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

"PLT" Sandwich (Paneer Sandwich)

After our Indian Feast on New Year's Eve recently, I seem to have rediscovered my love of paneer - a soft and mild-tasting cottage cheese that is featured in many popular Indian dishes like saag paneer. If you have a well-stocked grocery store or an ethnic food shop in your local area, then you should be able to buy paneer to use in your own homemade Indian-inspired dishes, like this sandwich!

The recipe, which comes from British chef Anjum Anand, is modelled after a BLT sandwich.  Of course, it's not quite the same as a BLT as it has paneer cheese instead of bacon (hence the name PLT), but I think this vegetarian version is much tastier anyway!

The basic components are slices of paneer that have been marinated in a spiced yogurt mixture, fresh tomato, lettuce, and (vegan) mayo.  I decided to replace the lettuce with spinach, since spinach and paneer pair so well together, and I added some curry powder to the mayo spread to give it more flavour.

Even though it looks like a pretty simple sandwich, all of the spices and textures made it much more exciting than the name "PLT" implies! The paneer is broiled so that it has a chewy texture that reminded me a lot of firm tofu (actually, you could probably confuse the two if you didn't know it was paneer!).

I loved the mild Indian flavours that the paneer soaked up, and the curried mayo added a nice creamy and tangy element.

I made my sandwich with a thin sandwich bun, but you could also use toasted bread if you prefer a more traditional sandwich. The recipe makes enough for two sandwiches, but you could easily double the amount of paneer and keep it in the fridge to put together more "PLT"s throughout the week!

"PLT" (Paneer, Lettuce & Tomato) Sandwich
Adapted from Anjum's Indian Vegetarian Feast

For the paneer (makes enough for 2 sandwiches):

~150g paneer cheese, sliced into 1” thick slices (I cut two long slices, then cut each slice in half for 4 pieces)

1/3 cup plain low-fat yogurt

2 tsp fresh ginger, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp each paprika, chili powder and cumin

1/4 tsp Indian curry paste (optional for more flavour)

1 tbsp + 1 tsp fresh lemon juice

Salt to taste

For each sandwich (double amounts if you are making two sandwiches):

Sandwich bun or 2 pieces of toasted bread

2 tsp vegan mayonnaise or regular mayo

1/4 tsp curry powder

1 tsp lemon juice

Half of the cooked paneer slices

Handful of spinach leaves, stems removed

2 slices of tomato, seasoned with salt and pepper

First, make the marinade for the paneer.  In a bowl, whisk together the yogurt, ginger, garlic, spices, curry paste and lemon juice. Add a dash of salt.  Coat the paneer slices in the marinade and let sit in a ziplock bag or a shallow bowl or container for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven broiler. When broiler is ready, transfer the paneer with marinade to a small baking dish and cook in the top half of the oven for 8-10 minutes. Flip paneer pieces and cook the other side for about 8 more minutes, until the edges are starting to brown. Remove from oven and let cool slightly.

To assemble sandwich, mix together the mayo, curry powder, and lemon juice until smooth. Spread mixture on the top side of your bread or bun. Lay some spinach on the bottom half, and place two pieces of paneer on top. Next, add the tomato slices and top with a bit more spinach. Close sandwich and serve immediately.

Makes enough for 2 sandwiches. 

Round Up: End-of-Summer Eats

Before summer officially ends and I start posting about Fall goodies like pumpkin, apples, cinnamon and chai, I thought I would do one more round-up of summer recipes that I've tried lately, to follow up on my "summer eats so far" post from a couple months ago!

I'll start with two things that I've been eating a LOT of over the last month: corn on the cob and fresh tomato-basil sandwiches.  This has been my go-to meal when I don't have any other ideas prepared for dinner, or I don't feel like cooking.

It's super simple, but often that's the best way to highlight end-of-summer produce! Even though I feel like I've eaten too many tomato sandwiches and corn on the cobs to count lately, I never got sick of them!

