Author: PatagoniaLlami

Like many soy foods, tofu (or curd bean) originated in China. Legend talks it was accidentally discovered about 2000 years ago during the Han Dynasty when some cooker curdled soy milk with nigari seaweed. Being a staple food in Thai and Chinese cuisine, tofu has become popular among Western nations ever since the 1960s when there has been a sustained and progressive interest in both healthy eating and vegetarian diets. Indeed, it contains highly digestible protein which is the best meat alternative for vegans. So 30g or a ¼ cup of cooked tofu gives as much protein as 1 oz. of lean meat does. Tofu helps to maintain bone strength by containing substantial amounts of calcium and magnesium. It is also high in potassium which is useful for the heart and vascular system. Like other soy products tofu contains estrogen-like substances called isoflavones, hence tofu-enriched diets may help women to relieve menopausal symptoms to some extent. Cooked tofu is among the foods recommended for consumption while in treatment for some types of cancer.

The recipe can be found here -http://www.mynutricounter.com/black-pepper-tofu/


—Nikki Brown

Directions

1. Lightly dust tofu with cornstarch, shaking off excess.
   
2. Pan fry in vegetable oil, turning occasionally until golden brown on all sides. Drain on paper towels and set aside.
   
3. Heat vegetable oil in a pan.
   
4. Sauté ginger, red pepper, and black peppercorns until aromatic.
   
5. Stir together water, cornstarch, sweet soy sauce, light soy sauce, and sugar in a bowl until free from lumps.
   
6. Pour mixture into the pan and simmer until thick.
   
7. Toss the fried tofu cubes into the sauce until evenly coated.
   
8. Top with chopped spring onions.
   
9. Tip: Tofu may also be baked instead of fried. Expel as much moisture out of tofu blocks by pressing then bake for 30 minutes at 350F, flipping halfway through the cooking time.

Directions

1. Pour half the oil into a dutch oven or whatever vessel you cook your soup in, over medium heat, when oil is starting to bubble, add onions,red pepper flakes and garlic.
2. Caramelize over medium low heat 30 minutes or until soft, golden, and sweet.
3. Add carrots, celery, stir. Add chickpeas,potato, tomatoes, water, oregano, paprika, salt, pepper and stock.
4. Turn heat to medium high, when the soup begins to simmer, turn heat to low and cook 1 hr.
5. add fresh parsley and dill, drizzle remaining oil over the top of each serving and serve with lemon wedges. I like to blend mine with a emulsion blender, making sure to leave some texture, this leaves the soup with a velvety finish. I served mine with Chevre smeared baguette slices, but you can choose your own breadventure.

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the salt, garlic, chili, ginger, lime zest, potatoes, and corn; cook until soft and fragrant, about 3 minutes.
2. If using, put the corn cobs into to the pot. Add the lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves. Cover all with the vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and partially cover the pot, leaving some space so the steam can escape. Simmer for 45 minutes, until all of the vegetables are soft.
3. Turn off the heat and remove the lemongrass and kaffir lime leaf from the pot. With an immersion blender, partially blend the soup so it is thick and creamy but with some whole corn kernels left. Alternatively, you can remove about half of the soup and blend it in a standing blender before adding it back to the pot.
4. Add the coconut milk, cherry tomatoes, Thai basil, cilantro, and lime juice (leaving some of the herbs aside for a garnish – if you like to garnish). Bring the soup back to a gentle simmer for about 10 minutes, until the tomatoes are soft and the soup is hot. Add more salt, to taste.
5. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with the remaining herbs. Top with some sriracha for additional heat and savor the sweet corn (while it lasts).

Directions

1. Onion Rings
2. Heat oil in a small pot over medium heat
3. vIn a shallow bowl, mix 1/2 cup flour, 1/4 cup milk, 1/4 cup water, baking soda and salt. Stir well to combine and create a batter. In a separate bowl, combine puffed quinoa or millet, bread crumbs, salt and garlic powder.
4. Toss the sliced onion with 1 cup flour in a ziplock bag to coat evenly
5. Dip each ring into the batter, letting excess drop off. Then dip into the quinoa/breadcrumb mixture. Press the quinoa/breadcrumbs onto the ring to ensure it sticks.
6. Place the coated ring into the heated oil and fry for about 3-4 minutes, flipping once. To ensure your oil is hot enough, wet your fingers and flick a bit of water into the oil. If it sizzles, you’re good to go. Once cooked, remove with tongs and place on some paper towel to drain.
7. Repeat the same process with the rest of the rings – I made 8 large onion rings – enough for 1 per burger!

