Simply Healthy Dinner Recipes are a Breeze with a Well-Stocked Pantry

With today's hectic urban lifestyle, working professionals often resort to fast food after a busy day at the office. It's convenient but also unhealthy. Fixing dinner shouldn't have to be a chore. Even if you're no culinary whiz, simple healthy dinner recipes are possible if you have a well-stocked pantry. The idea is to avoid the need to go grocery shopping every time you cook, because it cuts through the food preparation time.

Knowing what to keep on hand makes it easy for me to cook a delicious, nutritious meal every night of the week that doesn't involve burgers, fries, pizza or anything deep-fried. The benefits of cooking my own meal over opting for take-out are fairly obvious - I control the amount of salt, fat, sugar that goes into everything as prepackaged food items contain preservatives and additives that have no business in my food or my body. Eating real food goes a long way in improving my mealtime habits.

Still confused on what to pick at the grocery? Allow me simplify things by sharing food items that could be staples in your home. Adjust it according to your family's lifestyle and eating habits and you'll be whipping up a meal in a snap.

Flours - unbleached white, wheat, rice, cake, almond

Sugars - brown, cane or beet, powdered, turbinado or demerara

Dry Pastas - a few different shapes and sizes

Grains - couscous, rice, barley, quinoa, oats, flax, cornmeal

Oils - olive oil, canola oil, coconut oil, peanut oil, sesame oil

Vegetables - onions, potatoes, garlic

Canned/Jarred Tomatoes - sauce, diced, stewed, paste

Spreads - peanut, almond & hazelnut butters, jam, jelly

Natural Sweeteners - honey, maple syrup, agave

Vinegars - balsamic, white, red wine, apple cider, rice wine

Specialty Sauces - hot sauce, Tabasco, oyster sauce, mirin, rice wine, soy sauce

Nuts - almonds, walnuts, pecans, pine nuts, coconut

Dried Fruit - raisins, apricots, dates, cherries, cranberries

Dried or Canned Beans- black, navy, pinto, kidney

Canned fish/seafood - tuna, salmon, clams, sardines, anchovies

Specialty Items - artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, olives

Herbs and Spices - oregano, basil, parsley, rosemary, cumin, peppers and many more

Salts - kosher, sea salt, pickling salt, rock salt

Baking Ingredients - baking powder, baking soda, yeast, cream of tartar, chocolate

Extracts - vanilla, almond, lemon, peppermint

Beverages - coffee, tea, cocoa

You don't have to buy everything at once. The trick here is to consider the food items you eat regularly. Make a list of the foods you eat at least once a week because chances are you will need the same items when you replenish your stock. Build up your pantry gradually. Remember to also clean out your pantry occasionally and dispose of anything past its expiration period. A well-stocked pantry makes grocery shopping easier because you only need to buy perishable items (meat, vegetables and other fresh ingredients) and not every herb, sauce or condiment needed for a particular recipe you have in mind for dinner.

I cook from time to time so I'm pretty much familiar with the stuff I have in my kitchen. Mom says I make the best buffalo wing sauce while my raspberry vinaigrette dressing recipe is fast becoming a favorite at family gatherings. I've recently experimented with marinades using what I have in my pantry and I'm close to perfecting what I consider to be the best marinade for chicken. Now who says cooking is boring, huh?

I credit my love for the culinary arts in keeping me healthy all these years. I am now conscious of what I eat and even more with the food preparation. To eat healthy, I made healthy choices in what I eat all the time - meals and snacks. Eating a healthy, balanced diet provides me the necessary nutrients I need. These nutrients give me energy and keep my heart beating, my brain active, and my muscles working. And it's all thanks to my well-stocked pantry.

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

With today's hectic urban lifestyle, working professionals often resort to fast food after a busy day at the office. It's convenient but also unhealthy. Fixing dinner shouldn't have to be a chore. Even if you're no culinary whiz, simple healthy dinner recipes are possible if you have a well-stocked pantry. The idea is to avoid the need to go grocery shopping every time you cook, because it cuts through the food preparation time.