Another fresh corn dish that appeared on the blog Five and Spice recently and I bookmarked immediately was a raw corn polenta topped with broccoli pesto.  All you do is grate the raw kernels off a cob of corn and cook them in a pan until you get a nice thick, creamy mixture with a consistency like polenta.

I only had one cob of corn to work with, so my portion ended up a bit small (I would recommend two cobs for a meal).  Since I was a bit short on time, I skipped the pesto and just topped mine with finely chopped raw broccoli, tomatoes, and basil.  This was such a delicious and fresh summer meal, and I loved the texture and the sweet, pure taste of the corn.  I'll have to make more versions of this next summer with different toppings!


Here are a couple of other simple but delicious appetizers that I've enjoyed at family gatherings in the last month:

First is this bruschetta with brie and peach salsa that I adapted from In Good Taste. The bread gets toasted with a piece of brie on top so that the cheese is slightly melted, and then each piece is topped with a generous helping of fresh peach salsa.

I changed the salsa a bit by adding some diced cherry tomatoes and leaving out the cilantro as I was serving this to a couple of cilantro haters.  I made this as an appetizer for a dinner we hosted for some out-of-town guests, and everyone loved it!

Besides the crostini, I also made another simple appetizer based on an idea I had seen on other blogs.  All you do is cut thick slices of cucumber, scoop out some of the middle, and fill it with a dip.

I decided to use a tzatziki as my filling, which I mixed with a bit of fresh dill, and I also topped them with halved cherry tomatoes. These were a big hit and disappeared quickly!  So if you're looking for an easy idea to bring to potlucks but want something a bit more creative than just veggies and dip, give these a try!

Then last weekend, my parents were bottling wine, which is part of their annual early September tradition.  Since they were spending a long day working outside, my sister made up this beautiful fruit and cheese plate for us all to enjoy as a break.  You can't go wrong with crackers, fruit, and good quality cheese!

When it comes to summer meals, one option that I rely on a lot is veggie burgers.  I tend to try a new recipe every time I make them, and I usually have a few patties stored in my freezer for a quick dinner.

Here are two versions that I've made recently and would recommend: First is this falafel burger from Edible Perspective.  The burger was really savory from all the spices and herbs, and nice and hearty from the addition of both chickpeas and quinoa.  It did remind of me falafels, and it went really well with a yogurt sauce on a bun.

Next was a rather unique veggie burger made with broccoli, chickpeas and tahini from Peachy Palate. I doubled the recipe to make two burgers, and I thought they were perfectly moist and really flavourful, not to mention really pretty with all the specks of green!

The only issue I had with them was that my broccoli must have been slightly past its prime, because it gave off a bit of an unpleasant smell once it was cooked.  So even though my breath suffered from eating these, my tastebuds were happy!

I couldn't do a post about my summer eats without including my favourite meal from last summer - this roasted summer panzanella. I made it again the other week and was reminded why I loved it so much the first time - warm roasted summer veggies at their prime, combined with toasted bread and fresh basil, and soaked in a simple oil and vinegar dressing.

This time, I left out the cheese and used zucchini instead of summer squash.  I also tried it with balsamic vinegar and I think I might prefer that over the red wine vinegar that I used last time - although any kind of vinegar would work in this dish!

And finally, I thought I would end this round-up with a couple of my summer recipes that didn't quite work out.

I bought some fresh apricots from the market a few weeks ago and looked through my cookbooks for ideas on what to make with them.  I found a recipe for vegan apricot oatbran scones that sounded good, but they didn't turn out how I was hoping.

As you can probably tell, they came out of the oven really dark, and I had to try to scrape a layer of crispy burnt crumbs off the bottom.  The insides weren't much better - they were a bit too dry for my tastes. I'm not sure what I did wrong, but luckily I only made a half batch so they weren't too much of a waste!

