Lime Archives - Coconut and Berries

Cauliflower, Coconut & Lime Soup

Do you ever find yourself overwhelmed when you look into the fridge? I mostly cook for myself and, though I do eat a lot of vegetables, sometimes I overestimate how much I can get through all on my own and end up with an overflowing crisper drawer.

I suppose I should be grateful that my impulse buys are typically vegetables rather than expensive shoes…but I’m still faced with two problems: a lack of time (before they go bad) and a lack of tummy space (it’s just impossible for me to eat them all without having to stuff myself silly).

Soup is the answer in these situations. It’s easy to pack a lot of bulky vegetables into- so good for using up excess as well as being loaded with nourishment! It also has the added bonus of being quick and simple to make.

I’m sure you’ve noticed that cauliflower has made a huge comeback recently and is no longer looked over in favour of its more colourful cousin (though broccoli will always be my favourite).

I’ve definitely discovered its versatility and now use it in so many ways: roasting it until crisp in my Middle-Eastern Lentils with Roasted Cauliflower & Sweet Potato, turning it into “rice” for my Cauliflower Fried Rice and Leek, White Bean & Sun-dried Tomato Risotto, grilling it to get that lovely deep char in this Pesto Cauliflower & Potato Salad and using it in curries like my Tempeh & Cauliflower Pasanda where it soaks up the rich flavours wonderfully.

This simple Cauliflower, Coconut & Lime Soup is a new favourite. It has very few ingredients, including a little coconut milk for extra richness and plenty of lime to brighten it all up. Blending it in a high-powered blender makes it unbelievably velvety too.

Cauliflower, Coconut & Lime Soup

Yield: 2-4 Servings (depending on sides)

Cauliflower, Coconut & Lime Soup

Ingredients

1/2 Tbsp Coconut Oil
1 Medium Onion, finely chopped
1 tsp Ground coriander
1 Medium Cauliflower, broken into florets (Approx 4 C)
2-3 C Vegetable Broth
1/2 C Coconut Milk (canned, full-fat)
2-3 Tbsp Lime Juice
Salt to taste (how much you want will depend on your vegetable broth- I used 1/2 tsp)

Instructions

Heat the coconut oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 6-8 minutes. Add the ground coriander and cook, stirring, for a further minute, to bring out its flavour.
Add the cauliflower, vegetable broth and coconut milk, stir to combine, cover and bring to the boil.
Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, covered for 10-15 minutes, or until the cauliflower is very soft.
Remove from heat and add the lime juice. Leave to cool for 10 minutes or so before pouring carefully into your blender and blending until very smooth.
Return to the pot to warm through again before serving.
Adjust salt and lime amounts to preference.

http://www.coconutandberries.com/2014/09/20/cauliflower-coconut-lime-soup/

What are your favourite cauliflower recipes?

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Jerk Tofu & Pineapple Skewers

I’ve always said pineapple was my least favourite tropical fruit. Mango being my top choice, followed by any kind of melon, and not forgetting bananas and coconut (if they count). BUT, that was before I was introduced to it grilled.

Grilling pineapple completely transforms it. The sugars caramelize and the flavour really pops. Totally different from the raw stuff which kind of burns my throat…

I have a thing for sweet with spicy, and seeing as we’re in the Tropics with our pineapple, I decided the traditional Caribbean Jerk spice would be a nice pairing.

Jerk is a hot sauce/rub with a hint of sweetness and lots of fragrant spices (all spice, cinnamon and ginger). I streamlined the recipe a little and replaced the traditional Scotch Bonnet peppers for some cayenne as I prefer it to be “spiced” not too “spicy”. Go ahead and up the heat to your taste though.

Firm tofu soaks up the marinade really well but you could also try tempeh for an even meatier option.

It’s probably not quite barbecue weather yet but these Jerk Tofu & Pineapple Skewers would be even more fantastic cooked on a real grill for a little extra smoky flavour. I served them with coconut rice and a tangy slaw with lime and mint.

Jerk Tofu & Pineapple Skewers

Yield: 12 Skewers

Serving Size: 3 Skewers

Jerk Tofu & Pineapple Skewers

Ingredients

1 350g/12oz pkg Firm tofu, drained and pressed
1 Medium pineapple, skin removed, cored and cut into 1-1/2" cubes
2 Red peppers cut into 1-1/2" pieces
Jerk Marinade:
3-4 Green onions, chopped (white and light green parts only)
2" Fresh ginger, minced
2 Cloves of garlic
1 tsp Dried thyme
2 tsp Ground allspice
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Cayenne (or more if you like things spicy!)
2 Tbsp Lime juice
2 Tbsp Tamari
2 Tbsp Maple Syrup
1 Tbsp Oil

Instructions

If using wooden skewers, soak these in water while you prepare everything (this prevents them from burning on the grill)
Put all ingredients for the marinade in a blender and blend until fairly smooth.
Pour over the tofu and red peppers in a dish and toss to coat everything. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour.
Thread the marinated tofu and red peppers, along with the cubed pineapple, onto the soaked skewers.
Preheat the grill and generously wipe with coconut oil.
Cook the skewers for 3-4 minutes on each side, over medium-high heat. Or until you get a little char on the tofu, the pineapple is beginning to caramelize, and the peppers are tender.

http://www.coconutandberries.com/2014/05/15/grilled-jerk-tofu-pineapple-skewers/

What are your favourite vegan foods to grill?

