Vanilla Bean Tofu Custard

Yes, I have heard it all before...you don't like tofu. 

In fact, I don't think I have met anyone who has declared a love for tofu.  But, here's the thing...I like tofu.  So I am gonna make things with it.

When I still lived in the snowy regions of Canada, I used silken tofu as the cream base in chowders.  No one was any wiser that my creamy soups were not made with milk or cream.  Later, I attempted working tofu into vegetable based gyozas; they went over well and no one objected to the tofu that was delicately incorporated in the mushroom, chive, and green onion dumplings.  Still though, I didn't have anyone in the family cheering at my tofu offerings.

As time has marched on, my kids began to welcome the tofu 'cheese' that was in their miso soup ~instead of leaving at the bottom of the bowl; so I felt it time to try a sweeter tactic to get them to endorse a broader range of tofu concoctions.  An easy lunch box chocolate tofu pudding pot was first successful lunch box dessert.  These went over really well and are a regular rotation on the lunch box menu for school.  I whiz these babies up the night before and fill small plastic containers with sweet chocolatety tofu goodness and it it can keep up with the school lunch desserts for over a week.

After a minor battle over who ate more than their fair share of the last batch of pudding pots, I have made a vanilla version for my darlings this week.  It containers real vanilla bean which might seem a little over the top but I guarantee it is worth it.  I can buy vanilla bean paste in the grocery stores here and a little goes a long way.  Don't use the alcohol based vanilla as it imparts a bitter taste in the custard that isn't very nice.

I won't bother to provide a printable recipe for this recipe as it has so few ingredients that I think most people can remember it.  So you don't like tofu, you say?  I suggest you give this vanilla bean custard a try and see if I can change your mind.

• 500-600 grams of silken tofu
• 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
• 1 tsp. vanilla bean paste or the paste of 1 vanilla bean
• 1/2 tsp. pink salt
• 3 Tbsps. refined coconut oil

Combine all the ingredients in a high speed blender and blend until smooth.  Pour into individual sized portions and refrigerate.  The custard should keep for approximately 7 days.

Teriyaki Soba Noodles with Crispy-fried Tofu

Okay, I have a secret.  For quite a few years now, I have harbored a secret love for tofu.  I love crispy fried tofu and stir-fried veggies and always choose this on the rare occasion that I get take-away.  My main problem with embracing this tasty fermented product at home is that the family have not exactly been enthusiastic about the object of my affections.   I began about ten years ago by hiding tofu in our soup.  Silken tofu makes an excellent cream base when you can't eat cream or dairy products so I began blending it up for my soup base with minimal suspicion.  No, there was no absolute revolt when I was discovered but the tofu soup revelation didn't exactly get a clap of hands...more like a stoic tolerance. I've taken a shot or two at stir-fries with tofu instead of meat and filled a gyoza or two with tofu instead of pork but no-one was as excited as I was about my genius experiments.  Just over a year ago, I decided to change my tactics to convince the family that tofu was a friend.  Tofu pudding pots were my salvation after re-jigging a recipe that I found in my Blender Girl cookbook.  The trick is to not tell your family that they are eating tofu until after they have licked their pudding bowl ~ only then should you tell them that the dessert they just scarfed down is tofu. Anyway, fast forward to present day and chocolate pudding pots are a regular item for everyone's lunch boxes and now I am ready to take on tofu as a main dish meat alternative.  The husband and kids already love my teriyaki soba noodles tossed with blanched veggies and now I am adding tofu to shake things up a bit.  Don't be afraid...it is really tasty. Printer Version For the teriyaki sauce: 4 Tbsps. Japanese soy sauce 1 Tbsp. water 3/4 Tbsp. cornstarch 3 Tbsps. mirin 3 Tbsps. maple syrup or natural cane sugar 1 Tbsp. fresh ginger, grated 2 Tbsps. sesame oil Everything else: 2 tsps. sesame seeds 2 carrots, julienned 1 bunch of broccolini, chopped 1 green onion, finely sliced 1 - 270g package of soba noodles 1 - 350g package of firm tofu 3 Tbsps. cornstarch for dusting tofu 1 Tbsp. coconut oil Begin by opening and draining the tofu.  Place tofu on a plate with paper towel on both top and bottom; position a heavy object on it and set aside.  This will get rid of some of the excess liquid in the tofu. Next in a small frying pan or pot, mix the soy sauce, water, cornstarch, mirin, maple syrup and sesame oil.  Heat on low until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.  Remove from heat and add the grated ginger to the mixture and stir to combine.  Set this aside and move on to prepping veggies to blanch and then cook the soba noodles according to the package. Now, remove the paper towel and heavy weight from the drained tofu.  Slice the tofu block into pieces or bite-sized chunks and toss in the 3 Tablespoons of cornstarch.  Heat a small frying pan with oil; I like refined coconut oil.  When the oil is hot, fry tofu on each side making sure it is lightly brown and crispy.  Next add one-quarter of the teriyaki sauce and cook the tofu for about 30 seconds until the sauce has thickened then remove from heat. Lastly, toss the cooled veggies, soba noodles, green onions, and sesame seeds with the remaining sauce and top with the crispy tofu.  Serves 4.

