Extra crispy tofu

January 5, 2022March 21, 2022 Belinda

This method gives your tofu an incredible golden crust with just the right amount of crunch and it’s really easy to make.
A quick marinade, a toss in cornstarch, then 30 minutes in the oven gives you deliciously crispy tofu with a little sweet-and-savory flavor.

You can customize the marinade based on your preferences or mood. Feel free to add any seasonings you like, swap out the maple syrup for a little more sesame oil, use teriyaki sauce, or try BBQ sauce for a smoky, tangy tofu.
To get truly crispy baked tofu, you need to drain out as much moisture as possible. Drain and press the tofu before adding it to your marinade. After marinating, drain as much of the excess marinade from the tofu as you can.

Since tofu absorbs, work quickly to cover every side of each cube in marinade before you let them rest in the marinade. Every side should be covered so that the cornstarch can stick well.

16 oz extra firm tofu, drained and pressed to get out as much as liquid as possible. Then cube in 1″ cubes.
2 tbsp tamari or soy sauce
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp sesame oil
3-6 tbsp cornstarch

Preheat oven to 400° F

To get truly crispy baked tofu, you need to drain out as much moisture as possible. Drain and press the tofu under weights for about 30-45 mins before cubing it and adding it to your marinade. After marinating, drain as much of the excess marinade from the tofu as you can.
Add the tofu cubes, tamari, maple syrup, and sesame oil to large bowl. Mix until well combined. Let rest in bowl at least 5 minutes.
Drain the tofu.
Transfer ⅓ of the tofu cubes to a zippered freezer bag. Add 1-2 tablespoons cornstarch. Toss to coat.
Repeat with the remaining tofu and cornstarch, adding more cornstarch as needed.

Spray a baking sheet with plenty of cooking spray, or line with parchment paper. Place the tofu cubes on the baking sheet.
Bake 15 minutes at 400°F.
Remove from oven and flip each tofu cube over. Return the baking sheet to the oven and bake another 15 minutes or until golden brown.
Remove from the oven.
Serve hot next to a small bowl of marinade

Accompaniments · Dairy-free · Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Nuts · Sauces · Vegan

Cashew Cream

January 5, 2022September 7, 2022 Belinda

Cashew cream is more than just a dairy-free substitute for vegans. For me—a cheese-toting, egg-flipping, non-vegan, almost vegetarian—it’s a multipurpose workhorse, an ingredient that easily functions as a sauce, condiment, or dressing. This version is distinctly savory thanks to the addition of garlic and salt, and it’s a gateway to lots of quick and flavorful weeknight dishes.

Makes about 2 cups

2 cups raw cashews. (Trader Joes has great inexpensive nuts)
2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil, then remove from heat. Add cashews and let sit until tender, 30–60 minutes.

Drain cashews and transfer to a blender (preferably high-speed) or food processor. Add garlic, oil, salt, and 1 cup water and purée until smooth.

Do ahead: Cashew cream can be made 5 days ahead. Transfer to an airtight container and chill, or freeze in a resealable plastic freezer bag up to 3 months.

Dairy-free · Gluten Free · Vegan · Vegetable sides · Vegetable-related

Roasted Carrots and Chickpeas With Herby Cashew Cream

January 5, 2022 Belinda

Recipe by Hetty McKinnon for Bon Appetite

Carrots are often relegated to supporting roles in soups, braises, and stews that take advantage of their sweetness but hardly make them the star. This salad lets them shine, roasted alongside chickpeas and taken to the next level by an herbaceous cashew cream.
Blitzing the base cashew cream recipe with dill, parsley, and scallions brings fresh balance to the carrots.
Serve extra sauce as a dip with crudités or grilled bread. —Hetty McKinnon

Serves 4

1 cup raw cashews
1 garlic clove, coarsely chopped
1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt

CARROTS AND ASSEMBLY
¼ cup almonds
2 scallions, coarsely chopped
¼ cup tender dill sprigs
¼ cup tender parsley sprigs
3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice, divided
¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 lb. carrots, peeled, cut into 3″ pieces
2 14-oz. cans chickpeas, rinsed, patted dry
5 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. paprika
1½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¾ tsp. Morton kosher salt, divided
3 cups greens (such as arugula, spinach, and/or mesclun)

Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil, then remove from heat. Add cashews and let sit until tender, 30–60 minutes.
Drain cashews and transfer to a blender (preferably high-speed) or food processor. Add garlic, oil, salt, and ½ cup water and purée until smooth.

