Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Recipe: Broccoli-Tofu Casserole

This is a dish I came up with by modifying a recipe from the back my frozen broccoli package to make it lower in carbs and by adding tofu to make it more substantial. (I started using tofu in casseroles because of Karen Barnaby's Tofu-roni and Cheese recipe from her book The Low Carb Gourmet.) I had a helping of this casserole today as a side-dish to a couple of grilled pork fillets. It was a delicious lunch!

Broccoli-Tofu Casserole

1 package frozen broccoli
1/2 block extra firm tofu, cut into tiny cubes
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 stick of butter (4 Tbsp.)
1/4 cup soy flour
3/4 cup Calorie Countdown (or other milk substitute)
garlic powder (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
french fried onions for topping (I use French's cheddar-flavored fried onions.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare broccoli according to package directions. Drain broccoli and spread into a greased casserole dish with tofu cubes, distributing the broccoli and tofu evenly in the bottom of the dish. In a saucepan, melt the butter on medium-low heat and mix in the soy flour, stirring constantly as a paste forms. Add the Calorie Countdown and cheese and stir until cheese melts. Add salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste. Pour over broccoli and tofu in casserole dish, and top with a layer of french fried onions. Bake for twenty minutes. Allow to cool a bit before serving.

This is a totally customizable recipe. It can be made with or without the tofu, with or without the broccoli, with vegetables other than broccoli (cauliflower or green beans come to mind), or with different cheeses, and you can experiment with different low-carb toppings. I like the strong taste of the french-fried onions, but crushed pork rinds could be used to save some carbs. Enjoy!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I love looking at your recipes and thinking, "I could do that on any diet!" And then re-reading it and noticing the half stick of butter. Kamran might not appreciate that so much, though he CLAIMS that fat isn't a big deal.

Tracey said...

Is real butter a complete no-no on your/Kamran's diet? Because you use half a stick for the recipe, but the whole casserole probably serves 6-8 people.

The original recipe I modified called for the same amount of margarine, but even though it's lower calorie and lower fat, I've heard such bad things about the oils used in margarine that I'm convinced it's unhealthy. There's a recipe I saw recently where someone mixed up real butter with some olive oil to make a more spreadable, "healthier" butter to use in place of margarine. Maybe that would be a solution?