Persian Inspired Tofu Scramble

One of my favorite brunch places in Montreal is a Persian restaurant in my neighborhood. I have decided to re-create my favorite in a vegan and low fat version: Feta Cheese and Tomato Omelette.

You might say  this is a tall order ... replacing both the egg, cheese and most of the fat. The results?  Very tasty and a great brunch dish! The "feta" definitely reminded me to the real thing.

Food for thoughts... The restaurant version has:
- 2x more calories compared to the homemade vegan version
- 5x more fat compared to the homemade vegan version
- 4x the daily recommended intake of colesterol (vs zero for the homemade vegan version)

Cut the tofu in small cubes

Pour the feta "sauce" on top of the feta and mix well

Put in fridge for 1 hour, covered

Cook the tomatoes and green onions (here I used chives instead)

Black salt ... interesting light pink color

Add in black salt, onion powder and maple syrup

Et voilà!

Yield: serves 2 people

Ingredients
1/2 pack of firm tofu
1 Tbps of apple cider vinegar
1 Tbps of red wine vinegar
1 tps dried basil
1 tps dried oregano
1 tps garlic powder
1 Tbps Tahini
1 Tbps lemon juice
1/2 large can whole tomatoes
4  strands of green onions
1/4 tps onion powder
1/16 tps maple syrup (e.g a drizzle. You can use any other sweetener)
1/4 tps black salt

Directions

Feta / Eggs
1. Drain excess water from tofu (see Tofu Preparation Instructions)
2. Cut tofu in cubes of approx. 1/2 inch
3. Whisk together apple cider vinegar, red wine vinegar, basil, oregano, garlic, tahini and lemon juice
4. Pour mixture over tofu and mix in with your hands
5. Store in fridge for 1 hour, covered

Scramble
6. Chop tomatoes and green onions roughly
7. Heat skillet at medium, add in green onions and tomatoes. Cook for 5-7 minutes.
8. Mix feta tofu. "Smash" some of the tofu, let simmer for 5 minutes
9. Add salt and onion powder. Mix well.

Serve immediately with pita bread to scoop  (or any other bread)

Notes:
1. I omitted the green onions as I made this recipe early in the morning as didn't have any. I used chives as a replacement. I also used a kaiser-type of bread to make a breakfast sandwich.
2. What is black salt? It is a type of rock salt containing some sulfur.. which means, it smells like eggs!  The rock is black however when grounded, it becomes a bubble gum pink. You can find it at Indian markets, spice shops and some bulk places. For Montrealers, I have seen some at Anatol on St-Laurent.

Feta recipe inspired by http://www.thevegancookbook.com/2008/11/vegan-feta.html
Recipe inspired by http://bybloslepetitcafe.ca/

Homemade Nutella Coconut Delight

Good evening ! I came home yesterday after a month trotting around the globe: Vancouver B.C, Whisler B.C and Brisbane, Australia. It was great to connect wtih my boyfriend's family and friends in B.C. From Vancouver, I then headed directly to Australia for work for a period of 3 weeks;  great experience and I met some amazing people.

I'm thankful to be back home and decided to get over my jetlag by keeping busy cooking. My Vitamix and food processor are offically back on duty!!

So, I have been thinking about homemade nutella for quite a while .. and today was the day where the magic happened. I made Nutella with a twist... I added coconut flakes and it turned out delicious! It is surprisingly close to the real thing, but it taste better and is much healthier!

Yield: Approx. 1.5 cups
Ingredients

2 cups raw hazelnuts
1/4 cup maple syrup (or any other sweetener, just check on the conversion)
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup unsweetened soy milk (or any other non-dairy milk)
1/8 tsp salt

Directions
1. Pre-heat the oven at 420ºF/215ºC
2. Roast the hazelnut for 6-7 minutes and let them cool
3. Put the hazelnut into a towel and massage to remove the skins
4. Blend hazelnut and coconut in food processor for 3-5 minutes, or until smooth like nut butter
5. Add in all other ingredients and blend for another 2-3 minutes
6. As needed and to taste, add more soy milk.

Serve immediately; store leftovers in refrigerator in air tight container

I decided to only use maple syrup (and not coconut sugar)

The skins peel off very easily.. if not, don't worry about it.
the reason for peeling the skins is to avoid a bitter taste

I served the Nutella on little banana sandwich... amazing!

Colorful Asian Infused Rice and Vegetables Bowl

I have created this bowl last week and have made it three times already!

My plan was to assemble a simple meal by mixing up vegetables I had on hand and some leftover rice. 

And, it turned out delicious! A simple mix of whole foods, bursting of flavor. Bonus point: you feel good and light after your meal. 

What I like about this meal is that you can swap any of the vegetables with unloved leftovers in your fridge and freezer. Time to use those vegetables past their prime!

The important ingredient is the low-sodium tamari sauce, which really makes the meal come together.You can find it at any health store or health section in your regular store. The brand I used is called San-J, Lite Tamari, which is low in sodium, without gluten and is organic.

For the frozen soy beans, they are called "edamame" in the store and make sure to use the "shelled" ones. You may also try with frozen peas, I'm sure it would be delicious. 

Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients

1/2 cup sweet onions (or yellow onions)
2 garlic scapes * chopped (or 2 cloves of garlic finely chopped)

1/4 cup red pepper, chopped

1/4 cup red cabbage, chopped

1.5 cups of rice (any kind, I have used a mix of brown, black emperor rice and red rice)

1/2 cup frozen corn

3/4 cup frozen soy beans

1 tbsp olive oil

2-4 tsp of low sodium tamari (to taste)   

Directions

1. Heat up the oil on low to medium heat, in a medium size pan

2. Chop the onion and garlic scapes and cook in the pan for 3-4 minutes

3- Add in the chopped red pepper and red cabbage, mix well, wait 2-3 minutes 

4- Add in the rice, mix well, wait 2-3 minutes 

5- Add in the corn and soy beans, mix well, wait 2-3 minutes. The soy beans should start to get warm, but make sure they don't get too hot to avoid overcooking. 

6- Add in the low sodium tamari and taste. Add more tamari if needed.  

Pour in a bowl and serve immediately.

It will keep well in the fridge for 3-4 days.

* What are garlic scapes?  It is the stalk of the garlic plant
Easy ... 1 scape = 1 garlic clove  

Start cooking the onions and garlic

Garlic scape creeping up on the pepper ... 

Chop rest of vegetables as onions and garlic is cooking

Onions are pretty much ready, time to add the cabbage and pepper

With everything mixed in .. colorful, healthy and tasty

Ready to eat !

Enjoy!

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

Good evening! We got our first fruit and vegetables basket this week from Les Jardins D'Ambroisie.

And we are up for the challenges!

First, figure out what some of those veggies are (some look like a mix of bok choy and kale.. !)

Then, find a recipe for some fruits and vegetables we have never cooked with before

The rhubard and strawberry were a perfect match made in heaven for a healthy vegan crisp.

Adapted from:

http://ohsheglows.com/2011/04/18/vegan-flourless-strawberry-apple-breakfast-crisp/

Yield: 4 servings

Filling:

• 1.5 cups rhubarb, chopped
• 2 cups sliced strawberries
• 1/4 cup coconut sugar (or regular sugar)
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp + 1 tsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Topping:

• 1 cup almonds, processed until chunky
• 1/2 cup regular rolled oats
• 1/4 cup coconut sugar
• 1 tbsp pure maple syrup
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Chop the rhubarb and slice the strawberries. Place in a large bowl and mix with the rest of the filling ingredients. Set aside.

2. Preheat oven to 400F and grease a casserole dish. In a food processor, place 1 cup almonds into the bowl and process until chunk. Add the rest of the ingredients and pulse for a few seconds until just mixed. It needs to stay chunky. Pour 1/2 cup of this topping into the apple mixture and stir.

3. Pour the filling mixture into the prepared casserole dish and sprinkle on all the remaining topping over top.

4. Cover with casserole lid and bake for about 40 minutes at 400F. This is important to cover. Allow to cool for about 15 minutes before serving.

For next time, I would also try with a little less sugar in the filling - a little less than 1/4 cup.

The ingredients for the filling

what it looks like before cooking

Kitty, curiously wondering what I'm doing !

It smelled so good... had to eat it and forgot to take a picture

Time for cleaning the dish!

Quick & Easy Chana Masala

This is my current favorite recipe ... Chana Masala. I have become rather obsessed wtih chickpeas recently and this is by far one fo the best recipe.

Our cook tonight is Chris, which intended on proving that he will cook with less of a mess. And he did a wonderful job!

The trick for this recipe to get to the next level is to use dried chickpea and let them soak. It is not mandatory but it makes a difference.

It is also very easy; you simply have to soak the chickpea overnight and cook them for 90 minutes the next day.

You pretty much can forget about them as they are cooking. Once ready, you can start the recipe.






This is from the Oh She Glows Cookbook (which I have and love!) and I have located the recipe online.

http://www.edibleperspective.com/home/2014/3/4/quick-amp-easy-chana-masala-from-the-oh-she-glows-cookbook-g.html

In the making...

 

Oil-Free Chocolate Zucchini Walnut Muffins

Welcome to my first blog!

Today is Quebec day and quite rainy, so time to cook!

I decided to make my favorite muffins. No oil or added fat. Just a lot of goodness and quite decadent!

I have tried a new type of cup cake mold in the shape of a donut. I found them on Amazon. 

Chris is a donut lover, and I find this is a more healthy alternative.

Lesson learned when using this type of mold if you like a real donut shape ... don't fill them too much otherwise the "donut hole" will be filled out.

However, it turned out great for us ... I filled them with almond butter and it was amazing. Next time, I might even try a glazing with peanut butter. 

This recipe is from Angela from Oh She Glows.

Link to her site and spotlight:

http://ohsheglows.com/2012/08/06/oil-free-chocolate-zucchini-walnut-muffins/

 Oil-Free Chocolate Zucchini Walnut Muffins

Lightly sweet, whole wheat, and oil-free, these muffins make a special breakfast or take along snack. I love them with a pat of soy-free Earth balance to add a bit of moisture. Whole Wheat Pastry Flour works well in this recipe to create light muffins that are still 100% whole grain. You can also use all-purpose flour if that’s all you have on hand. I don’t recommend subbing the pastry flour for regular whole wheat flour as the muffins will likely turn out too dry and dense

In the making...