Beer Battered Tofu Tacos

Taco Tuesdays took on a whole new look in this house. How have I never beer battered tofu before!? It's so delicious. I was hankering for something new with a kick, and these tacos hit the spot. High in protein, really fresh and crisp (not soggy at all), garnished with avocado and hatch chili salsa. 

Tofu Taco Tuesday!

Ingredients

1 block of firm tofu drained and pressed, cut into strips

1 cup of flour

1 cup of beer (a good IPA will do)

1 tbs garlic powder

1 tsp salt

Taco shells of your choice

1 avocado, sliced

1 cup of shredded lettuce or cabbage

1/4 cup of coconut (or vegetable) oil or enough to fill a medium sauce pan about 1/4 inch

Hatch green chili salsa to top (or salsa of your choice)

Cilantro to garnish

The How-To

1. Slice the tofu block into strips. 
2. Whisk the flour, beer, garlic powder and salt together in a bowl.
3. Coat a large pan with the oil. It should be about a  1/4-inch deep. Keep the pan on medium to high heat.
4. Dip the tofu strips into the batter to coat, then place the tofu in the pan, leaving room between strips. Cook until the tofu is slightly browned and crispy on each side. I use tongs to flip the pieces over after about 3 minutes on each side. When done, transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to blot and catch any extra oil.
5. Place the tofu strips in your taco shells and garnish to taste with lettuce, salsa and avocado!

Broccoli for breakfast? Why not. I'm more of a savory gal, so in the mornings I would be the type to opt for the bacon instead of the blueberries, the bagel over the bear claw...you get the picture.

I love quiche. It's a remnant of the 80s that is delicious as ever. It's still a prominent menu item in most cafes and a prominent potluck player that never gets old. Have you ever turned down a homemade piece? I didn't think so.

Sometimes I whip one up to so I can get a slice to bring with me for breakfast during the week. A slice a day keeps the growls away. It's full of protein, can be eaten room temp or warmed up and can be made crust-less to cut the carbs.

This one in particular is vegetarian, but oh so yummy with basil and feta cheese. A little goes a long way for flavor.  

 

Broccoli and Vegetable Crust-less Quiche

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium sized onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 cups broccoli florets, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup frozen spinach or fresh chopped
3-4 asparagus spears, chopped
1 small zucchini, cut into small pieces
2 roma tomatoes, cut into thin slices
2 cups of liquid egg whites (or 4 eggs)
1 cup fat free milk
1/4 cup shredded low fat cheese (I use Trader Joes brand)
1 oz. crumbled Feta cheese
1/2 teaspoon sea salt or to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried basil or a cube of frozen basil
1/4 cup flour
Dash of paprika

The How-To:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
2. In a skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring until softened. Add broccoli, asparagus, zucchini, basil and garlic and cook about five minutes or until just tender. Transfer vegetables to prepared pan. You can season the veggies with a little salt and pepper.
3. In a large bowl, beat together eggs, milk, cheeses and spices. Whisk in flour. Toss in the spinach. Pour egg mixture evenly over vegetables. Layer the top with the sliced tomatoes. I added a bit of salt, pepper and a drop of basil olive oil to each slice. Sprinkle with paprika and bake until set, about 35 minutes. Cool quiche 10 minutes before serving.

Seriously, one of my favorite quotes from When Harry Met Sally

Easy Vegetable Curry

Thank you, Trader Joe's, for making it so easy to pull together a tasty vegetable curry dinner. I used their simple Thai Yellow Curry Sauce and some fresh vegetables I had lying around. It's not the most complicated recipe, but it sure is pretty.  

Now, you can just use the curry alone, but I like some added volume and a more mild flavor every now and then. The addition of coconut milk gives it a more creamy texture and lighter color. Using coconut oil to saute the veggies in won't make it taste like coconut -- trust me.

It smells amazing while it cooks and has a higher smoking point than other oils. Remember though, as with any oil it is high in calories, so just keep an eye on the measurement.

Easy Thai Vegetable Curry

Ingredients

2 tbs of coconut oil

1 (11 oz) bottle Thai Yellow Curry from Trader Joe's

3/4 cup Coconut Milk (about half a can - I like the Light version from TJs)

1 green bell pepper, cut into pieces

1 small red onion, cut into pieces

2 carrots, sliced into pieces

1/2 cup small mushrooms, or 1 small can of mushrooms

2-3 cloves of garlic, chopped (or as much as you'd like!)

1 Tbsp fresh cilantro leaves, chopped (optional)

The How-To

Place 2tbs of coconut oil into a heated, medium-sized saucepan. Add vegetables. Stir to combine and cook until the onions are translucent. Add the chopped garlic right before the curry - as to to not overcook it. 

Add the curry and coconut milk, bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer, and cook for 15 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Stir in cilantro and remove from heat. Serve over rice, potatoes or with a piece of naan. Garnish with cilantro. 

