Chili-Lime Crusted Tofu with Creamy Herbed Rice

Posted in Asian, Main Dish by Emma P

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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13Nov2013

Review & Giveaway: “tibits at home”

Posted in Giveaway, Indian, Review, Salad, Salad Dressing, Side-dish by Emma P

If you saw my last post you’ll know that I had a lovely meal at tibits vegetarian restaurant last week. I don’t know when I’ll next be able to make an escape to London to visit again, but, luckily for me, tibits have their own cookbook so I can recreate the restaurant’s dishes at home!

tibits at home, vegetarian cookbook

(All images are my own)

The book “tibits at home: stylish vegetarian cuisine” was released last year and features 50 recipes in total, many for dishes you’ll see on tibit’s “food boat” as well as some new ones too. The book is divided into four seasonal sections, reflecting the importance tibits pays to seasonal ingredients in their restaurant. Although the book is not exclusively vegan, the recipes using dairy and eggs are are mostly easy to veganize with a few simple substitutions.

The book pretty accurately reflects the way I like to eat- whole foods and interesting flavours, with influence from cuisines around the world. The book definitely wouldn’t look out of place on an elegant coffee table as the pictures, at least one for each recipe, are simply stunning.

I like to try out a few recipes before reviewing books so headed to the autumn and winter sections and chose 3 dishes.

Since I’m back into pasta I honed in on the “Linguine with pumpkin and chard”. This recipe as written isn’t actually vegan but I swapped out the double cream for canned coconut milk and found it still plenty rich for me. The sauce is lovely and lemony and lightens up this winter-warmer.

You might remember I mentioned a “dried green bean salad” we sampled from the “food boat” at the restaurant. As this is one of their signature dishes it’s featured in the cookbook and they actually sell the beans themselves- I, of course, had to pick up a bag.

After a soak and a simmer for half an hour they rehydrate but keep a satisfying, chewy texture. A balsamic marinade, a generous helping of walnuts and some sautéed onion is all that’s needed to turn them into something special.

I thought I’d make a sort of pick ‘n’ mix lunch with a few different dishes, like our meal at the restaurant, so opted for a second salad to have with the dried bean dish. I’d just recently picked up some Camargue rice to try so the “Red Rice Salad” was an obvious choice.

If you haven’t tried this variety of rice I’d recommend you do. Brown rice is a staple in my diet but this is quite different. It has a stronger flavour and a bit more bite to it. The dish was well-spiced but not overly so, making it ideal to serve alongside a couple of other salads.

Tibits have kindly agreed to let me share this recipe with you:

Red Rice Salad:

160g(1C) Camargue Rice
1 Red & 1 Yellow Pepper
1 Courgette
1 Bunch of Parsley
2T Rapeseed Oil
3T White Balsamic Vinegar (You can find this in most well-stocked supermarkets)
1t Chilli Oil (I used a pinch of chili flakes instead)
1t Fine Sea Salt
1T Tomato Paste
1/2t Hot Curry Powder
1/2t Mild Paprika
1/2t Ground Coriander
1/2t Ground Cumin

Method

1 Bring the salted water to the boil, add the rice and cook for 30 minutes. Drain in a sieve and chill under running cold water. Rinse well.

2 Chop peppers and courgettes into 1 cm dice.

3 Wash the parsley, shake well and chop finely.

4 Put the remaining ingredients into a bowl and mix well, add the rice.

5 Add vegetables and parsley, mix well and refrigerate.

Tip: rice grown in the French Camargue region, gets its red colour from the high clay content of the soil. Camargue rice is untreated and unmilled ’brown’ rice. It has a mild nutty flavour and stays grainy when cooked. Alternatively, you can use Riso Venere (Italian black rice) for this recipe.

Preparation time: 30 minutes

It’s GIVEAWAY time! Tibits are offering a copy of the cookbook to one UK reader. To enter, do any one or all of the following things and leave a comment for each letting me know that you have done so. The more you do the more chances to win you have!

1. Leave a comment on this post

2. “Like” Coconut and Berries on Facebook

3. “Follow” me on Twitter

4. Tweet about the giveaway and post the url in the comments.

Giveaway ends Thursday 21st November 12am GMT. Winner will be picked randomly and contacted by email within 48 hours of the closing time.