Knowing what to keep on hand makes it easy for me to cook a delicious, nutritious meal every night of the week that doesn't involve burgers, fries, pizza or anything deep-fried. The benefits of cooking my own meal over opting for take-out are fairly obvious - I control the amount of salt, fat, sugar that goes into everything as prepackaged food items contain preservatives and additives that have no business in my food or my body. Eating real food goes a long way in improving my mealtime habits.

Still confused on what to pick at the grocery? Allow me simplify things by sharing food items that could be staples in your home. Adjust it according to your family's lifestyle and eating habits and you'll be whipping up a meal in a snap.

Flours - unbleached white, wheat, rice, cake, almond

Sugars - brown, cane or beet, powdered, turbinado or demerara

Dry Pastas - a few different shapes and sizes

Grains - couscous, rice, barley, quinoa, oats, flax, cornmeal

Oils - olive oil, canola oil, coconut oil, peanut oil, sesame oil

Vegetables - onions, potatoes, garlic

Canned/Jarred Tomatoes - sauce, diced, stewed, paste

Spreads - peanut, almond & hazelnut butters, jam, jelly

Natural Sweeteners - honey, maple syrup, agave

Vinegars - balsamic, white, red wine, apple cider, rice wine

Specialty Sauces - hot sauce, Tabasco, oyster sauce, mirin, rice wine, soy sauce

Nuts - almonds, walnuts, pecans, pine nuts, coconut

Dried Fruit - raisins, apricots, dates, cherries, cranberries

Dried or Canned Beans- black, navy, pinto, kidney

Canned fish/seafood - tuna, salmon, clams, sardines, anchovies

Specialty Items - artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, olives

Herbs and Spices - oregano, basil, parsley, rosemary, cumin, peppers and many more

Salts - kosher, sea salt, pickling salt, rock salt

Baking Ingredients - baking powder, baking soda, yeast, cream of tartar, chocolate

Extracts - vanilla, almond, lemon, peppermint

Beverages - coffee, tea, cocoa

You don't have to buy everything at once. The trick here is to consider the food items you eat regularly. Make a list of the foods you eat at least once a week because chances are you will need the same items when you replenish your stock. Build up your pantry gradually. Remember to also clean out your pantry occasionally and dispose of anything past its expiration period. A well-stocked pantry makes grocery shopping easier because you only need to buy perishable items (meat, vegetables and other fresh ingredients) and not every herb, sauce or condiment needed for a particular recipe you have in mind for dinner.

I cook from time to time so I'm pretty much familiar with the stuff I have in my kitchen. Mom says I make the best buffalo wing sauce while my raspberry vinaigrette dressing recipe is fast becoming a favorite at family gatherings. I've recently experimented with marinades using what I have in my pantry and I'm close to perfecting what I consider to be the best marinade for chicken. Now who says cooking is boring, huh?

I credit my love for the culinary arts in keeping me healthy all these years. I am now conscious of what I eat and even more with the food preparation. To eat healthy, I made healthy choices in what I eat all the time - meals and snacks. Eating a healthy, balanced diet provides me the necessary nutrients I need. These nutrients give me energy and keep my heart beating, my brain active, and my muscles working. And it's all thanks to my well-stocked pantry.

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Simon's Vegan Laksa - Vegan MOFO Day 28

We came across this vegan Laksa recipe from the The Cook And The Chef  (You can see the youtube video of the episode here.) and I decided to take on the challenge of making my own Laksa paste! You know, making something form scratch is pretty satisfying sometimes.  

I substituted a few things on the recipe that I couldn't find (I also forgot to grab a lime form the shop and there were none at any supermarkets in Brunswick!!!!).  Instead of using Kaffir lime zest in the paste, I put Kaffir lime leaves in the soup.

