salsa

Crispy Tofu Tacos

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Salsa Ingredients

  • 10 roma tomatoes, diced

  • 2 large red onions, diced

  • 1 bunch fresh cilantro, finely chopped

  • 2 tbsp olive oil

  • Lime juice (think I used about 1/3 cup) and pepper, to taste

Tofu Ingredients

  • 1 pack tofu - I use high-protein tofu since it’s pre-pressed

  • 2 tbsp ground flax + 5 tbsp. water = 2 flax eggs!

  • 1 cup (more or less) flour

  • 1 cup (more or less) cornstarch

  • 1 cup (more or less) bread crumbs

  • 2.5 tbsp. hot sauce

  • 1 tsp. paprika

  • 1/2 tsp. garlic powder

Other Ingredients

  • Small, 6 inch tortillas - corn or flour - pick your favorite!

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 380 degrees F.

  2. Press your tofu if it isn’t pre-pressed. Discard liquid and chop into small 1/2 inch cubes.

  3. Prepare flax eggs by whisking 2 tbsp. ground flax with 5 tbsp. water. Let it sit for 5 minutes to thicken.

  4. In bowl #1, combine flax egg and 1/2 tbsp. hot sauce. In bowl #2, have the flour. In bowl #3, have the bread crumbs.

  5. For all tofu cubes, complete this process (it takes a little while..): Dip the tofu into the flour until all sides are completely coated. Then dip it into the flax seed eggs so that all sides are soaked. Then repeat these 2 steps: put it back in the flour then back in the flax egg. THEN dip in in bread crumbs so that all sides are completely coated. Do this for all tofu cubes

  6. As you finish coating the cubes, add them to a baking sheet. Once all tofu has been coated, season with garlic and paprika, and pop them in the oven for 30 minutes, rotating them halfway through.

  7. Time for the salsa - dice tomatoes, onion, and cilantro if you haven’t already. Combine them in a large bowl. Add olive oil, lime juice, and pepper. Mix well and cover - put in fridge so flavors blend together.

  8. When your tofu has about 5 minutes left, heat a skillet over low-heat and begin to warm your tortillas, about 30 seconds on each side.

  9. Once tofu is done cooking, remove from the oven and let cool. Toss them in a heat-resistant glass bowl and coat with the remaining hot sauce. Mix and coat evenly.

  10. Plate your dinner: tortillas, tofu, then salsa. Enjoy!

Vegan Copycat Chipotle Bowl

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Serves: 6 (you will likely have lunch for the entire week)

Cilantro Lime Rice Ingredients

  • 1 cup brown rice

  • 2-3 bay leaves

  • 1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro, packed

  • 3 tbsp. lime juice

  • 1 tbsp. lemon juice

  • Small pinch of salt

Black Beans Ingredients

  • 1 cup dried black beans, rinsed

  • 3 cups water

  • 1.5 tsp. chipotle chili powder

  • 2 tsp. minced garlic

  • 3/4 tsp. cumin

  • Pinch allspice

  • Small pinch of sugar

  • Small pinch of salt

Fajita Vegetable Ingredients

  • 2 large green bell peppers

  • 1 large red onion

  • 1 tbsp. dried oregano

  • Pepper to taste

  • High heat cooking oil - I used grapeseed oil

Corn Salsa Ingredients

  • 1 can corn

  • 1/2 large red onion, diced

  • 3 poblano peppers

  • 2 tbsp. lemon juice

  • 2 tbsp. lime juice

  • 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, packed

Hot Salsa Ingredients

  • 3 chipotle peppers packed in adobo sauce

  • 8 tomatillos

  • 2 tbsp. lime juice

  • 2 tsp. minced garlic

  • 1 tbsp. Texas Pete hot sauce

  • 1/2 tsp. cumin

Guacamole Ingredients

  • 2 large avocados

  • 1 small jalapeño, finely diced (use gloves!!! I like spice so I kept some of the seeds)

  • 1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro, packed

  • 2 tbsp. lime juice - if you can add more without watering it down, do so! This helps preserve the color.

  • 1/2 red onion, diced (use the leftover from the corn salsa!)

