VEGAN RECIPES
In my house we use Siracha like ketchup. My husband especially loves anything spicy, the hotter the better for him. Last night the kids were with Grandma, so I made Siracha Garlic Tofu just for my hubby. Just a warning this is really spicy, but if you are a fan of heat this tofu recipe is definitely for you. I served it with a Asian cucumber salad to help put out the flames a little.
I have never been a big fan of tofu, but I have found a new way to cook it that I really like. I have started baking the tofu for at least 45 minutes at 325 after it has been marinated. This gives the tofu a firm texture and really helps it take on the flavor of the marinade.
I love the combination of the cilantro and lime in this dish. I served the tofu with black beans, but it would be great on its own as well.
The last few weeks have been so crazy for my family. After looking for full time work for over a year, my husband was finally blessed with a great job in Asheville (where I have really wanted to live). The same week I found a part time job and we moved. It has all happened so fast that it hard to believe. We are so blessed and grateful! I haven’t really had much time for cooking lately and unfortunately we have had to eat out a lot, but now I am getting back in the kitchen.
This past week has been so hot that I haven’t wanted to cook, which is very unusual for me. A few night ago I was planning to make black beans and rice, but it was over 100 degrees outside and we had spent a full day kayaking on the lake. So, all the ingredients I was planning on using went into a salad instead. It was so light and fresh tasting, just perfect for summer. The best part was that I didn’t have to turn on the stove.
Salad:
1 head of Romaine washed and chopped
1 can of black beans drained and rinsed
1 cup of corn (I just thawed frozen)
1 large tomato diced
1 bell pepper diced (any color will work)
1 avocado sliced
Combine all of the salad ingredients in a large bowl. You may want to leave out the avocado if you think there will be leftover salad because it will turn brown fairly quickly. I just put some on top of each serving of salad.
Chili lime salad dressing:
Juice of 2-3 limes
3 TBSP Olive or Canola oil
1 tsp chili powder
salt and pepper to taste
Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until thoroughly combined. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss.
Another berry recipe! We have so many berries it is unbelievable, so I have been trying to use them in everything. Saturday morning we even had blackberry pancakes. Today I decided to make some jam with some of the blackberries. The kids were really excited for it. We usually don’t use jam or jelly just because it has so much sugar in it, but I couldn’t resist since we have such sweet fresh berries. I don’t have a canner, so I only made enough for one jar. You can use this same method to make jam with any berries that you like. It will last in the fridge for about a week, but I don’t think our jam will make it that long. I can’t wait for toast in the morning!
about 2 cups of fresh berries mashed
1 cup of sugar
Combine the berries and the sugar in a medium saucepan. Cook them on high heat for about 5 minutes and then turn down the heat to medium. Cook the jam for another 15 minutes stirring frequently. Remove it from the heat and let it cool a little. Carefully spoon it into a jar or heat proof container and let cool completely. Refrigerate or freeze.
Please let me know what some of you favorite berry recipes are!
Last week we went camping for a few days. The weather was gorgeous and we had a blast.