Paste
2 teaspoon vegetarian blachan Mighty Mite
2 medium onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic
1 kaffir lime, zested (I use 3 kaffir lime leaves in the soup instead)
2 stalks lemongrass, finely sliced
1 tablespoon chopped galangal ginger
1 teaspoon turmeric, chopped turmeric powder
2 dried red chillies, deseeded and soaked 2 teaspoon red chillie flakes
30g macadamia nuts
1 tablespoon coriander seeds, roasted and ground powder
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
3 coriander roots
80ml peanut oil olive oil, 50ml for the paste, 30ml for frying

Soup
½ small bunch coriander leaves
1 packet Hokkien noodles, egg free rice noodles (500g)
1 bunch Vietnamese mint (rau raum)
300ml coconut milk (Chef's Choice)
600ml vegetable stock
2 limes, juiced 1/4 cup lime juice
1 bok choy, cut into ¼ lengthways
1 small  packet fried tofu (Yenson), cut into chunky slices
Thai seasoned soy sauce Chang's GF soy sauce to taste
2 teaspoons crispy shallot
Bean sprouts
3 red chillies, sliced red chillie flakes

Method

Blend all the paste ingredients in a blender until it becomes a smooth paste. This can be frozen, kept in a sealed jar or cooked for laksa soup.

Heat 30ml of oil in a saucepan and add about four tablespoons of the laksa paste. Fry until fragrant. Add coconut milk (and 3 Lime Leaves) and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the stock and simmer for 15 minutes. Add bok choy and tofu and simmer for a few minutes. Season with Thai soy sauce GF soy sauce and lime juice.


Pour hot water over the hokkien noodles Cook rice noodle in a pot. Drain. Place heated noodles in serving bowls. Pour soup over noodles, making sure every bowl gets bok choy and tofu. Garnish with fresh chilli flakes, bean sprouts, coriander, crispy shallots and a little zested kaffir lime.

I reckon it tasted pretty damn good and authentic.  Not too hard to make too.

We came across this vegan Laksa recipe from the The Cook And The Chef  (You can see the youtube video of the episode here.) and I decided to take on the challenge of making my own Laksa paste! You know, making something form scratch is pretty satisfying sometimes.  

I substituted a few things on the recipe that I couldn't find (I also forgot to grab a lime form the shop and there were none at any supermarkets in Brunswick!!!!).  Instead of using Kaffir lime zest in the paste, I put Kaffir lime leaves in the soup.

Paste
2 teaspoon vegetarian blachan Mighty Mite
2 medium onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic
1 kaffir lime, zested (I use 3 kaffir lime leaves in the soup instead)
2 stalks lemongrass, finely sliced
1 tablespoon chopped galangal ginger
1 teaspoon turmeric, chopped turmeric powder
2 dried red chillies, deseeded and soaked 2 teaspoon red chillie flakes
30g macadamia nuts
1 tablespoon coriander seeds, roasted and ground powder
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
3 coriander roots
80ml peanut oil olive oil, 50ml for the paste, 30ml for frying

Soup
½ small bunch coriander leaves
1 packet Hokkien noodles, egg free rice noodles (500g)
1 bunch Vietnamese mint (rau raum)
300ml coconut milk (Chef's Choice)
600ml vegetable stock
2 limes, juiced 1/4 cup lime juice
1 bok choy, cut into ¼ lengthways
1 small  packet fried tofu (Yenson), cut into chunky slices
Thai seasoned soy sauce Chang's GF soy sauce to taste
2 teaspoons crispy shallot
Bean sprouts
3 red chillies, sliced red chillie flakes

Method

Blend all the paste ingredients in a blender until it becomes a smooth paste. This can be frozen, kept in a sealed jar or cooked for laksa soup.

Heat 30ml of oil in a saucepan and add about four tablespoons of the laksa paste. Fry until fragrant. Add coconut milk (and 3 Lime Leaves) and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the stock and simmer for 15 minutes. Add bok choy and tofu and simmer for a few minutes. Season with Thai soy sauce GF soy sauce and lime juice.