Bean Free Turkey Chili

Sometimes I grow weary of the magical fruit when eating vegetarian a lot. When I make my turkey chili, there's a chance I'll go bean-free. This method is also good if you're trying to limit your carb intake -- although beans are good carbs! Don't forget them forever, they are high in protein, full of fiber and a complex carb that takes longer to digest, so it keeps you fuller for longer.  Here it is, my turkey chili, or chili con cranky depending on the day:

Bean Free Turkey Chili

Ingredients

1 lb ground turkey (or beef, but turkey is leaner)
1 small onion chopped
1 can of mushrooms chopped or a cup of fresh chopped
1 can of Rotel diced tomatoes with peppers (or just tomatoes)
1 can of diced jalapenos
2-3 small peppers of your choosing. I opted for the combo of green bell and mild chilis
1 can of tomato paste (6oz)
1 clove of garlic
1 tbs of olive oil
Hot sauce to your taste
Red chili flakes to taste
1 tbs of chili pepper
1 tbs of paprika
1 tsp of oregano
1 tbs of garlic powder
salt, pepper to taste

The How-To

1. Saute the ground turkey in olive oil and red pepper flakes for a bit. Add a bit of salt and pepper.
2. I like to saute the onions, peppers, and mushrooms together until the onions are translucent. Toss them in with the turkey when done.
3. Add the garlic, saute for about 2-3 minutes.
4. Empty the tomatoes, peppers, and paste into the mix. Stir well.
5. Add your spices, and let simmer for about half on hour on low to medium heat. I usually play with the spice levels, add more hot sauce etc... You can also add the tomato paste one tbs at a time, if you think it may be too sweet to your preference. Find the right balance of salty, sweet and spicy and voila! Comfort in a bowl.

Vegan Kale and Chickpea Salad

I'm  neither vegetarian nor vegan, but that doesn't stop me from enjoying my veggies. When I feel like I've gone a bit overboard on the wine drinking or diet, I like to clean things up with this salad. It's made from fresh, cleansing ingredients, has tons of vitamins and tastes amazing too. This is great for a packed lunch, keeps well in the fridge for a day or so and well, folks seem to have a love affair with kale these days, don't they?

Kale and Chickpea Salad

Ingredients:

1 large bunch of kale, stems and ribs removed, cut into tiny strips or chiffonade
1/2 cup of canned chickpeas, rinsed
1 roasted red pepper, diced
5 cherry or grape tomatoes halved
1/4 cup of diced red onion
a handful of shredded carrots (I like to keep a bag of pre-shredded carrots around to throw in random meals)
1-2 tbs of sunflower seeds or pine nuts

For the dressing:

1 tbs of good olive oil
1 tbs of apple cider vinegar
1 tbs of a good mustard (i used a spicy garlic but you can just use dijon)
1 tbs of honey or agave nectar
1 clove of garlic crushed
dash of lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
chopped green onion (optional)

The How-To:

Rinse and spin dry the kale. Massage the kale with your hands for 1-2 minutes. Don't look at me like I'm crazy. This is key! Instead of cooking my kale or having raw, uber hard strips to chomp on, I massage it. It reduces the volume a bit and makes the leaves much easier to chew and digest because it's softer. Throw it in a bowl along with other veggies.

In a small bowl, whisk together (or shake up in a small jar) the dressing ingredients. Throw in with the veggies and kale, toss to combine and serve. It was even good the next day -- I go fairly light on the dressing.

Lucky Lentil Salad

A while back in Hayes Valley, I had a really good chilled lentil salad. I wanted to recreate it since it's something chock full of protein and nutrients and quite filling after a work out. I've been known to just shove spoonfuls of peanut butter into my mouth after a run I'm so ladylike. I figured this would be  step up.

This one I made was cold and keeps in the fridge for a few days - which was great to snack on.  I made a big batch and cooked the quinoa and lentils together in a rice cooker, but you can cook each separately in a pot if you wish. It's real easy to put together, good for any veggie lover (or even vegan) and something I usually snack on periodically or throw over a bed of greens or brown rice.

Chilled Lentil Salad

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of quinoa cooked in broth
1/2 cup of green lentils cooked in broth
1/2 cup of canned chickpeas rinsed
12 cup of shredded carrots (our you can use zucchini)
1 cup of kale, chopped (I like baby kale, it's softer and less bitter)
1/ 4 cup of raisins (I liked the sweetness they add)
1-2 tbs of fresh parsley chopped

Dressing:

1/4 cup of vinegar of your choice (I used apple cider)
1/4 cup of olive oil (I used garlic flavored)
1 garlic clove minced or 2 shallots finely chopped
1 tbs of Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper to taste

How To:

Cook the quinoa and green lentils in broth. This adds flavor and I usually use 1 1/4 cup of broth to the 1/2 cup of grain/lentil. If I have any frozen herbs lying around, I'll add those to the water too. Usually it's frozen garlic and/or basil or cilantro. If I have any mixed seasonings or dried onions, I'll add that to the cooking water as well. It really gives the quinoa more depth and less "dirt" flavor some folks complain about.

Whisk the dressing ingredients in a bowl, set aside to let the flavors mingle.

Cool the quinoa and lentils to room temp. Throw them in a big bowl or container with the rest of the ingredients, toss with dressing and eat. Super simple!