Disclaimer: I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes, but, as always, all opinions are my own.

Hope to see you all back here on Saturday for the Virtual Vegan Potluck. I’m in the “dessert” category! Can’t wait to share my recipe.

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19Sep2013

N is for…

Posted in Appetizer, Asian, Lunch, Main Dish, Side-dish by Emma P

Nori!

Simple Avocado-Cucumber Sushi Rolls, Carrot-Hijiki Salad

For the uninitiated, nori is one of many varieties of sea vegetable or seaweed, probably the most frequently found in the Western world due to its use as a wrap for sushi.

Sea vegetables, or seaweeds, are some of the most nutritious foods we can eat. They have more vitamins and trace minerals by weight than any other food. They are very alkaline, have antibiotic and antibacterial properties, aid in digestion, help maintain a healthy thyroid and reduce cholesterol. You also don’t need to have a lot to reap the benefits. Sound like a wonder food!

Just yesterday Christy at Blissful Bites posted about sea vegetables so if you want to learn a bit more (as well as grab an intriguing sounding recipe for a wakame-tofu “bacon” quiche) head on over there.

I’ve been wanting to make my own sushi for ages, and armed with a bag of proper sushi rice (I’ve since learned this isn’t actually essential but does help it stick together more easily), another buy from the Japan Centre, I finally set out to have a go. I was pleasantly surprised that they’re really not as hard as I thought, even without any specialist equipment.

I followed the instructions here, using agave nectar instead of white sugar and without a bamboo mat.

Sushi doesn’t have to be about fish. Even in a typical Japanese restaurant you should find plentiful vegan options, simple avocado and cucumber maki rolls probably the most common. If/when I get back to NYC, I’m making it a priority to try the elaborate sushi at the all-vegan restaurant Beyond Sushi.

The only thing about sushi rolls is that you can’t really fit much of the good stuff in them. I had to eat the leftover avocado and cucumber strips on the side.

If, like me, you prefer to load up on the fillings, and avoid the slightly delicate task of rolling sushi, I think a sushi “bowl” would be a better idea. A base of rice (short-grain brown would be my preference), strips of cucumber and carrot, some baked tofu or edamame for protein and finally slices of avocado and nori snipped with scissors on the top! Serve it like sushi rolls with good quality soy sauce and pickled ginger.

Here are a couple of other bloggers’ recipes using nori that I’m keen to try:

Gena’s Chickpea, Avocado, Nori Spread and Ricki’s Raw Nori Rolls with a “Salmon” filling (made from almonds) and Spicy Ginger-Miso Paste

You may be wondering about that other dish on my plate? Well, I’m feeling generous today and giving you a 2 for 1post! My Carrot-Hijiki Salad made an excellent companion for the sushi. More of that tasty seaweed flavour, crunchy carrots and a sweet sesame dressing.

Considering I’m highlighting both nori and hijiki in today’s post, perhaps it would have been more fitting to have saved it for “S” for Seaweed…Never mind, they’ll be something else for S I assure you.

Hijiki-Carrot Salad

1/4C Dried hijiki
2C Shredded carrots (I used a food processor)
1/2T Rice vinegar
1/2T Tamari
1t Agave nectar
3/4T Sunflower oil
1/2T Toasted sesame oil
Pinch of salt
1T Toasted Sesame seeds

Soak hijiki in warm water for 10 minutes to soften, drain and rinse. Combine with shredded carrots.

Whisk together remaining ingredients in a small bowl and stir through salad along with the toasted sesame seeds. Best eaten after refrigerating a couple of hours so the flavours can deepen.

Serve with sushi or as a side to any Japanese-inspired dish

There’s a huge variety of different sea vegetables out there but the only other one I’ve tried and use regularly is kombu. I add a strip to a pot of beans when soaking and cooking them as apparently it aids digestion.

Do you eat sea vegetables? Which others should I try?

