(Tofu) Wonton Raviolis

I know, I know, tofu OMG! Honestly the only difference this had from using ricotta cheese- was the texture, not the taste.  Of course you can just substitute the tofu for ricotta cheese and it will just be a bit creamier.  Make this for your family but don't let anyone know it's tofu- I bet they won't even notice.

Tofu facts:

• Tofu is made of soybeans.
• One half-cup serving of raw firm tofu contains 10 grams of protein, only 94 calories and 5 grams of fat
• Tofu is also cholesterol-free as well as a great source of calcium and iron
• Tofu is great at absorbing flavors and spices (kinda like chicken) because it works like a sponge and really doesn't have its own flavor.
• There are two different kinds of tofu: silken and firm. Silken is like cream cheese (I have never used this one) and firm.  The firm type, when crumbled, looks like scrambled eggs or ricotta cheese.

Preparing Tofu

• Tofu is packed in water. Think of it as a big sponge. Most recipes call for "draining" the tofu.  Basically drain the water and then wrap it in a bunch of paper towels and press it between two plates. Plate-tofu wrapped in paper towels-plate-something heavy on top to apply pressure to squeeze all liquid out.  Doesn't take long- about 15mins or so. 

Wontons!

• Let me just begin by saying wonton wrappers are freaking awesome.  15 calories each and you can stuff them with anything- even dessert stuff!  They can be steamed, baked, fried, sauteed, boiled, frozen.  Look in your produce or frozen dept. If you have an Asian supermarket you can always find them there.  They are extremely cheap (for me its like $1.50 for 50 wrappers).  This recipe will make about 40 wontons. I keep them in my freezer and they thaw out super quick.

Ingredients

• 1 (I think its like 16oz) package of firm or extra firm tofu
• 1 cup of spinach (I used fresh baby spinach but you can always use frozen-thawed and squeezed though)
• 2 cloves of garlic minced or grated (if you're not such a garlic fan use only one clove)
• About 7 basil leaves, torn or chopped (if you don't have fresh used a tsp of dried)
• 1 tsp each of: onion powder, oregano, crushed red pepper flakes, and salt
• Few grinds of fresh black pepper
• 1/2-3/4 cup of cheese- I used fresh Pecorino Romano, but you can use Parmesan or mozzarella
• 1 egg
• Package of wonton skins/wrappers (about 50 wrappers)
• Cooking spray
• Small bowl of water

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. In a bowl break up the drained tofu until it looks like ricotta cheese-ish.  Add the spinach, garlic, basil, dried spices, cheese and the egg.  Mix that all together.
3. Using a tablespoon (don't overload the wonton! it will break apart and become a mess), scoop one tablespoon of the mixture and put in the middle of the wonton.  Using the water dip your fingers and put the water on the edges of the wonton, then fold over into a triangle and seal-try to get most of the air out-place on baking sheets sprayed with cooking spray.

4. After they are all done, spray the tops with cooking spray and pop in the oven for about 15-20 mins.
5. Serve with your favorite marinara/tomato sauce!

PS: these are awesome for parties and appetizers.  I know they are a pain in the ass to make-it takes a little while- but worth it in the end. If you dont have a lot of time that day you can prepare them and then just freeze them! (freeze them flat on the trays if you can, then put into ziplocks) (If you ever had frozen pierogies its sort of like that) Then just pop in the oven (might have to bake a little longer-or you can just defrost them on the counter first).  This idea is great for like wonton soup or you can even make pierogies just stuff with mashed potatoes, garlic and cheese!