Vegetable Pakoras

We don't really deep fry foods at our house but this recipe is the exception to the rule.  Pakoras are a little bit indulgent and we often eat them with a vegetarian/vegan meal of chickpea korma or especially with our favourite masoor daal (red lentil curry).

We were first introduced to the humble pakora at our favourite Indian take-away in Vancouver.  We started making our own when I began experiencing more problems with dairy and eating out became more problematic.  I cook them on a night when we want to feel like we have had a special take-away meal without ordering take-away.

If you don't own a deep fryer then cook in a deep heavy-bottomed pot with a few inches of oil.  I cook them outside so the deep fried smell doesn't go through the house.  The pakoras freeze or keep in the fridge well for a gentle reheat later.  Unfortunately, ours never last long enough with my biggest kid eating them cold out of the fridge as a late night snack.  There is never a pakora left the morning after an Indian feast!

Printer Version

• 1 cup of besan (chickpea) flour
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. ground coriander
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 3/4 - 1 cup water
• 1 Tbsp. grated ginger
• 1 tsp. crushed or minced garlic
• 2 cups of assorted fresh vegetables of your choice such as finely chopped cabbage, corn, green beans, green onion and/or grated carrot
• rice bran oil for frying

In a medium-sized bowl, combine all the dry ingredients and then add the water and mix well.  Your batter should resemble thick cake batter.  Add your veggies and stir.  Try to keep the veggies  uniform in size so they will cook evenly.

In a heavy bottom pot, pour your rice bran oil in so it is a few inches high and heat until hot enough for frying.  You can test this by dipping a chopstick or wooden spoon handle in the hot oil and if small but vigorous bubbles form then your oil is ready.

Drop the batter in by the heaping tablespoon and fry until cooked through.  Try not to make the pakoras too large as they will struggle to cook through in the middle.  Place cooked fritters on a plate or tray covered in paper towel.  These freeze well or can be stored in the fridge, reheated or simply eaten cold.  Makes approximately 24 pakoras depending on the size.

Sourdough Chocolate Cake

I always make chocolate cake for birthdays and occasional lunch box treats and I wanted to try a sourdough cake since I currently have three sourdough starters with which to experiment.  My birthday came and went just recently and this was the cake my kids made me for the festivities.

The process of fermenting the ingredients is reputed to breakdown the mixture in a way that makes the final baked product more easily digestible and have a lower glycemic index (GI) which is the effect food has on a person's blood glucose level.  If digestion and low GI isn't a concern of yours then using a variety of sourdough recipes is also a convenient way to use up your discarded portion of sourdough when you must feed your starter ~ so the more recipes you have on hand then the easier it is not to waste a drop.  Fermented baked goods also are supposed to have a longer counter life and stay moist for longer.

This recipe was adapted from a bunch of sourdough cake recipes floating out there in cyberspace.  King Arthur Flour has a recipe that is pretty similiar to this but makes a larger cake.  Feel free to double this for a larger sheet cake or a double layer cake.  The cake is really easy to make and stays moist and yummy for days depending on what you use for icing.  When I have made it for lunch boxes, I don't ice it at all.  In cool weather, I like a homemade coconut butter for an icing with a touch of maple syrup for a bit of sweetness; it hardens like a ganache but isn't crazy sweet and is easy on the digestion.  In hot weather, any icing is in trouble stored on the counter especially in Perth heat.

