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Tag Archive: Vegan

Scrambled Tofu

Written on January 25, 2012 by Wannabe Chef in Breakfast, Entree

I love eggs. I really do. I have no problem with eating them for every meal. And some days I do. But I also love this vegan version of scrambled eggs, which is just as easy if not easier to make and packs a punch of flavor.

“How do you get tofu to look so much like eggs?” you might think. Tofu is so versatile to begin with; you can get it to be almost any texture and appearance with a little effort. The trick to getting a yellow color is turmeric, which adds very little flavor but a nice eggy look.

Now, this doesn’t taste terribly much like scrambled eggs. In fact, it would be pretty bland if it weren’t for the garlic, onion, and salt. In addition to those, you could add any herbs or other seasonings you might like to enjoy scrambled eggs with; for instance, add some cayenne pepper for a bit of a kick.

Scrambled Tofu

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 10 minutes

Ingredients(for 2 servings):

1 block firm or extra firm tofu
1/2 Tablespoon olive oil
3/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Method:

Heat a pan over a burner set to medium.
Mash the tofu with a fork to get it to a scrambled egg texture.
Pour the tofu and all of the rest of the ingredients into the hot pan. Mix together to distribute the seasoning.
Cook for 5-10 minutes until the tofu starts to brown and firm up.
Serve hot with home fries or toast.

I actually like this more than eggs because it’s usually easier to clean the pan afterwards; if that isn’t a good enough reason to make it, I don’t know what is.

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Firecracker Guacamole

Written on January 23, 2012 by Wannabe Chef in Miscellaneous

The Superbowl is coming up; I only know that because The Voice premiers right after it and that’s what I really want to watch. Maybe I’ll sit through 3 hours of football or maybe I’ll just eat chips and dip the whole time and not look up at the TV; the latter sounds more fun.

I never really made guacamole before and my first time got off to a rough start: I confused jalapeno and habanero peppers. I’m pretty sure traditional guacamole has jalapenos. This one has habaneros which are a little spicier. I didn’t wear gloves or anything while I was dicing it and ended up sniffling for the rest of the afternoon; those little buggers are hot!

What makes this guacamole unique is that the onions are gently cooked. No one wants raw onion breath, especially at a party. Sautéing them in a pan in some water takes away that bitterness, and since it’s cooked in water and not oil it saves the guacamole from getting too oily. You can include or exclude the cilantro based on your preference; I can’t stand the flavor so I left it out.

Firecracker Guacamole

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Ingredients:

3 ripe medium-sized avocadoes
1 small tomato
1/2 yellow onion
1 habanero pepper
1/2 Tablespoon lemon or lime juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons chopped cilantro(optional)

Method:

Peel and mash your avocadoes together in a large bowl.
Carefully dice the onion, tomato, and pepper. Add the tomato and pepper in with the avocado reserving the onion.
Heat a large pan over medium with a little water in the bottom. Quickly sauté the onion in the water for a couple minutes until the diced onions are semi-translucent. Remove from the heat and add in with the avocado.
Add in your citrus and salt and cilantro if using and mix all of the ingredients together.
Serve at room temperature. Store in the refrigerator for up to a day.

This wasn’t the spiciest thing I’ve ever tasted but it certainly wasn’t mild, either; it was right around my heat level. Just be careful to wash your hands after handling the pepper. Nobody wants to rub that into their eyes or worse.

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Semi-Raw Chocolate Rum Truffles

Written on January 20, 2012 by Wannabe Chef in Dessert

This weekend I’m moving back to Providence, which means I’ll be just a short bus ride away from my favorite bakery again. Lord help me, my stomach, and my wallet.

I keep trying to make some of their desserts in my own kitchen to save a little money, and I think I’ve figured out another one. Their rum truffles from what I can tell are a blend of dates, walnuts, cocoa powder, and rum that tastes amazingly close to a “real” chocolaty dessert for something that’s made with whole foods. Since I’ve been kind of on a date ball kick lately, I wanted to see if I could make these, too.

