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!

Friday Favorites: Christmas Edition

December 19, 2014December 19, 2014 / ktbuchs87

I haven’t done a Friday Favorites in a while and I think with the rush of the season it’s a good day to let you in on some of my favorite Christmas-y things.

CHRISTMAS!!!

I don’t care if I’m 27 years old, I still get as excited as a small child about Christmas. Fall may be my favorite season, but without a doubt Christmas is my favorite holiday. I love all of the traditions that come along with this holiday. I love the gathering of friends and family. I love the food and treats that only come along this time of year. I love all the shows and specials and movies that come on TV around this time. I love walking outside right around twilight with a light snow falling. As cheesy as it may sound there really is something magical about Christmas. I still wake up at 4 am on Christmas morning and sneak downstairs to look at the tree and the stockings and take in the beauty of the day. I know that some people can’t stand this time of year. They don’t like the commercialism of the season, they don’t like the rush of activity, and the never ending list of things to do. But I think if we can all remember that feeling of magic that comes very early on Christmas morning and the true gift that we were given, just maybe we can all enjoy Christmas just a little more.

Special Treats

I mentioned before that I love the food that comes along with this season. I actually love food, but I really like the seasonal treats that pop up. Things like eggnog, cookies, and hot chocolate are amazing. I have actually been slowly working through some of my favorite childhood treats and making them a little healthier so that I can enjoy them once again. Some of my favorite “re-dos” have been eggnog and hot chocolate. I also like this version of mexican wedding cakes and I have been working on a healthier chocolate covered peanut butter balls. It’s fun to find new ways to enjoy treats that I didn’t think I could. Plus it’s nice to join in with everyone else and enjoy a cookie or two!

My Cranberry Sauce

I know, another food thing. I like to eat! But seriously I can’t get enough of this cranberry sauce. I put it on everything and sometimes just eat it with a spoon for a snack. It is the perfect combo of sweet/tart/spicy/awesome. If you haven’t made it yet, go to your kitchen immediately. I’m serious. Go.

Downtown

My family has a tradition of going downtown each Christmas. We go to the Christkindl market, look at the windows at Marshall’s, go out to eat, and just take in all the Christmas sights. Now that I live in Chicago, I can go walk around downtown whenever I want and it still hasn’t lost it’s appeal. I like seeing all the lights and decorations and people. I have gone a few time this year and just walked up and down the mag mile. Maybe I’m weird, but I just like being out and about during this time of year even if I have nothing to do. I told you I love Christmas, and I really do love everything about it! This weekend we’re actually heading downtown for our “official” trip and to celebrate my sister’s birthday. I can’t wait!

Christmas Movies

Who doesn’t like Christmas movies? There are so many good ones, but a few of my top ones are Elf, How The Grinch Stole Christmas, The Santa Clause, Scrooged, and Santa Clause is Coming to Town. There are a million more and I probably own half of them. When Adam and I celebrate our own little Christmas we spend the day opening presents, eating appetizers, and watching all of our movies. It’s one of my favorite new traditions that we started when we got married.

I know this was kind of a personal Christmas edition of Friday Favorites, but I wanted to help spread some Christmas cheer. Of course I could just take Buddy the Elf’s advice and sing loud for all to hear! I’m going to be taking a little break from regular blog posts until after the new year so I can enjoy this time with my family. So until then, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

Spicy Cranberry Sauce

December 12, 2014 / ktbuchs87 / 1 Comment

I think cranberry sauce might be one of the most debated dishes at holiday meals. Do you make it from scratch or get in the can? Leave it tart or add copious amounts of sugar? Eat it on it’s own or use it as a turkey topping? Each family has their own preference and it’s usually steeped in tradition. We’ve always done it this way so we’re going to keep doing it this way.

Delicious canned cranberries. Look at those rings!

Well my cranberry palate has changed over the years. When I was younger, I was all about the canned cranberries. Nothing was better than opening the can and shaking it back and forth until the glob of cranberries, shaped exactly like the can rings and all, slid out onto the plate. I loved slicing rings off of that glob and gobbling them up. I’m sure the crazy amounts of high fructose syrup had nothing to do with that… Then as I got older I really started to like the cranberry relish that my mom made every year. It was a mix of cranberries, apples, oranges, and spices. I liked the tartness of the cranberries with the sweet of the apple and I liked the simplicity of the dish.

Then my mother in law brought a new cranberry sauce to Thanksgiving this year and it was amazing. It was a Guy Fieri recipe and it was a sweet and spicy sauce that was just awesome. I had to control myself so I didn’t eat the whole container! Luckily, I was able to snag some leftovers and got to enjoy the cranberries for a little longer. But once they were gone, I knew that I needed to make some more. So I looked up the recipe and realized that I had none of the ingredients other than the cranberries. Since I didn’t want to make a trip to the store just to get the ingredients for one dish, I decided to see if I could make my own version.