Printer Version

• 1/2 cup of soy milk
• 1 Tbsp. of apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup of strong coffee
• 1/2 cup of sourdough starter
• 1 cup of whole wheat or white flour
• 1 cup of natural cane sugar
• 1/2 cup of melted coconut oil or any other oil of your choice
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 3/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/3 cup plus 1 Tbsp. of Dutch processed cocoa powder, sifted
• 1 egg or 3 Tbsps. water mixed with 1 Tbsp. of ground flax

In a medium-sized mixing  bowl, mix together the soy milk and cider vinegar.  Once the milk mixture has thickened then whisk the coffee and sourdough starter and then add the flour and mix until smooth.  Cover and set this aside from 3-8 hours.  The mixture will get somewhat elastic and rise a bit.

After fermentation

Once the mixture has suitably fermented, mix sugar, oil, egg/flax egg, salt, vanilla, cocoa powder and baking soda.  After thoroughly mixing, add to the fermented mixture and mix well.

Finished batter waiting for the oven to heat up.
See the bubbles?

Pour batter into a greased and baking paper lined 8 inch square pan or equivalent sized cake tin and bake at 350F or 180C for 35 minutes.  Allow to cool for at least 15 minutes before removing from pan to cool completely.

Spinach & Seed Crackers

I have been making my own crackers for a while after finding that I am more and more sensitive to the additives and flavourings on and in store-bought commercially made crackers.  Homemade crackers are more nutritionally dense and give you a chance to pump up the nutrients per serving.

These crackers are inspired by a combination of recipes found on the net but especially the  Chia Crispbreads found at Anja's Food 4 Thought.  I make Anja's recipe all the time but this was my interpretation of it with my favourite spices, flour, and spinach.  Leave out the spinach or simply substitute it with kale ~ either way these crackers are delish!

Spinach & Seed Crackers with a side of hummus.

Printer Version

• 1/4 cup of sunflower seeds
• 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
• 2 Tbsps. flax seeds, ground or whole
• 1/4 cup chia seeds
• 1/4 cup whole rolled oats
• 1/4 cup of buckwheat flour
• 1 tsp. sea salt
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp. sweet paprika
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 1 cup of filtered water
• 2 Tbsps. rice bran oil or olive oil
• 250 grams spinach, washed & pureed

In a medium sized bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients.   Add water, oil, and spinach to the dry ingredients and mix until thoroughly combined.  Set aside for 20-30 minutes and then spread on a baking sheet between two pieces of baking paper and roll out as thinly as possible.  Remove the top piece of baking paper and score into cracker shapes with a large knife before placing in preheated oven.

Bake at 350F/ 180C for 30-40 minutes or until crisp and toasted.  Baking times may vary depending on the thickness of your cracker so keep an eye on them to ensure the perfect toastiness.  Let cool for a few minutes before breaking them up either along the scored lines or freestyle when you forget to score them for baking - like me!  Store the crackers in an airtight container for up to a month.

Spinach & Seed Cracker Crisps

I started making my own crackers about a year ago in my quest to reduce refined and processed products.  I was looking to make something that packed a big nutritional punch and got to work researching a homemade cracker that tasted great, was pretty easy to put together and tasted yummy. This recipe was inspired numerous crispbread seed cracker recipes that are out on the net.  I find everyone has their favourite combination of seeds, seasonings and flour for these crackers so this is my version with my favourite spice combination.  The recipe can be made with pureed spinach, kale or completely without either.  If you want to leave out the spinach then simply leave it out and proceed with the cracker recipe with the remaining ingredients.  Besan (chickpea), rye, and whole wheat flour also make a great substitute in place of the buckwheat flour. I make the recipe both with and without spinach and they are both equally yummy!

Printer Version

• 1/4 cup of sunflower seeds
• 1/4 cup of pumpkin seeds
• 2 Tbsps. flax seeds, ground or whole
• 1/4 cup chia seeds
• 1/4 cup of whole rolled oats
• 1/4 cup of buckwheat flour
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. thyme
• 1/2 tsp. oregano
• 1/2 tsp. sweet paprika
• 1/4 tsp. ground pepper
• 2 Tbsps. rice bran oil or olive oil
• 1 cup of water
• 250 grams of fresh spinach, pureed

In a medium-sized bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients.  Add water, oil and spinach to the dry ingredients and mix until thoroughly combined.  Spread on a baking sheet between two pieces of baking paper and roll out as thinly as possible.  Remove the top piece of baking paper and score into cracker shapes with a large knife before placing in preheated oven.

