Thai Beef Tacos

I decided to take my tacos for a different flavor profile last Taco Tuesday. I saw a few recipes online and decided to put my vegan spin on them. If you wish to make the WFPBNO use rehydrated soy curls that have been chopped up. I used green cabbage because that is what I had on hand; feel free to use red cabbage, nappa or whatever you have on hand. You are looking for a crunch factor. This made about 8 tacos but the servings will depend on the size of your tortillas.

• 1 tablespoon minced garlic (I use the kind already minced)
• 1/2 red onion, diced
• 1 inch knob ginger, minced
• 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 package (12 ounces) vegan beef crumbles
• 1/4 cup sweet chili sauce
• 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon Thai basil, or sub regular basil
• 1/2 lime juiced
• taco-size flour tortillas
• 1/4 cup cabbage, shredded
• avocados, sliced
• spicy mayo, optional

Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, onion, ginger and bell pepper. Cook for about 3 minutes until the veggies begin to  get tender. 

Add a splash of water if they try to stick.

Add the vegan crumbles, sweet chili sauce, soy sauce and black pepper. Saute for 5-10 minutes; until the crumbles begin to brown.

Add the basil and lime juice and give it all a good stir.

I heated my tortillas briefly in the microwave. But, you can also wrap them and heat in the oven. To assemble your taco: add cabbage to the tortilla, top with crumbles, avocado, cilantro and spicy mayo. Serve with lime wedges on the side if you like. I had fresh corn on the cob for our side dish.

Enjoy!!!!

Eggroll in a Bowl (WFPBNO)

I had an extra bag of coleslaw mix in the frig. I didn't want it to go bad so I looked for a few recipes online and got the idea for this dish. I really enjoyed it with the slight spice from the chili garlic sauce and the hint of sweet from the maple syrup. You could add some tofu to this to boost the protein and make it go a little farther. Next time I make it I will do that extra step. This was pretty quick, be sure you have all of your ingredients out and prepped before you begin cooking. I think this took about 15 minutes, maybe 20 to make. 

The first step is to get your small pot of water on to boil to cook your ramen noodles. I forgot to take a picture of that. But use  your favorite block of ramen and cook according to the package directions. I used Lotus Foods organic brown rice and millet. Cook, drain, rinse and set them aside.

Let's get going...

• 1 ramen cake
• 1 large sweet onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, divided
• 1 bag (16 ounce) coleslaw mix (just cabbage and carrots)
• 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce
• Garnish: sliced scallions, chopped peanuts, sriracha

Be sure you have your ramen going. Add a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot add onion, garlic, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar and ground ginger. Stir with a wooden spoon and cook until onion is translucent. Add a tablespoon of water if needed to keep it from sticking.

Add the coleslaw, soy sauce, maple syrup, chili garlic sauce and the remaining tablespoon rice vinegar. Toss all the ingredients together. Cook for about 5 minutes.

Add the ramen noodles and stir well to combine.

Remove from heat and add green onions and chopped peanuts.

Plate it up, or bowl it up.

Add a squirt of sriracha and devour.

Enjoy!!!

Chickpea Salad with Curry Peanut Dressing (WFPBNO)

I got the idea to try this from a couple of different recipes I saw online. I really like how this turned out and it's so easy to make. I've already made it twice and the leftovers are delicious. I added my baked ginger garlic tofu to this to bump up the protein content and to keep us full longer. You probably have most of these ingredients in your fridge and pantry. Go ahead and make this delicious salad during these scorching days of June. It's really nice to be able to open up the frig and have something quick and delicious ready to eat. 

For the Salad:

• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 2-3 cups shredded green cabbage (red would also be pretty)
• 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained (keep that aquafaba for something else)
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• 1/4 cup sliced green onions
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and diced

For the Dressing:

• 1/4 cup smooth peanut butter (I buy one that only has peanuts as an ingredient)
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
• 1 clover garlic, minced (I buy pre-minced garlic)
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon yellow curry powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 3 tablespoons warm water, to thin the dressing
• a few grinds of black pepper

In a large bowl, add bell pepper, carrot, cabbage, chickpeas, cilantro, green onion and jalapeno.

In a small blender or small bowl, mix the dressing ingredients. Be sure to add the water and if needed add a little more so it's the consistency you like. The leftovers will be a little looser as the water in the cabbage will release.

Pour the dressing over the salad.

Mix well. 

I chose to add mine to a small, pretty bowl for serving. I kept the tofu separate and added some to each bowl as we served the salad. Garnish with cashews or peanuts, more cilantro and the tofu if using.

Enjoy!!!!

Tom Yum Soup (WFPBNO)

I loved this soup!! I made baked tofu to add to my bowl and cook the noodles that are shown in the package according to the package directions. I added the noodles to my bowl, filled it with soup and then added 11 cubes of baked tofu. It was delicious. After the noodles are cooked use your kitchen scissors and cut them into smaller lengths. The flavors of this soup were spot on. If you don't like heat reduce the amount of dried chiles you use. This is about 4 huge servings. 

