Lemongrass Coconut Tofu

Since going vegan I've been especially focused on my protein intake and making sure I'm getting enough. Tofu, despite the mixed opinions of it, is a protein source that I eat a few times a week. I'm always looking for new ways to prepare this soy-based food, and I'm delighted to share a new one.

Thai food is easily among my favorite cuisines and I was very excited when I saw that the latest issue of VegNews has a feature on it. I used the magazine's lemongrass tofu recipe and added a few ingredients of my own to create the most delicious tofu I've prepared to date. 

A note on lemongrass: I had never worked with lemongrass until this recipe, and I'll save you the trouble of looking up how in the world you're supposed to prepare it. I

f you try to chop it right off the bat, you will fail. The trick is to peel off the outer layers until you reach the more tender core. Try slicing it now. I promise it'll be a lot easier.

Lemongrass Coconut Tofu
By Caroline Mac, based on VegNews

Ingredients: 
1 16-oz block extra firm tofu, pressed and drained, and cut into 1/4 inch strips
2 T light agave nectar
1 T low-sodium tamari
1 T finely chopped fresh lemongrass
1 garlic clove, pressed
2 t coconut oil
1 T shredded coconut


Step 1: Mix all ingredients except tofu together until thoroughly mixed.

Step 2: Layer tofu and sauce in a medium sized bowl, pouring remaining sauce over  the top. Cover and refrigerate for as much time as possible before baking. A few hours is plenty, but I did mine overnight. The longer you marinate, the more flavorful the tofu will taste.

Step 3: Preheat oven to 400 degrees and place tofu in a baking dish in one layer. Brush any remaining sauce over the tofu. Bake for 30 minutes, flip tofu, and bake for another five minutes. Serve warm.

Enjoy!

~Caroline~

Piña Colada Smoothie

Though I've gone vegan since creating this smoothie, it's delicious and had to be shared with the world! No, it's not alcoholic, but the ingredients are reminiscent of the tropical cocktail. I originally used a Siggi nonfat vanilla yogurt, but after further thought, the ideal protein (despite the higher calorie and fat count) would be Siggi Coconut yogurt!

Piña Colada Smoothie
By Caroline Mac

Ingredients:
1 Siggi yogurt (I recommend nonfat vanilla or 2% coconut)
1 banana, frozen
2 pineapple rings, frozen
1/4 c Protein Plus Unsweetened Almond Milk
Squirt of lime juice
handful of shredded coconut
1 t chia seeds


Combine all ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth. Let sit for about 10-15 minutes in the freezer to allow chia seeds to thicken the smoothie. 


Enjoy!

~Caroline~

Sweet and Sour Tofu with Coconut Rice

Tonight was my first night of group cooking! Well, two person cooking. I had my friend Emily over for  dinner, who is also a vegetarian and also gluten-free! I eat gluten, but I was totally up for making a gluten-free recipe. This was a relatively elaborate meal, but it was so worth the extra effort. Better yet, I finally know how to make a delicious sweet and sour sauce! We both agreed as we ate this meal that it was delicious. Utterly delicious.

Sweet and Sour Tofu with Coconut Rice
Adapted from Peachy Palate
Ingredients:
Tofu
1 block extra firm, high protein tofu (Drained and cut into triangles)
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 orange bell pepper, diced
1/2 white onion
2 T diced pineapple
1/3 c bamboo shoots
1 T olive oil

Sauce
Note: Separate 1/3 of the sauce once made for cooking the veggies
4 1/2 T Rice vinegar
1 1/2 T cane sugar
3 T tomato Ketchup
3 t minced garlic
6 T pineapple puree


Rice
1 bag Trader Joe's frozen brown rice, defrosted/ cooked
1/2 cup lite coconut milk
3 t shredded desiccated coconut
1 t coconut oil
1/2 t black pepper
pinch salt

Step 1: Combine all rice ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir until rice is evenly coated and sauce completely mixed. Set aside. Reheat rice in the microwave for 40 seconds when everything else is ready.

Step 2: Combine all sauce ingredients and whisk until completely blended. Transfer to a sauce pan and heat until boiling. Stir constantly. Reduce heat slightly and continue to cook sauce until it thickens. This should take less than 5 minutes. Remove from heat and separate 1/3 of the sauce for the veggies.

Step 3: Coat the tofu with the remaining 2/3 of the sauce and set aside to marinate for 15-20 minutes.

Step 4: Once the tofu is marinated, add red bell pepper, orange pepper, and  half of the onions to a pan with olive oil. Saute until onions begin to go clear. Add the bamboo shoots, pineapple, and tofu. Cook until tofu begins to turn golden, constantly stirring (6-8 minutes).

Step 5: Add remaining sauce to the pan and stir until veggies and tofu are evenly coated. Let simmer for a couple more minutes.

Step 6: Serve tofu and veggies over coconut rice with a sprinkling of onion.

Enjoy!

Very Berry Mango Smoothie

Here's another tasty smoothie!

Very Berry Mango Smoothie
By Caroline Mac
Ingredients:
1 cup frozen mango
1 cup frozen mixed berries
1T shredded coconut, extra for topping
1T rolled oats
6 oz. Plain nonfat Greek yogurt
3/4 cup unsweetened soy milk
1 fresh strawberry for garnish

Step 1: Combine all ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth.

