Brussels Sprout, Cabbage & Tofu Slaw with Coconut-Peanut Dressing

Today's post is one of the more interesting salads I've had in a while. I'm not really sure whether to call it a twist on tofu salad, or a twist on cabbage slaw, so I guess it's a cross between the two!

The bulk of this slaw, which I adapted from Peachy Palate, comes from a mixture of shredded cabbage and raw brussels sprouts. If you've never had raw brussels sprouts, you might be surprised to hear that you can actually eat them just sliced up and tossed in a salad without any cooking. I like the crisp texture and the mild flavour that they add, although of course if you already hate brussels sprouts then I'm not going to try to convince you to try them raw!

The second main component of this slaw is crumbled tofu. Again, it isn't cooked - just drained from the package and crumbled up with your hands, and again, if you're nervous about trying tofu this way then don't worry - it will soak up the dressing really well and tastes delicious!

The dressing is one of my favourite types - a peanut butter based dressing with a bit of lime juice, garlic and ginger, and thinned out with coconut milk. The coconut milk and agave nectar in the dressing put it more on the sweet side rather than spicy, which I thought was appropriate for this salad. I ended up with a bit of extra dressing but I used it all anyway and happily slurped up the excess from the bottom of my bowl!

Once you mix everything together, you end up with a cool and refreshing salad with a lot of different textures, from the creamy tofu to the crisp veggies. The final touches are a handful of peanuts for extra crunch, as well as raisins and coconut flakes to add even more layers of flavour.

This recipe makes a pretty big batch, but it holds up well in the fridge so I was able to enjoy it all week!

Brussels Sprout, Cabbage & Tofu Slaw with Coconut-Peanut Dressing

Adapted from Peachy Palate

3 cups thinly sliced Brussels sprouts (ends trimmed and outer leaves removed first)

2 cups shredded or thinly sliced green cabbage

1 cup shredded carrot (about 1 medium carrot)

1/2 cup thinly sliced radish

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

~250 grams firm tofu, drained

1/4 cup sultana raisins

1/4 cup large flaked coconut, toasted
1/4 cup chopped peanuts

Dressing

1 cup unsweetened coconut milk beverage*

1/4 cup + 1 tbsp peanut butter

1 tbsp lime juice

2 tsp agave nectar

1 tsp minced fresh ginger

2 small cloves garlic, peeled and minced

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

Ground pepper to taste

First, make the dressing by combining all ingredients in a bowl or large measuring cup. Whisk until the peanut butter is thoroughly mixed in. Store in the fridge while you prepare the salad.

In a large bowl, combine the shredded brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrot, radish and cilantro. Toss to mix. Crumble the tofu using a fork or your hands and add to the bowl. Add the raisins. Pour the dressing over everything and toss to mix (Note: you may not need all the dressing).

Toast the coconut in a small skillet over medium heat for a few minutes, until lightly browned. When ready to serve, top the salad with the toasted coconut and peanuts.

Makes 4 large servings.

*I used a non-dairy coconut milk beverage, which made my dressing a bit thinner than it would be with full-fat canned coconut milk. Also, if you use a regular coconut milk beverage instead of unsweetened, you might want to reduce the agave a bit.

West African Vegetable Stew

For those of you living in areas that have been hit by the arctic cold weather this past week, I think you'll appreciate today's post for a big pot of healthy vegetable stew!  I made this on Sunday night and with six servings to enjoy, it's been getting me through the deep freeze this week (although I sadly just ate up my last serving for lunch today).

Ever since my trips to Zambia and Kenya this past year, I've been wanting to try cooking more African-inspired dishes.  So I was intrigued when I noticed a recipe for "mafe" in one of my new cookbooks and learned that it is a West African peanut stew traditionally made with meat, but this version was adapted to be vegetarian.

I combined that recipe with a similar one in another cookbook to come up with this variation on mafe.  The base of the stew is a flavourful blend of onion, garlic, ginger, and hot peppers.  Next, you add a mixture of vegetables - I used sweet potato, green pepper, okra, tomatoes and cabbage, which are cooked in vegetable broth and apple juice. Finally, you stir in some cilantro and a generous amount of peanut butter to thicken the broth a bit.