Bake at 350F/ 180C for 35-45 minutes or until crisp and toasted.  Baking times may vary depending on the thickness of your cracker so keep an eye on them to ensure the perfect toastiness.  Let cool for a few minutes before breaking them up either along the scored lines or freestyle when you forget to score them for baking - like me!  Store the crackers in an airtight container for up to a month.

Sourdough Coastal Cracker Crisps

After living for two years in Vancouver, British Columbia, I came away with a love for Raincoast Crisps made by Lesley Stowe Fine Foods.  They are so delicious and go well with savory dips and spreads like hummous or baba ganoush.  I had never heard of them before until I hit the West Coast of Canada and have never seen them since moving to Australia.

I don't buy commercially prepared crackers anymore.  After some uncomfortable reactions from the seasonings and preservatives in store-bought crackers,  I began to make my own crackers so I know what is in them.  It isn't really a big deal to make your own crackers.  You kind of develop a taste for homemade and I find they fill you up faster.  There are a few versions of Raincoast Crisp recipes on the net and I have adapted this recipe from a compilation of these.

If you don't want to ferment the cracker crisps for easier digestion and a lower GI rating then leave out the sourdough starter and mix to bake immediately.  It think the fermentation process is worth it and it is easy to mix the batter before bed, let it stand overnight, and then bake in the morning.  I mixed mine in the morning and then left the batter to ferment for the day before baking, slicing and then toasting in the evening.

Please give these cracker crisps a try because they are so delicious!

Printer Version

• 1 cup soy milk
• 1 1/2 Tbsps. apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup of honey or maple syrup
• 1/2 cup of sourdough starter
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup of dried cranberries or raisins
• 1/4 cup of pumpkin seeds
• 1/4 cup of sunflower seeds
• 1/4 cup of hulled millet
• 1/4 cup ground flax seed
• 1 Tbsp. of fresh rosemary, chopped

In a medium sized mixing bowl, gently whisk soy milk and apple cider vinegar to achieve a thickened sour milk.  When mixture has thickened add honey and whisk to combine.  Next whisk in 1/2 cup of sourdough starter and then the whole wheat flour.  Finally add the last of the flour, baking soda, and salt; stir.

The batter is fairly runny at this stage.  Next add your favourite dried fruit -I prefer cranberries but use whatever you like; pumpkin and sunflower seeds; flax seed, hulled millet, and rosemary.  Stir until the ingredients are thoroughly mixed.

Coastal Crisp batter.

Coastal Crisp batter after 8 hours.

Set aside the batter for about 8 hours and then pour into a greased loaf tin and bake at 350F degrees or 180C for 35-40 minutes depending on your oven.  Cool for about 10 minutes and then remove from tin.  Allow the loaf to cool completely; you can expedite this by placing in the fridge.

Batter in a bread tin and left to
raise for an additional hour

After baking.

Once the loaf is cool to cold, cut into thin slices and further toast/ dehydrate on a cookie sheet in a preheated (350F degrees or 180F) and then turned off oven or place in food dehydrator to achieve a crispy cracker.  Store in an airtight container for up to 2 months.  Makes about 45 cracker crisps depending on the shape and size of your loaf pan.

Spiced Apple Chips

Variety is said to be the spice of life and it is never more true than with school lunches.  I am not a big fan of the good old staple sandwich so I am always trying to provide some new, interesting, and easy lunches that keep things varied.

This week I made dehydrated apple chips for a snack in the kids' school lunch box. I wanted to add a bit of a twist to just the plain sliced and dehydrated variety so I added some extra ingredients to the process to get a bit more flavour and zing.  These apple snacks are especially great as they don't require refrigeration and I don't get anymore bruised, spoiled, or half-eaten apples back in time for the end-of-day lunch box clean out!

