5-Spice Meatloaf
Monday, November 09, 2020Make this moist, flavourful 5-spice meatloaf for an easy and budget-friendly meal that will feed a crowd. It's great hot or cold and perfect for dinner, picnic or in lunchbox. Replace beef with lean turkey or chicken mince for a lower fat and protein-packed meal that whole family would love.
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- Grease a standard-size casserole dish with 1 tsp of olive oil. Spread the sliced onions into the pan. Preheat the oven to 190C/375F.
- Heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium- high heat. Add chopped shallots and minced garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until the shallots are softened and it smells aromatic, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and cool to the room-temperature.
- Add in salt, breadcrumbs, chopped thyme, 5 spice blend, egg, crumbled tofu and the minced beef. Mix until thoroughly combined. Pat the mixture into a log that fits your casserole dish. Place the log on the top of sliced onions. Brush the top with the remaining olive oil. Bake for 20 minutes.
- Gently pour the beef broth over and around the meatloaf. Continue to bake for another 30-35 minutes or until the top is browned and meatloaf is cooked through.
- Remove it from the oven and let rest 10 minutes before slicing and serving. You can thickend the broth and juice from the casserole dish with some cornstarch solution and serve it as the sauce.
Lime Loaf Cake with Silken Tofu and Candied Ginger
Thursday, July 26, 2018Delicious and healthy homemade lime cake from scratch with silken tofu and candied ginger. I have topped the cake with a sprinkle of mixed sesame seeds, instead, you can drizzle a lime icing (100 g icing sugar+2 tbsp lime juice) over the cake once it's completely cooled.
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- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Line a 22cmx11cmx9cm loaf pan with baking paper.
- Place silken tofu in a mixing bowl. Rinse the lime with hot water and dry with a clean kitchen towel afterwards. Finely grate the lime zest, then squeeze the juice and add both to the silken tofu. Puree the ingredients with an immersion blender. Fold in finely chopped candied ginger.
- Mix together the spelt flour, baking powder and salt. Whip oil, coconut sugar, eggs and vanilla paste until creamy, about 5 minutes. Fold in silken tofu mixture, then add in flour mixture in 2-3 additions. Mix until just incorporated.
- Spread the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle the sesame over and bake for 50-60 minutes. Remove and cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.
White Asparagus with Saffron Silky Tofu Dressing - Vegan, Gluten-Free
Wednesday, May 30, 2018White asparagus must be peeled, as the outside is fibrous and bitter. They have an earthier, nuttier and sweeter flavour than the usual green variety, and can be enjoyed raw or cooked. Though white asparagus is traditionally served very simply, just with parsley potatoes and a generous helping of melted butter or a velvety Hollandaise sauce, this vegan saffron flavoured silken tofu dressing is just as amazing.
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- Peel and trim the white asparagus. Bring a pot of water to a boil and season with salt lightly. Cook prepared asparagus, covered, for 10 minutes.
- Add tofu, saffron, salt, pepper and apple cider vinegar in an immersion blender. Blender until smooth and creamy. Stir in half of the chopped chives.
- Place asparagus on serving plates. Spoon the dressing over and sprinkle with the remaining chives and toasted almond slices.
Arugula Tofu Salad with Blueberry Vinaigrette
Saturday, August 08, 2015A light, vegan salad of arugula, mint, cilantro and crisp pan seared tofu drizzled with a deliciously tangy-sweet blueberry balsamic based dressing. You can add some chopped nuts or seeds to add extra nutrition, flavour and crunch.
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- Wash the blueberries and pat dry with paper towels. Puree 100 grams of blueberries, vinegar, 6 tablespoons of the olive oil, maple syrup, and Dijon mustard in a blender. Season with salt and pepper.
- Season the diced tofu with salt and pepper. Heat peanut oil in a skillet over high heat. Place them into the skillet in a single layer. Cook on one side for 3 minutes until golden brown, then flip and cook 2 minutes more.
- Wash and dry the arugula. Arrange arugula and fresh herbs on a plate. Top with crisp tofu and garnish with the remaining blueberries. Serve with the prepared vinaigrette.
Teriyaki Tofu Steaks
Monday, November 10, 2014The delicious teriyaki marinade, a blend of dark soya sauce, brown sugar, sake, mirin, and fresh ginger, imparts a wonderful salty, sweet and yet tangy taste to tofu steaks. Sake can be replace with dry sherry, and mirin with white wine or vermouth with 1 tablespoon of sugar.
Teriyaki Tofu Steaks
adapted from taste
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- Combine the soya sauce, sake, mirin, sugar and ginger in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes or until sauce thickens slightly. Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly.
- Place the tofu in a single layer in a glass or ceramic dish. Pour over the soya mixture with the sesame oil. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 4 hours to marinate.
- Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet. Cook the tofu for 3 minutes each side or until caramelized. Transfer to a serving platter. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, green onions and chilli. Serve over the greens.
