The only thing harder than training for the marathon is cooking for the guy who is training for the marathon. The same guy who has cut meat completely from his diet; the same guy who can eat salad for dinner every night and be happy. But the guy has a wife and the wife is hungry for more than just leaves every night. Where to go for the protein? Where to go for the non-traditional protein, the protein with charisma? As a non-vegetarian, my go-to answer will always be tofu, but can we really call tofu “charismatic”? I thought I was on to something charming when I attempted tofu balls last night. This was a recipe that called for a whole slew of ingredients that I enjoy… sunflower seeds, cashews, mushrooms, Dijon, soy sauce… sounds like a great marinade, right? Yeah, for chicken! This is a recipe for someone else, anyone else… just not for me. A cat might like it. Maybe.

Ingredients needed: 1 lb tofu sliced, 2 eggs, 1/2 c panko, 1/2 c cashews, 1/2 c sunflower seeds, 1/2 c sliced mushrooms, 1 tbsp dijon, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp cayenne, 1/4 tsp salt.

Scary mix of ingredients if I do say so myself.

Even scarier when smooth.

"Why can’t you taste like a meatball?" I cry out.