Pour hot water over the hokkien noodles Cook rice noodle in a pot. Drain. Place heated noodles in serving bowls. Pour soup over noodles, making sure every bowl gets bok choy and tofu. Garnish with fresh chilli flakes, bean sprouts, coriander, crispy shallots and a little zested kaffir lime.

I reckon it tasted pretty damn good and authentic.  Not too hard to make too.

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Creamy Corn-Crusted Tempeh Pot Pie - Vegan MOFO Day 14

Tempeh is a totally awesome ingredient to cook with.  I have used it to make the famous tempeh "bacon", my Cantonese style "steak" and Masterchef pressure test stroganoff.  

Last week, I made the Creamy Corn-Crusted Tempeh Pot Pie from Terry Hope Romero's Viva Vegan.  I made a few substitutions and omitted a few ingredients but it still tasted very yummy!  

I don't think I should post the recipe as the author hasn't shared it on-line. It is like the Chilean version of shepherd pie but tastier. We both like the crispy but smooth corn topping a lot!  K doesn't like olives, so I skipped it (and the fresh basil leaves that we don't have).  I also used dried cherries instead of dark raisins (as I couldn't be bothered to go to the shops again).

  

yum

shaved Cheezly for extra awesomeness 

Tempeh is a totally awesome ingredient to cook with.  I have used it to make the famous tempeh "bacon", my Cantonese style "steak" and Masterchef pressure test stroganoff.  

Last week, I made the Creamy Corn-Crusted Tempeh Pot Pie from Terry Hope Romero's Viva Vegan.  I made a few substitutions and omitted a few ingredients but it still tasted very yummy!  

I don't think I should post the recipe as the author hasn't shared it on-line. It is like the Chilean version of shepherd pie but tastier. We both like the crispy but smooth corn topping a lot!  K doesn't like olives, so I skipped it (and the fresh basil leaves that we don't have).  I also used dried cherries instead of dark raisins (as I couldn't be bothered to go to the shops again).

  

yum

shaved Cheezly for extra awesomeness 

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Zucchini Quinoa Lasagna-That Recipe Looks Familar

My last post for that recipe looks familiar involves lasagna, but not the regular kind. This uses zucchini instead of pasta and has a quinoa filling. Although the recipe is originally from another overseas blog, I only come across it when Vicki posted it for vegan mofo last year. I doubled this to make enough for dinner and leftovers for tomorrow and added more cheezly on top.

Zucchini Quinoa Lasagna from Peas and Thank You  as seen on Vicki Vegan
Serves 4-6

• 2 large zucchini, cut into 12 thin, 1/4 in. thick slices
• salt
• 1 c. quinoa, rinsed
• 2 c. vegetable broth
• 1/2 c. tomato sauce
• 1/4 c. minced onion
• 1 t. dried oregano
• 1/4 c. fresh basil, chopped
• 1/4 c. fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 T. organic or non-dairy cream cheese (optional) tofutti sour cream
  
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 jar  marinara sauce
• 1/2 c.  non-dairy cheese

Preheat oven to 400.
To prepare zucchini, cut a strip off of one side to make a flat base.

Then, thinly slice zucchini into “noodles.”  You’ll want 12 noodles in total.

Place noodles in a colander and sprinkle with salt, layering between paper towels.

Let this sit and absorb moisture while preparing the quinoa.

Combine quinoa, vegetable broth, tomato sauce, onion and oregano in a large saucepan and bring to a boil.

Cover and lower heat, simmering for 20 minutes.
When quinoa has absorbed all the liquid, fold in cream cheese and herbs.

Add salt and pepper to taste, and try not to eat the whole pot.

Believe it or not, it gets better.
Pour enough of marinara in the bottom of an 8×8 baking dish to cover the bottom.  Using a clean dry towel, blot remaining moisture and salt from zucchini and layer 4 noodles across the sauce.

Put a layer of quinoa across the zucchini,

and cover with another 1/3 c. of marinara sauce.
Repeat with another layer of quinoa, sauce and zucchini.
Top the final layer of zucchini with remaining sauce and 1/2 c. of cheese, if using.