I was a bit nervous adding the cabbage and okra to this dish because I'm not really used to cooking with them. I also know that okra has kind of a bad reputation for being a slimy vegetable, but I had tried it in Zambia and loved it, so I was willing to give it a chance here!

And I was glad that I did - the okra basically blended in to mix with the other vegetables, adding some mild taste and texture without being too noticeable.  Actually, the okra and cabbage ended up being my favourite bits to eat in this stew!

This was definitely the kind of hearty dish that I needed this week - it both warmed me up and filled me up, and had a nice spicy heat to it that wasn't overpowering but still left me with a runny nose! Serve with some rice or couscous to help soak up the broth, and you've got a nice winter meal to enjoy!

West African Vegetable Stew
Adapted from Ripe From Around Here and Vegan Eats World

1.5 tbsp vegetable oil

2 small yellow onions, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 jalapenos, minced

1-inch piece of ginger, peeled and minced

1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced into ½” cubes (about 3 cups)

1 tsp cumin

1 green pepper, diced

1/2 a small head of cabbage, chopped and core removed

2 medium tomatoes, chopped

3 cups vegetable broth

1 cup unsweetened apple juice

1/2 tsp salt

1.5-2 cups chopped fresh okra

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for serving

4-6 tbsp chopped peanuts

Cooked rice or couscous for serving

Heat the oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat.  Add the onions and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and starting to brown. Add garlic, jalapenos, ginger, and sweet potato. Stir in the cumin. Cover and cook for about 3 minutes.

Add the green pepper, cabbage, tomatoes, broth, apple juice, and salt. Simmer on medium heat, covered, for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the okra and cook for 5 more minutes.

Place the peanut butter in a small bowl. Take about ½ cup of the hot broth and add it to the bowl. Stir until mixture is smooth, then transfer back to the pot and stir to mix it in.

Remove from heat and stir in cilantro.  Let cool slightly.  Serve over rice or couscous. Top each serving with a sprinkle of chopped peanuts, chopped cilantro and season with additional salt and pepper if desired.

Makes 5-6 servings

Laotian Tofu Larb Lettuce Wraps

A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned a new vegan cookbook that I've been enjoying - Blissful Bites.  When I first looked through the book, this recipe for Laotian larb was one that I skipped over without really stopping to see what it was. With a name that I had never heard of, plus no picture to show me what it was supposed to look like, it just didn't stand out as something I would want to make. And to be honest, something called "larb" didn't sound that appealing to me!

But when I re-read the book looking for recipes I wanted to try next, the ingredients in this recipe made me stop and think - hey, this actually sounds like something that I would love!  It was basically a cold tofu salad with lots of flavourful South-East Asian ingredients that I love to cook with.  Plus it sounded really easy to put together once all the ingredients were prepped!

Before going ahead and making the recipe, I did a bit more internet research on laotian larb and learned that traditionally, the dish is made with minced or ground meat, which can be raw or cooked, and flavoured with fresh herbs, fish sauce and lime juice.

This vegan version replaces the meat with crumbled tofu and the fish sauce with tamari. The recipe also included fresh veggies like shredded cabbage and carrots, and diced red pepper, and I decided to add some shelled edamame as well.

For the herbs, I used the cilantro that the recipe called for, and replaced the mint with Thai basil for more of an authentic flavour.  I also added a few other ingredients to enhance the flavour and spice of the salad, including shallots, garlic and jalapeno. Finally, I decided to brown the tofu in a skillet instead of steaming it, but you could probably just leave it uncooked and the salad would still be good!

After not really knowing what to expect with this dish, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it! It was light and fresh and the mix of textures and ingredients came together to create such a flavourful salad with the perfect amount of spice for my taste!  You could eat the salad on its own, but I served mine on top of cabbage leaves and rolled it up to eat it like a lettuce wrap.

I'm not sure how authentic my version of Laotian larb was, but all that mattered to me was that I discovered a new dish from a cuisine I hadn't tried before and loved it!

