Tofu Sauce - A Family Favourite

This, my friends, is a recipe that I hold very close to my heart. It's stood me well - with laughter and love during the early days with hubby during 70s, through late night's with a crying bub in the 80s, through even longer days with two young ones during the 90s, and all the way into the new millennium with my beautiful family (the kids are now all grown up and know how to make it too!).

There are many things I love about this recipe, one of the main things is that it's not only very easy to make (it's a one pot wonder) but that it's also full of nourishing hearty ingredients (it's vegan by the way) ...and all of that translates into a beautiful big bowl of love, comfort and nourishment when you sit down to enjoy it.

Without further ado, here's the recipe. Enjoy!

Serves about 4 people

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large clove of garlic, minced

1 onion, diced

500g firm tofu, grated

6 medium mushrooms, chopped

1 zucchini, chopped

2-3 stalks celery, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

1 capsicum, chopped

700g passata (1 large bottle)

1 teaspoon basil

1/2 teaspoon oregano

pinch marjoram

1.5 tablespoons tamari

1 tablespoon honey

1. Hand grate the tofu. All the other veggies can be chopped using the food processor.

2. In a large pot, heat oil then sauté the garlic and onion for about a minute

3. Add the tofu and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes

4. Add the mushrooms and sauté for another minute

5. Add the rest of the ingredients

6. Bring to a boil, then turn down and let simmer for about one hour, stirring frequently

7. Serve and enjoy!

P.S. You might like to serve it on its own, with wholemeal pasta, brown rice, some warm toasty good quality bread, or a baked potato. It's also delicious with some chopped fresh parsley on top or a sprinkle of parmesan.

P.P.S. This recipe is also great in that you can use with whatever you have on hand - play around with it with whatever veggies etc you feel like!