Crispy Tofu Tacos with Loads of Delicious Toppings

A crispy tofu filling, with a hint of both sweet and spicy, and then a selection of toppings that create a layering of savory, spicy, sweet and tangy flavor - what could possibly be better? 

The tofu and cilantro sauce are adapted from here, the corn from here, and the onions from here.

Although they look fancy, each component is very easy to make - and I especially recommend the onions, which are so simple, yet add a crunchy tang and that unbeatable purple color. Still, if you don't have the time or energy to make all the finicky bits, you can make just the tofu, and serve it with anything you like: salsa, refried beans, cheese etc. You can also make all of the components in advance. To reheat the tofu, simply put it in an oven/toaster oven for a few minutes until it warms and crisps up a bit.

This recipe is gluten free, as long as you make sure your tacos are GF. The base is vegan, so as long as you leave out the cream and cheese, you're good.

Most of the topping recipes will make more than is needed for the tacos.

Crispy Tofu Tacos with Loads of Delicious Toppings

 

For 3-4 servings: 

To Serve:

- 2-3 small soft corn tortillas per person, or 2 hard taco shells per person.

- Crispy tofu and any of the rest of the components listed below (or whatever other toppings you want).

- Grated cheddar or other sharp cheese (optional).

To Assemble:

 - If you're using soft tacos, heat the corn tortillas on a skillet with a tiny bit of oil, until warmed through but not crunchy. If you're using hard shells, heat in oven as instructed on the box.

- Top each taco with a few cubes of tofu and the toppings of your choice. If you're using all of the components, the order I recommend is: a bit of warm corn -> warm tofu -> a bit of cheese (the heat from the tofu and corn will melt it) -> a few dollops of cilantro sauce -> onion.

 Crispy Tofu: 

- 1 pack firm or extra-firm tofu. 

- 1 tbsp sriracha hot sauce (if you really hate heat you can skip this, but I wouldn't recommend it.) 

- 1 tbsp honey 

- 1/2 cup fine cornmeal (not corn starch!) 

- 1 tsp chili powder 

- 1 tsp cumin 

- 1/2 tsp garlic powder

- 1/2 tsp salt 

- 1/8 tsp black pepper 

- 1/4 cup of oil  

Preparation: 

1. Cut the tofu into cubes. In a shallow bowl combine the sriracha and honey, and then toss the tofu in the mixture to coat thoroughly. If needed, add a bit of honey and sriracha.
 

2. In another bowl, combine the corn meal and the spices. Carefully toss the tofu in the mixture until coated.

3. Heat the oil in a large pan on medium-high heat. Put the tofu in the pan, and fry until golden-brown on all sides. For best results, take the time to place each piece of tofu, and then flip each piece to fry on all sides - rather than just stirring them. (note: if you really don't want to fry, you can probably bake them in the oven until browned crispy - but I don't guarantee the results). 

 

Cilantro Cream Sauce

- 1/4 cup sour cream or yogurt 

- a handful of fresh cilantro 

- 2-3 scallions 

- pinch of salt

Preparation: Put all of the ingredients in a food processor or blender and whizz together until you get a smooth sauce.  

Pickled Onions: 

 - 1 large red onion 

- 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime or lemon juice 

- 1 1/2 tsp salt 

- Boiling water 

Preparation: Slice the onion into thin slices and place in a heat-proof bowl. Pour boiling water to cover the onions, and let sit for about 10 seconds. Drain. Add the lime/lemon juice and salt to the onion and mix well. Put in an airtight container and refrigerate. After about 30 minutes, the onion will turn a bright purple and will be ready to serve. 

Cilantro Corn: 

- 2 tbsp of butter or oil. 

- 1 small chili pepper, finely chopped (optional. Leave out if you don't like heat). 

- 1/2 onion, finely chopped

- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 

- About 350 grams/ 2 cups frozen corn kernels 

- 1 cup water 

- 1 bunch cilantro, very finely chopped (optional, if you are a cilantro hater). 

