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Apr 25 2014

Crispy Tofu Tacos

Posted by georgiapellegrini in Step-by-Step Recipes

Now I know I’m the “meat girl,” but I do actually enjoy the versatility that tofu offers as an ingredient. Tofu will absorb any flavor you add to it, so an ingredient that most people may think is bland can actually be made to pack a powerful flavor punch when cooked right. One of my favorite go-to recipes is a taco. I love how easy it is to customize a taco recipe to include everything you love and nothing more. So, it only made sense to try out these Crispy Tofu Tacos from Tk member Lindsay. The flavors of this taco are light and fresh, all while coming together to create the most delicious bite.

To make these you will need: firm tofu, olive oil, salt, cumin, chili pepper, cayenne, lime zest, softened goat cheese, half and half, corn tortillas, and cabbage, lime and other favorite garnishes.

To start, add your olive oil into cold pan.

Add sliced and drained tofu into the pan and turn the pan to a medium heat. (Tip: Just like meat, make sure you pat your tofu dry with a paper towel so it will crisp up better!)

When the tofu starts to sizzle and slightly change color, add the cumin, chili powder, salt, and cayenne pepper.

Mix the ingredients together while breaking up the tofu into smaller pieces. Let it sit on the stove and stir occasionally until the tofu is browned and crispy on all sides.

In a separate bowl, mix together the lime zest …

… goat cheese, half-and-half, and salt. You can use a food processor/blender or just a whisk.

Mix all of the ingredients together until smooth, adding a little more half-and-half if the sauce needs to be thinned out.

It’s the perfect sauce for these tacos.

Add some fresh greens for some extra texture and your favorite taco toppings, and voila! You’ve got a quick and delicious taco that anyone will love.

Check out more delicious recipes just like this one at Lindsay’s blog, FunnyLove!

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Crispy Tofu Tacos with Goat Cheese Lime Cream

by Lindsay @ My Therapist Cooks on March 24, 2014 in Special Dietary Needs, Vegetarian

See post on Lindsay @ My Therapist Cooks’s site!

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Description

Vegetarian! Healthy! Delicious!

Ingredients

1 block Firm Tofu, 14-16 Ounce Block (Drained And Sliced Into Thick Slices)
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
½ teaspoons Each Seasoned Salt, Cumin, And Chili Powder
½ teaspoons Cayenne Pepper
1 whole Lime, Zested
2 ounces, weight Softened Goat Cheese
2 Tablespoons Half And Half, Plus A Bit More If Needed
1 pinch Salt
Flour Or Corn Tortillas, For Serving
Shredded Cabbage, Lime Wedges, Cilantro, Or Any Other Taco Toppings You Like

Preparation Instructions

Add the slices of drained tofu into a cold pan with the olive oil. Turn the pan to medium heat, and break up the tofu a bit with a spatula. When the tofu starts to sizzle, sprinkle the cumin, chili powder, seasoned salt, and cayenne pepper over the tofu. Continue to break it into little bits, stirring every few minutes, until the tofu is browned and crispy on all sides.

Meanwhile, combine the lime zest, goat cheese, half-and-half, and salt in a small food processor or blender. Pulse to combine, adding a splash more of the half-and-half if needed to form a smooth sauce.

Assemble the tofu and any desired toppings in taco shells, then drizzle with the goat cheese cream. Eat!

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There’s so much to say about Georgia, we don’t know where to start. Leaving Wall Street for the French Culinary Institute, followed by a stint at the Gramercy Tavern and La Chassagnette in France, her passion for food and food traditions are evident and inspiring. Visit her site at Georgia Pellegrini, where you’ll find more recipes, photos, learn all about her wonderful books (including her latest one, Modern Pioneering, and enjoy her latest adventures.

Apr 23 2014

Packing Lunches

Posted by Betsy (TK) in Kitchen Talk

If you’re like me, making lunches in the morning does not represent the height of your culinary creativity. I have been known to let out a pitiful sigh while staring uninspired into the fridge, only to end up grabbing the same few items: fruit, deli meat, cheese. And then, of course, there’s the inevitable mining of the veggie drawer for items my child will actually eat. This time of year, we can really get into autopilot mode, packing the same old lunch every day. So today, we want to pick your brains for ways to pack delicious lunches (for kids or grown-ups!) while keeping the morning sane in the process. So tell us:

What are your tips for packing healthy and interesting lunches?