Another recipe that came close to being blog-worthy but still needs some more tweaking was my attempt at making savory muffins.  I thought a combination of fresh corn, zucchini and herbs would make a nice muffin to go with summer soups and salads, and I also added some cornmeal for texture and nutritional yeast for some cheesy flavour.

I loved the taste of these muffins and the chunks of corn kernels in them, but I couldn't get the texture right after two attempts.  Both times, they would seem okay fresh out of the oven, but after that they became way too crumbly to eat properly. I guess this is another recipe that I'll have to revisit next summer, because they at least had good potential!


So there you have a little taste of what I've been making and eating lately!  I'll be sad to see summer tomatoes and corn go, but I'm getting excited to start cooking with some new seasonal ingredients, and to try some of the Fall recipes that are already popping up on some of my favourite blogs!

Tofu Banh Mi

I don't post a lot of sandwich recipes on my blog because the ones I eat are usually pretty simple, like hummus and veggies on a bagel, tofu salad in a pita, or even plain old peanut butter and jam.

Up until now, my favourite sandwich combination was this pumpernickel sandwich with avocado, sprouts and a white bean spread.  But now there's a new sandwich in town and its ready to take over the number one spot - the banh mi!  Whereas the pumpernickel was soft, creamy, and comforting, this one is sharp, spicy, and in-your-face!

If you haven't heard of banh mi, it's a Vietnamese baguette that is usually made with some kind of meat filling and topped with pickled carrot and daikon radish, cucumber slices, fresh cilantro and a spicy mayonnaise and chili spread.  I had seen recipes for both vegetarian and non-vegetarian versions of this sandwich online, but I had never tried one until a few months ago, when I came across a small take-out restaurant nearby that actually specializes in these popular sandwiches.

They offered a lot of different kinds of banh mi, and luckily there was one vegetarian option on the menu! I watched as the bun was toasted and spread with mayonnaise, then topped with a layer of tofu, followed by pickled vegetables, and whole sprigs of cilantro.  When I got my sandwich home and tried it, I fell in love with the flavour combination.  Even though my mouth was on fire from the spiciness, I couldn't stop eating!

Ever since then, I've wanted to recreate the banh mi myself.  So when I read through the new Vegetarian Times special edition ("Healthy recipes from around the globe") that I received for my birthday and saw a recipe for a tofu bahn mi, I knew I had to make it!

The recipe does require a bit more work than your typical sandwich, because you have to prepare a lot of ingredients and marinate both the tofu and the veggies, but I promise it's worth the effort!  The tofu is marinated in soy sauce and ginger, then sauteed on the stove.  While the tofu is marinating, the carrot and daikon are soaked in a rice vinegar mixture to make them pickled. For the rest of the toppings, you need a large section of cucumber that you can peel lengthwise, and some fresh cilantro with the stems on (this may be the only time I've ever eaten the stems!)

Once all the components are ready, you just need to assemble the sandwich and spread on a layer of mayonnaise (or vegenaise) and as much spicy chili sauce as you like!

I have to say, I definitely enjoyed my homemade version better than the one I got from the restaurant (as is usually the case with homemade vs fast food).  I loved the way each of the flavours played off each other with every bite - the spice from the chili sauce and red pepper flakes, sourness from the pickled veggies, the bite from the fresh cilantro, and even a touch of sweetness.  The tofu had a nice texture and really soaked up the flavours of the marinade.

This was definitely not your ordinary or everyday sandwich, but it was so refreshing to try a new combination of ingredients and toppings!  I made a big batch of each of the components so that I could make a fresh sandwich for dinner three nights in a row, and I enjoyed them just as much each time!

Just make sure you use a sturdy bun because you don't want it get too soggy from the sauces - Vietnamese subs would be best if you can find them, but I just used a French baguette from the grocery store.  You can also toast the bread before hand, but I liked mine soft - it's up to you!