- 1/2 tsp salt 

- 1 tbsp lime or lemon juice 

- 1-2 tsp sugar (optional, to taste) 

Preparation: 

1. In a medium pot or saucepan with a cover, heat the butter/oil. Add the chili pepper, onion, and garlic, and sautee until the onion is translucent. 

2. Add the corn, water, cilantro, and salt. Cover and cook on medium-low heat for about 10 minutes, until the corn is tender and flavorful. 

3. Open the pot, and add the lime/lemon juice. Taste to check seasoning. If you would like it more savory, add a bit of salt. If you want a bit of sweetness to counter the chili, add a bit of a sugar.

4. If there is still liquid in the pot, cook, uncovered, for a few minutes, until the liquid is evaporated (take care not to burn the corn).

Chickpea "Meatballs" (cutlets) in Red Curry Sauce

For a recent meal, the carnivores in the family were having meatballs in a "Caribbean" sauce with pineapple and peppers. I wanted to make a similar dish for myself, but didn't have vegetarian meat on hand, nor did I feel like tofu. 

I found this recipe for chickpea "meatballs", which looked promising and fairly easy to make. I dunked a couple of them in the pineapple sauce, and it was okay, but not a great fit. The original recipe calls for tomato sauce, but I wasn't in the mood for that, so I put together a quick spicy red curry sauce to go with them and it worked out perfectly.

If you don't like red curry, you can have these with whatever sauce you like, or even eat them plain, perhaps in some pita bread.

If you don't have or don't like any of the herbs or spices, you can omit them (I made it with only cilantro, as I didn't have any parsley on hand).

Chickpea "Meatballs" in Red Curry Sauce 

 

 Ingredients (for 16 large cutlets): 

For the Cutlets 

- 2 cups cooked chickpeas (if you can get them, it's best to use frozen cooked chickpeas and defrost them. If not, canned or self-cooked will do fine). 

- 1 large onion, peeled and quartered 

- 3 cloves garlic, peeled

- 4 slices of white bread, soaked in water and then squeezed (gluten free bread works fine) 

- 1 cup parsley leaves

- 1/2 cup cilantro leaves

- 3 tbsp tahini (the raw kind, not the prepared spread) 

- 1 tbsp lemon juice 

- 1 tsp ground cumin 

- 2 tsp Ras-Al-Hanout or Garam Masala 

- 1/2 tsp black pepper 

- 1 tsp salt (or to taste)

- olive oil for oiling the pan 

For the Sauce: 

- 2 tsp canola/sunflower/vegetable oil

- 2 cloves of garlic, minced 

- 1 inch/2.5 cm of fresh ginger, grated (or 1 tsp of frozen ginger) 

- Thai red curry paste (make sure you use a vegetarian brand, as many contain fish/shrimp). Start out with about 1/2 tbsp, and then add more if you want the sauce spicier. I went with 1 heaped tbsp in mine.

- 1 can coconut milk

- 1 tbsp lemon juice 

- 2 tsp sugar

Preparation: 

For The Cutlets:

1. Line a large baking sheet with baking parchment, and grease with olive oil. Heat oven to 200 C/ 400 F. 

2. In a food processor, blend the chickpeas, onion and garlic together. Add the wet bread, herbs, tahini, lemon, and spices (including the salt and pepper) and blend together to a smooth paste. 

3. Using lightly oiled hands, roll the mixture into 16 balls and place each on the prepared baking tin. Bake for 25 minutes or until the bottoms are golden-brown and the cutlets fairly firm. Allow to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes.

Note: at this point, you can just eat the cutlets as they are (they would make a nice sandwich), or serve them with any sauce you like.

For the Sauce: 

1. In a large pan, heat the oil, and then saute the garlic and ginger until fragrant and golden. 

2. Add the red curry paste and mix around a bit to break the paste up. 

3. Add the coconut milk and stir well, until all of the red curry paste is fully incorporated into the milk. Check the flavors and add more paste if needed. 