Bake lasagna for 30 minutes, until heated through and zucchini is tender.



Toby and I both enjoyed this and found it to be a great way to use up quinoa but probably prefer my mothers tofu lasagna if we had to choose, but then you always prefer you mothers cooking, right? Overall though the quinoa worked really well as a filling, it held together well and was quite feeling, I wonder how it would go if I combined the two recipes.

My last post for that recipe looks familiar involves lasagna, but not the regular kind. This uses zucchini instead of pasta and has a quinoa filling. Although the recipe is originally from another overseas blog, I only come across it when Vicki posted it for vegan mofo last year. I doubled this to make enough for dinner and leftovers for tomorrow and added more cheezly on top.

Zucchini Quinoa Lasagna from Peas and Thank You  as seen on Vicki Vegan
Serves 4-6

• 2 large zucchini, cut into 12 thin, 1/4 in. thick slices
• salt
• 1 c. quinoa, rinsed
• 2 c. vegetable broth
• 1/2 c. tomato sauce
• 1/4 c. minced onion
• 1 t. dried oregano
• 1/4 c. fresh basil, chopped
• 1/4 c. fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 T. organic or non-dairy cream cheese (optional) tofutti sour cream
  
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 jar  marinara sauce
• 1/2 c.  non-dairy cheese

Preheat oven to 400.
To prepare zucchini, cut a strip off of one side to make a flat base.

Then, thinly slice zucchini into “noodles.”  You’ll want 12 noodles in total.

Place noodles in a colander and sprinkle with salt, layering between paper towels.

Let this sit and absorb moisture while preparing the quinoa.

Combine quinoa, vegetable broth, tomato sauce, onion and oregano in a large saucepan and bring to a boil.

Cover and lower heat, simmering for 20 minutes.
When quinoa has absorbed all the liquid, fold in cream cheese and herbs.

Add salt and pepper to taste, and try not to eat the whole pot.

Believe it or not, it gets better.
Pour enough of marinara in the bottom of an 8×8 baking dish to cover the bottom.  Using a clean dry towel, blot remaining moisture and salt from zucchini and layer 4 noodles across the sauce.

Put a layer of quinoa across the zucchini,

and cover with another 1/3 c. of marinara sauce.
Repeat with another layer of quinoa, sauce and zucchini.
Top the final layer of zucchini with remaining sauce and 1/2 c. of cheese, if using.

Bake lasagna for 30 minutes, until heated through and zucchini is tender.



Toby and I both enjoyed this and found it to be a great way to use up quinoa but probably prefer my mothers tofu lasagna if we had to choose, but then you always prefer you mothers cooking, right? Overall though the quinoa worked really well as a filling, it held together well and was quite feeling, I wonder how it would go if I combined the two recipes.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Vegemite Tofu

I always cook Matthew's Delicious Tofu for dinner. It is fast, full of protein (3x500g tofu!!) and yummy.

The other day, K and I were talking about serving pan fried tofu with the vegemite gravy we made before.  And now we have a new easy weeknight dish.

Instead of vegemite or NON-gluten-free Marmite, we used Freedom Foods' Vege Spread.


Vegemite Tofu
(serves 6)

What you need:

3 packs of 500g firm tofu, sliced or diced (We love Yenson's so does Cindy & Michael)
Whatever amount (within reason) of vegies, chopped 
Handful of sesame seeds
1 TBSP of sesame oil or raw coconut butter
6 gloves of garlic, minced (or you can use the whole thing)
2-4 TBSP Freedom Foods' Vege Spread
1 to 3 TPSP of corn flour or any gluten-free flour
1 1/2 cup of water
Dash of tamari or gluten-free soy sauce (We use Chang's)

What you need to do:

- Brown sesame seed on fry pan, set aside.  

- Heat oil and pan fry tofu on non-stick fry pan or wok, add dash of tamari on top of tofu just before you flip it.  Set aside in a big metal mixing bowl or tray.