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22Jul2013

Summer Vegetable Paella

Posted in Beans/Legumes, Main Dish by Emma P

A month ago I went on holiday with a group of 8 university friends. It was pretty much a week devoted to rest and relaxation after the hard slog leading up to finals. We did little other than lounge in the villa garden, play in the pool and eat and drink! We definitely got into a Spanish routine, definitely a change from my usual “early to be early to rise”. Meals were pushed back, with lunch usually around 4 or 5pm and dinner at 10 or 11. Even if we didn’t do anything terribly touristy we did make sure to enjoy some real Spanish food. Sangria and gazpacho were everyday occurrences and we went out for tapas a couple of evenings. My favourite meal out was at a little tucked away place which we happily stumbled across and where we had the most delicious vegetable paella.

I’d forgotten about that meal recently until I found a bag of Arborio rice in the kitchen cupboard. Not wanting to make risotto I wondered if it could be used for paella. Calasparra rice is traditionally used for paella and Arborio for risotto but they are both similarly short grain. Apparently the difference is that paella rice doesn’t create a creamy sauce and rather sticks together. The constant stirring of risotto is what helps the rice release its starch and go creamy so if you just leave it to do its own thing it ends up more like paella and it ends up with that nice crusty bottom and edges.

As usual, I went pretty heavy on the vegetables but you could add as many as and any type you like. The chickpeas are also not typical but I felt like this meal could do with a protein boost, and they add some textural variation too. Tomatoes, sweet paprika and saffron (and a little white wine if you like…) bring everything together.

Summer Vegetable Paella

Large pinch saffron threads (approx 1/4t)
1T Olive Oil
1 Small onion, diced
2 Cloves garlic, minced
1/2 Red pepper, 1/2 Yellow pepper, cut into thin strips
1/2T Tomato paste
1/2t Sweet paprika
1 Cup Short-grain rice (Calasparra recommended but I used Arborio. Short grain brown might also work but liquid quantities and cooking times may vary)
1/2 400g/14oz Can chopped tomatoes
500m/2C Vegetable broth + 1/2C White wine (or more broth)
3/4C Chickpeas
125g/4oz Tenderstem broccoli/Green beans, chopped into short lengths.
1/2C Fresh or Frozen and thawed Peas

Crush the saffron with your fingers into a small bowl and cover with a couple of tablespoons warm water to release its flavour. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add the peppers and garlic and a good pinch of salt and continue cooking, stirring for another 3 minutes and the peppers are also softening. Add the tomato paste, paprika and rice and stir for a minute until everything is coated in spice and the rice grains begin to crackle. Add the tomatoes and cook until they cook down a little, another 5 minutes. Stir in the saffron and its soaking water and season well with salt and pepper.

Add the vegetable broth, wine, chickpeas and broccoli or green beans. Bring to the boil and stir once. Reduce the temperature to low and allow to simmer, without stirring, until most of the liquid has evaporated, approx 10-15 minutes. Add the peas and continue cooking until the top of the paella looks dry, another 5-10 minutes. Leave to sit for 5 minutes before serving.

Serves 3-4

What dishes have you brought back from holiday with you? I often make notes on meals and foods I’ve enjoyed when I’m away so I can do some recreating in my own kitchen!

13Jul2013

Cauliflower Fried “Rice” with Grilled Asian Tofu

Posted in Asian, Main Dish by Emma P

There are so many food ideas I want to try that inevitably it takes me longer to get to certain things than others. Case in point: Cauliflower “rice” arrived on the scene, at least on my radar, several months ago. It got added to the queue and was only finally made by me a week or so ago. I’ve said this before but if only there were more meals in the day (and time to make them…) so I could get to making all the creative recipes out there , as well as my own recipe ideas, faster!

Before anyone thinks I’m going on some carb-eliminating diet or something, I better just stop and say that I’m in no way cutting grains from my diet. Rice features in a good many of my meals and I have no problem with it at all- Make mine brown basmati though please Smile . Sometimes, however, I’m simply in the mood for a more vegetable-centric meal.

To the cauiflower “rice” base I added plenty of other vegetables, including edamame, a favourite of mine, and also a great source of protein, so even without the grilled tofu on top you’ve got a fairly substantial dish. Simply seasoned with lots of ginger and garlic and a couple of splashes of tamari it’s a snap to put together too.

