The Results Are In:

Olive Oregano Wine-Baked Tofu

You can find the original recipe on www.foodtv.ca.

I have horrible luck on finding 100% of the ingredients, so I have gotten rather good at picking appropriate substitutions. I think this becomes important, especially if you're out shopping with the kids. It speeds the whole process up, and stops you from having to drive around the city all day looking for Agave Nectar. 

Here is the recipe as I cooked it:

1/2 cup white wine

2 tbsp liquid honey

1 tbsp dried oregano

2 tsp dried basil

2 1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1/3 cup olives, roughly chopped - no pits (I used green Italian style olives, from the deli)

1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped (again from the deli)

1/3 cup red, seedless grapes, cut into quarters

1/2 tsp of sea salt

dash of allspice

dash of freshly ground pepper

3 tbsp olive oil

1 pkg of firm tofu, cut into squares (aprox 1" by 1", or whatever size you want)

- you could probably use chicken with great results if your not a fan of tofu...

1. Preheat your oven to 400'F

2. In a baking dish, add all of the ingredients excluding the tofu. Stir them well so they all mix.

3. Add the tofu to the dish, turning it on all sides to coat with the mixture.

4. Bake, covered with foil, for 15 minutes.

5. Uncover, flip tofu over. Continue baking for another 13 minutes (or until the sauce has been soaked up by the tofu). I left some sauce, so it gave me something to poor over at the end.)

6. I cooked some basic white rice, and then served the tofu and mixture on top.

As you can see, one of the greatest things about this dish is its simplicity, and small amount of dishes to clean up afterwards.

I loved this food - it was surprisingly sweet, and salty. The thing I love about tofu is how well it absorbs the flavors of what it is being cooked in. My wife and I accompanied the meal with a glass of the wine we used to cook with (I heard you were supposed to do that...).

I found out afterwards that my wife is not a fan of sun-dried tomatoes, so her comment was "It was great for a dish with sun-dried tomatoes in it...".

My son thought is looked yucky, but tasted great.

Don't be afraid to experiment. It's important to remember that recipes are more like guidelines. Don't stick rigidly to each recipe you try, and you'd be surprised what you can come up with.

If you try this one out, leave a comment about what your family thought...

In the Oven!

So dinner was just put in the oven - and I am extremely excited to see how it turns out. I never thought I would be this excited to eat tofu... yes, I did say tofu!

The recipe I chose for tonight is by Dreena Burton, and was printed off the www.foodtv.ca website. This site is an excellent source for information - be it recipes, or cooking techniques. You can learn all the tricks of the pros by reading up and watching videos on this site. I also recommend watching the Food Network - great inspiration! (No - I don't work for them, or get anything from them... it's just a great resource)

The recipe is:

Olive Oregano Wine-Baked Tofu.

It includes wine, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, grapes, balsamic vinegar, allspice, and more! Oh, and of course, tofu.

I will post the outcome of tonight's meal, as well as the recipe once it is done...

"Dad! I'm Hungry!"

It's now 6:30 at night - and we still have no idea what we're going to eat. My older son is pacing frantically around the kitchen island "I'm hungry... I am Hunnnngggggggrrrryyy!" I wouldn't be surprised if he tries to take a chunk out of my leg. Take-out? Eat out? What's in the freezer?

In our busy schedules it's hard to come up with fresh food ideas every night. We usually end up eating the same thing over and over again - no flavor, no change - no fun! Many people are intimidated by cooking, and tend to place conservative, bland meals on the table. No wonder people eat out more than ever!

I have started to enjoy cooking again, and look forward to challenging myself with a new meal every night. The best thing is: my family loves the food!

Follow me as I try and show that you don't need to be a professional to place great meals on the table.