1. Burger and Slaw
2. For the Slaw: In a medium bowl, combine cabbage, onion, vinegar, sugar and salt. Stir to coat evenly and set aside.
3. For the roasted red pepper: Set oven to broil. Place red pepper on a baking sheet and broil until the skin turns black – about 6-8 minutes. Remove from oven and place in a paper bag to steam. Once cool enough to touch, peel the burnt skin off and discard. Slice roasted pepper into long strips.
4. For the burger: Prepare your flax egg – mix 2 tbsp ground flax with 1/3 cup warm water. Whisk together then place in the fridge to set.
5. In a large pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook until tender, about 3-5 minutes. Add garlic and continue to cook for 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer to a large bowl.
6. Add the remaining burger ingredients (red pepper through salt + pepper) to the same bowl and combine. I used a potato masher to ensure everything was sufficiently mixed together, but a fork and some elbow grease does the job too. Don’t forget to get your flax egg from the fridge and add this to the mix as well!
7. With wet hands, form into about 8 equal patties. Heat a bit of oil in a large pan over medium heat (same one you used before is fine). Cook burgers for about 4-5 minutes on each side.
8. Once cooked, assemble – you know the drill, bun bottom, lettuce, slaw, burger, onion ring, BBQ sauce, hot sauce, bun top.

Directions

1. Heat the olive oil over medium in a saucepan and, once hot, add the diced onion and celery to the pan. Cook until soft, about 5 minutes.
2. Stir in the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer cook for 15 minutes. Add in black beans, hominy, quinoa, Frank’s, smoked paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper. Continue to cook 15 more minutes, until the flavors have melded.
3. To serve, ladle chili into broiler-safe bowls. Top with blue cheese and place under broiler until cheese melts, 3 to 5 minutes.

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees c) and line a large baking sheet with baking paper. Toss sweet potatoes with olive oil and 1 tsp salt. Place on baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes or until soft and beginning to brown (some crisp brown spots are great).
2. Place sunflower seeds, lime juice, olive oil, and salt in small roasting pan (a loaf pan works great) and place in oven while the sweet potatoes are roasting. After 20 minutes, check to see if they are toasted and remove from oven as soon as they are lightly brown.
3. While sweet potatoes and sunflower seeds are roasting, prepare dressing. If you have a mortar and pestle, grind toasted cumin seeds and salt to a rough powder. If not, use a (clean) coffee grinder. If no coffee grinder, place cumin and salt with all dressing ingredients except olive oil in a bowl or blender (an immersion blender works great for this). Blend until smooth and carefully/slowly add olive oil in a steady stream, until dressing is thick and creamy. Taste for salt/seasoning, and set aside.
4. Once sweet potatoes are done roasting, remove from oven and when still hot/warm, place in a large bowl and gently toss with dressing. Let sit for 15 minutes for flavors to meld. When ready to serve, toss with fresh parsley and mint. Sprinkle with cumin lime sunflower seeds and enjoy.

Directions

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Toss the squash, brussels sprouts, apples, and shallots in 2 tbsp oil and season well with salt and pepper. Roast till vegetables are very tender (I actually like my sprouts a bit singed) and remove from oven. Reduce oven heat to 350.
2. Heat other tbsp oil in a large pot. Sautee the onion and celery till translucent (about 5-8 min). Add the bread cubes and allow them to get golden brown with the veggies in the oil. Add a dash of salt and pepper.
3. Add the roasted vegetables, vegetable broth, cranberries, pecans, and seasonings. Stir the mix till the broth has almost entirely absorbed in the toasted bread. Transfer to a baking sheet and bake at 350 for about 20 minutes. Serve hot. And delicious.