Cauliflower Fried “Rice” with Grilled Asian Tofu:

For the Tofu (Optional):
(From Veganomicon)

1/2 400g/8oz Block Tofu, Drained, Pressed and cut into thin slices (I got 4 rectangles)
1/4C Mirin
1 1/2T Tamari
1T Brown rice vinegar
1/2T Sesame oil
1/2t Sriracha chili sauce
1/2” Pc fresh ginger, chopped into large chunks (for flavouring the marinade)
1 Clove garlic, smashed (for flavouring the marinade)

For the Cauliflower “Rice”

1 Small head cauliflower
1 T Coconut OR Olive OR Sesame (not the toasted kind) oil
2 Lg cloves garlic
1T Minced fresh ginger
1 Red pepper, diced
3/4 C Frozen edamame
1/2 C Corn
2T Tamari
3 Spring/Green Onions, thinly sliced
Fresh coriander, for garnish

If making the tofu, prepare marinade first. Mix all listed ingredients except tofu in a large, shallow dish. Lay slices of tofu in the marinade, spoon over liquid, cover and set to marinade for 30 minutes, flipping tofu halfway through.

While marinating prepare the vegetables. Using a food processor pulse cauliflower florets until a coarse, rice-like (!) texture, or alternatively chop finely. I got 4 cups of rice. Set aside.

Heat a stove-top grill pan lightly brushed with oil for about 3 minutes. Remove tofu from marinade and place on pan. Using tongs gently press tofu into the grill ridges, to get nice dark lines. Cook for 3 minutes on 1 side before lifting, then flip over and cook for another 2 minutes. Move to a chopping board and cut each piece diagonally into 2 triangles.

While tofu is cooking, heat oil in a wok or large pan until very hot but not smoking, toss in ginger and garlic and cook for a couple of minutes, stirring all the while, until aromatic.
Add red pepper and edamame and continue to cook a further 2 minutes until pepper is beginning to soften, then add corn and cauliflower and mix together well.
After another 2 minutes, drizzle the tamari over and stir through the spring onion (reserving a small amount for garnish). Continue to cook for another minute until everything is heated through, then turn off the heat. It will continue cooking in the hot pan so remove to a serving dish straight away. Sprinkle over reserved spring onions and fresh coriander.

Spoon onto individual plates or bowls and top with a few triangles of the grilled tofu.

Serves 3

There have been lots of internet food trends which haven’t been hits in my kitchen but I’ll definitely do the cauliflower rice thing again.

Are there any food trends which have stuck with you?

22Jun2013

Sweet Potato, Spinach + Coconut Dahl

Posted in Beans/Legumes, Indian, Main Dish by Emma P

I tend to think of Indian dishes as pretty omnivore-friendly. Not usually any tofu, tempeh, seitan or any other ingredients less familiar to non-vegans. So, when I needed to whip up a casual dinner for a few family members, including one particularly unambitious eater…Indian it was!

This was very speedy to put together and didn’t even need a long simmer so it’s ideal for when you don’t have much time to devote to cooking the evening meal.

It might not look that filling, with just a 1/2 cup red lentils to thicken up the sauce, but the canned coconut milk gave the dish richness, as well as adding that silky smooth flavour I adore so much.

I kept it mild for she-who- will- not- be- named (!)…and actually found I didn’t really miss the heat, but you could add a little chili if you wanted a bit more kick.

Sweet Potato, Spinach + Coconut Dahl:

1T Coconut oil
1 Onion, chopped
1/2T Minced ginger
2 Cloves garlic, minced
1 Chili, minced (optional)
1t Curry powder
1t Ground cumin
1t Turmeric
1/2t Salt
1 Large sweet potato, chopped into 1” cubes
1/2C Red lentils
1 Can (400ml) Coconut milk (I like Biona Organic)
1C Vegetable broth
Several handfuls spinach, torn or roughly chopped
Juice of half a lemon

Warm coconut oil in a pot over medium heat, add onion and cook for 5 minutes. Add ginger, garlic, optional chili, spices and salt and continue to cook another couple of minutes until smelling very fragrant. Don’t worry if it looks dry at this stage. Mix in sweet potato, lentils, coconut milk and broth, cover and simmer gently for 20-25 minutes. The sweet potato should be soft and very easily fall off a fork when pierced. Pack in your spinach and keep stirring so it wilts and makes room for more in the pot. Cook a further few minutes uncovered. Turn off the heat and add a good squeeze of lemon, stir again and serve.

