Keep It Simple Series: Healthy Flavor

February 4, 2015February 4, 2015 / ktbuchs87

Week 4! I’m actually starting to like doing these videos. At first I was nervous because I had never done anything like this before and if you know me I am not an in-front-of-the-camera kind of gal. But I am starting to get into a groove and enjoying the whole process of making these videos for you guys.

How about you? Do you like the videos? Are there any topics that you would like me to cover? Let me know in the comments so that I can make this blog work for you!

If you listen carefully you can hear Olaf (my kitten) meowing at me and knocking things over. He likes to have my attention every single moment of the day so he gets confused when I’m talking to the camera and not to him. He’s just a peach that way….

My Weekend in Rolla

February 2, 2015 / ktbuchs87

Hopefully you are all digging yourself out of the snow or maybe you’ve decided to just hunker down and hibernate through this storm. I’ve done a little bit of both. I didn’t do my normal run this morning because there is still snow EVERYWHERE, but I did make a quick trip to the store. I plan on spending the rest of the day inside working though.

I actually had a really great weekend. Thursday I made my way down to Rolla, Missouri to visit my friend Ashley! I hadn’t seen her since she came to Chicago in September so we had some catching up to do. And let me just say we lived it up in Rolla!

We went to the vacuum cleaner museum. Yes this is a real thing. Fun fact, old time-y vacuums freak me out. I don’t know why but they look evil and I feel like they are going to attack me.

Cleaning in the 1920’s with a creepy demon vacuum

We saw the world’s largest rocking chair on historic route 66. Sadly you can’t climb up and sit on it.

We drove through Cuba, MO and looked at a few of the murals and then we spent the rest of the day going to antique stores finding the creepiest children’s toys. Seriously, who made those things? Definitely have demons inside them.

We talked, laughed, ate (delicious taco salads and my Turmeric-Scented Mushrooms), watched Friends and a whole season of The Killer Speaks. Ashley and I are a unique kind of fun and like macabre things like shows about serial killers. Another fun fact, you have a very high chance of being murdered in Missouri. Three out of the five serial killers interviewed on the show were from/killed their victims in Missouri. Good times. Good times.

Sadly, I had to cut my trip a little short and come back early so I could beat the snowstorm. It was great to hang out and laugh about ridiculous things though. Sometimes it’s nice to break out of your normal routine and spend time with friends even if they live in a place where you might run into a murderer…

Have a great Monday and try to have some fun after you dig yourself out of the snow!

Balsamic Cauliflower Bites

February 1, 2015March 19, 2015 / ktbuchs87

There are a ton of different cauliflower “wings” recipes online. From buffalo wings to spicy wings, there are plenty of choices. I wanted to try my hand at these wings and decided to go with a little bit of a sweeter flavor. I ended up with a new favorite meal, especially for Adam!

These are also a GREAT party food, especially for the Super Bowl this weekend. They are a healthier choice than some of the traditional football party foods but no less delicious. I would say these are more reminiscent of Chinese takeout than chicken wings, but that is not a bad thing! Whatever they remind you of, they are really delicious and if you’re anything like my husband you’ll inhale these and ask for more!

Balsamic Cauliflower Bites

Sauce

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp liquid aminos, tamari, or soy sauce
scant 1/4 cup honey or maple syrup
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp salt and pepper

Cauliflower

1 large head of cauliflower
1/2 cup brown rice flour (I tried chickpea flour but it didn’t turn out as crisp)
1/2 cup almond milk or other non-dairy milk
1 tsp chinese 5 spice powder

1. Whisk together all the sauce ingredients and set aside. Preheat oven to 450 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat.

2. Cut the cauliflower into bite size florets, removing stems and leaves. Whisk together the brwon rice flour, chinese 5 spice, and almond milk.

3. Place cauliflower in a large bowl and pour batter over them. Toss to make sure all florets are covered.

4. Arrange the cauliflower on the baking sheet in a single layer. Make sure they aren’t too crowded or they will not get crispy. Bake for 15-20 minutes until they are starting to get brown.

5. Remove the cauliflower and place back into the large bowl. Pour balsamic sauce and toss to coat. Pour back onto baking sheet and arrange in a single layer again. It will seem really watery, but that’s fine it will thicken up as it cooks.

6. Bake for another 10 minutes flipping halfway through. Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes before digging in!

I have served these over brown rice noodles as well as brown rice. I have to say I liked it over the rice much better than the noodles. You can serve it over whatever you would like and even sprinkle some sesame seeds over them for a crunchy garnish! Serve these at your Super Bowl party and you will be the talk of the town. Unless of course we have another deflate gate….