Ps. If you’re ever around Providence you need to get the gluten-free chocolate pound cake that’s lurking in the back. I’m not even a big fan of cake but will happily eat a slice or two of that. It’s high on my list of recipes to recreate right behind this one. All I need is about a dozen taste testers who are willing to eat through a couple failed pound cake attempts.

Semi-Raw Chocolate Rum Truffles

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Ingredients(Makes about a dozen):

3/4 cup walnut pieces
2 Tablespoons rum
8oz pitted dates
6 Tablespoons cocoa powder plus more for rolling
Extra 1/4 cup walnut pieces(optional)

Method:

Blend 3/4 cup walnut pieces in a food processor until it turns into a smooth, buttery consistency. You can add the rum at the beginning to help the walnuts blend faster.
Add in the dates and continue processing until the dough sticks to itself and starts forming into a ball.
Add in the cocoa powder and continue mixing until all of the powder has been worked into the ball.
Stop the food processor. Add in the extra walnuts if using and work them into the dough using your hands.
Pour some cocoa powder into a flat-bottom bowl or plate. Break off pieces of the truffle dough and roll them into circles in your hand, rolling them in the cocoa powder afterwards to cover all sides.
Store at room temperature in an airtight container.

These were good but a little lacking in the rum flavor. Next time I might try extract for a stronger punch of flavor. The originals also look better than mine came out, but isn’t that how it always is?

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Healthy Tofu Stir-Fry

Written on January 19, 2012 by Wannabe Chef in Entree

When I posted about seasoning rice, I got asked what I was eating it with. Well, here’s the recipe. It’s really hard to find gluten-free vegetarian options at Chinese restaurants. Most of the times I’ve been able to eat out, it’s been fried tofu, which is lovely the first few times but after a while starts weighing you down. Some things are just better to make yourself.

I didn’t press my tofu before making this but it would probably help the texture of the tofu. You could swap in tempeh cubes, seitan, or shredded chicken. To keep it gluten-free, make sure to use a wheat-free soy sauce.

Healthy Tofu Stir-Fry

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 2 servings)

1 block firm or extra firm tofu, cubed
2/3 cup bean sprouts
2/3 cup broccoli slaw
3 Tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 cup sugar OR 3 Tablespoons liquid sweetener
1 Tablespoon sriracha sauce(optional)
2 Tablespoons cooking starch(arrowroot, tapioca, or corn) + 2 Tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon toasted sesame oil(optional)

Method:

Heat up a large frying pan over medium heat and toss in the tofu, bean sprouts, broccoli slaw, soy sauce, sweetener and sriracha. Mix thoroughly
Cover with a lid and let the contents steam until the vegetables are tender and the tofu has taken on a brown color, about 5-10 minutes.
Dissolve your cooking starch in the water and pour it into the pan. Quickly mix the contents around while the starch turns the cooking liquid into a glaze.
Finish with salt and sesame oil if using. Serve hot with vegetables or rice.

This goes great with seasoned rice or healthy Chinese broccoli. I wouldn’t omit the sweetener or it would taste rather bland. If you don’t use the sriracha, add about 1/2 Tablespoon of rice vinegar instead to make the flavor pop.

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Homemade Lime Tortilla Chips

Written on January 18, 2012 by Wannabe Chef in Snack

One of my favorite snacks used to be tortilla chips “with a hint of lime”. You know the ones that were so salty it was borderline sickening but you couldn’t stop snacking on them? I assume they still sell those even though I haven’t shopped for them in ages. But one day it hit me: Why not make my own?

These aren’t made completely from scratch; to start you use corn tortillas, which you can get practically at any grocery store. They’re one of my new favorite things to pick up because they’re so versatile and naturally gluten-free. Besides that you just need some limes and a few other common pantry items.

Because they’re baked, they’re also a little healthier than your average tortilla chip. They’re flavorful enough to be eaten on their on, or go really well with salsa or guacamole.