CARROTS AND ASSEMBLY
Preheat oven to 350°.
Toast almonds on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing halfway through, until slightly darkened and fragrant, 8–10 minutes. Let cool; finely chop. Reserve baking sheet.

Increase oven temperature to 425°.
Purée cashew cream, scallions, dill, parsley, 2 Tbsp. lemon juice, ⅛ tsp. pepper, and ¼ cup water in a blender until smooth. Set herby cashew cream aside.

Place carrots and chickpeas on reserved baking sheet. Drizzle 4 Tbsp. oil over and sprinkle cumin, paprika, 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt, and remaining ⅛ tsp. pepper on top; toss to coat. Arrange in an even layer and roast 10 minutes. Remove carrots and chickpeas from oven and toss. Return to oven and roast until carrots are tender and mostly golden and chickpeas are crisp, 10–15 minutes.

Place salad greens in a large bowl; drizzle in remaining 1 Tbsp. lemon juice and 1 Tbsp. oil and season with remaining ½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt. Toss to coat.

Arrange greens on a platter, then spoon carrots and chickpeas on top. Drizzle with reserved herby cashew cream and top with the toasted almonds.

Dairy-free · Gluten Free · Vegan · Vegetable sides · Vegetable-related

Cauliflower Steaks and Purée with Walnut-Caper Salsa

January 3, 2022January 3, 2022 Belinda

Fabulous recipe by Yotam Ottolenghi

You will have more than enough of the cauliflower purée and the salsa. Use the leftovers as a dip or swirl into vegetable soups.

Serves 2

SALSA
⅓ cup walnuts
¼ cup olive oil
2 tbsp drained capers, patted dry
1 Fresno chili, seeds removed, finely chopped
3 tbsp coarsely chopped parsley
1 tbsp dried currants
1 tbsp sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
Kosher salt
CAULIFLOWER AND ASSEMBLY
1 small head of cauliflower
Kosher salt
1 garlic clove, finely grated
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp tahini
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp unsalted butter
2 sprigs oregano
2 3-inch strips lemon zest
Lemon wedges (for serving)

SALSA
Step 1
Preheat oven to 350°.
Toast walnuts on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing once, until golden brown, 7–10 minutes. Let cool, then coarsely chop. Set aside. Increase oven temperature to 425° for roasting cauliflower.

Step 2
Heat oil and capers in a small saucepan over medium, swirling often, until capers burst and are golden brown and crisp, about 5 minutes. Carefully pour oil and capers into a small heatproof bowl; let cool.

Step 3
Mix in walnuts, chile, parsley, currants, vinegar, and lemon zest; season with salt.

Step 4
Do Ahead: Salsa can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with plastic, pressing directly onto surface and chill. Bring to room temperature before using.

CAULIFLOWER AND ASSEMBLY
Step 5
Remove only the toughest outer leaves from cauliflower (leave on any tender inner leaves). Trim stem to create a flat base. Resting cauliflower on stem, cut in half from top to bottom, creating two lobes with stem attached. Trim outer rounded edge of each piece to create two 1½”-thick “steaks” (the stem should hold the florets together); set steaks aside. Very coarsely chop remaining florets.

Step 6
Cook florets in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until very tender, 6–8 minutes. Drain well, then process in a food processor with garlic, lemon juice, tahini, and 1 Tbsp. water until smooth; season with salt. Set aside.

Step 7
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add butter and swirl until melted, then add cauliflower steaks, oregano, and lemon zest. Cook, gently lifting up cauliflower occasionally to let hot fat run underneath, until steaks are deep golden brown (if oregano or lemon start to burn, place on top of steaks). Turn steaks and season with salt. Transfer skillet to oven and roast until cauliflower stems are fork-tender, 10–15 minutes.

