Tofu Fajita

This is a simple recipe for a tofu fajita filling. You can eat it as is or with some rice (I made mexican rice for this version), or you can serve it with tortillas, sour cream, guacmole, salsa, cheese etc.You can also make this with seitan. In fact, in the version in the picture I used part tofu and part seitan, just because that's what I had on hand.

This is a vegetarianized version of a recipe from Jane Milton's mexican cookbook.

Tofu Fajita

Ingredients (for 4-6 portions): 

- 1 package of extra firm tofu  

- 2 limes or lemons

- 2 tbsp sugar

- 2 tsp dried oregano

- 1/2-1 tsp chili powder (depending how hot you like this)

- 1 tsp cinammon 

- 2 onions 

- 3 peppers (1 green, 1 red, 1 yellow or orange) 

- 3 tbsp vegetable oil 

- To serve tortilla, salsa, guacamole etc. (optional) 

Preparation: 

1. Slice the tofu into small strips. In a large bowl combine the juice from the limes/lemons, sugar, oregano, chili powder and cinnamon. Add the tofu into the bowl and mix well. Marinate for 20-30 minutes. 

2. Slice the onion and the peppers into strips. 

3. Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Add the tofu and stir fry until the tofu is beginning to brown. Add the peppers and onions and stir for another 3-4 minutes. The vegetables should be fairly soft. 

4.Serve with rice, or on tortillas with toppings.

Veggie Burger - Soy and Peanut

In the realm of veggie burgers, I don't usually look for ones that try to replicate the flavor of meat, but rather ones that are tasty in and of themselves. I find the burger-eating experience is satisfied by the whole "patty in a bun with condiments" situation, without needing a meaty taste. As a result, I usually prefer bean or lentil based burgers to soy ones.

However, when I decided to make a veggie-burger this weekend, I really wanted to try something a little different, so I decided to go with a recipe for a veggie burger made from TVP (tiny soy chunks) and peanuts. Peanuts?!? Yes. Peanuts. I myself wasn't sure whether this burger would end up having a vaguely Asian flavor due to the peanuts and soy sauce, but to my surprise it didn't really have a peanut flavor. Rather, the peanuts just gave it a really pleasant richness. This was definitely one of the better veggie burgers I've had.

A note for the gluten free: The only thing in this recipe that is not easily replaceable with a gluten free version are the oats. There are gluten-free oats available on the market, which are free of the risk of cross-contamination. However, some celiac patients still react poorly to oats, because oats contain a protein that is similar to gluten. If you have celiac, you've probably already made a decision about gluten free oats, so it's your choice here. I'm labeling oat-containing recipes separately from regular GF recipes.

The credit for the recipe once again goes to Al-Haschulchan's veggie cookbook. 

Soy and Peanut Veggie Burger

 

Ingredients (for 10 burgers): 
 - 1 cup TVP (the shredded, very small kind)
- 1/2 cup peanuts, roasted and very finely chopped
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup oats
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- 3 tbsps soy sauce
- 3 tbsp ketchup or barbecue sauce
- 1/4 cup of canola oil
- 1 onion, finely sliced and fried to a dark golden-brown. (optional) 
- Salt and pepper
- Buns and condiments to serve 

Preparation: 
 1. Put the TVP chunks in very hot water for 2 minutes, then drain and squeeze the excess liquid out (you can allow them to cool a bit first).

2. Put the TVP in a large bowl and add all of the other ingredients (well, except the buns, of course). Mix together until you get a uniform mixture. Allow the mixture to rest for about 10 minutes.

3. Create patties. Cook them on a griddle or a skillet with no oil, until golden on both sides. Note that the patties are very delicate and may slightly fall apart, so be very careful when you turn them over. If you want to save some patties for later, wrap each one individually in plastic wrap and freeze.

Savory Fresh Corn Pancakes

This recipe, based on the one here, makes delicious savory corn cakes. Here I served them as a main course, with fresh salsa and sour cream. However, you can also make them mini-sized and serve with various toppings as an elegant appetizer or cocktail food.

We like heat around here, so I made the batter with jalapenos and added them to the fresh salsa as well, but if you prefer a milder flavor, use green onions (as in the original recipe), or fresh herbs.

Savory Fresh Corn Pancakes 

Ingredients (for 2-4 main courses or about 16 mini cakes): 

For the cakes: 

 - kernels from 2 large ears of corn. 

- 1 medium jalapeno, chopped into large chunks

- about 4 tbsp canola oil, divided into two

- 2 large eggs, separated

- 1/4 all purpose flour (or gluten free all purpose flour, or white rice flour)

- 1/4 yellow corn meal or yellow corn flour (but not corn starch!)

- 1/2 tsp salt 

- 1/4 tsp black pepper 

For the salsa:

- 2 ripe tomatoes 

- 1 jalapeno 

- 1/4 red onion 

- lime or lemon juice

- finely chopped cilantro (optional) 

Preparation: 

1. In a blender or food processor process the corn and the jalapeno until slightly processed but still chunky (make sure the jalapeno is in small pieces throughout the corn and there are no large jalapeno bits). Place in a large bowl. 

