It’s been a less than stellar week.

  On Monday, I had a minor, albeit painful procedure done on my right foot. I wasn’t really prepared for the amount of pain and discomfort I’ve been experiencing, so I’ve spent the majority of the week sulking around my house, looking at craft blogs on the couch and drinking entire bottles of diet root beer. The moral of the story is, make sure your running shoes fit your stupid feet properly.

  Normally, I’d be inclined to bury my sorrow under a big pile of vegan mac & cheese, but considering I purchased my first bikini over the weekend (thank you, thank you), I figured it might be a bad week to start eating heavy comfort foods straight out of the casserole dish.

  I love the combination of brussels sprouts and cranberries – the flavors are somewhat reminiscent of the holidays, but they’re pleasantly light enough for spring. The thick tofu triangles are coated with a little sprinkle of corn starch before baking to create a golden, crispy crust – you can make the slices a little thinner, but I like having a big honkin’ portion of protein on the plate.

  I chose to simply salt and pepper the tofu baking, but I happen to enjoy tofu’s natural beany, earthy flavor. If this isn’t your style, or you’re cooking for more picky patrons, feel free to marinate the tofu with your favorite flavors – soy, citrus or even balsamic would be just dandy.

  This is a gluten-free recipe.

Baked Tofu with Brussels Sprouts and Cranberries

Serves 2

1 12 oz. block of extra-firm tofu, pressed and sliced on the diagonal

1 small red onion, sliced

2 cloves garlic, pressed

1/2 pound brussels sprouts, trimmed and quartered

1/4 cup dried cranberries

 3/4 cup vegetable broth

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 tablespoons corn starch

1 teaspoon vegan margarine

Salt, pepper, to taste

1. Preheat oven to 375º. Lightly coat tofu triangles with corn starch and place on a greased baking sheet. Bake 20-30 minutes, turning once, until golden and crispy on both sides. Leave in oven to keep warm.

2. In a skillet sprayed with non-stick spray, cook the red onion and garlic until it begins to soften. Add quartered brussels sprouts, cranberries and vegetable broth and cover for about 5 minutes. Add the rice vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. The brussels sprouts should still be crisp-tender, so be careful not to overcook them. Stir in the vegan margarine before serving for a little added richness.

3. Serve with the sprout-cranberry mixture spooned over the baked tofu.

Nutrition per Serving: 271 calories, 9g fat, 28g carbohydrates, 18g protein.