Step 8
To serve, spoon about ⅓ cup cauliflower purée onto plates and place steaks on top. Spoon salsa over and sprinkle with salt. Serve with lemon wedges for squeezing over.

Step 9
Do Ahead: Purée can be made 3 days ahead. Cover with plastic, pressing directly onto surface, and chill. Bring to room temperature before using.

Accompaniments · Dairy-free · Gluten Free · Vegan

Grilled onions, chickpea purée with za’atar and lemon oil

January 3, 2022January 3, 2022 Belinda

Recipe from Nigel Slater
“I keep the onions a few inches from the bars of the broiler, letting them take their time – a good 20 minutes – to come to tenderness. If they cook too quickly, their edges will scorch before they soften. You are after a soft, golden, translucent finish, soft enough to be crushed between your finger and thumb.
I serve the purée with warm flatbread, but it also makes an inexpensive and substantial side dish for baked field mushrooms or grilled steak; it’s good with baked ham and makes the best of all dips in which to stick a grilled lamb cutlet.”

Serves 4

For the onions:
3 large onions
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp za’atar

For the chickpeas:
800g canned chickpeas
5 tbsp olive oil
2 bay leaves
1 tsp thyme leaves
1/2 lemon

Peel the onions, cut them into slices roughly as thick as a pencil. Brush them with a little olive oil and cook them over a hot griddle – or under a preheated overhead broiler – until soft and lightly charred. Expect this to take a good 10-25 minutes with the occasional turn. Stir the za’atar into the olive oil. As the onions are approaching softness, brush them with the seasoned oil.

Make the chickpea purée: drain the liquid from the chickpeas, then put them into a small saucepan with 2 tbsp of the olive oil. Add 500ml of water, the bay leaves – crushing them in your hand as you do so – and the thyme leaves, then bring to the boil. Lower the heat and let them simmer for a good 10 minutes.

Drain the chickpeas, keeping back 2 tbsp of the cooking water and discard the bay leaves. Purée the beans to a soft cream with the reserved cooking liquid and the remaining olive oil then squeeze in the lemon. They may need a little salt. Spoon into a dish, add the grilled onions and squeeze over a little lemon juice before serving.

Accompaniments · Dairy-free · Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Holiday Food · Vegan · Whole30 compliant

How to make quick pickled onions

December 2, 2021September 7, 2022 Belinda

This super, easy recipe from the blog, “Simply Quinoa” takes about 5 minutes and is ready in 10. Use your pickled onions on everything from tacos, salads, bowls, and more
They’re really versatile and can be used in a ton of different ways.

1 medium red onion
3/4 cup red wine vinegar
3/4 cup water
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon celery seeds
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Thinly slice the red onion. I like to cut it in half first and then into slices.
Place the red onions into a jar.
Pour the red wine over the onions until the jar is half full. Top with water and fill the jar to almost the top.
Add the spices and put on the lid. Give it a good shake and let the onions sit for at least 10 minutes.

Dairy-free · Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Holiday Food · Nuts · Vegan

Squash, chestnut and hazelnut nut roast wreath

November 18, 2021September 7, 2022 Belinda

If you’re after a fantastic centre piece for your festive feast – look no further!
I know that nut roasts are pretty old school but they’re tasty and this one is packed with flavor. The squash adds some sweetness to the mix and when combined with hazelnuts and chestnuts its really delicious. Plus lots of extra veg and seeds for flavor and crunch – seriously tasty.
I decided to cook it in a bundt mould to create a fun, Holiday wreath. I think it looks pretty special, but feel free to cook it in a loaf tin if you don’t have a bundt mould – just as delicious.
Great served with all the festive trimmings…

Recipe from food blog “Rebel Recipes”

10-12 servings

2 large onions, roughly chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 small squash or 1/2 butter nut, peeled and cut into small cubes
100g mushrooms, finely chopped
2 big handfuls of kale
300g hazelnuts
4 tbsp pine nuts toasted or pumpkin seeds if preferred
4 tbsp sunflower seeds toasted
180g chestnuts, chopped up
2 tbsp tamari
4 tbsp nutritional yeast
2 tbsp vegan Worcester sauce
1 tbsp whole grain mustard
1 tsp sea salt
Zest 1 lemon
Black pepper
1 tbsp maple syrup
2 tbsp fresh thyme chopped up
3 tbsp olive oil