Homemade Lime Tortilla Chips

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

10 6-inch corn tortillas
1 Tablespoon oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
Zest from 1 lime
Juice from 1/2 lime(about 1 Tablespoon)

Method:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Cut your tortillas into halves and then thirds.
In a large bowl, toss all of the ingredients together until the chips are covered in juice.
Lay the chips out on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. They don’t need to be in a single layer but do your best to keep overlap to a minimum.
Bake for 25-30 minutes until the tortilla chips turn golden and are crisp.
Remove them from the oven and pick the chips apart so that they don’t stick to each other. Serve hot with salsa or guacamole or on their own.

Next time I might add a bit of sugar to enhance the lime flavor since a little sugar is never a bad thing. Otherwise, I was really happy with these; they were extremely crisp and held up to dipping perfectly.

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Chocolate Peanut Butter Snack Balls

Written on January 11, 2012 by Wannabe Chef in Snack

Lately I’ve been obsessed with these raw fruit and nut snacks. And I’m always obsessed with chocolate peanut butter. I can’t understand what took me so long to combine the two.

I’m not going to sugarcoat these and say they taste like Reese’s peanut butter cups; they don’t, and anyone who could get that flavor with just fruit and nuts would be a miracle worker. But these do taste deliciously sweet and salty with a hint of cocoa and silky smooth peanut butter. They’re certainly good enough to satisfy a snack craving. And if you want to take these to the next level, you can always mix some chocolate chips(or peanut butter chips!) into the batter for a real chocolate peanut butter treat.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Snack Balls

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Ingredients(makes about 14 balls):

16oz pitted dates
1/2 cup peanut butter
6 Tablespoons cocoa powder
3 Tablespoons chia seeds
1/4 cup peanuts or chocolate chips(optional)

Method:

Blend the dates in a food processor until they stick together and form a big dough ball.
Add in the peanut butter and cocoa powder and continue mixing until all of the ingredients are blended together.
Stop the processor; move the dough to a separate bowl and add in the chia seeds and any other mix-ins you might want. Knead them in throughout the dough.
Break off 1oz pieces and roll them into 1-inch balls. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.

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How To Season Rice

Written on January 10, 2012 by Wannabe Chef in How To

I never really liked rice. Growing up we would have Chinese takeout at least once a week—usually Friday nights—and the last thing I would touch would be the rice. It always tasted so plain. I even bought a rice cooker and for a year never made rice in it; why would I?

That’s probably because all the rice I had tried was just rice—nothing added to it—and that’s just not good. Add a little seasoning, however, and rice goes from a side dish to a star on the plate.

Seasoning rice is so easy and just requires a few pantry staples. The flavor is similar to the seasoned rice in sushi rolls. And because the sugar makes the rice sticky, it’s easier to eat with chopsticks! I used brown basmati rice because that’s what was on hand, but you can use brown or rice, long or short grain.

How To Season Rice

You’ll need:

2 cups cooked rice
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 Tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar*
1/2 Tablespoon Sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon salt

*Can use white vinegar in a pinch

Method:

Heat up the rice in a pot or microwave if it’s not already hot.
Add in the sugar, vinegar, sesame oil, and salt and mix thoroughly.
Scoop onto plates and serve hot.

Once you’ve mastered making delicious rice, everything else on the plate instantly tastes better, too. You can mix in whole sesame seeds or chili powder for a stronger flavor if you’d like.

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DIY Nutella

Written on January 9, 2012 by Wannabe Chef in Miscellaneous

As sacrilegious as it sounds, I’ve never really understood the fuss over Nutella. It just tastes syrupy sweet to me and I’d rather have a bar of milk chocolate than that.

I have had a few good chocolate hazelnut spreads, like Justin’s which is one of the best. I could sit down and eat a jar of it with a spoon. It actually tastes like hazelnuts since they’re the first ingredient and that’s what makes it so irresistible. But it’s also way out of my price range. Why pay for it when making your own is so much cheaper?

