Easy BBQ Tofu & Sweet Potato Wraps

Whenever I buy a package of tofu, I end up having such a tough time deciding what to make with it - not because I don't know what to do with it, but because I have too many ideas and I can't decide! Do I make soba noodles with tofu in a peanut sauce? Or crumble it up to make either scrambled tofu or tofu salad? Or maybe add it to a warm soup or curry?

One idea that I've been meaning to try for a while and finally got around to doing has been BBQ tofu. I love BBQ sauce and sometimes spend a while looking at all the delicious flavours of it in the grocery store, but I rarely buy it because I end up deciding I don't have much use for it other than as a pizza sauce (which I highly recommend!).

Of course, that was silly thinking on my part - there's no reason vegetarians and vegans should be deprived of BBQ sauce when it goes so well with tofu!

For my first BBQ tofu attempt, I kept things as simple as possible by using bottled sauce instead of making my own, and a premade coleslaw mix with just a splash of apple cider vinegar and a pinch of salt and sugar for seasoning.

The tofu itself is pressed and then tossed in a generous amount of BBQ sauce, then baked in the oven to soak up the sauce and get nice and chewy. I also took some inspiration from this BBQ tempeh and sweet potato recipe from Appetite for Reduction and added some sweet potato to the tofu mix before roasting it all in the oven.

After roasting, the tofu and sweet potato really absorbed the sauce so they had lots of flavour. Rather than eating them on their own though, I placed a layer in a tortilla shell topped with the coleslaw mix and an extra serving of BBQ sauce to make a giant soft taco.

Or if you don't feel like making wraps, you could also eat this as a salad by topping the coleslaw with a serving of the tofu-sweet potato mixture and a drizzle of BBQ sauce - I liked mine both ways!

BBQ Tofu & Sweet Potato Wraps
Inspired by Oh My Veggies and Appetite for Reduction

1 14oz package firm tofu

1.5 lbs sweet potato, peeled and diced

1/2 cup BBQ sauce, plus extra for serving (use your favourite brand or a homemade sauce)

1 bag coleslaw mix

Apple cider vinegar to taste

Salt, pepper, and sugar to taste

Whole wheat tortillas

Remove tofu from package, drain, and slice into three lengthwise slabs. Press tofu between paper towels under a heavy book for 15-30 minutes (see this post by Oh My Veggies on how to press tofu if you need a guide).

Preheat oven to 400°F and prepare a large baking sheet by lining with aluminum foil and spraying with cooking spray.

Slice the tofu into cubes. Toss tofu and diced sweet potato in the ½ cup of BBQ sauce and spread out into a single layer on the baking sheet. Roast in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, then flip or toss the pieces and return to the oven for another 15-20 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are tender.

To assemble each taco, warm a tortilla in the microwave (or oven). Lay as much of the tofu and sweet potato as you like in a line down the middle of the tortilla. Top with extra BBQ sauce (as much as desired).  For each taco, take about 1 cup of coleslaw mix and toss with a splash of apple cider vinegar and a sprinkle of sugar, salt, and pepper. Lay the seasoned coleslaw on top of the BBQ mixture. Close wrap. (Alternatively, place the seasoned coleslaw in a bowl, add a serving of the tofu and sweet potatoes, and drizzle with extra BBQ sauce to make a salad).

Makes enough for 4-6 wraps

Vegan Gingerbread Rye Scones

For my first post of December, I thought it would only be appropriate to share a holiday recipe! As I'm sure you've all noticed, as soon as American Thanksgiving was over last week, bloggers couldn't wait to get into the Christmas spirit, and I'm definitely one of those bloggers! 

My holiday baking started last week with our annual cookie swap at school, and even though I had just gotten back from a conference and didn't have much time to prepare for it, I couldn't miss the opportunity to try out a Christmas cookie recipe - and to sample everyone else's Christmas baking! 

I brought these cranberry apple crumble squares from Sweet Twist of Blogging, and I loved how they turned out! And for the record, I think it was our best cookie swap yet, everyone's treats were so good (as evidenced by the rate at which my stash disappeared afterwards)!

My second holiday themed treat so far this year were these gingerbread scones. These aren't your average fluffy white scones, since they're made with a mix of whole wheat and rye flour and use coconut oil instead of butter. I liked how the darker flours gave the scones a bit of a deeper flavour though and complemented the gingerbread notes well too.

Lightly sweetened with a bit of maple syrup and molasses and spiced with both ground and fresh ginger, these scones have a subtle kick to them. You could leave them plain to highlight the gingerbread, or you could add a few whole cranberries to each scone like I did to double up on the Christmassy flavours! 

Hopefully I'll have more treats to share with you in the next few weeks!

Gingerbread Rye Scones
Adapted from Gnom-Gnom

1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1/2 cup dark rye flour

1/2 tbsp baking powder

3/4 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp allspice

Dash of salt

3 tbsp solid coconut oil

3 tbsp almond milk

2 tbsp maple syrup

1 tbsp molasses

1/2 tbsp vinegar or lemon juice

1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger

1/2 tsp vanilla

~1/4 cup fresh or frozen cranberries (optional; if frozen let them thaw a bit first)

Preheat oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (flours to salt). Add the coconut oil and use a fork or a pastry cutter to cut the coconut oil into the dry ingredients until it is fully broken down and the dry ingredients are crumbly.