With a minimal amount of ingredients, I was able to recreate the sweet and spicy sauce that I had fallen in love with. This is a really easy dish to make and you can use this sauce for numerous other dishes. I’ve mixed it into oatmeal, used it as a topping for fish, tried it on some cookies, and even just eaten it with a spoon. It’s that versatile. Ok, enough talking about cranberry sauce time to go make some!

Spicy Cranberry Sauce

*adapted from Guy Fieri’s Red Devil Cranberries

1 cup whole cranberries
1 cup water
2 tbsp honey
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder (less if you don’t want it as spicy)
1/4 tsp salt

1. In a medium saucepan, bring 1 cup water and 2 tbsp honey to a boil and then immediately lower to a simmer. Add in the cranberries and stir occasionally. Keep stirring until the cranberries start to burst.

2. Add in all the seasonings and stir to combine. Keep the heat on low and cook until the sauce has reduced and started to thicken.

3. Taste and adjust the seasonings to your taste. Turn off the heat and let the sauce cool. As it cools it will thicken even more. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

That’s it! It’s a fairly simple process and the sauce keeps for awhile in the fridge. Because cranberries are so abundant and cheap right now, you can make big batches and then freeze so you can have a delicious sauce for weeks to come. I hope that you enjoy your weekend and I’ll see you on Monday!

How To Use Up Your Leftovers

December 3, 2014 / ktbuchs87

It’s almost a week after Thanksgiving and I’m sure some of you still have mounds of leftovers that you’re trying to get through. Thanksgiving leftovers are one of the best parts of the holiday but there are only so many turkey sandwiches you can eat before you never want to see a slice of turkey again. I thought that I would share some different ways that you can use up the various leftovers that you might have lurking around your kitchen.

Turkey/Ham/Whatever other meat you may have made

Obviously you can make a plain old sandwich, but why not jazz it up my making a turkey salad sandwich? Shred up the turkey and mix together with some mashed up avocado, a little lemon juice, and salt and pepper. Or use hummus or spicy mustard instead of avocado, whatever you have a hankering for.
Add shredded meat to any variety of dishes like soup, tacos, frittatas, quesadillas, or casseroles.
Make chili with leftover meat and any other vegetables you may have lying around.

Potatoes

Use leftover mashed potatoes as a topping for shepherds pie or meatloaf. You can even try it as a topping for my lentil loaf
Sweet potatoes can be used in many baked goods from bread to muffins. Just mash them up into a smooth puree and add into the batter.
Roasted potatoes (regular or sweet) make a great breakfast hash or can be added to scrambled eggs, stews, and casseroles.
Scalloped potatoes can be used as a crust for frittatas or quiche.

Stuffing/Dressing

Let some of your stuffing sit out on the counter overnight to dry out a little and you can use it as bread crumbs
Make stuffing dumplings by mixing stuffing together with 2 eggs, turkey, and some shredded cheese if desired. Form into balls and add into soup and cook covered for 15 to 20 minutes. You can also bake them in the oven at 350 for 15 to 20 minutes
You can also make a breakfast casserole with stuffing. In a casserole dish, place a layer of stuffing along the bottom. Add in green or red peppers, cooked sausage, or sauteed onions and garlic. In a separate bowl whisk 6 to 8 eggs and a little almond milk and then pour over the stuffing. Top with shredded cheese if you would like and bake at 375 for 25 to 30 minutes. Let sit on the counter for 5 minutes before you cut into pieces and eat.

Cranberry Sauce/Relish

Stir cranberry sauce into oatmeal and top with nuts like almonds, walnuts, or pecans for a seasonal breakfast
Use relish or sauce as a sandwich topping for a nice tart flavor
Make a winter salad by combining cooked quinoa/millet/farro/brown rice, diced sweet potatoes or butternut squash, cranberry relish or sauce, and seasonings like parsley or cilantro. Drizzle a little of olive oil and stir the salad all together.

Vegetables

Leftover vegetables often get put in the fridge and then forgotten. Add them into any dish like stir fry’s, soups, stews, or add into salads.
They are also good on sandwiches or if you’re having a taco night use as fillers for burritos.

These are just a few things that you can do with that pile of food you still have to get through. Get creative and see where you can add in leftovers to all of your meals. You can also freeze some of your leftovers to be used at a later time. This works well with meat and bread like dishes. As for all those desserts that are staring you down? I’m sure your neighbor or the office would enjoy having a treat!