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Chickpea Salad Stuffed Avocados

Gosh, two weeks into January already! How time flies. How is everyone doing on their goals for the New Year? Hopefully if you have made resolutions then they’re healthy and realistic .

I like to think I eat pretty well most of the time but finding what makes me feel best is definitely a journey. If you’ve been reading you’ll know that I’ve been eschewing sugar and sweeteners of any kind for some time now. I don’t think this will be a permanent change (at least I hope not!) but it has given me the opportunity to assess how much I was eating and realize that, even if the sugar was of the “healthy” kind and a lot of it from fruit, that amount wasn’t working for my body. Some people thrive on lots of fruit but I’ve been feeling better eating more savoury foods and a greater amount of fat and protein.

This was a light lunch I put together and exactly the kind of food I’m enjoying at the moment. I’ve been eating probably an avocado a day for the past week! I don’t know how I didn’t use to like them, they’re just so darn delicious. I’m sure you know they’re overflowing with nutrients too.

Along with chickpeas for a concentrated source of protein and several other flavour-boosting ingredients, this salad is tasty, nourishing and sustaining.

I thought the little “boats” looked cute stuffed with the salad but if you’re not concerned with presentation then you could just add a big scoop on top of your salad or eat it as a dip with your favourite crackers or corn chips.

Chickpea Salad Stuffed Avocados

Yield: 2 Servings

Chickpea Salad Stuffed Avocados

Ingredients

1 C Cooked chickpeas (well-cooked) (RAW option: Use sprouted chickpeas)
1 Small clove of garlic, minced (optional)
1/2 C Grated carrot
1 Green onion, thinly sliced
1/2 tsp Olive oil
1 1/2 Tbsp Lime juice
1 tsp Tamari
Dash of cayenne pepper
Black pepper
1 Large OR 2 small avocados
1/4 C Fresh coriander, roughly chopped

Instructions

Roughly mash the chickpeas in a bowl using a strong fork. I like to leave about half whole.
Stir in garlic through to pepper.
Slice the avocado(s) in half, remove the pit and scoop out the flesh from each half with a spoon.
Dice the avocado flesh into small cubes. Mash half of the avocado into the chickpea mixture then gently fold in the rest along with the fresh coriander.
Spoon the mixture into the empty avocado skins and serve immediately.
Serves 2

http://www.coconutandberries.com/2014/01/13/chickpea-salad-stuffed-avocados/

I’m sharing this recipe at the “Clean Start” potluck party over at Pure Ella and the weekly link-up, Wellness Weekends.

What fruit or vegetable are you loving right now?

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Chili-Lime Crusted Tofu with Creamy Herbed Rice

Chli-Lime Crusted Tofu with Creamy, Herbed Rice

I typically rely on beans and lentils, whole grains, nuts and seeds for the bulk of my protein needs and am more than happy eating this way most of the time. Every now and again though I get a hankering for a good chunk of tofu or tempeh- perhaps the vegan equivalent to an omnivore’s steak cravings?!

If you’ve cooked with tofu before it’s almost inevitable that the first few times it was verging on inedible. Learning to cook tofu well is definitely something that took me some time. For the weekly @veganrecipehour chat on Twitter last week (Thursdays 8-9pm GMT #veganrecipehour) we were talking about all things tofu, sharing tips and recipes and so I dug out a few of my favourites from the archives:

Cauliflower Fried “Rice” with Grilled Asian Tofu

Nutty Crusted Tofu, Mediterranean Israeli Couscous Pilaf & Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

Cheesy Tofu Scramble & Chipotle Sweet Potato Tacos

The key to good tofu almost always comes down to pressing and marinating. You need to first squeeze out the watery liquid in the tofu so it can soak up your marinade and give it the flavour it doesn’t have on its own.

I used a recipe similar to my simple Asian grilled tofu, then added a crunchy cornflake topping spiked with lime zest, chili and herbs before putting it in the oven to get nice and chewy. In the pictures It’s shown cut into two but I would actually recommend cutting the rectangles in half again to get thinner slices for a better texture.