2. Add the egg yolks and 2 tbsp of the oil into the corn and mix well. Then add the flour, corn flour, salt and pepper into the bowl and mix gently until thoroughly combined. 

3. Using an electric mixer or a whisk, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Gently fold the egg whites into the corn mixture. The mixture will feel soft and a bit liquid. That's fine. 

4. Prepare the salsa: finely chop the tomatoes and onions and the jalapeno. If you like heat, leave the seeds and ribs of the jalapeno. If you don't, remove them, or part of them. Combine everything (including the cilantro, if using) in a bowl and season with salt, pepper and lime/lemon juice.  

5. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a skillet. Ladle a quantity of the mixture onto the hot pan (obviously measuring based on how large you want your pancakes. A large pancake would be about 1/4-1/3 cup). Fry on one side until bubbles form and you can just see browning at the bottom half of the side. Flip the pancake over and fry until it is golden-brown on the other side as well (the whole process should only take about 3 minutes). 

6. Repeat the process for the entire mixture, adding oil as necessary. Serve with the salsa and some sour cream to cut the heat. 

Sweet Potato, Red Lentil and Spinach Curry

This is a rich and filling dish, which still doesn't feel too "wintery", perhaps because of the vibrant orange colors. The lentils offer protein and the sweet potatoes are the starch, so this dish makes a complete meal by itself.

The original recipe is from Al-Haschulchan's vegetarian cookbook, but I felt the flavors needed a bit of adjusting.

Sweet Potato, Red Lentil and Spinach Curry

Ingredients (for 4 portions): 

- 1 cup red lentils
- about 4 small sweet potatoes (this adds up to about 700 grams), sliced into thin disks or small chunks.
- 1 tbsp canola oil
-  1 onion, sliced
- 2 cloves of garlic, sliced
- 1 tsp fresh ginger, minced
- 3 heaped tsp Thai red curry paste (make sure you use a vegetarian/vegan kind)
- 1 tbsp grainy mustard
- 1 can coconut milk (I used light)
- 1 large package (about 300 grams) baby spinach leaves
- handful of chopped cilantro (optional)
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- juice from 1 lemon
 - salt and chili powder, to taste

Preparation: 

1. Bring water to a boil in a medium pot. Add the red lentils and a little bit of salt, and cook for about 10 minutes, until the lentils soften but still keep their shape. Drain.

2. Cook the sweet potato slices in water for 20 minutes or bake in an oven at 180 C/350F until softened.

3. Heat the oil in a wok or large pan. Stir fry the onion, garlic and ginger until the onion is golden.

4. Add the curry paste and mustard and stir until the curry begins to soften, then add the lentils, sweet potatoes and the coconut milk. Stir until the curry powder is fully melted into the sauce and it all looks like cohesive dish.

5. Correct seasoning: taste the dish and see whether it is to your liking. I found it helpful to add the brown sugar and a few good squeezes of lemon juice, as well as quite a bit of salt and chili powder. However, you may prefer the dish less seasoned.

6. Add the spinach and cilantro and continue heating until the spinach wilts into the dish, stirring. Serve warm.

Spinach and Spaghetti

I grew up with this recipe, which was known in our house simply as "spinach and spaghetti". More accurately it is a casserole of pasta, spinach, cheese and tomato sauce, that are baked together to perfection.


Like other recipes, this is pretty modular: you can use whatever cheeses you like and happen to have on hand, and you can choose if you want to skip the tomato sauce.

Spinach and Spaghetti 

Ingredients (for 2-3 portions): 

- 1/2 pack (about 8 oz/250 grams) spaghetti
- 1 pack (about 10 oz/ 250 grams) frozen chopped spinach
- About 1-2 cups of soft cheese: cream cheese, cottage cheese, goat's cheese, ricotta, whatever you have on hand (you can also use more than one kind).
- A few handfuls of grated hard cheese: parmesan, cheddar, mozzarella or whatever you like. 
- 1 egg
- salt and pepper, to taste
- A few cups of tomato sauce, home-made or store-bought 

Preparation: 

1. Boil water and prepare the spaghetti according to instructions. Drain and wash with cold water to prevent from sticking. Preheat oven to 400 F/180 C.

2. Defrost the spinach and drain it of excess liquid. The easiest way to do this is to place it in a fine-mesh sieve and just press on it until the juices stop running.

3. In a medium bowl mix together the spinach, the cheeses (but reserve some shredded cheese for the top) and the egg and season with salt and pepper. The mixture should be soft, but not liquid. If it's too dry, add another egg.

4. Lightly oil an oven proof casserole dish. On the bottom, layer half of the spaghetti. Top the spaghetti with the spinach and cheese mixture. Top the spinach with the rest of the spaghetti. Cover with tomato sauce (if desired) and top with some grated cheese.

5. Bake in the oven for about 25-30 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling. Serve hot.