February 7, 2011 10:39 am

Wow, last week was quite a week in promoting a meatless diet. OPRAH, and her crew all went vegan for one week and that didn’t stop there, they also announced the entire Harpo studios is going Meatless Mondays!
This week, we want to keep the momentum going and discuss that while it is very good for adults to start to incorporate a meatless diet one day a week, we think it is equally important for those same adults to pass on this idea to their families – ie spouse, kids, cousins, etc… Make it a family event and make it fun!
For kids, instead of chicken nuggets try making them tofu nuggets as a after school snack on Meatless Mondays, which will cost must less than chicken nuggets and taste very good. Not to forgot, this is also a great way to integrate healthy veggies in your kids diet.

Tofu veggie nuggets

Prep: 45 minutes

Cook: 30 minutes

Makes: 24

1 cup water

1/2 cup raw brown rice

1 pound firm refrigerated tofu

Toasted sesame oil

1 cup finely chopped onion

1 serrano chili, seeded, finely chopped

1/4 cup each, chopped: celery, red pepper, carrots

1/4 cup each, loosely packed: fresh cilantro, fresh basil

1 clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon each: grated ginger root, ground cumin

2 1/2 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce

3 tablespoons each: cornmeal, brown rice flour

1. Heat the water to a boil in a small saucepan over high heat. Rinse the rice several times until water is clear. Drain well. Add rice to boiling water. Cover; reduce heat to simmer. Cook until all water is absorbed, 35-40 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, place the tofu in a colander in the sink with a heavy plate on top to press out the excess liquid. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Brush a skillet with a little sesame oil; heat over medium-high. Add onions; cook until translucent, 2 minutes. Add the serrano chili, celery, red pepper and carrots; cook 3 minutes. Add the cilantro and basil. Stir; remove from heat.

3. Crumble the tofu into tiny pieces into a large bowl. Mix the garlic, ginger and cumin together. Add the spice mixture to the tofu; stir in rice and soy sauce. Stir in cooked vegetables, cornmeal and brown rice flour until well mixed.

4. Make tightly packed balls of the tofu mixture using a 1-inch scoop. Place the balls on parchment-lined cookie sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Bake until golden, about 30 minutes.

Nutrition information: Per nugget: 33 calories, 43% of calories from fat, 2 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 5 g carbohydrates, 3 g protein, 99 mg sodium, 1 g fiber

Category: a vegan diet, vegetarian ideas, vegetarian meal ideas