Laotian Tofu Larb Lettuce Wraps
Adapted from Blissful Bites and The Mistress of Spices

1 package (14 oz) firm tofu

1 tsp vegetable oil

1 large shallot, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup finely diced red pepper

1/2 cup shelled edamame (thawed if frozen)

~5 leaves napa cabbage, shredded, plus more for serving

1 large carrot, shredded

1 jalapeno or other chile pepper, minced

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

3 tbsp chopped thai basil (can substitute mint)

Juice of 1 lime

3 tbsp tamari or soy sauce

2 tbsp pure maple syrup

Pinch of sea salt

1/3 cup chopped peanuts

Cabbage or lettuce leaves for serving

Drain the tofu and crumble into pieces. 

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot and garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring often. Add the crumbled tofu and cook for another 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat and transfer mixture to a large bowl.

Add all remaining ingredients to the bowl except for the peanuts and cabbage leaves and stir well to distribute ingredients evenly.  Place the bowl in the fridge to chill for 15-30 minutes.

When ready to serve, spoon large portions onto large cabbage leaves and sprinkle with chopped peanuts (or eat as a salad without the lettuce leaves). 

Makes about 4 servings (or more as an appetizer)

Pad Thai with Scrambled Tofu

Has anyone tried shirataki noodles? I've seen a few bloggers post about these "zero calorie" noodles, which are a chewy, translucent noodle made from japanese yams that can be added to soups and other dishes in place of regular noodles.  Even though I'm not on a diet, I was still curious about these noodles so I finally bought a package (the Miracle Noodle brand) so that I could try them myself.

A few weeks ago, I had a craving for pad thai.  Then I remembered the package of shirataki noodles sitting in my cupboard, and I figured they would be perfect to use instead of the usual rice noodles!

The noodles come packaged in a watery solution that can have a very strong "funky" smell, according to other people who have tried them.  I was pretty nervous when I opened mine up, but they actually didn't smell that bad, and once you rinse them off, they're quite easy to prepare since they're precooked.

To complete my pad thai, I wanted to make it as authentic as possible.  So I thought back to the amazing pad thai I ate in Thailand a couple months ago and tried to remember as best as I could exactly what was in it.  I knew it had to have a spicy component from chilies, but since I couldn't find Thai chilies, I just used a jalapeno.  I also remembered my pad thai having shallots, bean sprouts and green onions, so I included those as well.  And for presentation, the authentic dish that I had was served with lime wedges and a handful of crushed peanuts on the side, which were mixed in to the noodles as you ate, so I tried to replicate that on my own plate.

Next came the sauce.  I've seen versions of pad thai that use ketchup in the sauce, but I think the real key ingredient to get the pad thai flavour is tamarind paste, which you should be able to find for a cheap price from an Asian food mart.  I ended up using this recipe for pad thai sauce but I replaced the peanut flour with peanut butter and used sriracha sauce instead of chili powder.

The final component that I would need to create a pad thai that matched the one I had eaten in Thailand would have been to add scrambled eggs to the dish.  But since I don't usually eat eggs or have them around, I decided to just leave that part out.  But then I came up with a new idea -  why not use scrambled tofu instead?

I've actually never made scrambled tofu before, but I've seen lots of recipes for it and I knew that the texture  and consistency would be very similar to eggs. So I added some crumbled tofu to the pan and stirred it around as you would with scrambled eggs, and luckily, my little experiment turned out perfectly! The tofu had just the right texture that I wanted, and it really soaked up the extra sauce, giving it lots of flavor. The addition of the tofu also helped give the dish a bit more substance and protein, since the noodles didn't provide any calories or nutrition.

Overall, my vegan pad thai may not have been truly authentic, but I thought the mixture of flavours and textures was pretty close to the original version that I tried in Thailand! I especially loved the extra dimensions of flavour from the lime juice and peanuts, so you definitely shouldn't leave those out!

I also really liked the thick, chewy shirataki noodles, but you could easily replace them with rice noodles if you prefer - just follow the cooking instructions on the package.

