digital handheld video camera with a built-in. Suggestions?!

Thanks for reading!

Love,

Sara :)

Beans and Barley

I have been looking around for a nice cafe in the Milwaukee area that is great for vegetarians, such as myself. For my upcoming grad party (Sunday! Scary!), we found a place called Beans and Barley where who specialize in vegetarian and vegan meals. Don't panic, you meat-lovers, there is chicken offered there as well. Located in Milwaukee on 1901 E North Avenue, this restaurant also doubles as a deli where you can buy delicious and healthy food or order catering or pick up containers of food for your next party.

The restaurant is very neat, with an open feel to it and a friendly atmosphere presented by friendly staff who know the food and drinks like the back of their hand. I will share with you what I had to eat there because it really made a lasting impression on me! There are pictures to accompany my review. I'm feeling organized today :D

They have a good assortment of teas and smoothies, as well as espressos, coffees, ciders, and juices. However, unlike most restaurants, they only carry root beer, lemon lime soda, and ginger ale as far as soda is concerned. I tried the Citron Oolong tea and it was quite good.

Moving on to dinner itself, I had one of the most delicious burritos I've had in a long time. When I first looked at the menu, this item caught my eye and when the waitress was recommending food, this one came up as having a following of customers. It sounded like a good choice so I chose the Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burrito. OMG! If you ever go to Beans and Barley, this is something that you HAVE TO TRY, assuming you like black beans, sweet potatoes, guacamole, corn, and rice. It was absolutely delicious! You could taste every aspect of the burrito and it was filling but healthy so I didn't feel bad eating nearly the entire thing, along with all the nacho chips and salsa on my plate. I highly recommend this dish! I am thinking of trying to replicated this dish sometime...when I get a handle on cooking...

As soon as I saw the desert menu I knew that I couldn't leave without trying some dessert. So, between my parents and I, we ordered a slice of Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie and a Mango Smoothie. These were also both well worth getting. The pie was interesting because instead of dicing up the rhubarb, they actually left it in large chunks but cooked it down enough so that it was not bitter much at all and was quite sweet, tasting more of strawberries. The Mango Smoothie was a combination of mango, banana, and mango juice and tasted as such.

Summary: I recommend anyone who is in the Milwaukee area to try out the restaurant or at least some of their food when you get the chance :) It is completely worth it!

Also, sorry for being absent lately, I'm working on a very strange schedule that involves overnight shifts three nights a week while working days and planning for a grad party with over 50 people on Sunday and trying to find more jobs, and thinking about moving and yea....it's getting kinda crazy, and I was under the impression that things got easier after college. That would be a no go my friends! It's just as complicated and crazy, if not more so in the real world. I find myself already missing that college bubble I had...

Love,

Sara :)