The tofu is quite spicy but the creamy, herbed rice is a lovely cooling contrast and will soothe your tingling lips!

Chiil-Lime Crusted Tofu with Creamy Herbed Rice:

1/2 400g/14oz pkg Firm Tofu, Pressed and sliced into 2 (or 4) rectangles
2T Mirin
3/4T Tamari
1/2T Lime Juice
1/2t Toasted Sesame Oil
1/3C Crushed Cornflakes OR Breadcrumbs
1 Small Chili, deseeded and minced
Zest of 1 Lime
1T Chopped Fresh Basil
1T Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper

For the Rice:

1/2C Long-Grain Brown Rice
1/2T Olive Oil
1/4 Red Onion, diced small
1/2 Red Pepper, diced small
Large Handful of Spinach (approx 50g/2oz)
2T Chopped Fresh Basil
1/2C Unsweetened Non-dairy Yogurt
1T Lime Juice
Salt & Pepper

Combine mirin, tamari, lime juice and sesame oil, place tofu rectangles in a dish and pour over this mixture. Leave to marinade for a minimum of 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 180C/350F

Combine cornflakes ( use a food processor or a rolling pin to crush them), chili, lime zest, basil and oil and season well with salt and pepper.

Transfer tofu to an oven-proof dish and top with the cornflake mixture.

Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Cook brown rice according to pkg instructions. I use the absorption method.

Sauté onion and pepper in the oil until soft (5-10 mins) then stir through the spinach just to wilt.

Add the vegetables to the rice along with the yogurt, basil and lime and again season well with salt and pepper.

Serve alongside the baked tofu.

Serves 2

I’m submitting this recipe to the weekly link-up, Wellness Weekends.

If you liked the dish I brought along to the Virtual Vegan Potluck- Vegan Crepes with Date & Orange Compote & Cinnamon Ice-Cream-I’d really appreciate you voting for Coconut and Berries in the dessert category. You can select your favourite for each of the 8 course categories here. Thank you!

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In my Kitchen Lately

I’m back from a few days in London where I did absolutely no cooking whatsoever. There are too many good restaurants and cafés (and Wholefoods…!) and as I’m not visiting very often at the moment I feel like I have to make the most of the options when I am there.

Back in Bath I pretty much never eat out and I think we’ve established by now that I love spending time in the kitchen! When I’m not coming up with recipes for the blog I’m trying recipes from my favourite cookbooks, lately I’ve been enjoying some new ones (more on that to come though), and also trying out recipes from other bloggers.

After Vegan MoFo in September, I said that I wanted to squeeze in some time to do this and I figured, as I photographed what I made anyway, it might be nice to share the successes and point you to the recipes from some of my favourite blogs.

So, without further ado, here’s a little more of what’s been happening in my kitchen lately:

I have pancakes at least once a week so think of myself as a pancake connoisseur of sorts. I’m actually not going to tell you where I found this recipe as I didn’t love it. They were just a tad tough. The “Maple Cream Cheese Sauce” from the Vegan Cookbook Aficionado, however, was fantastic. It had a pleasant tanginess to it but was still plenty sweet and most definitely redeemed the lacklustre pancakes.

Kale Salads are one of my favourite ways to eat kale. This “Kale Salad with Creamy Apricot Ginger Dressing, Walnuts and Apples” from Gena of Choosing Raw was delicious and nice and autumnal. You’ll want to clean out the blender really well to get every drop of the dressing out!

Back when the Canadians were celebrating Thanksgiving I kept seeing lots of beautiful holiday dishes appearing all over the blogosphere and decided to make something a bit more festive myself. This lovely tart from Dreena Burton’s “Let Them Eat Vegan” is aptly named, “Festive Chickpea Tart”, and is packed with savoury herbs and cranberries for lots of flavour, along with chickpeas, walnuts and oats to make a really hearty meal. Luckily for those of you who don’t have the book, Dreena’s kindly posted the recipe on her site, Plant-Powered Kitchen too.

A fresh, zingy salad was the perfect pairing. I chose a recipe I’d seen ages ago on Oh She Glows- “Holiday Salad with Apple, Pear, Cranberries & Walnuts”. I’ll definitely be making the Cranberry-Orange Vinaigrette again.

My final pick to share today is the “Kale & Sweet Potato Quesadillas” from Oh My Veggies. Lots of my favourite ingredients here- kale, sweet potatoes, caramelized onions, black beans and smoked paprika, so it was a given that I would like this one really. As Kiersten points out, these aren’t really “quesadillas” since there’s no “queso”, but they’re no less tasty for it.

I served them with a quick homemade salsa, a squeeze of lime and sprinkle of fresh coriander.

Hope you check some of these recipes out.

Now it’s your turn! Are there any recipes you’ve made from other blogs recently that I simply have to try?

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