Step 2: Serve topped with coconut and a strawberry. You may want to eat this with a spoon!

Enjoy!

Green Monster Smoothie

I've been wanting to try a green smoothie for a very long time. While some people stick their tongues out and gag when they see a smoothie the color of the grinch, my mouth starts to water. Smoothies are refreshing and perfect for hundred-degree weather like today. The main issue I have with smoothies, however, is that most smoothies sold in smoothie shops have so much sugar that they are no longer healthy. My Green Monster smoothie that I've created has no added sugar and is jam-packed with protein, fruits, veggies, and flavor. I will warn you, this smoothie isn't probably for someone looking for an ultra sweet, dessert smoothie. Yes, it is slightly sweet, but not excessively so. I'll definitely be making this one further down the line.

Green Monster Smoothie
By Caroline Mac
Ingredients:
1 cup frozen mango
1/4 cup frozen edamame
1 c spinach
1 T shredded, dehydrated coconut
2 T quick-cooking rolled oats
1/4 cup plain, nonfat Greek yogurt
1 cup Original soy milk, or other milk substitute

Step 1: Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth, thick, and creamy.

Enjoy!

Everything Energy Bars

        For the past six months or so I've been experimenting with making my own energy bars. I first got hooked when a friend recommended the blog Anja's Food 4 Thought. She has amazing recipes for healthy bars and I've been referring to her site ever since. I am also a huge fan of Barres, an energy bar developed by two dancers with Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre. The story behind Barre really inspired me to start making my own! Lately, I've branched off and have begun putting together my own combinations of fruits, nuts, and grains to discover what I like best. As a result, I've managed to create bars that sustain me through an intense workout. This particular recipe that I came up with yesterday even lasted me through and entire Franz Ferdinand concert! The recipe tends to be different each time I make a batch of bars, but I actually recorded my ingredients/ quantities this time so I could share it here! I call this bar the everything bar because I literally picked most of the ingredients at random and threw them all together until I found a combo I like. In the future, I plan to make more specifically flavored ones like carrot cake, piña colada, or snickerdoodle. If you have an flavor suggestions or requests, leave a comment!

Everything Energy Bars
By Caroline Mac
Ingredients:
1/2 cup Sun Butter (Sunflower seed butter)
1 cup quick cooking rolled oats
1/4 cup uncooked quinoa
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup cranberries
1/4 shredded, desiccated coconut
1/4 cup fresh blueberries
1t cinnamon

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine oats, quinoa, raisins, cranberry, and coconut in a food processor and blend until fruit has been roughly chopped and all ingredients are fully mixed

Step 2: Add Sun Butter and blend until evenly mixed. Scrape down sides with a spatula if necessary. Add blueberries and process until fully mixed. Mixture should be moist and doughy.

Step 3: Cover the inside of a medium square/ rectangle pan with parchment paper. This makes for easy cleanup and keeps the bars from sticking to the pan. Spread dough across the bottom of the pan, trying to keep an even thickness throughout, bringing mixture all the way to the edges of the pan. Depending on the size of your pan the bars will vary in thickness. Ideally, the bars should be no thicker than 3/4". The thicker the bar, the more time you will need to bake.

Step 4: Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until top is slightly browned and crispy. Cook time can vary by preference as well. If you prefer a chewier, moister bar, I would suggest a shorter baking time. If you want a crispier consistency, go for the longer time. Again, cook time will also depend on the thickness of the bar.

Step 4: Once baked to your satisfaction, remove the large slab of bar from the pan and let cool for 15-20 minutes. Once cooled, cut into individual bars and store. I usually keep mine in the fridge if I plan to keep them for multiple days.

Enjoy!

Spiced Coconut Bites

        I used to view potlucks as a burden because it meant I had to come up with something to bring... Now I love them because it means I have to come up with something to bring! Today I went and saw a local circus group with my friends and we all brought a little something to munch on. Since we 'd be sitting on grass without a ton of space, I didn't want to bring something that needed napkins, plates, forks, etc. Instead, I made a dessert-ish finger food: Coconut balls.

        Inspired by Anja's recipe on Anja's Food 4 Thought, I used her basic recipe and spiced it up a little (literally). The result had a taste similar to cinnamon cookie dough (which was dangerously delicious), but without the excessive butter, refined sugar, and flour. The only issue I had with these little bites was that they were a little difficult to shape, as they are a little crumbly. However, I found that using a teaspoon as a mold was extremely helpful. These balls are great as a dessert, snack, or potluck item and are healthy in comparison to cookies, cakes, and other classic desserts. 

Spiced Coconut Bites

Ingredients:

1 cup almond meal

1 cup coconut flakes

2T agave syrup

1t cinnamon

1t cardamom

1/2t vanilla extract

Extra coconut flakes and cocoa powder for coating

Step 1: Blend all ingredients in a food processor until completely mixed and mixture sticks together when compressed.

Step 2: Using a teaspoon or other round spoon, fill with dough and press until sticking together. Gently slide ball out of the spoon and carefully coat in either cocoa or coconut flakes. Once all dough has been shaped, serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve. 

 Enjoy!