This tastes very similar to the Justin’s chocolate hazelnut butter since the number one ingredient is hazelnuts. It’s very loose at room temperature; keep it refrigerated for something closer to the texture of a no-stir peanut butter.

DIY Nutella

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Ingredients(Makes about 1 1/4 cups):

2 cups(8oz) hazelnuts*
1/2 Tablespoon oil
1/4 cup cocoa powder
3 Tablespoons powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt

*You can use raw or roasted, skin on or off. Ones that have been roasted with the skin off will probably blend into a butter the fastest.

Method:

Combine the hazelnuts and oil in a food processor and process until it forms a smooth hazelnut butter.
Add in the cocoa powder, powdered sugar, and salt and keep mixing until it’s uniform in texture.
Scoop into a container and keep refrigerated when not eating.

Next time I make this I plan on doubling the recipe; this just wasn’t enough to last very long around here.

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PB&J Balls

Written on January 4, 2012 by Wannabe Chef in Snack

One of my favorite lunches growing up was a PB&J sandwich on white Wonderbread. Who doesn’t love peanut butter and jelly? And Wonderbread—that was just great stuff before anyone realized bread shouldn’t be glow-in-the-dark white.

I’m getting sidetracked. What I meant to say was that these taste like the filling of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, that point where the sweetness of the jelly meets the smooth salty peanut butter. Since I hardly ever buy loaves of gluten-free bread, that’s not a taste I get to experience much; now I can have it whenever in a tasty raw snack.

You can mix in chopped peanuts at the final mixing step for a crunchier texture. For a different “jelly” flavor, use dried raspberries or dried strawberries in place of the raisins.

PB&J Balls

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Ingredients(Makes about 18 balls):

1 1/2 cup pitted dates
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
3 Tablespoons chia seeds(optional but recommended)

Method:

Place the dates and raisins into a food processor and blend until they come together and form a dough ball.
Add in the peanut butter and chia seeds and continue blending until everything has mixed together.
Move the ingredients to a bowl and work them with your hands until it forms one big dough ball.
Break off pieces by the ounce and roll into balls between your palms. Store in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to a week.

I loved these even more after a day when the chia seeds had taken out some of the moisture and made them nice and chewy. It reminded me of a PB&J Larabar, so you could definitely shape these into bar form and have your own homemade ones.

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Raw Salted Almond Brownies

Written on January 3, 2012 by Wannabe Chef in Dessert

The last time I made raw brownies, I didn’t share the recipe. I wasn’t planning on it this time, either, but these came out so well I felt I’d be holding out if I didn’t share them.

These almonds from Trader Joe’s are incredibly addicting; I’m pretty sure they’re all gone by now. Anything with chocolate and salt and I can’t stop snacking. Why not make some brownies with the same mix-ins?

The almond butter in these brownies make them a little more fudgy and decadent than your typical date bars. You can use any type of nuts you have on hand.

Raw Salted Almond Brownies

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Ingredients(Makes a dozen brownies):

16oz pitted dates
1/4 cup raw almond butter
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/3 cup almonds
1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt

Method:

Put the dates in a food processor and blend until they stick together into a ball of dough. If the dates haven’t come together after a few minutes, add a tablespoon or so of water until they do.
Add in the cocoa powder and almond butter and continue blending until they are mixed into the dough.
Add in the almonds and sea salt. Pulse until the almonds are broken up into pieces.
Turn off the food processor and move the mixture to a different bowl. Work it with your hands until all of the ingredients are well mixed together and the almonds stick in the batter.
Turn the dough out onto a piece of parchment paper and press with your hands into a square shape roughly 9×9. Cut into 12 pieces. Store in a sealed container at room temperature when not eating.

These are particularly good with some salty peanut butter spread on top as a snack or dessert. Next time I think I’ll use the chocolate covered almonds in the brownie dough assuming I don’t eat them all first again.

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