Procrastinatory recipe blogging

Well, the weekend is winding down. It didn't end up being as boring as I feared it would be - my cancelled plan for Friday night got resurrected (minus one of the three of us), and we had dinner at my friend's house and watched a video and drank a startling amount of wine and were up really late - how did that happen? And last night I talked on the phone with v. close friend M for 2 hours and 45 minutes - after an hour and a half with him on the phone with him on Thursday night. We do go on, the two of us. We won't see each other until our panel at Congress in June - sad! - but he is going to travel to Scary City with me after Congress for a little vacation.

So now, because I am REALLY procrastinating on my grading (I have eight more 8-page essays to go - should really only take me another couple of hours, but I can't bring myself to get through it!), shall I blog my dinner? I was just eating it - a favourite of mine - and thought, some blogfriends might like this recipe.

It is a very homey, comforting, simple recipe from Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites, which is absolutely my favourite cookbook.

MUSHROOM SESAME TOFU STEW

4 cups chopped onions
1/2 cup water
3 cups sliced celery
4 cups sliced mushrooms ( 12-oz. package)
2 bay leaves
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
2 cups undrained canned whole toomatoes, chopped (18-oz. can)
2 tbsp tahini or peanut butter
1 cake tofu, pressed and cut into bite-sized pieces
dash of soy sauce or salt to taste

(Ed's notes: I have never made it with tahini cause I can never resist the peanutty-ness. I also put extra peanut butter - probably closer to 3 tbsp. If you make it with tahini, let me know how it turns out. I never press the tofu because I always have extra-firm. I always add soy sauce; it gives it a richer taste.)

In a covered soup pot on high heat, cook the onions in the water, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. Add the celery and continue to cook, covered, stirring frequently for 5 minutes. Add more water if the vegetables begin to stick. Add the mushrooms, lower the heat, and cook until the mushrooms begin to release their juices, about 5 minutes. Stir in the bay leaves, ginger, and tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the tahini or peanut butter, add the tofu, and simmer on a heat diffuser or very low heat for a few minutes more. Add salt or soy sauce to taste; discard the bay leaves and serve.

Serves 4 to 6.