Hope you enjoy the game… and the commercials!

Baked Chickpea Tofu with Creamy Tomato Sauce

January 23, 2015 / ktbuchs87

While I don’t eat meat, I don’t really eat that many soy products either. I am a huge fan of tempeh and miso because they are fermented soy and have healthy probiotics, but other than that I don’t eat soy. I like to make as much of my food as possible, because then I can control the ingredients and it is a lot cheaper. So when I started seeing things about chickpea tofu, I was intrigued.

I love chickpeas in all their forms and had seen a lot of things made with chickpea flour but I could never find it any stores near me. The other day as I was wandering the aisles of my grocery store (yes, I like to just stroll through the grocery store. I know that’s weird, but I’m weird so it’s all good) I spotted chickpea flour for about $2. I snapped it up and immediately started thinking of things that I could make. This chickpea tofu was one of the easiest and most versatile dishes, so I started there.

Not only is it easy to make it can function in pretty much the exact same way as regular soy tofu. I’m still experimenting with a few different ways to use chickpea tofu, but I wanted to start sharing it with you. I love the flavor of the tofu and you can season it in any way that you want and it will absorb those flavors. It might look like this recipe will take forever to make, but once the tofu is done it’s really just a matter of putting everything together.

Enough talking let’s get onto the food!

Baked Chickpea Tofu with Creamy Tomato Sauce

Chickpea tofu- There are a few methods out there, but this is the one that worked the best for me.

1 cup chickpea flour
3 cups water, divided
1-2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp turmeric

1. In a medium bowl combine flour, salt, turmeric, and 1 cup of water. Whisk until smooth.

2. In a medium saucepan bring the remaining two cups of water to a boil. While your water is heating up, lightly oil an 8 x 8 baking dish and set aside

3. Whisk the chickpea mixture into the boiling water making sure there are no lumps. Lower heat and keep whisking the chickpea mixture for about 8 to 10 minutes until it’s thick and glossy.

4. Pour the chickpea mixture into the oiled pan and let cool on the counter. Once cool, keep in the fridge until you are ready to use.

Baked Tofu and Creamy Tomato Sauce

Chickpea Tofu
1 tsp granulated garlic
2 tsp italian seasonings
pepper to taste
1 batch of my tomato sauce, or a jar of your favorite sauce
1 cup full fat coconut milk

1. Preheat oven to 425 and take your chickpea tofu out of the fridge and remove from baking dish. If you used enough oil it should slide out easily. Blot the bottom of the tofu with a paper towel to absorb some of the excess water. Cut tofu into bite size cubes and place in a bowl

2. Line a baking dish with a Silpat or parchment paper. Drizzle a little olive oil over tofu and sprinkle with the seasonings. Shake the bowl to cover the tofu with the oil and seasonings and then spread in an even layer on baking dish.

3. Bake for 25 minutes. While tofu is baking, heat tomato sauce in a medium saucepan over medium high heat. When it is just simmering, stir in 1 cup of coconut milk. Heat through and then cover and turn off heat.

4. Remove tofu from oven and let cool for a few minutes. Plate the tofu and pour the tomato sauce over and enjoy!

It does seem like there are a lot of steps to this meal, but if you prepare the tofu ahead of time then this meal is a simple fix. I made this on a Monday night and it was a perfect meal on a chilly night. Warm, filling, and tasty!

I’m going to be bringing you some more chickpea tofu/flour recipes over the next few weeks, but with the super bowl next weekend I have a special treat for you! My balsamic cauliflower bites are amazing and sure to be a hit at your party!

Have a great Friday and an awesome weekend everyone!

Tomato Sauce

January 22, 2015 / ktbuchs87 / 2 Comments

This is my go to sauce. I make it large batches so that I have some on hand when I need a tasty and healthy tomato sauce!

Tomato Sauce

1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp basil
1-2 tsp fennel seeds
1 14 oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes (I use no salt added)
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
vegetable broth or water
salt and pepper to taste

1. In a medium sauce pan over medium high heat saute onions until soft and translucent. Add in half your minced garlic and saute another minute.

2. Add in oregano, basil, and fennel and stir to combine. Then add in diced tomatoes, tomato sauce and stir to combine. Using a potato masher, mash the sauce a little to crush the diced tomato chunks. Depending on how thick or thin you want your sauce add in a little or a lot of broth or water. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper to your taste

3. Bring the sauce to a boil and lower to a simmer. Simmer the sauce for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

You can either use this right away or cool completely and store in clean jars in your fridge. Enjoy!