Tofu Ricotta Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

I adapted parts of a White Pizza Grilled Cheese recipe over at Kitchen Treaty. This is a great grilled cheese compromise for those of us who must avoid cheese or all dairy.

Ingredients:

Tofu ricotta:

• 1 pkg firm tofu (16 oz)
• 1/4 c. rice milk...or any kind of milk really (regular, soy, etc)
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 Tb. lemon juice
• 2 tsp. dried basil (or you can use 2 Tb. fresh, minced basil)
• 1 tsp. salt

 The sandwich filling:

• 1 cup of the tofu ricotta above
• 2 tsp. olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tsp dried basil (or 1 Tb fresh)
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano (or 2 tsp fresh)
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• fresh ground black pepper to taste
• Your favorite bread--I recommend Ciabatta bread sliced thin, but it also tastes great on whole wheat sandwich bread too 
• margarine or butter replacement (for spreading on the outsides of your bread before grilling)

Directions:

1. Make the tofu ricotta by placing all the ingredients in a blender. Blend till creamy.
2. Take 1 cup of the tofu ricotta and mix with the rest of the ingredients.
3. Warm a skillet over medium heat. Take your bread slices and butter the outsides. Then add a thick layer of the tofu mixture to the inside of the bread. Close the sandwich and place on a skillet. Flip until both sides are a nice crispy brown.

Note about this recipe:

1. Let it cool for a good 5 minutes. The tofu retains it's heat very well!

Roasted Chickpeas

The first time I heard of roasted chickpeas was when I found a recipe for Roasted Chickpea Fajitas, which I will definitely be posting soon. Then I needed them again for Cauliflower Power Tacos. And that's when I discovered how delicious these are just as a snack. After several attempts to get the flavoring to my satisfaction I have finally found the perfect combo.

Ingredients:

• 2-15 oz cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 2 Tb olive oil
• 3 Tb lime juice
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp chili powder

Directions:

1.  Put chickpeas in a medium bowl. 
2. Combine olive oil, lime juice, salt, cumin, oregano, and chili powder. Pour over chickpeas. Stir till all coated.
3. Pour out on a baking sheet. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Then stir and return to the oven for 10 more minutes. If they aren't crispy enough for your liking at this point put them back in for another 5 minutes or so.
4. Cool on pan and enjoy!