Harissa Tofu Scramble Burrito

I had everything in the frig to make a tofu scramble. I also had just a little bit of Harissa and decided to through it into the mix. These breakfast burritos were delicious. I added a little slice of vegan cheese and rolled it up in a burrito. I then browned the burrito on each side to melt the cheese and add some texture to the tortilla. These come together in under 30 minutes. Store the leftover filling in a sealed container in the refrigerator. The leftovers can make more burritos later, or just eat like a scramble on a plate.

• 1 large red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 cup fresh tomatoes, cubed
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 a small container  tomato paste
• 5 tablespoons harissa
• 1 block of extra firm tofu, crumbled
• 2 teaspoon cumin powder
• flour tortillas if you want to make burritos
• Garnish for burrito, shredded lettuce, cheese

Add red bell, tomatoes and garlic to a large non-stick skillet. Cook until warm all the way through. About 2-3 minutes.

Add the rest of the ingredients (except tortillas and garnish) and cook, stirring constantly for 6-7 minutes until the tofu has absorbed the flavors of everything.

I turned this into a breakfast burrito. Warm tortilla in microwave for 8-10 seconds. Add a row of the scramble, top with cheese then add shredded lettuce.

Roll up and heat burrito in a non-stick skillet until the cheese begins to melt and the tortilla begins to brown.

Enjoy!!!

Sesame Noodles w/Crispy Baked Tofu

This is a really quick dinner with the exception of baking the tofu. If you cook the tofu in advance it's super fast to throw together. If you are making everything at the same time, be sure to get your tofu in the oven before you start the noodles since it takes 30 minutes to cook the tofu. I cooked my tofu in the convection oven in a pan that has a solid bottom and a grate that sits on top which allows the air to flow all around the tofu, much like an air fryer. I baked some mini vegan egg rolls to go with this dinner.

For the tofu:

• 1 package tofu, firm or extra firm
• 2 tablespoons Coconut Aminos
• 2 tablespoons Garlic and Herb Seasoning (if you don't have this use garlic powder, onion powder and some other dried herbs you like)

For the noodles:

• 1 8-ounce package Chinese Noodles

For the sauce:

• 3 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
• 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon Sriracha (or more if you like it hot)
• Garnish: sliced scallions, black pepper, more Sriracha and sesame seeds

Drain your block of tofu and place on a clean kitchen towel. Preheat convection oven to 400F.

Press for 20-30 minutes. I like to use the heavy lid from my Dutch oven for pressing.

The pressed tofu should be pretty dry which will allow it to soak up the marinade.

Mix the soy sauce and garlic seasoning in a bowl. Add cubed tofu and gently stir to coat all the pieces.

Add the coated, cubed tofu to a baking rack (I use parchment paper to keep the tofu from sticking).

Bake tofu for 15 minutes. Flip each piece and bake another 15 minutes.

Add all of the sauce ingredients to a small mason jar and shake well. Set aside.

Start water to boil for cooking the noodles. When the tofu is almost done; cook the noodles according to the package directions. When done strain and rinse in cold water. Set aside.

To prepare the noodles, add them to a nonstick skillet until they begin to warm. Don't let them stick. 

Add all of the sauce ingredients from the mason jar and give it a good toss to coat all of the noodles.

Plate the noodles with chosen garnishes and add tofu to the side. You could throw the tofu into the noodles in the skillet but I didn't want to take a chance on breaking them up.

Enjoy!!

No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

 These remind me of a Butterfinger bar. I found a recipe online and ditched the oil and used whole wheat bran flakes to make them a little more healthy and WFPBNO. No cooking is required, but you do need to keep them in the freezer. They are so good I've made them three times.

• 2 cups vegan wheat bran flakes
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter (get peanut butter that only has one ingredient - peanuts)
• 1/2 cup non-dairy, dark, chocolate chips

Line a 9x5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper. Slightly crush the flakes. I used my hands. But into a heat safe mixing bowl.

Add maple syrup and peanut butter to a small saucepan and heat until the peanut butter is melty. Whisk often to blend the two. Pour this into the flakes. Mix well.

Pour this into the lined loaf pan and press firmly down.

In a small heat proof bowl add the chocolate chips. Microwave the chips in 30 second increments. Stir after every 30 minutes. They don't have to be totally melted. Stirring them will help them melt.

Pour over the peanut butter mixture and spread to cover. Place in freezer until chocolate is set.

Remove from pan using the edges of the parchment paper.

Slice into 10 or 12 squares. I cut the loaf down the middle length wise and then sliced each of those in half. 

Enjoy!!!!

Thai Noodle Soup

 It's a well known fact that I love soup and Asian foods; truth be told I love food! This soup is fantastic and very simple to make in your soup pot. You can also leave out the mushrooms if you aren't a mushroom fan.  This soup can be ready in just under an hour but the leftovers were amazing after the flavors had a chance to marry.

• 1 sweet onion, chopped
• 2 medium carrots, sliced
• 1/2 jar of red curry paste
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
• 4 garlic cloves, minced (I used cheater already minced garlic)
• 4 cups spicy vegetable broth
• 2 14-ounce cans coconut milk
• 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons oyster sauce (vegan)
• 2 tablespoons coconut sugar
• 6 dried kaffir lime leaves
• 1 tablespoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 cup chopped bite-sized cauliflower florets
• 3-4 ounces rice ramen noodles
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 2-3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sriracha
• Garnish: more cilantro, lime juice, bean sprouts, sliced jalapenos and crushed peanuts

Add a couple of tablespoons water to your soup pot/Dutch oven and saute the onions and carrots about 3 minutes.

Add the curry paste, ginger, and garlic and saute for a few minutes. Stirring occasionally.

Add the vegetable broth, coconut milk, soy sauce, oyster sauce, kaffir leaves, coconut sugar, basil and pepper. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce to medium-low and simmer for 10-12 minutes.

Add mushrooms, bell pepper, cauliflower and noodles to pot. Simmer 5 minutes or unyil noodles are al dente. They will finish cooking as you add the remaining ingredients, lime juice, cilantro and sriracha.

Discard kaffir lime leaves. Taste and add more lime juice if you want it tangier or sriracha for eat. Garnish as desired.

Enjoy!!!