SPICY POCKETS

Remember, tofu is good for you!

But only if you eat it...

You'll only do that if it tastes like something other than a bit of rubbery cardboard...

Try this!

FILLING

Crumble about a pound of firm tofu into a non-stick frying pan. Add some instant vegetable broth, turmeric, garam masala, salt, pepper and rubbed sage. Chop a medium onion and some garlic and add that too. Drizzle about 4 T olive oil over all. Mix well.

Now chop a handful of reconstituted dried tomatoes, fold gently into the tofu mixture.

Put a lid on the pan and let  all the flavors combine for at least an hour.

BREAD

Make a well in 1 1/2 pounds whole wheat flour and add a cube of fresh yeast, crumbled. Or you could add dried yeast instead, about 1 T. Add a very little sugar and some lukewarm water. Cover the bowl with a clean towel and let it rest in your nice warm kitchen (no drafts!).

Once the yeast is bubbly, sprinkle some flour over it and mix it in gently. It is important to mix the bubbly yeast mixture with flour BEFORE adding anything else, especially salt. Salt will interrupt the rising process if it comes in contact with the yeast before there is enough flour mixed with it.

Since I wanted this to be spicy, I added a couple of teaspoons of mixed Italian herbs, some salt, about 1/4 cup olive oil and some garlic. Add lukewarm water, a little at a time, mixing well after each addition. When the dough starts to stick together, begin kneading it (go ahead and use your nice clean hand!) and make sure you don't add too much water! If it is too sticky, you can always add a little more flour, but you don't want to go back and forth too often...

Once the dough is springy and smooth, shape into a ball and return to the bowl. Cover the bowl with your clean kitchen towel and let the dough rest in your warm kitchen until it has just about doubled in size. You want to avoid drafts. Turn off the AC in the kitchen (since it is so cold here now, I have trouble imagining an AC on, but thought I'd say it just in case!) At this point I took a good walk, so I wouldn't be tempted to check on the dough...

 After a good hour, this is what it looked like:

Punch it down, and let it rise again. Letting it rise twice makes for a nice airy texture in the bread.

Now is the time to turn on the stove and gently fry the tofu mixture until it turns golden. Stir it frequently! 

 When the tofu is done, so will the bread dough be.

I have a neat little cutter that I can turn around to make the pockets with.

I patted the dough into short strips a scant 1/4 inch thick and cut circles about 2.5 inches in diameter.

A heaping teaspoon of filling went on each circle. 

Now comes the fun part! Slowly close the cutter...

until the edges are firmly pressed together. Open carefully and place pocket on lightly oiled cookie sheet (or line sheet with paper...) If you don't have one of these contraptions, cut out the circle, place filling in the middle and fold in half. Press edges together firmly with your nice clean, floury fingers...

Place in cold oven and bake at 350°F till golden. Starting with a cold oven gives the dough a chance to rise - again. The later pockets will have time to do that while the first batch bakes - no need to turn the oven off in between!

This made around 30 filled pockets - enough to make snacks for 5 hungry teenagers, which is what I was wanting to do.

Try one!  

Now if perchance you have filling left over - I did - you are truly in luck! Heat it up again and mix with some spaghetti. Serve over sliced tomatoes.

DELICIOUS!  

There is plenty of food - please join us!