I just served it with some plain brown basmati rice but if I’d had a little more time I’d probably have jazzed it up a little with some fresh coriander and toasted slivered almonds.

This would also be great served in a bowl with some roti for dipping. If I were to go that route I’d probably use a full cup of lentils so the dahl is a bit thicker and more scoop-able.

Serves 4-6

Do you have an easy meal you like to serve to omnivores, or to more traditional eaters?

20Jun2013

Ginger Cashew Tempeh + Sugar Snap Peas

Posted in Asian, Main Dish, Noodles by Emma P

Tempeh is unfortunately not too easily found in the UK, even in health food stores. But I’ve fallen in love with the stuff so on a recent order from Goodness Direct (I buy all my raw nuts and seeds, dried beans etc. from here as it’s great value and you can buy in larger quantities than elsewhere) I bought several packages to keep handy in the freezer.

Although tempeh, like tofu, is made from soy beans, it’s quite different. Tempeh is made from whole cooked fermented soy beans whereas tofu is made from coagulated soymilk. Tempeh is generally firmer and chewier and is mildly flavourful on its own, unlike tofu. As tempeh is less processed it’s also considered healthier, with even more protein than tofu (approx 18g per/100g) and high levels of calcium and iron.

If you haven’t tried it yet or aren’t a fan of tofu I’d definitely suggest giving tempeh a go. Both have a place in my kitchen.

Some find the flavour to be a little bitter straight out of the package but steaming it can help. Simply place sliced tempeh in a saucepan and cover with water or vegetable broth. Bring liquid to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes. Then remove the tempeh and proceed with marinating, grilling, baking, or however you’re preparing it.

This recipe is a nice introduction to tempeh as it’s not particularly complicated and the ginger and garlic mean the tempeh flavour doesn’t come through hugely strongly.

If you can get hold of water chestnuts I highly recommend them in this dish, their sweet flavour and crispy texture really worked for me.

Ginger Cashew Tempeh + Sugar Snap Peas:

1C Broccoli, broken into florets (don’t throw away the stalks! Just dice them up and throw them in too)
1C Sugar snap peas
1/2T neutral oil + 1/2T Toasted Sesame Oil
1/2 225g/8oz pkg Tempeh, cubed [pre-steamed if desired, see note above]
1/4C Cashews
1/2T Minced fresh ginger
2 Cloves garlic
1/4t Chili flakes
1/2 225g/80z Can water chestnuts, sliced thinly
1T Tamari or Bragg’s
1/2T Rice vinegar
1/2-1C Vegetable broth (I use Marigold Vegan Bouillon)
1T Flour (any)
Noodles (pictured are Clearspring Organic Udon), or Rice to serve

Prepare your noodles or rice first as the stir-fry is quick to come together

Steam Broccoli and Sugar Snaps for a few minutes until bright green and tender, set aside in a bowl.

Heat oils in a large pan or wok over medium-high and when hot add tempeh. Toss frequently and when it’s a little brown on all sides add cashews and continue to cook until golden. Add tempeh and cashews to the bowl with your vegetables.

In the same hot wok add garlic and ginger and cook for a minute before adding the remaining ingredients, except for the flour. As it begins to bubble gradually whisk in the flour- it should thicken up the sauce fairly quickly. At this point, if you prefer it a little more saucy add a touch more water, but not too much as you don’t want to dilute the flavours.

Toss in reserved vegetables, tempeh and cashews, mix to coat in sauce and warm through.

Serve over noodles or rice.

Serves 2

Have you cooked with tempeh before? What do you think?

Coconut and Berries

Sharing my vegan foodie adventures. Recipes, reviews and more.

Tag Archives: Rice

Chili-Lime Crusted Tofu with Creamy Herbed Rice

Review & Giveaway: “tibits at home”

N is for…

Summer Vegetable Paella

Cauliflower Fried “Rice” with Grilled Asian Tofu

Sweet Potato, Spinach + Coconut Dahl

Ginger Cashew Tempeh + Sugar Snap Peas

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