Pad Thai with Scrambled Tofu

Sauce:

Adapted from The Wannabe Chef

2 tbsp peanut butter

2 tbsp tamarind paste

2 tsp soy sauce

1/2 tbsp rice vinegar

1/2 tbsp sesame oil

1/2-1 tsp sriracha (to taste)

Pad Thai:

1 package (7 oz) shirataki noodles (can substitute rice noodles)

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1 shallot, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 a jalapeno pepper, minced

~4 oz firm tofu, crumbled

2 green onions, minced

1/2 cup bean sprouts

Lime wedges and crushed peanuts for serving

To make the sauce, whisk or stir all ingredients together in a small bowl. Set aside.

Drain the shirataki noodles from their package and rinse under cold water.  Let the noodles soak in a bowl of water for about 10-15 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the shallots and cook, stirring, for about 1 minute. Add the garlic and jalapeno and cook for another 30 seconds.  Add the crumbled tofu and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, until the tofu is softened and lightly browned. (You can leave the tofu in larger chunks, or break it up into smaller pieces using a wooden spoon as you cook).

Drain the noodles and add to the skillet.  Add the sauce and a splash of water and stir the sauce into the noodles. Once the sauce and noodles are hot, add the green onions and bean sprouts.  Stir for about 1 minute, until everything is heated through and coated in the sauce.

Transfer the contents to two plates. Garnish each plate with a handful of crushed peanuts and additional bean sprouts if desired.  Serve with lime wedges.

Makes 2 servings. 


This was submitted to Wellness Weekend at Diet, Dessert and Dogs. 

Spicy Rice Noodle Salad with Tofu

My wishes for warmer weather have finally been answered - today is the first day we've had in weeks where the sun has stayed out and the breeze is nice and warm.  It felt so good to be outside that I actually willingly went for a brief run around the park near my apartment when I got home (trust me, it's been a long time since I've done that!).

The recipe that I have to share with you today is perfect for this weather - a big salad made with rice noodles and full of fruit, veggies, and some tofu for protein, all coated in a spicy pineapple dressing!

The recipe comes from Vegetarian Times, although I made some changes as usual.  I was actually inspired to make it because it called for green curry paste, and I still had some homemade green curry paste leftover from the Thai Green Curry that I made a while ago.

Along with the curry paste, the rest of the dressing is made by blending pineapple juice with other Asian ingredients like soy sauce, ginger, garlic and rice vinegar.  For the salad, I used the red pepper and carrot that the original recipe called for, and I also added bean sprouts, mango and edamame beans.  Since I wanted this to be filling enough to serve as a main course for dinner, I added some tofu that I sliced into thin pieces and sauteed briefly on the stove.

The dish is finished off with a generous sprinkling of fresh cilantro, some hot chilies, and a handful of chopped peanuts.  The result was a very colourful plate with lots of flavour! I also liked that it tasted good warmed up, at room temperature, and straight from the fridge.  I did find it pretty spicy, so feel free to reduce or eliminate the extra red chilies.  I also think fresh pineapple would work well instead of mango.

I hope you're all enjoying the warm weather too... I'm off to make another big salad for tonight's dinner!

Spicy Rice Noodle Salad with Tofu
Adapted from Vegetarian Times


Dressing:

1/2 cup pineapple juice

2 tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce

3 tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and chopped

3 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced

2 tbsp rice vinegar

1 tbsp vegetable oil

2 tsp Thai green curry paste (I used homemade)

1 tsp palm sugar (or brown sugar)

Salad:

7 oz rice noodles

3 tsp vegetable oil, divided

1 red pepper, thinly sliced

1 ripe mango, thinly sliced

1/2 cup shelled frozen edamame, thawed

1 cup shredded carrot

2 cups bean sprouts

1/2 cup chopped scallion

1/2 cup chopped cilantro, divided

1-2 red chilies, minced (optional)
12-14 oz package firm tofu, drained and pressed with towels for at least 15 minutes

About 1/2 cup finely chopped or crushed peanuts

Place all ingredients for the dressing in a blender and puree until smooth. Set aside.