4. Add lemon juice and sugar, and cook on a low simmer for a few minutes, until the sauce thickens.

5. Carefully place the cutlets in the sauce, stirring gently to coat, and cook for a few minutes until the cutlets are warmed through. Serve with rice.

Enjoy!

"Dangerous Liaisons" Lemon Tart

I was a theater major in high-school, and for our final exam we mounted a rather ambitious production of "Dangerous Liaisons". Putting on this production was months of work, and at one point all of the cast and crew met up for a fancy picnic to work on the play (we were all kind of foodies as well as theater people). I don't remember all of the details, but I remember that we stayed up half the night preparing goodies for this picnic, and the queen of the goodies was this beautiful, summery lemon tart.

I seem to recall that we got the original recipe from a newspaper clipping which I no longer have. What I do still have is the recipe itself, which still appears in my notebook as the "Dangerous Liaisons Lemon Tart". It consists of a delicate and crispy tart shell, filled with a tangy lemon custard - a very different experience to the sweeter and more assertive lemon meringue pie.

As always, I made mine GF using a good flour mix (any mix will do), and in fact, using GF flour with short pastry means not having to worry so much about over-mixing, because there's no gluten to develop.

A Note on Eggs: the pie is not baked after the custard is put in, so the only heat the eggs get are by mixing over the double boiler. For food safety reasons, you want to make sure that your mixture reach a temperature of at least 72 C/160 F. It's best to use a food/candy thermometer for this, but if you don't have one then at least make sure that when you touch the mixture in the middle of the bowl it is uncomfortable hot to the touch. For me this coincided with the time the custard reached the correct consistency.

This recipe uses several egg yolks. If you don't want to waste the whites, why not try this recipe for chocolate-filled meringue cookies? 

"Dangerous Liaisons" Lemon Tart

Ingredients (for 28 cm/11 inch tart tin):

For the Crust: 

- 2 cups all purpose flour (gf is fine) 

- 1/3 cup sugar 

- grated zest from one lemon 

- 175 grams/6 oz cold butter, cubed 

- 1 egg yolk 

- 3 tbsp ice water 

For the Filling: 

- 4 eggs 

- 4 egg yolks 

- 3/4 cup fresh lemon juice (this is about 4 small lemons or 3 large ones, but may be more or less depending on how juice the lemons are)

- 3/4 cup white sugar 

- grated zest from two lemons 

- 100 grams/3.5 oz butter, room temperature and cut into small cubes 

Preparation: 

1. Dough: Put the flour, sugar and zest in a food processor bowl and mix briefly to combine . Add the cold butter and process until the mixture resembles little dough crumbs. (If you don't have  a food processor, you can do this by hand by cutting the butter into small cubes and then rubbing them into the flour with your fingers) Add the yolk and the cold water and mix just until the dough forms big clumps. Do NOT over mix. Combine a bit by hand, flatten to a round disc, wrap and chill for 30 minutes in the fridge. 

2. Preheat oven to 175 c/350 f. Lightly grease a 28 inch tart/pie tin.  On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to about a 30 cm/12 inch round, then flip onto the prepared tin. Press gently into the tin and trim any edged. Pierce the dough with a fork, then freeze, covered, for 15 minutes. (The cooling and freezing stages ensure that the butter is cold, ensuring a flaky, crispy shell)

3. Remove the dough from the freezer, cover with a sheet of baking parchment and top with dried beans or a baking weight. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden-brown. Remove the parchment and cool completely. 

4. Prepare the filling: in a medium metal or heat-proof glass bowl whisk together the eggs and the yolks using a wire whisk. Gradually add the lemon juice, whisking as you go. Then add the sugar and lemon zest and whisk until you have an even mixture. 

