Italian-Style Tofu Bake

Italian-style tofu what? It might not look like much, but it made me really happy. I have had pizza on the brain for the better part of a week, and while this wasn't a perfect match, it was pretty close. And close in a really useful way. You know how you have a craving for M&M's, but you try to be good and have an apple instead? And then maybe you have some baked lays? But deep down, you still really want those M&M's, and eventually you get them, and you're satisfied, but now you've ALSO had the apple and chips? Yah, this dinner was like that, except it kinda worked. (Next time I make it, though, I'm going to follow the Hubs' suggestion and add sausage or pepperoni and maybe a little tomato sauce).

Whoa. What all that meant was: this was a light, healthy dinner masquerading as pizza (or lasagna maybe?), and I'm okay with that. I think it has a lot of potential - lots of different ways to mix and match, according to your tastes and state of mind. Want sausage? Or maybe mushrooms? No? Green pepper maybe more your style? Add it!

Worth noting - make sure you press the tofu slices between paper towels before you line the baking dish with them (or really, press them out before you do anything with tofu). A lot of liquid comes out, and it will lead to a nicer textured tofu (less squishy)(unless you like that).

O! I also used some fresh basil on top, rather than dried, and I used smoked sun-dried tomatoes and smoked mozz... added nice depth.

Italian-Style Tofu Bake
From: The South Beach Diet Quick and Easy Cookbook: 200 Delicious Recipes Ready in 30 Minutes or Less

2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
10 ounces fresh spinach, thick stems trimmed (5 cups packed or 10 cups loosely packed)
1 (15 ounce) package firm tofu, sliced lengthwise into 8 pieces
1 tablespoon dried basil, divided
4 sun-dried tomatoes (packed in oil), drained and thinly sliced
½ cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat oven to 400°F.

Heat oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add garlic and cook until softened, about 1 minute. Add spinach, cover, and cook until wilted and tender, about 3 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat.

Lay tofu slices in a single layer in a 9- by 13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle each slice with a pinch of the basil.

Top tofu slices evenly with spinach, tomatoes, mozzarella, Parmesan, and remaining basil. Bake until tofu is hot and cheeses are melted and bubbling, about 15 minutes.

Makes 4 servings.

Per serving: 190 cals, 12 g fat, 3.5 sat fat, 19 g protein, 6 g carbs, 3 g fiber, 280 mg sodium