Tofu Avocado Benedict

Happy Veteran's Day Weekend! Thank you to those who have served to protect our country. What a better way to start of the weekend... but with some Tofu Benedict! Found this recipe from The Sweet Life and she did an amazing job a recreating a hollandaise sauce that's vegan. I can't wait to use the sauce on other dishes! 

Enjoy your weekend and I hope you have a 3-day weekend like me!!! 

 

~~~

 

~~~

Tofu Avocado Benedict

Recipe from The Sweet Life 

Serves 2

• 2 English muffins (Try Food For Life's - 7 Sprouted Grains English Muffins)
• 4 thick slices of heirloom tomatoes
• 4 -1/2 inch slices of extra firm tofu
• a small handful of romaine lettuce
• 1 avocado
• vegan hollandaise sauce (recipe follows)
• salt and pepper
• 2 tbsp of Earth Balance butter

 

Vegan Hollandaise Sauce

• 2 tbsp Earth Balance butter
• 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk
• 1 tbsp + 1 tsp nutritional yeast
• 2-3 tsp fresh squeezed lemon juice (to taste)
• salt and pepper
• pinch of cayenne
• pinch of turmeric (for color)

Method

To make Hollandaise Sauce:
Place the vegan butter in a small sauce pan and bring to boil. Add flour and whisk until it forms a paste. Slowly add milk, whisking continuously until well combined. Bring sauce to a boil, whisking frequently, until sauce begins to thicken (about 1-2 minutes). Remove from heat and add nutritional yeast, lemon juice, and seasoning. Add additional non-dairy milk if you find it's too think. Stir together. Taste to ensure that it's to your liking. Set aside. Reheat before serving.

To make Tofu:
Heat butter over medium heat. Slice tofu 1/2 inch thick and sprinkle each side with salt and pepper. Place tofu in pan with hot butter and pan fry on each side for about 4-5 minutes, until browned. Remove from heat.

To assemble the Benedict:
Slice English muffin in half and toast. Top each muffin with a small amount of lettuce and one tomato slice each. Place pan-fried tofu atop each tomato and smother with Hollandaise Sauce.  Finish with sliced avocado and serve immediately.

Pin It

Vegan Corn Chowder

Happy Fall!!! Wait... it's going to be in the 90's all weekend in SoCal!? Well I can dream about cold weather, fireplaces, cozy sweaters, crock-pot recipes, and soup! I made this corn chowder soup for dinner for the Breaking Bad series finale episode last weekend. Wasn't the ending just amazing? Finally an ending to a show that gave audiences a closure not an ending that is open to interpretation...cough cough...like Dexter! Anyhow enjoy this corn chowder soup recipe I adapted from this tiny recipe book I found for only $2.99 at Marshall's!

Ingredients 

(Serves 6) 

• 2 tablespoons of coconut oil 
• 1 onion, finely chopped 
• 1 carrot, finely chopped
• 1 leek, finely chopped 
• 2-3 garlic cloves, finely chopped 
• 1 teaspoon fresh or dried thyme 
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour 
• 6 1/3 cups vegetable stock 
• 1 sweet potato, finely chopped 
• 3 1/2 cups organic frozen corn kernels 
• salt and pepper, to taste

Method 

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over low heat. Gently sauté the onion, carrot, leek, garlic, and thyme for 5-8 minutes, or until the onion is softened and translucent.
2. Stir in the flour and cook for an additional minute, then pour in the stock and stir well.
3. Add the sweet potato to the pan, bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat. Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring frequently, until the sweet potato is soft.
4. Stir in the corn kernels and cook for an additional five minutes.
5. Transfer 2-4 cups of the chowder to a food processor or blender (depending on how smooth or chunky you want the soup). Blend until smooth and then return to the pan. Mix thoroughly and season with salt and pepper. Read heat the soup, then serve immediately.
6. Serve with your favorite warm bread.

Pin It

Chive Tofu Scramble

• 1 package of extra firm tofu (14 ounces)
• 3 small red potatoes 
• 1 yellow onion, chopped 
• 1 orange bell pepper, chopped
• 3 small red heirloom tomatoes, chopped 
• 1/2 a cup of chives, chopped 
• 1 teaspoon of garlic, crushed
• 1/2 a teaspoon of turmeric 
• Cajun seasoning to taste, try McCormick's Cajun Seasoning  
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil

1. Cut the red potatoes in half. Add potatoes to a medium-sized pot with salted water and bring to a boil. Boil potatoes until you can poke a fork through them. But...you don't want the potatoes too soft, because you will brown them again later.
2. In a large saucepan add olive oil and garlic. Cook at medium-high heat for 1 minute so that the garlic is browned slightly. Then, add in the onions and the bell pepper. Stir continually until they are soft. 
3. Next, add in the potatoes. Season potatoes with Cajun seasoning, salt, and pepper to taste. Cook for approximately 5 minutes to allow the potatoes to form a brown crust. 
4. Crumble the tofu into the pan. Season the tofu with turmeric, salt, and pepper. Stir and cook for approximately 3 minutes. 
5. Lastly, add in the heirloom tomatoes and chives. Stir and cook for approximately 5 minutes. 
6. Serve and enjoy! 

All the ingredients chopped and ready! 

Tofu scramble view in the pan. 

Close up view of the tofu scramble. Yum! 

I served the tofu scramble with some sourdough toast on the side. 

Scarlette enjoying the smells of breakfast and some Sunday morning sunshine. 

Pin It

Vegan Gyros with Tzatziki Sauce

Save a lamb and try these delicious vegan gyros! 