Place the rice noodles in a bowl or saucepan and cover with boiling water. Let sit for 5-10 minutes, until the noodles are soft (check your package directions – mine needed at least 10-15 minutes).  Drain and rinse with cold water.  Transfer noodles back to the bowl or saucepan and toss with 2 tsp vegetable oil. 

Meanwhile, prepare all the vegetables (red pepper through to chilies) and transfer them to a large bowl. Set aside half of the cilantro for topping. 

Slice the tofu into thin strips.  Heat about 1 tsp of the vegetable oil in a large skillet on medium heat.  Add the tofu pieces and sauté for about 4-5 minutes, stirring often, until lightly browned.

Combine the noodles with the vegetables.  Pour about half of the dressing on top and toss to mix thoroughly, until all the noodles and vegetables are coated.  Add the tofu pieces and pour a bit more dressing over top.  Stir to mix again.  Add more dressing if necessary (you might not need all of it).

Serve immediately, or place salad in the refrigerator to chill until serving time.  Garnish each serving with the remaining cilantro and a handful of crushed peanuts.  


Makes 4-6 servings.

Vegan Crunchy Peanut Butter Cups

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

If you're still looking for a decadent-tasting but healthy dessert to finish off your night, I've got just the thing for you - these miniature vegan peanut butter cups!

When I first saw these popped amaranth peanut butter cups on the blog My Little Celebration, I knew immediately that I had to make them! They're basically made of a layer of chocolate and a layer of peanut butter mixed with chopped peanuts and popped amaranth. 

Amaranth is a small grain that can be cooked and eaten like rice or quinoa and is high in calcium, protein and fiber. Another way to cook it is by popping it on the stove like popcorn. I had never tried amaranth before, but now that I know how much fun it is to pop it, I want to start making it much more often!

In my version of these treats, I replaced the butter with melted coconut oil and reduced the amount of powdered sugar because I didn't want them to taste too sweet. I also added some cacao nibs to the bottom layer and made them in my mini muffin pan to get smaller sized cups.

Once I had made them as the recipe instructed, I thought they'd be even better if I added another layer of chocolate on top so that the peanut butter layer was enclosed in the chocolate (like a Reese's cup). So I coated half of them with more chocolate and left the other half with the peanut butter layer showing. After tasting them both ways, I preferred the chocolate cups, so I recommend adding the extra top layer!

Even though I personally loved these, I should add a warning that if you're expecting these to taste like Reese's peanut butter cups, you will probably be disappointed.  Since my sister happened to have a mini Reese's cup lying around, I actually did a taste test to compare the two and I much preferred my healthier version! I find Reese's overly sweet and a bit artificial tasting, whereas these taste like real peanut butter and I loved the crunchy texture from the cacao nibs, chopped peanuts and the amaranth (although you could try leaving out the peanuts for a smoother filling).

This recipe does require some waiting time in between making each layer, but they still didn't take much time overall and were pretty easy to make. They also store well in the freezer, so you can take one out whenever you crave a treat!

Vegan Crunchy Peanut Butter Cups

Adapted from My Little Celebration

1/4 cup natural peanut butter

1/2 tbsp melted coconut oil

1 tbsp powdered sugar

2 tbsp crushed peanuts

2 heaping tbsp popped amaranth (about 1 tbsp unpopped)

About 6 tbsp vegan chocolate chips, divided

1-2 tbsp raw cacao nibs

Prepare a mini-muffin pan by coating the cups with a bit of cooking spray.

First, pop the amaranth grains in small batches. Heat a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Once it is hot, add a small spoonful of amaranth and cover the pot with a lid. As the kernels begin to pop, shake the pot back and forth. Once it is has finished popping, remove from the heat immediately and transfer to a small bowl. Continue popping the amaranth in batches until you get two heaping tablespoons (I did this in 4 batches, but I burnt the first one!)

Prepare the peanut butter filling by combining the peanut butter and coconut oil in a bowl. Stir in the powdered sugar and crushed peanuts, then stir in the popped amaranth.