In a separate bowl, mix the almond milk, maple syrup, molasses, vinegar, ginger, and vanilla. If your molasses is really thick, you can blend the ingredients in a blender until smooth (I used this method). Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir just until the dry ingredients are incorporated.

Transfer mixture to a clean surface and pat it into a thick round circle. Cut into four equal wedges. Press a few cranberries into the tops of each scone if desired.

Place scones on the prepared baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 17-20 minutes, until they are browned on the bottom and firm on top. Let cool on a wire rack.

Best served warm, spread with a bit of margarine or vegan butter.

Makes 4 small scones (recipe can be doubled for a larger batch - just cut the dough circle into 8 wedges instead of 4).

Recipe Round-Up: Comfort Food & Cookies

It's been a while since I've posted a round up of recipes I've tried from other blogs - other than all the pumpkin recipes that I've enjoyed this year!

My meals lately have definitely transitioned from fresh and light salads to warm and comforting bowls of roasted veggies and hearty soups and stews. I've also tried out a few vegan cookie recipes recently that I wanted to share with you too!


Warm Chickpea and Artichoke Salad  from the taste space

I've made this dish a couple of times in the past and it's just as good every time I go back to it. All you need is some canned artichokes and chickpeas, slivered almonds, and some flavourings in the form of garlic, lemon juice, and dried herbs. It seems like a simple combination, but when you eat everything together warm, it tastes a lot more special!


Sweet Potato Broccoli Bowl from Coffee & Quinoa

Sometimes all I want for dinner is a bowl of veggies, but to make it a bit more dinner-worthy, I'll whip up some kind of sauce to pour over top - usually with tahini and lemon juice. I didn't follow this recipe exactly, but this is the kind of creamy-yet-still-healthy sauce that I think goes perfectly over roasted veggies. To save more time, you can steam the veggies like I did, and use leftover quinoa or even leave out the quinoa.

Red Lentil and Squash Curry Stew from Oh She Glows

When I thought I might be coming down with the flu last week, I made this healthy stew that had lots of nutritious ingredients in it: garlic, ginger, onion, squash, sweet potato (which I added because I didn't have enough squash), red lentils, and spinach. I even added extra spinach (I used a whole bunch rather than 1 cup) because it cooks down a lot. This was just what I was craving, and while I'm not making any claims as to the powers of this stew, I did manage to fight off any sickness!

West African Peanut Stew from Sing for Your Supper

Another easy stew that I tried recently was a variation on this african peanut stew, which I made for my parents the last time I visited. I love anything with peanut butter and spices so I knew I would like it, but I wasn't sure if my parents would. Turned out I was wrong - they both raved about it! The only changes I made were to replace the chicken broth with vegetable broth and I added a hot pepper and some black beans to make it a bit more filling. I liked it just on its own, but it would also work well over rice or couscous!

Mini No-Yeast Cinnamon Rolls from Krissy's Creations

Out of all the recipes in this post, these were probably the least healthy, but I made them as a treat for a special occasion (my mom's birthday). I was looking for a no-yeast cinnamon roll recipe because I didn't have a lot of time in the morning, and these were perfect. Plus they were a nice small size so we could still eat a couple for breakfast and not be too full for lunch later! While they weren't quite as tasty as the yeast kind, I thought they were a really close substitution, especially fresh from the oven! 

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Bites from Minimalist Baker

I may have posted these cookies before because this is the second time I've made them, but I can't resist a healthy cookie with the combination of banana, peanut butter, and chocolate chips! These are super easy to make and you probably already have all of the ingredients in your kitchen, so you can whip them up anytime as a snack!

Chocolate Banana Cookies from Katy's Kitchen

I've recently discovered Katy's blog and I'm constantly bookmarking or pinning her recipes to try! These cookies are pretty healthy and had the perfect balance of banana and chocolate flavours. I also liked that they were nice and soft and fluffy - my favourite kind of cookie!

Skinny Snickerdoodles from Chocolate Covered Katie

Another healthier cookie that didn't taste "healthy" were these snickerdoodles. I loved the texture - pillowy and soft inside with a bit of crunch on the outside from the sugar, and they're a nice small size so you can eat lots of them! I changed up the spices a bit, adding some chai spices to the coating for a bit of a twist on the usual cinnamon-sugar combo.

I might consider adding these to my holiday baking wish list, or if you have any other good cookie recipe recommendations that I could make for our annual cookie swap next week, feel free to let me know in the comments!

Have a great weekend!

Almond Butter, Cherry & Chocolate Granola Bars

 

It's been awhile since I've made my own granola bars as I've been taking the more convenient route of buying them from the grocery store instead. Lately I've been enjoying Kashi chewy granola bars in my favourite flavour: cherry and dark chocolate.

