Life can be full of surprises. Sometimes you can think you know someone, and then something happens that makes you question everything.
I’m talking, of course, about tofu.
Tofu, in its raw form, is less than appealing, especially to devoted meat-lovers, but its very blandness is its greatest attribute. Tofu is a perfect blank canvas for a wide variety of flavours and seasonings and adds a lovely protein-rich creaminess to any dish. This tofu scramble is a tasty alternative to scrambled eggs; it’s a deliciously savoury and simple addition to any breakfast or brunch. But more importantly, in my house, it passed the carnivore test.
I was creating this dish one day, adding sundried tomatoes and flavourings until it was just so. I offered up a taste to my husband, with low expectations as to his reaction. It's tofu, after all, and he was busily cooking a pound of bacon. To my surprise and shock, he devoured it with enthusiasm and asked for more. Who ARE you? I wanted to ask, but instead, I silently served up another helping.
Ingredients
Using 2 teaspoons of oil from the sundried tomatoes, sauté mushrooms over medium heat until browned and soft, about 10 minutes.
Add the crumbled tofu, garlic powder, onion powder, and nutritional yeast to the pan. Stir to mix, and sauté over medium heat until most of the moisture is gone and tofu has a “scrambled egg” consistency, about 10 minutes.
Add the sundried tomatoes and spinach to the mixture. Stir and cook until spinach is wilted, about two minutes.
Serve immediately and enjoy!
Yield: 2 large or 4 small servings
Nutritional Information (approximate, per serving based on 2 large servings): Calories 240, Fat 11 grams, Total Carbohydrates 23 grams, Fibre 6 grams, Protein 21 grams
Want more delicious vegan breakfast ideas? Try my protein-rich Breakfast Quinoa, my Maple Coconut Granola, or my Easy Tropical Green Smoothie.
Do you have a sweet tooth? Apparently if you are always craving sweets, your diet may be deficient in protein. It seems a bit counterintuitive—want a chocolate bar? Go eat some almonds—but it is actually very true.
As a vegetarian, I need to be cognizant of my protein consumption—not consuming enough protein leaves me dizzy, hungry, and grouchy, so I make sure to monitor it pretty closely, for the good of the household. And generally that works well; when I have cravings, they are usually the salty or savoury kind, but on occasion I get the feeling that I need something sweet and I need it right now.
That's what makes these Maple Coconut Tahini Treats so great—they are sweet and delicious, and they are made with tahini (sesame seed paste), which has 6 grams of protein per 2 tablespoon serving. Not only do these little vegan energy bites hit the sweet spot, but with their protein-rich ingredients they also curb cravings from within. A pretty perfect way to satisfy a sweet tooth, if you ask me.
Ingredients:
In a food processor, whirl together tahini, maple syrup, cocoa powder, and vanilla until very smooth and paste-like in consistency.
Add coconut, 1/4 cup at a time, and process until the mixture becomes very thick and sticks together, like a ball in the food processor (see below video).
Roll the mixture into bite-sized balls and refrigerate until firm.
Tip: this recipe freezes well.
(Yield: 20-24 bites of energy)
Nutritional Information (approximate, based on one of 24): Calories 90, Fat 6.5 grams, Total Carbohydrates 7.5 grams, Fibre 1 gram, Protein 3 grams
Have a sweet tooth? Try my Gluten-Free Chocolate Almond Butter Blondies, my Decadent Dark Chocolate Truffles, or my Five-Ingredient Ten-Minute Chocolate Mousse Pie.
See for yourself how to make these sweet energy bites—watch below!
Some flavours are just meant to be together—it's like destiny, food-style. Cilantro and lime are flavour soul mates—they just go together like peas and carrots. The addition of cilantro and lime to a basic dish, like rice and beans, escalates it from "plain and boring" to "superstar." Add a little cumin into the mix and the flavour is out of this world.
Now, not everyone feels that way about cilantro. Apparently, we all have a gene that determines if we find cilantro to be a delicious and fresh flavour or a soap-like one. My husband, unfortunately, has the latter gene. More cilantro for me, I guess!
Chimichurri is traditionally made with parsley, but one day I found myself with an excess of cilantro, and so I decided to experiment a little, with scrumptious results. Usually chimichurri is drizzled over grilled meats, but why should the meat-eaters have all the fun? Rice and beans, that boring staple meal of vegetarians, skyrockets to "superstar" status with the addition of zesty cilantro chimichurri. And when topped with sliced cherry tomatoes and avocado? Truly out of this world!
Ingredients:
In a blender, whir together cilantro, garlic, lime juice, cumin, olive oil, and sea salt until smooth. Set aside. Prepare rice according to package directions. In the last ten minutes of cooking the rice, add the beans and lime juice. Remove from heat, and stir in the chimichurri sauce. Top with cherry tomatoes and avocado, and enjoy! This is delicious hot or cold, and also makes a great filling for tortilla wraps.
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