Recession Regression

I'm not a vegetarian. I've never been a vegetarian. (Helloooo. Bacon!) But sometimes I think if anyone saw the way I cook for myself, they might mistake me for one. Tofu. Beans. Grains. Veggies. I feel like I'm regressing to my undergrad days when it seemed like everyone was a vegetarian and there was a vegetarian restaurant on every other corner. And the cookbooks. Remember Moosewood Cookbook, American Wholefoods Cuisine, Horn of the Moon Cookbook? I lived by those.

The NY Times has been running a column called Recipes for Health and I'm totally obsessed. The recipes are simple, tasty, and inexpensive in addition to being healthy. I think I've printed out at least one recipe a week and have been trying to make them almost as often.

Let's face it. It's much easier to go out for steak frites than to mess up your kitchen making it at home, so I'll leave it to the restaurants to make anything grilled or fried. And with the guilt that drives me to the gym in the morning after one of those meals, I don't mind the occasional "healthy" meal at home (don't let the tofu scare you!).

The recipe that follows can be made in about 15 minutes...quicker than waiting for the delivery guy.

Spinach, Tofu and Sesame Stir-fry

1 tablespoon canola oil

1/2 pound tofu, cut in small dice

1 large garlic clove, minced

1 teaspoon grated or minced fresh ginger

1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes

Soy sauce to taste

1 6-ounce bag baby spinach, rinsed

2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1. Heat the canola oil over medium-high heat in a large nonstick skillet or wok, and add the tofu. Stir-fry until the tofu is lightly colored, three to five minutes, and add the garlic and ginger (and chili flakes). Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about one minute, and add soy sauce to taste. Add the spinach and stir-fry until the spinach wilts, about one minute. Stir in the sesame seeds, and add more soy sauce to taste. Remove from the heat.

2. Using tongs, transfer the spinach and tofu mixture to a serving bowl, leaving the liquid behind in the pan or wok. Drizzle with the sesame oil, and add more soy sauce as desired. Serve with rice or other grains, or noodles. You may also use it as a filling for whole wheat pita bread.