4 cups of filtered water
2 tsps. of citric acid
2 Tbsps. honey
1 tsp. powdered cinnamon
1 tsps. powdered ginger
1/2 tsp. powdered allspice
1 kilogram of apples

In a large bowl combine and thoroughly mix the filtered water, citric acid, honey and spices.  The citric acid will prevent the slices from turning brown but it does add a mildly sour taste to the chip and I balance that out with the honey.  Look for citric acid in the baking aisle of your grocery store.

Next,  wash and core the apples.  I used a sweeter variety but any favourite type of apple will do.  Next slice each apple into 3 mm slices.  Remember that if you slice the fruit too thin then the slices will dry out to the consistency of paper so around 3mm is about right to get a chewy ring.

Lastly, soak the slices in the citric acid and spice mixture for ten minutes and then place evenly in your food dehydrator or oven. don't overlap the apples on the tray.  Set your temperature settings to a medium heat and dehydrate until dry to the touch and chewy; temperature and drying times depend on the type of dehydrator that you own.  If using the oven then heat it to about 400 degrees Fahrenheit or 200 degree Celsius and then turn off the oven; lay the apple rings onto baking paper and leave in oven until dried out and chewy.

This process can be duplicated successfully with pears, plums or nectarines.  The plums and nectarines need to be pitted and cut into quarters, soaked in the citric acid mixture for ten minutes but the drying times will take much longer.  If your plums are small then cut them in half.  This gives you a good sized piece of dehydrated fruit to munch on.  Adjust your drying times for stone fruit based on your dehydrator.

In the meantime, your apples should be chewy and delicious with a gentle kick of spice.  Store in an airtight container or bag.  These chips shouldn't last long!

Asian Beef & Veggie Meatballs

This meatball recipe is amazing!  I have been making it for over a year in large batches for the freezer for quick lunches.  I put a huge effort into my kids' lunches and often make things ahead in bulk and freeze so I can just take out and assemble the night before.  They love these and they are so easy to make.  Why not send these to school on a bed of cauliflower rice?  Yum!

Printer Version

• 1.75-2 kilograms of ground beef
• 1 medium sized carrot, peeled and grated
• 1 medium sized zucchini, grated
• 2 green onions, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 inches of ginger, peeled and finely grated
• 1 small bunch of flat leafed parsley, finely chopped
• 1 tsp. pepper
• 6 Tbsps. mirin
• 6 Tbsps. soy sauce
• 2 Tbsps. sesame oil (optional)

In a large bowl mix all the ingredients until completely combined.  Roll into balls, approximately the size of a golf ball (meatballs will shrink a bit when cooked).  Bake on baking paper lined cookie sheets for approximately 30 minutes at 400 degrees F (200C).

I portion these babies into small baggies and top with a little hoisin sauce, sweet chilli sauce or homemade teriyaki sauce.  They freeze well.  I take out the night before to pop in the kids' lunches the next morning.

Yield:  40-45 good sized meatballs

Chocolate Pudding Pots

For a while, I have been wanting to incorporate a small amount of tofu into our diet.  Most of my tofu efforts have not been welcomed by my family.  I have made a tiny bit of progress with them accepting tofu in veggie stir fries or as a cream substitute in soup but I changed tactics when I bought a copy of Tess Master's "The Blender Girl".  In it, she has the most amazing recipe for Chocolate Chilli Pudding using tofu.  I decided to make this for the kids without the chilli pepper and see if I could sell it to them as an alternative to store bought pudding.

I think it is safe to say that it turned out to be a huge hit.  Over time, I have done some tweaking with the recipe and this is my kid friendly, no-nut, inspired version of Tess's amazing mousse.  The pudding takes minutes to whiz up in the blender and pour into little individual portions for school or for home. Yum!

Printer Version

• 1/3 cup of pure maple syrup
• 1- 500 g package of organic medium firm tofu (roughly cubed)
• 1/2 tsp of natural sea salt
• 1 tsp. of instant decaffeinated coffee
• 1 tsp. of natural vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup of Dutch-processed cocoa powder

In a high speed blender, add the maple syrup, cubed tofu, sea salt, coffee and vanilla extract; blend on high for about 30 seconds.  With the blender still running add the cocoa powder by the teaspoonful until the cocoa is completely combined.  Stop the blender and taste before pouring it into individual containers.  It firms up a bit more after refrigeration.

Refrigerate up to 5-7 days if you don't eat it all before!