Melt 3 tbsp of the chocolate chips in the microwave or over a small pot of simmering water on the stove. Spoon the melted chocolate into the mini muffin pan cups, spreading it evenly (I was able to get 8 cups).  Sprinkle a pinch of cacao nibs into each cup, pressing gently with your finger into the chocolate. Place the muffin tray in the freezer for a few minutes until the chocolate has firmed up a bit.

Remove the pan from the freezer and add a large spoonful of the peanut butter filling on top of the chocolate in each cup, spreading evenly. Place the filled cups back in the freezer for 10-15 minutes, until firm.

If you are adding the top layer of chocolate, melt the remaining chocolate chips. Remove peanut butter cups from the muffin tin. Working quickly, use a flat knife or spoon to spread some of the melted chocolate over the top of one peanut butter cup and around the sides. Repeat with remaining peanut butter cups. Return to freezer until hardened.

Store in the fridge or freezer and let thaw for 5-10 minutes before eating.

Makes 8 mini cups (this was a good sized portion just for myself, but you may want to double the recipe!)

This was submitted to the RecipeLion February Blog Hop

Indian Six-Layer Dip

Since Super Bowl recipes seem to be pretty popular right now, I thought I would follow up my last post with another appetizer that would be a great addition to any game day party menu.

In my last post, I shared a recipe for an appetizer that I'd never made before, but it turned out amazing!  Today I'm sharing a recipe that I've already made many times before, so I know it's good!

This Indian-inspired dip is based on the idea of a traditional layered dip, but it becomes much more interesting by adding some Indian flavours and ingredients that you wouldn't normally think to put in a dip!

The bottom layer is a combination of curry powder and sour cream, which is topped with a layer of shredded cheese, then a mixture of yogurt and mango chutney, and finished off with a generous sprinkling of coconut flakes, peanuts and cilantro.  All of the layers come together to make a delicious dip that combines sweet and spicy, creamy and crunchy, all in one bite!

I like to serve this with toasted pappadums (a thin crispy Indian wafer), but if you can't find any, then it would also go well with pita chips or plain tortilla chips.

So if you want to change up your traditional chips and dip this year, I hope you'll give this recipe a try!

Indian Six-Layer Dip
Adapted from The Monterey County Herald

1/4 cup light sour cream
1 tsp curry powder
1/4 cup shredded marble cheese
1/4 cup low-fat plain yogurt
2 tbsp mango chutney
2 tbsp unsweetened coconut flakes (or shredded coconut)
2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
2 tbsp chopped roasted peanuts
pappadums, pita chips or tortilla chips for serving

In a small bowl, mix the sour cream and curry powder, stirring well until the curry powder is completely incorporated. Transfer to the bottom of your serving dish, spreading evenly. Top with shredded cheese.

In a separate bowl, mix the yogurt and mango chutney together. Pour over the cheese, spreading evenly across the top of the dish. If you are making this ahead of time, stop here and refigerate the dip before adding the remaining toppings (otherwise they will get soggy).

When you are ready to serve,sprinkle the coconut, cilantro, and peanuts over top of the dip, making sure each component is evenly distributed.


Serves 2-3 as an appetizer, or one person as a meal (which I like to do!).  If you are making this for a party, you will want to double or triple the recipe.

On a different note, I wanted to share an update on the 2011 Ninjamatics Canadian Weblog Awards....I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that my blog was included in the top five nominations for Best New Weblog and Best Weblog About Food and Drink.

Well, the team at Ninjamatics has been working hard since then to choose the final winners, and I was super excited to learn this morning that Vanilla & Spice was awarded second place in both categories!!

I still can't quite believe that I even made it to the top five, let alone being chosen as one of the winners.  There are so many wonderful Canadian food blogs out there, so I'm very grateful to have my blog acknowledged this way!

I just wanted to say thank you to Ninjamatics and the team of jurors, and congratulations to the other winners and nominees.  Be sure to check out the other two food blogs who won first and third place in the Food & Drink category - Crumb and Cookin' Canuck!