I love the combination of dried cherries with chocolate chips in a granola bar because it makes a healthy snack taste a bit more decadent! Since that brand can be a bit expensive if they're not on sale though, I wanted to make my own version of a granola bar with those same flavours.

I turned to the blog Healthy Food for Living for my recipe inspiration because I've tried her granola bars in the past and loved them. I only made a few minor changes, swapping almond butter for the peanut butter, changing some of the ingredient amounts, and adding some chopped pecans. I also followed her suggestion of baking them in a loaf pan to get thicker bars.

These came out soft and chewy, with lots of flavour - just how I like my granola bars! I also liked that they were plenty sweet for my tastes with only a bit of extra sweetener (in the form of pure maple syrup) because the tart cherries added some sweetness of their own.

These make a tasty and hearty snack that you can cut into whatever size you want - smaller squares or longer granola bars. I can't say that I'll stop buying Kashi or other granola bars, but it's nice to have a homemade snack around once in a while too!

Almond Butter, Cherry & Chocolate Granola Bars

Adapted from Healthy Food for Living

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

2 tbsp pure maple syrup

1/4 cup almond butter

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup large rolled oats

1.5 cups rice krispies (or another type of puffed rice)

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/3 cup dried cherries

2 tbsp semi-sweet chocolate chips

2 tbsp chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9x5” loaf pan with parchment paper and spray lightly with cooking spray.

In a medium sized bowl, stir together the applesauce, maple syrup, and almond butter until smooth. Stir in the vanilla extract. Gently fold in the remaining ingredients until everything is evenly coated.

Pour into prepared pan, smoothing out the top with a rubber spatula. Use your hands or the spatula to press down firmly on the top so that the mixture holds together tightly.

Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, until lightly browned and firm on top. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then carefully remove from the pan and let cool completely on a wire rack. Cut into bars or squares. 

Makes about 10 squares. 

Quinoa with Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Clementines & Pomegranate

Now that we've had our first official snowfall of the year (as in, the snow actually stays on the ground and doesn't just melt away immediately), I think it's appropriate to share a holiday recipe on the blog!

This recipe can actually be made any time, it's not just for the holidays - I just think it looks so festive with the green, red, and gold colours in it, and it tastes Christmassy too!

I saw this recipe for roasted brussels sprouts, clementines, and pomegranate on Edible Perspective and thought it would make a great quinoa dish. It may sound like an odd combination of ingredients at first, but when everything is tossed together in a citrusy dressing with crunchy pecans, it works!

Roasted brussels sprouts are my favourite way to eat them, and if you've never tried roasting citrus fruit, this is a great way to try it out too! The slightly charred clementine segments come out of the oven soft and warm and bursting with juice. Plus, you don't have to worry about any pesky seeds with clementines!

The pomegranate arils add lots of crunch to the mix along with the toasted nuts, and I loved the sweet and tangy clementine dressing with a bit of a kick from some garlic and ginger.

I think this could make a nice side dish to keep in mind for your holiday meal planning over the next month or two!

Quinoa with Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Clementines & Pomegranate
Inspired by Edible Perspective, dressing loosely adapted from Oxmoor House

1 lb brussels sprouts

1 tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper

3 clementines

1 cup quinoa

1/4 cup chopped pecans

3/4 cup pomegranate arils (I recommend buying POM POMS if you can find them)

Dressing

2 tsp clementine zest

1/4 cup fresh clementine juice (from about 1 large clementine, blended then strained to remove pulp)

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tsp agave nectar (can substitute honey for non-vegan)

1 clove garlic, finely minced

1-2 tsp minced fresh ginger (to taste)

1/4 tsp salt

Freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 450°F and prepare a large baking sheet by lining with tin foil.

Wash the brussels sprouts and trim off the bottoms and outer leaves. Slice in half (or quarters for larger ones) and toss with the olive oil, some salt and pepper. Peel the clementines (tip: before peeling, remove enough zest for the dressing) and separate each one into four or five sections. Toss clementine pieces with the brussels sprouts, then spread everything out onto the prepared baking sheet. Roast for 20-25 minutes, until the brussels sprouts are browned. Remove from oven. When cool enough to handle, separate the clementine chunks into single pieces.

Meanwhile, bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a medium sized saucepan. Add the quinoa, reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for about 15 minutes (or according to package directions). Remove from heat and let sit covered for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.

Heat a small skillet over medium heat and toast the pecan pieces for a few minutes, until lightly toasted and fragrant. Remove from heat and transfer to a small bowl.

Prepare the dressing by whisking together all ingredients in a small bowl.

Transfer quinoa to a large bowl and add the roasted brussels sprouts and clementines. Add the toasted pecans and pomegranate arils. Toss to combine. Pour over the dressing and toss well to mix. Season with additional salt and pepper if desired.

Serve warm.

Makes 4 servings.

(Note: Leftovers will keep in the fridge, but I liked the best when it was freshly made...after a day or two, the clementines get a bit too soft and reheated brussels sprouts never smell very good!)