  • Pepper to taste

Chipotle Agave Vinaigrette

  • 2 chipotles in adobo sauce

  • 1/4 cup lime juice

  • 1/4 cup olive oil

  • 2 tbsp. agave

  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano

  • 2 tsp. minced garlic

  • Pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Begin cooking rice per package instructions with the bay leaves in the pot.

  2. Begin cooking the black beans in the Instant Pot (or per package instructions on the stove). Add the beans and water to the instant pot. Pressure cook on high for 25 minutes.

  3. Remove rice from stove once it has finished cooking. Discard the bay leaves. Let the rice cool in a pyrex dish then add the cilantro, lime juice, lemon juice, and salt.

  4. When the beans are done cooking let the pressure release for 20 minutes after cooking so that is says L20:00. Once the beans are done venting, drain them and add to a pyrex. Add chili powder, cumin, allspice, garlic, salt, and sugar and mix well.

  5. Heat a skillet to medium-high heat and add the poblano peppers. Turn frequently until they begin to blacken and the skin starts to naturally separate from the pepper. Evenly blacken all sides of the pepper. Once you’re done cooking these, let them cool for 10 minutes.

  6. While the peppers are cooling combine the drained corn, onion, lemon juice, lime juice, and cilantro in a pyrex.

  7. When the peppers cool, carefully remove the skin of the peppers and seeds and discard. Finely dice the peppers and add to the salsa. Mix well.

  8. Slice bell peppers and red onion for fajitas.

  9. Heat grapeseed oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add the peppers, onion, dried oregano, and pepper. Toss frequently until onions are translucent and all veggies are thoroughly cooked.

  10. Moving onto the hot salsa, remove the husks of the tomatillos and rinse well. Boil in water until they begin to turn olive green and then drain.

  11. Blend: tomatillos, chipotle peppers, lime juice, garlic, hot sauce, and cumin. Store in a mason jar.

  12. Make guacamole by halving, pitting, and scooping out the avocado. Add the jalapeño, onion, cilantro, lime juice, salt, and pepper. Mash well with a fork to match Chipotle’s consistency!

  13. Make the chipotle agave vinaigrette by blending the chipotle peppers, agave, lime juice, olive oil, oregano, garlic, and pepper. Store in a mason jar.

  14. Layer your bowl!!!! Rice, beans, fajita veggies, corn salsa, hot salsa, guacamole, then vinaigrette!

Note: the hot salsa and chipotle agave vinaigrette taste very similar. I used both but probably not necessary!

Vegan Quesadilla & Restaurant-Style Salsa

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Salsa Ingredients

  • 11 roma tomatoes

  • 6 jalapeños

  • 1 bunch cilantro

  • 1 medium red onion

  • 4 tbsp. minced garlic

  • Juice of 1 lime

  • 1 cup flax seeds

  • 1 tsp. cumin

  • 1/2 tsp. dried parsley to taste

  • 1/2 tsp. dried oregano to taste

  • 1/2 tsp. chili powder to taste

  • 1/4 tsp. pepper to taste

  • Salt to taste

Quesadilla Ingredients

  • Tortillas (I used Siete foods almond flour - but any will do!)

  • 1/4 cup Violife Cheddar Shreds

  • 1/4 cup Violife Mozzarella Shreds

  • 1/2 cup mushrooms

  • 1/4 cup zucchini

  • 1 tbsp. olive oil

Instructions

  1. Sauté mushrooms and zucchini in olive oil over medium heat. Cover and let the mushrooms cook down.

  2. Once the mushrooms are cooked, place the veggies in a heat-resistant bowl to the side.

  3. Place a tortilla in the pan and add half of the cheese - cover and let it melt. Make sure it’s on low-medium heat so the tortilla doesn’t burn.

  4. Once the cheese begins to melt, add the veggies on top of it and then the rest of the cheese on top of the veggies. Cover and let melt some more.

  5. Add the remaining tortilla on top once the cheese begins to melt and press down with a spatula so it begins to stick together.

  6. Blend salsa ingredients in food processor or blender on high.

  7. Remove the quesadilla from the stove and cut into fourths. Serve with a side of the salsa and enjoy!