Pan Seared Tofu with Avocado Cashew Sauce
Monday, October 13, 2014A simple sauce of avocado, tomato, cashew nuts, parsley and lime juice is served over pan-seared seasoned tofu for a light main course. It’s easy to make, yummy to eat, and your family won’t believe it is vegan. The crisp tofu is good on its own, but if tofu is not your cup of tea, chicken breast will do too.
Avocado Cashew Sauce | |
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- Cut each block of tofu in half diagonally, then cut each into two triangles. Well season the tofu triangles with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a skillet until hot. Cook tofu, in 2 batches, for 1 minute each side or until crisp and golden, then drain on paper towel.
- In a bowl, add in finely chopped avocado, tomatoes, parsley, cashew nuts, and lime juice. Mix well, then season with salt and pepper.
- Place tofu triangles, overlapping, on a serving plate. Spoon some avocado sauce over.
Vegan Gluten Free Matcha Protein Bars
Tuesday, April 01, 2014Protein bars are a delicious and convenient way to enjoy a high protein snack. There is no need to buy protein bars when it's far cheaper and more nutritious to make your own. These wholesome protein bars, adapted from desserts with benefits, are made with quality hemp and rice protein, antioxidant-rich green tea powder with nutritious oat and healthy fats.
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- Line a 20x12-cm plastic box with a large sheet of plastic wrap. Whisk together the almond butter, soya milk, and stevia extract until combined in a mixing bowl.
- In another bowl, mix together the hemp protein powder, rice protein powder, oat flour and matcha powder. Slowly add this dry mixture to the almond butter mixture. Mix until the mixture is even, scraping down the sides of the bowl if necessary. It should have a texture like cookie dough.
- Spoon the mixture into the prepared box and flatten the surface with a rubber spatula or pastry roller. Cover the box with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
- The next day, slice the protein bars and drizzle them liberally with melted white chocolate. Store the rest in a plastic box with a lid in the fridge.
Rutabaga Radicchio Salad with Silken Tofu Dressing
Wednesday, January 22, 2014Grated rutabagas and shredded radicchio are dressed with a creamy silken tofu dressing. Apple juice reduction and apple cider vinegar add a perfectly sweet and tangy element to the dressing. Freshly chopped parsley is used in the salad to highlighten the flavours and to give it some extra colour.
Rutabaga, also know as Swede, is a nutritious root vegetable derived from turnips and cabbage, and has a sweet earthiness and is not peppery as turnips. It can be eaten raw or cooked.
Tofu Dressing | Salad |
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- Place apple juice in a saucepan and boil until reduced by half. Add in apple cider vinegar and soya sauce. Mix well and pour into the blender. Drain the tofu and add into the apple juice mixture. Blend until smooth. Add in sesame seed oil and sunflower oil. Blend for a minute on high.
- Use a sharp knife or vegetable peeler to peel the rutabaga. Peel enough of the skin so that the flesh exposed is yellow. Shred the rutabaga with a grater, mandolin or a food processor. Thinly shred the radicchio. Roughly chop the parsley.
- Put the grated rutabaga strips, shredded radicchio and chopped parsley in a large salad bowl. Add in 1 cup of dressing and toss all together until well combined. Cover with a plastic film and store in the fridge for a couple of hours to allow the flavours to mingle.
Gluten Free Chocolate Tofu Tartlets with Cherry Compote
Wednesday, July 10, 2013You are going to love these healthy and delicious tarlets made with a gluten-free buckwheat pastry shell filled chocolate-tofu mixture instead of usual eggs and dairy, then served with a luscious cherry compote. The chocolate tofu filling can also be used for other desserts and sweet treats. It is simple to make at home, and you can add other flavours for different twists on the basic recipe.
Buckwheat Crust | Chocolate Tofu Filling | Cherry Compote |
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- Preheat oven to 200C/ 400F. Have ready four 10-cm tartlet pans or a 24-cm tart pan with removable bottom.
- Combine the buckwheat flour, finely ground sunflower seeds, psyllium husks, and salt in a large bowl. Rub in the cold butter with your fingers. Then, add in water, still mixing with your fingers, until the mixture forms a ball.
- Wrap dough with the waxed paper and chill for at least one hour or until firm before rolling. Remove the dough from the fridge and cut it into 4 pieces. Press the dough evenly into the prepared pans and prick the bottoms with a fork. Line each tartlet pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake the tart shells for 10-12 minutes or until the edges begin to brown. Remove the pie weights or beans and return to the oven to bake for 5 minutes more, or until the crust is golden brown. Let the shells cool completely before filling and serving.
- In a blender, mix the silken tofu with vanilla and honey until smooth. Place chocolate chunks in a saucepan on low heat and melt just until smooth. Pour melted chocolate into the blender and continue blending until the mixture is completely smooth. Divide the filling into the prepared tartlet shells and chill at least 2 hours until firm.
- Mix the cornstarch and 1 tbsp cherry juice in a small bowl, set aside. Add the rest of cherry juice, cinnamon powder, sugar and cherries in a medium saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until cherries are softened and start to release juices, about 10 minutes. Once the compote has cooked, add the cornstarch mixture a bit at a time while stirring. Let the mixture simmer for a minute. Pour into a bowl and let cool before using.