Tofu as Burger

I saw a recipe recently -- chicken, chive, and spinach burgers. I was all about the chive and spinach. Alas, none of the ingredients were handy.

So I took what I did have and made a pretty decent little burger. Ideally, I would have loved to use protein crumbles, but tofu worked. The secret to making tofu burgers appealing: seasonings.

Here's my attempt:

Tofu Burgers with Mustard Sauce
1 package tofu, drained and water squeezed out
2 Tbl. Dijon mustard
1- 2 tsp. your favorite seasoning (I used Cajun seasoning and Hungarian paprika)
1/4 cup fresh chives, snipped, if you have them
1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs

Drain tofu and squeeze excess water out by placing it on a board covered in paper towels and weighting it down. Should take about ten minutes to get the water out.

Crumble tofu into a medium bowl. Add all ingredients and mix well.

Form burgers. If they don't hold up, try either a beaten egg or a little bit of regular breadcrumbs (I did both and they were still a little wobbly).

Spray a nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Heat over medium, then add burgers. Cook about four minutes on each side. You may have to flip them a few more times just to be sure the insides cook.

Serve on your favorite bun with this dressing, which elevates it:

2 Tbl. Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp. agave nectar/syrup (or honey if you prefer)
1 Tbl. mayonnaise

You can tweak this recipe any way you like -- use honey Dijon, regular mustard, whatever makes you happy.

Enchiladas on the Quick

I was staring at the clock -- an hour before dinner and nothing in the oven. Oh no.

Oh, enchiladas. I grabbed some ingredients and went to it. The verdict -- amazing. Make this again.

So here I am, writing it down:

Spinach and Cheese Enchiladas

2 bags fresh spinach
1/4 cup onion (or omit it -- I did)
1 Tbl. olive oil
1 cup ricotta cheese
2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese (you can use a Mexican blend if you prefer)
Flour tortillas (I used about nine)

Enchilada sauce (I make my own):
1 can (14 oz or 16 oz) diced tomatoes
1 tsp. chili powder
Dash or two cayenne pepper
Healthy dash of Adobo seasoning (if you have it -- if not, skip it)
salt and pepper to taste

Heat oven to 375 degrees F.

Heat oil over medium heat. Saute onion until clear. Add spinach with a few tablespoons of water and cook until it's reduced. You'll still have water from the spinach itself, but try to keep it to a minimum.

Take off heat and stir in ricotta and one cup of shredded cheese (or more if you want it really cheesy). Next, heat the tortillas for 20 seconds on each side in a hot skillet or griddle. I like to make mine a little brown since they're flour -- makes them a little stiffer after baking.

Spray a lasagna pan with oil. Fill each tortilla with two or three tablespoons of filling, then roll and place seam down in the pan. Then cover them all with your enchilada sauce and the remaining cup of shredded cheese.

Bake for 20 minutes or until the sauce and cheese are bubbly. Keep an eye on it and check it at 10 minutes and 15 minutes.

Note: if you don't like chunky tomato sauce, feel free to use pureed tomatoes or even tomato sauce.