I’m short on lunch ideas these days, but I do have one simple one that’s tried and true. Veggies and dip! It always feels like a bit of a defeat to open the lunch box at the end of the day and find containers still full of food. Often it’s the vegetables that get left behind, so one of my reliable solutions has been to pack dressing or dip with the vegetables. I have a child who loves foods he can dip, so this encourages him to eat up the healthy stuff, too. I like to use homemade salad dressing I made for dinner the night before, or just hummus, guacamole or yogurt dip, like tzatziki.

Erika has a good system. She says: “I like packing pasta or grain salads because I can easily make them the night before and store them in the refrigerator already packed in a lunch container. Then I can just quickly heat it up in the morning as I make coffee or steep tea. I sometimes make big batch of the pasta or grain base and the protein so I can whip up different versions, like Italian, Greek, Mexican, or Asian.”

Nanci always has whole wheat tortillas handy to throw whatever leftovers from weeknight dinners into a super quick wrap (brisket, fajitas, lunch meat, Philly cheese steak, chicken Caesar salad, pinto beans, etc.). She also has a yogurt maker and makes yogurt each week. So a cup of homemade Greek yogurt with some jam in it is always on her lunch menu. Other than that, she makes big batches of whatever she makes for dinner and typically throws a small container or two of the leftovers into the freezer for a super quick toss into a lunch bag.

Now for your tips! Tell us about your favorite items to pack and/or your brilliant lunch-planning tricks below. We’re ready for our brown bag attitude adjustment!

Apr 21 2014

Spiced Sweet Potato Muffins

Posted by Natalie | Perry's Plate in Baking

We’re huge fans of sweet potatoes at our house. And muffins. And Indian food.

When I saw this muffin recipe and noticed it had garam masala in it, I made a weird face. That’s the honest truth.

If you’re not familiar with Indian spices, garam masala is a spice blend commonly used in curries and other Indian dishes. Not something you’d find in a muffin, that’s for sure.

It sounded odd to me, but I really, really wanted to try it. (Story of my cooking life, much to my kids’ dismay.)

I won over all three of my picky little girls with these muffins, though! Spiced Sweet Potato Muffins, submitted by Tasty Kitchen member Kristin, are an exotic spin on a simple sweet potato muffin. They’re not only gluten-free, but they’re grain-free as well and easily made dairy-free!

And they have chocolate chips. Maybe that’s why they liked them so much?

OK, let’s gather ingredients. You’ll need cold, mashed sweet potatoes, almond flour, real maple syrup, nut butter (I used almond), chocolate chips, cinnamon, cocoa powder, garam masala, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and vanilla extract.

Here’s my garam masala. You can find it in most grocery stores nowadays in the spice section. I ordered mine online a while back and have been refilling this bottle with a homemade blend.

First crack the eggs into a large mixing bowl and loosen them up with a fork.

Add the sweet potatoes, nut butter, and maple syrup.

Mix it up until you get something that resembles pumpkin pie filling. Speaking of pumpkin, you could totally use canned pumpkin in place of sweet potatoes in this! Just add an extra splash or two of maple syrup.

Add the almond flour and the rest of the dry ingredients.

Mix it well, and then fold the chocolate chips into the batter. The nice thing about not using wheat flour is that you don’t have to worry as much about over-mixing and ending up with cone-head muffins!

Scoop the batter into muffin molds. I used a silicone muffin pan, but you can use any type you like. I would recommend using paper liners if you don’t use a silicone pan so they come out easier. And in one piece.

Throw them in the oven …

… and out they come! I’ve consistently gotten 11 muffins out of this batch, and I’ve also double and tripled this recipe before with success. They also freeze and reheat nicely!

These tasty little grain-free morsels have become a staple in our muffin collection! I thought the spices blended beautifully with the sweet potatoes. And the chocolate chips were a nice touch. (They usually are.)

Before you go, stop by Kristin’s TK Recipe Box as well as her blog, Tastefully Gluten Free, for more delicious recipes!

Notes:
1. I omitted the yogurt to make them dairy free. Because it was only one tablespoon, I didn’t think it would make a big difference if I left it out.
2. Garam masala is a potent blend, and after making this recipe several times, I decided to cut the amount down by two-thirds. Any more than a 1/2 teaspoon gave the muffins a strange, “am I eating curry or a muffin” flavor. Perhaps my spice blend is more potent because I make it myself? Try it and see what you think!

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