- Heat oil on non-stick fry pan or wok.  Saute minced garlic for a moment and add vegies.  Stir fry for a moment.

- Add Vege Spread and water.  Stir fry until it's mixed in with vegie.

- Slowly add gluten-free flour to the pan.  Keep stirring until it is thick enough.


- Add tofu back to the pan and sprinkle sesame seeds on top.

You can serve it with brown rice, noodles or even mashed potatoes!

I always cook Matthew's Delicious Tofu for dinner. It is fast, full of protein (3x500g tofu!!) and yummy.

The other day, K and I were talking about serving pan fried tofu with the vegemite gravy we made before.  And now we have a new easy weeknight dish.

Instead of vegemite or NON-gluten-free Marmite, we used Freedom Foods' Vege Spread.


Vegemite Tofu
(serves 6)

What you need:

3 packs of 500g firm tofu, sliced or diced (We love Yenson's so does Cindy & Michael)
Whatever amount (within reason) of vegies, chopped 
Handful of sesame seeds
1 TBSP of sesame oil or raw coconut butter
6 gloves of garlic, minced (or you can use the whole thing)
2-4 TBSP Freedom Foods' Vege Spread
1 to 3 TPSP of corn flour or any gluten-free flour
1 1/2 cup of water
Dash of tamari or gluten-free soy sauce (We use Chang's)

What you need to do:

- Brown sesame seed on fry pan, set aside.  

- Heat oil and pan fry tofu on non-stick fry pan or wok, add dash of tamari on top of tofu just before you flip it.  Set aside in a big metal mixing bowl or tray.

- Heat oil on non-stick fry pan or wok.  Saute minced garlic for a moment and add vegies.  Stir fry for a moment.

- Add Vege Spread and water.  Stir fry until it's mixed in with vegie.

- Slowly add gluten-free flour to the pan.  Keep stirring until it is thick enough.


- Add tofu back to the pan and sprinkle sesame seeds on top.

You can serve it with brown rice, noodles or even mashed potatoes!

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Best Tofu Tacos!!!!!!!

A few weekends ago, we invited Bec and Troy over to try out tortillas. Armed with a tortilla press, we were able to make better tortillas. We also made salsa, which I imagine is more authentic but nothing like store brought salsa, guacamole, and a lentil filling.

The star of the night however was this taco filling that Toby made, it was fantastic. We did purchase some sweet smoked paprika (the one in the can with the corny looking couple on the front) and Spanish oregano from Casa Iberica, so not sure how much of a part the two herbs played. We realised that the smoked paprika smells like Trippy Taco fries.

Anyway on the recipe, it's pretty simple, punching with flavour and I think superior to Trippy Taco's tofu filling. It was inspired from this recipe here, but we made a few changes including substituting the taco seasoning for this:

1 part garlic powder (We substituted more onion powder cos of Bec's allergic to garlic)
1 part onion powder
1 part oregano (using the fancy Spanish one)
1 part paprika (using the fancy Spanish one)
1 part tsp salt
1 part pepper
1 part chilli powder
2 part cumin

And the rest of the recipe, although we recommend doubling it, so you have plenty:

• 1 pack of dry tofu (from the Asian grocery store)
  
• 3/4 cup chopped onion
• 4 tablespoons of taco seasoning above (we made plenty so that we has some leftover)
  
• 2 1/2 tbsp tamari/soy sauce
• 2 tbsp veg oil
• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• 1/4 cup water
  

1. First, open and drain package of tofu.
2. Mash tofu with a fork.
3. After the tofu is sufficiently mashed, add 3/4 cup of chopped onions. Mix onions and mashed tofu well.
4. Stir the 2 tbsp of oil into the tofu and onion mixture, coating it evenly.
5. Spray a large skillet with cooking spray and get it really hot on a burner. When the cooking oil makes a sizzling noise, transfer tofu and onion mixture into the hot pan.
6. Cook it on high for a minute and then turn it down to medium heat.
7. Take 2 1/2 tbsp tamari and pour it over tofu and onion mix, then stir.
   