Vegan Gyros! 

(Serves 2) 

• 1 package of Viana Veggie Gyros (Can be purchased at Whole Foods)
• 1/2 of a red onion, sliced 
• 2 roma tomatoes, diced 
• 1/2 cup of romaine lettuce 
• 2 pieces of pita bread 
• salt and pepper, to taste 
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil or coconut oil 

*Prepare Vegan Tzatziki Sauce below before so it has time chill before preparing gyros.

Then, prepare onions, tomatoes, and romaine lettuce as listed in recipe above. Saute Viana Veggie Gyros with 2 tablespoons of olive oil/coconut oil for approximately 4-5 minutes over medium heat or until slightly browned. Warm pita bread in a toaster oven or oven for 3-4 minutes at 350 degrees. Add veggie gyros onto pita, tomatoes, onion, lettuce, and tzatziki sauce. Serve with a side of rice pilaf as pictured below!

Vegan Tzatziki Sauce (Adapted from Veganized)

(Serves 4-6 and stays up to a week in an airtight container in the fridge)

• 12 ounces firm silken tofu (1 box)
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/2-1 teaspoon salt
• 2 -3 garlic cloves, chopped or 2 teaspoons of crushed garlic2 tablespoons olive oil
• pepper, to taste
• 1/2 a cucumber, seeded and grated
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill or dried dill

Directions:

1. In a blender/food processor blend silken tofu, lemon juice, vinegar and salt. When creamy, add chopped garlic and oil. Blend again. Taste, add pepper to taste and more salt if needed. Be careful not to add in too much salt...you can't take it back once it's added! Set aside and prepare cucumber.
2. Slice cucumber in half, peel, and remove seeds by scooping them out with a spoon. Dice cucumber slices. Add cucumber and dill to tofu dip, and mix. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1/2-1 hour so it's chilled before adding to gyro. Save leftovers for later to dip with veggies or chips!

Pin It

Spicy Thai Pasta Salad

This is a super quick and easy pasta salad. You can purchase everything from this recipe from good ol' Trader Joe's! I brought this over to share with friends when we watched Dexter a couple weeks ago, and it was a big hit!

Ingredients

• 1 bag of Trader Joe's Organic Brown Rice Pasta Fusilli (16 ounces)
• 1 bottle of Trader Joe's Spicy Peanut Dressing
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
• 2 Persian cucumbers, sliced 
• 1 cup of Trader Joe's Organic Broccoli Slaw 
• 1 cup of Trader Joe's Shredded Green Cabbage 
• Lime juice, to taste  
• Salt and Pepper, to taste

Method

Boil large pot of water and add salt. While water is heating prepare vegetables to be added into the salad. Once water is boiling, add pasta, and cook according to directions (8-10 minutes) or al dente. Don't over cook the pasta, because you don't want the pasta to be soggy once the dressing is added. Once the pasta is cooked, drain the pasta, and rinse it thoroughly with cold water. Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl. Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving. 

Pin It

Creamy Spinach Artichoke Dip (Paleo and Vegan)

Dexter just started this past Sunday!!! We get together (every Sunday) at my friends parent's house, eat yummy food, drink, play ping pong, and of course watch Dexter! I brought along this fabulous creamy spinach artichoke dip for my friend, Suzette, who just went paleo! It was my first paleo vegan recipe, and I definitely will be making it again and again!

 

 

Spinach-Artichoke Dip

Adapted from Paleo Spirit

Ingredients

• 2, 10 ounce boxes frozen, chopped spinach
• 2, 14 ounce cans or jars of artichoke hearts (I used cans of Trader Joe's Artichoke Hearts )
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small onion, diced (about 1 cup)
• 2 teaspoons crushed garlic, or 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt (adjust to taste and depending on how salty the artichoke hearts are)
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (to taste)
• 4 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 1/2 – 2 cups (approximate) cashew cream

Instructions

1. Defrost the spinach and squeeze out the excess water. Set aside.
2. Drain and roughly chop the artichokes.
3. Sauté the onions in the olive oil until translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute.
4. Stir in the chopped artichokes, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper and cayenne and heat through.
5. Add in the spinach and lemon juice and stir until heated through.
6. Stir in the cashew cream.

This dairy-free spinach-artichoke dip is best served warm. We enjoyed it with slices of cucumbers and yellow bell peppers because they were good for scooping. Not paleo... but great served with tortilla chips too!

Pin It

Vegan Chunky Monkey Cookies

Did you know that bananas make an excellent egg replacer! This was my first experience in using bananas as a substitute for eggs. I usually use an egg replacer powder. They aren't quite as powerful as egg replacer powder or flaxseed, but they worked great in this cookie recipe. Try using bananas instead of eggs in your next favorite baking recipe!

  

(Adapted from Namely Marley)

• ¼ cup vegan buttermilk, (soy milk with 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar)
• 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ cup margarine, softened
• ½ cup peanut butter
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• ¾ cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 ripe bananas, mashed
• 2 bags vegan chocolate chips
• 1 cup walnuts, chopped

Directions

1. Heat your oven to 375°.
2. Combine soy milk with 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar and set aside. Next, combine dry ingredients (flour, baking soda and salt) in small bowl. Beat margarine, peanut butter sugars, and vanilla in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add bananas and beat well. Gradually beat in flour mixture and then soy buttermilk mixture. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.
3. Bake for 11 to 15 minutes (depending on your oven) or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes. Place in an airtight container to keep fresh or bring them to work to share with your co-workers like I did!

Pin It