Tofu Banh Mi
Adapted from Vegetarian Times


Per sandwich:

4 oz firm tofu

3/4 tbsp soy sauce

1/2 - 1 tsp minced fresh ginger

1/4 cup rice vinegar

1/2 tsp kosher salt

2 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1/4 cup grated or julienned carrot

1/4 cup grated daikon radish

1/2 tbsp vegetable oil

Vietnamese sub or French baguette

1 tbsp vegenaise or low-fat mayonnaise

1 tsp chili sauce (sriracha), or to taste

~ 6 sprigs of fresh cilantro (including stems)

2 thin slices of cucumber, about 6 inches long

Drain the tofu and slice lengthwise into 1/2 inch thick slices (I used a 12 oz package and got three rectangular slices – enough for three large sandwiches). Press tofu strips between layers of paper towel with a heavy book on top.  Let sit for about 20-30 minutes.

Mix the soy sauce and ginger in a shallow pan or bowl.  Lay the tofu strips in the pan and let marinate for at least 30 minutes, flipping halfway through to coat all sides.

Mix the rice vinegar, salt, sugar, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl and add the grated carrot and daikon. Let sit for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

When the tofu is ready, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the tofu and cook for 3-4 minutes per side.  Remove from heat and transfer to a paper-towel lined plate.

To arrange the sandwich, slice the bun or baguette in half (*Note: you can toast the baguette first if desired by placing it under the broiler for about 5 minutes). Spread the vegenaise on the top half and dot with the chili sauce.  Place the cilantro on the top half.

Place the tofu slice on the bottom half of the baguette. Lay the cucumber slices over the tofu.  Drain the carrot-daikon mixture and place on top of the cucumber. Close sandwich and enjoy!

Makes 1 large sandwich.

Pumpernickel Sandwich with Avocado, Sprouts & White Bean Spread

I've got a quick post for you today with another way to use the white bean dip that I posted last time.  Actually, the real reason I made that dip was so that I could make my favourite sandwich - pumpernickel with white beans, sliced avocado and alfalfa sprouts!

The inspiration for this sandwich came from The Way the Cookie Crumbles, and each time I eat it I wonder why I don't make it more often!  I love the combination of the creamy white beans with the avocado slices, and the sprouts help provide some texture and lots of nutrition.

Pumpernickel is one of my favourite types of bread, and when I saw some freshly baked pumpernickel bagels for sale at the farmer's market recently, I had to get them!  Regular sliced pumpernickel loaf or another type of whole-grain bread would also work well for this sandwich, but I really liked this bagel version, since it was a bit sturdier than bread.

This was a healthy and filling lunch - for me, it's the kind where you enjoy every bite and, like a good book, you actually don't want to finish it because you don't want it to end!

Pumpernickel Sandwich with Avocado, Sprouts and White Bean Spread
Inspired by The Way the Cookie Crumbles
*I didn't measure quantities for the sprouts and white bean dip - just use however much you like!

1 pumpernickel bagel (or 2 thick slices of pumpernickel loaf)
1/2 an avocado, sliced
a couple handfuls of alfalfa sprouts
white bean spread (recipe here)

Cut the bagel in half. Spread a thick layer of white bean dip on the bottom half (I also added a thin layer to the top half to help the sprouts stick).  Next, add a layer of avocado slices, topped with alfafa sprouts.

Makes 1 serving.

Grilled Sweet Potato & Avocado Sandwich

Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! I had a great weekend spent with my family eating lots of delicious food! Our tradition is to prepare lots of small appetizers for Christmas Eve instead of a big meal, and for my contribution I made some stuffed dates, these chai-spiced roasted almonds from Healthful Pursuit and these rosemary apricot chickpea bites from spabettie.

Then on Christmas morning, we enjoyed our annual overnight stuffed blueberry french toast that my mom makes (topped with some coconut agave syrup that Santa brought me!), followed by a family dinner later that evening. I was stuffed by the end of the night, but in a good way!

