Coconut Crusted Tofu

Tofu is inherently not a very tasty ingredient on it’s own, so whether I like any tofu dish depends on the preparation. The ingredients that the tofu is cooked with as well as the method of cooking have the power to greatly alter the simple (fairly bland) tofu and convert it into a flavorful and texturally pleasing dish. I’m continuously exploring different ways to cook tofu with ingredients that complement each other and elevate this plant-based protein to new levels. Some of my favorite recipes are listed at the bottom of this post.

Today’s tofu preparation is not just crispy, tasty and healthy, it’s beautiful green color is also pleasing to the eye. This recipe uses a creamy cilantro and yogurt marinade that gives it a slight tang along with an earthy freshness from the cilantro much like an Indian chutney. The marinated tofu takes a quick dip in dessicated coconut before being pan roasted for additional flavor and a crispy exterior.

Ingredients: (Makes 16 pieces)

1 block (14 oz) of extra firm tofu

1 cup dessicated shredded coconut

For marinade:

½ cup packed fresh cilantro

3 Tbsp thick yogurt

2-3 Tbsp water

½ tsp turmeric powder (optional, but recommended for it’s anti-inflammatory properties)

Salt (to taste)

½ green chili pepper (optional)

½ tsp honey (optional)

Drain the tofu block and slice lengthwise about ½ inch thick. Cut it further into triangles or squares based on your preference. I got 16 triangular pieces from one block of tofu. Using paper towels gently squeeze out as much water as possible from the tofu slices.

Make the marinade by combining all ingredients and pureeing in a blender or food processor. Add water a tablespoon at a time until you get a thin paste. Coat the tofu pieces with the marinade and let them sit for at least half hour (preferably longer). Cook the tofu with the marinate in the microwave on high for 5-8 minutes until marinade is reduced but still not completely dry (alternatively you could bake it at 400 F for ~15 minutes). This step helps make the tofu firmer.

Spread the dessicated coconut on a plate. Press down a piece of the tofu in the coconut, flip it and coat the other side as well.

Cook the coated tofu in a nonstick pan over low heat until the coconut is golden brown, then flip and cook the other side. You could use some oil if desired, but the combination of low heat and non-stick pan could let you get by without any oil.

Serve warm with your favorite dipping sauce, or thin out some marinade to make a sauce! This tofu can also be served over a bed of rice or salad drizzled with some marinade as a dressing. To add a sweet and sour component, serve it with this delicious mango relish!

~Gayatri

Other tofu recipes you might like:

Lemon pepper tofu

Baked tofu in soy sauce marinade

Cauliflower tofu gratin

Crispy tofu spinach bites

Crispy tofu in peanut-based marinade

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Gluten Free Double Chocolate Cookies

Birthdays at work have been fun lately - some harmless pranks (I guess I am enjoying them as I haven’t been pranked yet!), lunch with the team, and to make up for some of the pranking, we try to make some sweets. Recently I made some chewy chocolate cookies for a colleague’s birthday. We try to find gluten free recipes such as this one so that everyone in the team can enjoy. A lot of recipes call for gluten free all purpose flour or oat flour. But this particular one from the Power Hungry blog piqued my interest because of the flour used in it. These cookies are made with chickpea flour (Yay protein!). The recipe also used coconut oil which is a healthier fat than butter or vegetable oil, but I’m personally not a big fan of the chocolate and coconut combination. I did have coconut oil which I use for cooking often, so I decided to give it a try anyway, and was pleasantly surprised at how well the chocolate and coconut flavors complemented each other in this recipe. It’s wasn’t overpoweringly coconut-y, and the chocolate flavor definitely was the most prominent. The only change I made to the original recipe was reducing the sugar quantity. I recommend this recipe to all chocolate lovers - it’s simple to make and not that unhealthy :-)

Ingredients:

1 cup chickpea flour

⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

¾ teaspoon baking soda

A small pinch of salt

1 large egg

½ cup virgin coconut oil

½ cup packed dark brown sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon instant coffee powder/granules (optional - but recommended! It really helps enhance the chocolate flavor)

½ cup bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips (optional)

2 Tbsp chopped nuts (optional)

Sift the chickpea flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt into a medium bowl. Sifting is ideal for this recipe as both chickpea flour and cocoa powder often have small lumps. But if you don’t have a sifter or a sieve, just whisk the ingredients until you see the lumps disappear.

Coconut oil has a tendency to solidify, so if required microwave it for a few seconds to melt it to bring it to liquid form and add the coffee powder to it.

In a large bowl, whisk together the oil & coffee mixture with the sugar. Once combined, add the egg, vanilla extract and whisk until blended.

Add the flours and mix until everything comes together to form fairly thick dough. Add chocolate chips, nuts, and mix. To prevent cookies from spreading too much as they bake, cover and refrigerate the dough for ~15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Roll the chilled dough into 1” balls and place them about 2” apart on the prepared cookie sheet. Bake for ~10 minutes until the edges are firm.

 

Resist the urge to bite into a piping hot cookie, but be prepared to gorge on these once they are cooled - I bet it would be hard to stop at one!

 

~Gayatri

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Gluten-free double chocolate cookies - if you've never made cookies with chickpea flour (besan), give this a shot!...

Posted by The Cooks of Cake and Kindness on Monday, April 4, 2016

Stuffed Sweet Cubanelles

While visiting my good friend Pranati and her husband a couple weekends ago, I came across a picture in one of their photo albums – it was a picture of her proudly posing with the delicious stuffed sweet peppers she had made for lunch! This is a very easy and relatively quick recipe, so Pranati and I used to make these often when we were in grad school. The reason I like Cubanelles is because they are minimally hot once steamed, but any other pepper would work if you want more heat. The peppers in her picture looked so good, I had to make some once I was home :-)

Ingredients:

3 green Cubanelle peppers
1 medium onion – finely chopped
½ cup chopped cilantro
1 ½ cup grated coconut (I never have fresh or frozen coconut at home, so I use desiccated coconut – add just enough milk to soak the dry grated coconut and let it sit for 15-20 min)
2 tsp oil
2 tsp coriander powder
salt

For tempering (optional, but it certainly enhances the flavor)
Mustard seeds
Cumin seeds
Asafoetida powder (typically used in Indian food for tempering)

Heat oil on medium high, and add mustard seeds. Once the seeds start sputtering add the cumin seeds and asafoetida, followed by the chopped onion. If not tempering, add the onions directly once the oil is hot.

Sauté onions until they are translucent. Add coconut, coriander powder, and salt and sauté for a couple minutes until the mixture dries out a little (don’t let it lose all the moisture). Mix in cilantro and turn off the heat.

To prepare the peppers for stuffing, slit them open lengthwise without removing the stem. Carefully remove and discard the seeds. Stuff the peppers with the filling - really pack it in! Steam the peppers with the cut side up until they are soft (test by poking with a fork or a knife). I used a steamer, but this can be done in a rice cooker or pressure cooker as well.

Once the peppers are steamed, you can eat them as is, or crisp up the skin in a frying pan with little or no oil (I didn’t use any). If any more filling is left, that can be toasted in the pan with the peppers as well. Serve hot with roti or rice!

~Gayatri