8. Add taco seasoning.
   
9. After blending the taco seasoning with the tofu mixture, evenly pour 1/4 cup of water over your mix. Stir with spatula or spoon for even coverage.
10. Add nutritional yeast.
    
11. Cook the whole seasoned tofu mixture on medium heat for a total of around half and hour to blend flavors and make onions approach caramelization. Don't put a lid on it; let the moisture evaporate. Check on it every 5 minutes or so and stir.
12. At the end of the approximately 25-30 minutes mash the tofu mixture flat in the pan, sprinkle lime juice then flip over the flattened mixture as though it were a pancake , do it in 4 or 5 segments. Then mash it flat again, turn the heat up to medium high, and cook it for 4-5 minutes on med high.
13. Turn over segments of flattened mixture, re-flatten, and cook for another 4-5 minutes. These last 2 steps are to dry out and brown the mixture a bit.
    

Here is one with lettuce, nacho cheezly, salsa:

A few weekends ago, we invited Bec and Troy over to try out tortillas. Armed with a tortilla press, we were able to make better tortillas. We also made salsa, which I imagine is more authentic but nothing like store brought salsa, guacamole, and a lentil filling.

The star of the night however was this taco filling that Toby made, it was fantastic. We did purchase some sweet smoked paprika (the one in the can with the corny looking couple on the front) and Spanish oregano from Casa Iberica, so not sure how much of a part the two herbs played. We realised that the smoked paprika smells like Trippy Taco fries.

Anyway on the recipe, it's pretty simple, punching with flavour and I think superior to Trippy Taco's tofu filling. It was inspired from this recipe here, but we made a few changes including substituting the taco seasoning for this:

1 part garlic powder (We substituted more onion powder cos of Bec's allergic to garlic)
1 part onion powder
1 part oregano (using the fancy Spanish one)
1 part paprika (using the fancy Spanish one)
1 part tsp salt
1 part pepper
1 part chilli powder
2 part cumin

And the rest of the recipe, although we recommend doubling it, so you have plenty:

• 1 pack of dry tofu (from the Asian grocery store)
  
• 3/4 cup chopped onion
• 4 tablespoons of taco seasoning above (we made plenty so that we has some leftover)
  
• 2 1/2 tbsp tamari/soy sauce
• 2 tbsp veg oil
• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• 1/4 cup water
  

1. First, open and drain package of tofu.
2. Mash tofu with a fork.
3. After the tofu is sufficiently mashed, add 3/4 cup of chopped onions. Mix onions and mashed tofu well.
4. Stir the 2 tbsp of oil into the tofu and onion mixture, coating it evenly.
5. Spray a large skillet with cooking spray and get it really hot on a burner. When the cooking oil makes a sizzling noise, transfer tofu and onion mixture into the hot pan.
6. Cook it on high for a minute and then turn it down to medium heat.
7. Take 2 1/2 tbsp tamari and pour it over tofu and onion mix, then stir.
   
8. Add taco seasoning.
   
9. After blending the taco seasoning with the tofu mixture, evenly pour 1/4 cup of water over your mix. Stir with spatula or spoon for even coverage.
10. Add nutritional yeast.
    
11. Cook the whole seasoned tofu mixture on medium heat for a total of around half and hour to blend flavors and make onions approach caramelization. Don't put a lid on it; let the moisture evaporate. Check on it every 5 minutes or so and stir.
12. At the end of the approximately 25-30 minutes mash the tofu mixture flat in the pan, sprinkle lime juice then flip over the flattened mixture as though it were a pancake , do it in 4 or 5 segments. Then mash it flat again, turn the heat up to medium high, and cook it for 4-5 minutes on med high.
13. Turn over segments of flattened mixture, re-flatten, and cook for another 4-5 minutes. These last 2 steps are to dry out and brown the mixture a bit.
    

Here is one with lettuce, nacho cheezly, salsa:

reade more... Résuméabuiyad