5. Take a medium pot sized so that the bowl can comfortably sit atop it without touching the bottom. Fill with a little bit of water and bring the water to a boil. With the pot still on the stove, place the bowl onto the pot and whisk, constantly, until the mixture reaches a thick custard consistency and is very warm to the touch (or measures 72 c/160 f with a food thermometer). 

6. Remove from heat, and begin whisking in the butter cubes, one by one, until each is completely incorporated into the mixture. Pour the filling into the cold shell. Gently tilt the pie to either side to smooth the custard and make sure if fully fills the tin. Refrigerate until the filling is set, about 4-5 hours. 

Rich Persian Soup with Spinach, Legumes and Herbs

I first fell in love with Ash Reshteh - a thick soup with herbs,legumes and noodles - as a teen. My family briefly lived in Southern California, and we regularly ate this stunning dish at our local Persian restaurant. Over the years I've found lots of recipes for it, but I've never tried them, in part because I couldn't get my hands on Reshteh - Persian noodles - and wasn't sure if other types of noodles would have the same fabulous texture.

It's been cold and rainy out here, so a few days ago I found myself googling "vegetarian winter recipes", and came across this list, which has lots of interesting ideas. Among them was this recipe
which is based on Ash Reshteh, but has no noodles in it. With the lentils, beans, and chickpeas, it's still incredibly filling and satisfying, with a nice sour undertone that cuts through the richness.  My version is a bit simpler with the garnishes, but otherwise much the same as the original.

 If you still want the extra comforting texture of noodles, I would throw them in a bit before adding the greens, and let them cook with the lentils and beans for a few minutes.

This soup is naturally GF. If you want it to be vegan, just skip the yogurt/buttermilk at the end. If you prefer a thinner texture, or if the soup thickens up after being in the fridge, just add some more water at the end.

Note: The dried beans need to be soaked overnight, or for at least 8 hours, before making this soup, so plan ahead. You can soak the beans and chickpeas together.

Rich Persian Soup with Spinach, Legumes, and Herbs 

Ingredients: 
For the Soup: 
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil (sunflower, canola, or other neutral flavor)
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped or grated
-  1/2 cup dried beans (the original recipe calls for navy  beans. I used a multi-colored bean mix, soaked overnight and drained
- 1/2 cup dried chickpeas, soaked overnight and drained
- 1/2 cup green lentils, rinsed
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 8 cups cold water
- 5 oz (about 140 grams) fresh baby spinach, chopped
- 1 cup cilantro leaves, chopped
- 1 cup parsley, chopped
- 1/2 cup dill, chopped
-  2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- Salt and Pepper

For the Garnish (optional):
 - 3 tbsp vegetable oil (do NOT skimp on the oil here, or the onions will burn rather than fry)
- 1 large onion, sliced into thin rings
- Greek yogurt or Buttermilk or a mixture of both.

Preparation:
Soup

1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for a few minutes, stirring frequently, until the onion is soft and golden. Do not over-heat, as the onion will burn.

2. Add the garlic, beans, and chickpeas (but not the lentils!) and season with the turmeric. Stir for a minute or two until you can start to smell the garlic cooking. Add the water, mix, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat so the soup is simmering, and cook, uncovered, for about 35 minutes.

3. Add the lentils, and continue to cook, uncovered, for another 25-35 minutes, or until the lentils are tender and the beans are creamy-soft but don't lose their shape.  I found it helpful to add some salt and pepper at this point, as it was unpleasant to taste the beans unseasoned. At this point you should have a very thick mixture, closer to stew than soup. 

4. Add in the spinach and the herbs, and cook for 4-6 minutes, until the greens have wilted. The water released from the greens should bring the whole thing back to the texture of a thick soup. Add in the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.

Onion Garnish: 
5. In a pan, heat up the oil over medium-high heat, and add in the onion rings. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onion turns golden, then lower the heat to a medium, and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is lightly charred and crispy.

To serve: 6. Plate each portion of soup in a bowl, drizzle some yogurt or buttermilk into the bowl, and top with the crispy onions.

Enjoy!