I'm also enjoying being on holidays and having plenty of time to just relax and be lazy. Another bonus of being on holidays is that you can prepare a freshly made lunch that can be eaten right away, so its my chance to make things I wouldn't normally get to eat for lunch!

This sandwich is one of the lunches I made on a recent day off. I had half an avocado to use up, and I couldn't get the idea of a grilled avocado sandwich out of my head. I also happened to have part of a sweet potato in my fridge, so I decided to mash it and spread it on the sandwich too.

A simple avocado-sweet potato combination would be great on its own, but I also added a quick sauce made of tahini, yogurt and lemon juice. I think tahini pairs really well with both avocado and sweet potato, but you could easily leave it out or substitute a different sauce (I'm thinking mango chutney would be delicious too!)

This is an easy and fairly quick sandwich to put together, and being able to eat a warm toasted sandwich hot off the stove definitely made this a more memorable lunch than usual!

Grilled Sweet Potato & Avocado Sandwich
2 slices of bread (I like to use multigrain)
Coconut oil

1/2 an avocado, peeled and sliced

1/2 a sweet potato (about 4 oz)

1 tbsp plain low-fat or soy yogurt 

1 tbsp tahini

1/2 to 1 tsp lemon juice

Salt and pepper

Peel the sweet potato and microwave on high until soft (about 3 minutes). Once it is cool enough to handle, mash it until smooth.

Mix the yogurt, tahini and lemon juice in small bowl (start with the smaller amount of lemon juice, then taste and add more if desired). Add some salt and pepper.

Heat a small skillet on the stove over medium heat. Spread a bit of coconut oil on one side of each piece of bread (this will be the outside of the sandwich). On the other side of one piece, spread the mashed sweet potato. Spread the tahini sauce on the other piece of bread. Lay the avocado slices over the sauce. Season generously with salt and pepper.

Put the sandwich together carefully. Place in the preheated skillet and press down with a spatula. Grill each side for about 1-2 minutes. Remove and slice in half. 

Makes 1 sandwich.

Tofu Salad with Apples

As you may have noticed from the less frequent posts on here recently, I feel like I've hardly spent any time in the kitchen the last two and a half weeks.  Instead, I've been busy with a conference followed by a 10-day workshop, which meant that the majority of my meals were eaten out at restaurants...And while I enjoy being treated to meals that are prepared by others, I'm looking forward to getting back into the kitchen starting this weekend and trying out some new recipes!

In the meantime, here is a quick and easy recipe that I like to throw together for lunches whenever I have some leftover tofu. I've never liked egg salad, but when I tried making a similar dish using tofu, I loved it! You basically just crumble up your tofu and mix it with a creamy yellow dressing, and you end up with something that looks like scrambled eggs, but it is eaten cold.

The first time I made tofu salad for myself, I decided to add in some finely chopped apples, and I've been making it that way ever since! Other recipes call for celery to provide some crunch, but I'm not a big fan of celery, so I prefer the apples. Plus I think they go really well with the mustard dressing.

So the next time you have some leftover tofu, this would be a tasty way to use it up! It's also easy to make the night before so you can bring it for lunch the next day.  You can eat the salad on its own, but I like to stuff it into a pita or make a sandwich with it.

Tofu Salad with Apples

1/4 lb firm tofu
1/2 tbsp mayonnaise or Vegenaise
1/2 tbsp mustard
1/8 tsp turmeric
salt and pepper
1/2 an apple
lemon juice

Core the apple and chop into very small pieces. Drizzle some lemon juice over the apple pieces to prevent them from browning.

Crumble the tofu into a bowl. Add the mayonnaise or Vegenaise, mustard, turmeric, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly with a fork to coat all of the tofu. (If it looks too dry, you might to add a bit more mayo and mustard).  Mix in the apple pieces.

Store in the fridge. Add to a sandwich or pita if desired.

Makes 1 serving.