Chris and I have been trying to come up with new ways to make some of our favorite vegan dishes. As I've mentioned before, we're on a wellness journey. I've spent the past couple of weeks learning how to cook without using oil. It seemed complicated at first but it ended up not being such a big deal. Take, for instance, the following recipe.
The two of us are enrolled in a community supported agriculture program (CSA) through Johnson's Backyard Garden. That means we've been eating a lot of seasonal vegetables. Our plates have consisted of almost the same things each week. Part of Chris's fitness plan is eating specific portions of vegetables, fruits, proteins, and grains. We've worked it out so that dinner has to be comprised of a grain, a vegetable, and a protein in order for her to get all of the nutrition she needs to stay on her plan. Consequently, our meals have looked fairly similar each night; brown rice, sauteed greens, and grilled tofu or tempeh or whole grain pasta, homemade tomato sauce, and legumes.
Last Thursday I decided we needed a break and I mixed things up a bit by serving tofu scramble tacos instead. I'm not sure why it didn't occur to me that it would fit perfectly into her necessary dietary formula. Still, I needed a new recipe because our old standard used oil. This is what I came up with as an alternative. And it worked great! It's got just the right amount of spice for me and is still plenty flavorful without being sauteed in unneeded olive oil (extra fat). Also, I whipped up the collard greens from our CSA box and spiced them to go with. They had a BBQ-esque flavor to me, hence the name. Let me know what you think!
INGREDIENTS
For tofu scramble:
1 14-ounce package of extra firm tofu, drained, pressed to remove water, and mashed up with your fingers
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon powdered cayenne pepper
1/3 cup oil-free, sugar-free organic vegetable broth
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
Corn tortillas
Optional toppings of salsa, picante sauce, shredded carrots
For collards:
1 large bunch of collard greens, washed, stemmed, and cut into one-inch pieces
1/3 cup oil-free, sugar-free organic vegetable broth
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon dried cilantro
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Freshly ground sea salt
A few shakes of liquid smoke
DIRECTIONS
Start with the collard greens. Add all of the ingredients to a large pot. Cook over medium heat. Cover for five minutes, stir, and continue to cook until softened. May take up to 15 minutes.
For the tofu scramble, combine the cumin, turmeric, oregano, salt, cayenne pepper, and vegetable broth in a bowl. Mix well with a fork. Place the mashed tofu and minced garlic in a non-stick pot or frying pan. Drizzle the liquid spice mixture over the tofu and then stir. Cook over medium-low heat for 5-6 minutes, stir, and continue to cook until the mixture is considerably drier, stirring every 2-3 minutes. If the scramble starts to stick to the pan, it is probably cooked enough! Sprinkle the nutritional yeast on top. Mix well and you're done.
Assemble the tacos and serve.
Makes 3-4 servings, 5-6 tacos.
I have updated my Smoky Kale Tacos recipe with an oil-free version, too. Be sure to check that one out as well! We're still devouring them on a weekly basis. I'm on a mission to develop more healthy taco recipes. If you have one you'd like to share, feel free to give me a recommendation by leaving a comment!
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