• 2 tablespoons water or broth for sauteing
• 3-4 drops lemongrass essential oil
• 1/2 medium sweet onion, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced
• 2 Thai dry red chilies, broken in half to pour out the seeds
• 1 1/2 cups button mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 2 heaping tablespoons cheater garlic (already minced in a jar)
• 1/2 jar red curry paste, I love Thai Kitchen
• 6 cups vegetable stock
• 3/4 cup coconut milk
• 1/4 cup lime juice, plus 4-5 slices of peel
• 1 15-ounce can no salt, diced tomatoes, drained
• 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 1/2 tablespoons coconut sugar
• brown rice noodles, I used Thai Kitchen, but whatever you have on hand is fine
• 1 batch Baked Ginger Garlic Tofu
• fresh cilantro, for garnish, minced

Heat water in a Dutch oven and add the lemongrass oil and onions. Sauté for 5 minutes. Add ginger,  mushrooms, and garlic. Sauté for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add curry paste and chili's; sauté another 4-5 minutes.

Add vegetable broth, coconut milk, lime peel, tomatoes, soy sauce and coconut sugar. Stir well; bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook 10-15 minutes.

Add the lime juice and stir. Simmer for a few minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings, if needed.

While the soup was cooking I had the tofu and noodles cooking. Add noodles to your bowl. Fill with soup and top with tofu cubes. Garnish with cilantro.

So delicious!!!

Ginger Garlic Miso Tahini Dressing (WFPBNO)

I'm always looking for new and delicious salad dressings. I saw this one on a blog but it used oil and I decided to try it without the oil and see how it would be. I think it turned out really good. I used it on a side salad for dinner and it was nice and refreshing. These are ingredients that I always have on hand and will definitely make this again.

• 1/3 cup tahini
• 1 heaping tablespoon freshly peeled and grated ginger
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1 heaping teaspoon miso, I used light yellow
• 2 tablespoons coconut aminos
• 2 tablespoons roasted garlic rice vinegar
• 2 teaspoons maple syrup
• 1/4 cup water

In a half pint mason jar add all the ingredients, except water and stir well.

Make sure it's totally combined.

Add the water, stir well, add lid and shake, shake, shake it. Taste and if you desire you can adjust the flavor to your liking. Keep in the frig up to 7 days.

Enjoy!!!

Ginger, Soy Curl & Green Bean Stir-Fry (WFPBNO)

This stir-fry was so good and it comes together pretty quick, as most stir-fries do. If you don't have green beans are aren't a fan you could sub some broccoli. You may be able to use sliced zucchini, but it won't take long to cook so be sure not to turn it into mush. I made basmati rice to serve this stir-fry over and it was delicious! The sauce was a little loose so next time I would use 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch. I prefer a thicker sauce.

Sauce:

• 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 4 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
• 1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth

Combine all sauce ingredients in a small container. Set aside.

Stir-Fry:

• 1/4 cup green onions, white and green parts, sliced
• 2 tablespoons peeled, minced fresh ginger
• 1 tablespoon cheater garlic, minced
• 1 1/4 cups soy curls, broken into bite sized pieces
• 12 ounces fresh green beans, cut into 2-inch lengths
• yellow and orange (homegrown) sweet baby bells, sliced
• 3/4 cup sliced green onion tops, cut into 2-inch pieces
• Hot cooked rice

Add the soy curls to a bowl and cover with enough broth or water to totally submerge them. Let sit 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Squeeze the soy curls by hand (or press them in a colander) to drain all the liquid from them. 

Add 1 tablespoon water to a non-stick skillet, once it's hot add the 1/4 cup chopped green onions, ginger and garlic to the pan. Cook about 30 seconds.  

Add the drained soy curls and sauté for 4-5 minutes until they begin to brown. Remove from pan and set aside.

Add more water to pan as needed so nothing sticks. Add the green beans and peppers, cover and cook about 3 minutes. Uncover and cook another 3 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add the green onion tops and sauté for 1 minute.

Return soy curls to pan and give it a good stir.

Stir in the sauce you made ; bring to a boil. Cook 2-3 minutes untl sauce is thickened.

Serve with rice. Makes 4-6 servings.

Enjoy!!!

Baked Ginger Garlic Tofu (WFPBNO)

This tofu recipe is so easy and delicious. I made it last night and added it to a Sushi Bowl, be sure to check back next week for that recipe. It would also be good in any stir-fry or salad. The flavor is not overpowering. I used a super firm tofu but I think a firm or extra-firm would work better. Just be sure to press it to get all the liquid out of it and then marinate it. The longer the better. You can also gently press down on the tofu as it marinate using a storage container and the tofu will act like a sponge and soak up a little extra marinade. Honestly as soon as this came out of the oven and was cool enough to not burn my mouth I snacked on a few pieces. 

• 1 16-ounce package tofu, firm or extra firm, organic
• 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 inch ginger, sliced thin
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar

Put all ingredients except for the tofu in a blender and blend until fairly smooth. Set aside. Cube tofu into bit sized pieces and add to a container to marinate. 

Pour marinade over the tofu and toss until each piece is coated.

Preheat oven to 400F. Cover sheet pan with parchment paper. Add tofu to pan.

Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and add more marinade to the top of each piece.

Return to oven and bake another 10-12 minutes. 

Serve however  you wish.