Pre- heat your oven to 350F/180C

Add the onion and oil to a medium pan and fry gently on a low heat for around 10 minutes until soft and browning.
Add the garlic and fry for a further minute.
Next add the squash and mushrooms and fry for 10 minutes until soft. Stir in the kale and. Turn off the heat when wilted.
Toast the hazelnuts, sunflower seeds and pine nuts in a dry pan until slightly golden. Add them to a food processor. Pulse a few times.
Add them to the pan along with the remaining ingredients. Stir to combine.
Chop the chestnuts roughly and add them to the pan.
Stir everything to combine.
Transfer the mix to a medium greased bunt tin of choice – I used a silicone one as its easier to remove the nut roast.
Press the mix down firmly into the bunt tin.
Bake for 40 minutes – the nut roast should be a little brown on top.
Allow to cool then carefully flip onto a plate.
Top with vegetable crips, herbs etc

Appetizer Vegetarian · Dairy-free · Gluten Free · Salad · Vegan

Celeriac and lentils with hazelnuts and mint

October 25, 2021October 25, 2021 Belinda

A wonderful and complex-tasting recipe from Yotam Ottolenghi

“Celeriac is probably my favorite root. It is delicate, yet very nutty, and has an elegant oily smoothness. Like all good vegetables, it is marvelous simply with a bit of olive oil. Here it works with the lentils and nuts to create a hearty Autumn main course. Serve it warm, with a radish, cucumber and dill salad dressed with soured cream and olive oil. Or, allow it to cool down, then take it to work for lunch or on a picnic.

I am slowly transferring to the metric system as it’s far more specific.

Serves 4

60g whole hazelnuts (skin on)
200g Puy lentils
700ml water
2 bay leaves
4 thyme sprigs
1 small celeriac (650g), peeled and cut into 1cm chips
4 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp hazelnut oil
3 tbsp good-quality red wine vinegar
4 tbsp chopped mint
salt and black pepper

Preheat the oven to 300F Scatter the hazelnuts on a small baking sheet and roast in the oven for 10 – 15 minutes. Let them cool down, then chop roughly.

Combine the lentils, water, bay leaves and thyme in a small saucepan. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 15–20 minutes, or until al dente. Drain in a sieve. Meanwhile, in a separate saucepan, cook the celeriac in plenty of boiling salted water for 8–12 minutes, or until just tender. Drain.

In a large bowl mix the hot lentils (if they have cooled down they won’t soak up all the flavours) with the olive oil, 2 tablespoons of the hazelnut oil, the vinegar, some black pepper and plenty of salt. Add the celeriac and stir well. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

To serve straight away, stir in half the mint and half the hazelnuts. Pile onto a serving dish or in a bowl and drizzle the remaining hazelnut oil on top. Garnish with the rest of the mint and hazelnuts.

To serve cold, wait for the lentils and celeriac to cool down before finally adjusting the seasoning and possibly adding some more vinegar, if you like. Add hazelnut oil, mint and nuts in the same way as when serving hot.

Asian flavors · Dairy-free · Gluten Free · Vegan · Vegetable sides

Asian roasted carrots and broccoli

October 9, 2021October 9, 2021 Belinda

Super simple, quick, and easy, packed with so much flavor with such a short ingredient list and just 5 min prep!

Recipe from food blog “Damned Delicious”

Serves 4

3 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp brown sugar, packed
2 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tsp Sriracha, or more, to taste
16 oz baby peeled carrots
1 tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
16 oz broccoli florets (about 3 cups)
2 tsp sesame seeds, lightly toasted in a frying pan

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly oil a baking sheet or coat with nonstick spray.
In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, rice vinegar and Sriracha; set aside.
Place the carrots in a single layer onto the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with garlic.
Place into the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until tender. Stir in the broccoli during the last 7-10 minutes of cooking time.
Stir in the soy sauce mixture and gently toss to combine.
Serve immediately, garnished with sesame seeds, if desired.