Thai Cashew Tofu Stir-Fry

Adapted from Foodaciously.com

Ingredients

Cashew & Tofu
- 1 Cup (80g) Roasted Cashew Nuts
- 400g Tofu Block (firm or medium-firm)
- 2 Tbsp Soy Sauce
- 2 Tbsp (40 ml) Water

Sauce
- 1/2 Tbsp Sesame Oil
- 2 Tbsp Vegan Thai Chilli Paste

- 2 Tbsp Soy Sauce

- 2.5 Tbsp (50ml) Water

Stir Fry
- 1/2 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
- 4 Small Garlic Cloves
- 4 Fresh Thai Red Chillies
- 2 Red capsicum
- 1 Large Onion
- 4 Spring Onion Stalks

Instructions

Cashews

If you're using unroasted cashews, you can quickly toast them in a dry skillet over medium heat until they're lightly brown. Then, set them aside to cool down and crunch up.

Tofu
Rinse and drain the tofu block, then dice it into bite-sized cubes.

Add them to a bowl, followed by 2 tbsp of soy sauce and 40 mL of water. Mix well to coat the tofu cubes with the soy marinade, and let them soak for 15 minutes.

Sauce

To make the stir-fry sauce, mix the sesame oil with the Thai chilli paste and the remaining 2 tbsp of soy sauce and 50 mL of water in a cup

Stir Fry
Heat the vegetable oil over medium heat.

Then add thinly sliced garlic and Thai red chillies, cut in half lengthwise, and sizzle them for a minute until fragrant.

Next, add the marinated tofu cubes, leaving the excess soy sauce behind in the bowl. Cook them over medium-high heat until the liquids have evaporated.

Sear the tofu cubes until they're lightly browned, tossing them around the pan to char them nicely on all sides.

Now, turn the heat to high and tip in the prepared Thai chilli sauce, followed by diced red peppers and wedged onions.

Stir-fry all until the onions have softened slightly. Add chopped spring onions and roasted cashews.

Give all a final stir and remove the pan from the heat.nServe with a side of steamed jasmine rice, and lime wedges.

Tips
Don't overcook the peppers and onions, or they'll get too soft. The secret to a great stir-fry is in the crunchiness of its veggies.

The classic Thai cashew stir-fry is not as saucy as the Chinese version. But, if you like it saucier, you can double up the sauce ingredients and add an extra splash of water.

Only add the cashews if you know you'll eat the stir-fry immediately, or they will get soggy.

If you can't find vegan/vegetarian Thai chilli paste, you can make it from scratch. 

In a food processor, blend:

- 2 fresh red chillies (or 1/2 teaspoon of chilli powder) 

- 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil

- 1 tablespoon of soy sauce

- 2 teaspoons of sugar

- 2 teaspoons of tamarind sauce

Vegan Thai Cashew Stir Fry

Adapted from VeganPunks.com

Vegan spin on the classic “cashew chicken” or Gai Pad Med Mamuang Himaphan.

Ingredients

For the sauce:
- 2 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Vegan Oyster Sauce
- 6 tablespoon water
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon white pepper ground
- Pinch of salt

For the stir fry:
- 400 g extra firm tofu – cut into cubes
- 2 tablespoon cornflour
- 3 shallots – cut into chunks
- 1 cup cashews
- 4 cloves garlic – finely chopped
- 4 bird eye chillies – finely chopped
- 2 red capsicum – cut into chunks
- 150g broccoli
- 150g sugar snap peas
- 6 spring onions - cut into 1 inch chunks
- 2 tablespoon oil
- 1 teaspoon oil

Instructions

Tofu
To start off, coat the tofu in cornflour – just chuck it all in a bowl and give it a good mix up until all the pieces of tofu are nicely coated.

Add the oil to a wok and bring it up to a medium-high heat. Then add the cubes of tofu and fry for a few minutes on each side – you want to get a nice golden brown colour. Once done, take the tofu out of the wok and put it to one side for later.

Sauce
In a bowl, mix together all of the ingredients for the sauce and put that to one side for later as well.

Stir Fry
Add 1 teaspoon oil to the wok and get it back up to a medium-high heat.

Fry the shallots and cashews and cook for a couple of minutes until the onions have softened and the cashews have started to brown. Be careful not to burn them, you just want to catch them as they start to brown.

Now get the chilli and garlic in and cook for a minute.

Chuck all the veg in there and stir for a few minutes more. Stir Fry until everything is nice and hot but still fresh and crunchy.

Pour the sauce in and mix everything up whilst on the heat so it's all coated nicely. 

Serve immediately with rice.

Vegan Pad Prik King with Tofu (Thai Ginger Stir-fry with Tofu)

Adapted from MessyVeganCook.com

Ingredients
- 200 grams firm tofu
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons red curry paste 
- 100 grams green or long beans 
- 2-3 teaspoons palm sugar
- 1-2 teaspoons thin Thai soy sauce (Light soy sauce)
- 2  Kaffir lime leaves (makrut lime leaves) deveined and sliced thinly
- long red chilli julienned (optional)

Instructions

Tofu

Slice the tofu into bite size rectangles.

For better texture, boil the tofu. Bring a pot of reasonably salted water to the boil, add the tofu, and simmer for 10 minutes. Then strain the tofu, lay it on a tea towel, and pat it dry. Leave for 20 minutes or so to cool properly.

Alternatively, salt the tofu. Pour boiling water over the tofu salt the tofu, and leave it for 15-20 minutes.

For the stir fry
Heat the oil in a frying pan or wok to medium heat. Add the curry paste and cook for a couple of minutes, stirring to break it up (if it's a fresh curry paste, cook it until the raw garlic and shallot smells have dissipated).

Increase temperature to medium high and add the tofu. Stir fry for a couple minutes until you see some light browning.

Add 2 tablespoons of water or stock, the beans, sugar and 1 teaspoon of the soy sauce. Stir to combine and have a taste of the sauce. Add the other teaspoon of soy sauce you flavour more salt.

Continue to cook for 2-3 more minutes. The beans should still have some crunch left in them. Serve garnished with lime leaves and chili alongside steamed jasmine rice.

Vegan Ginger Tofu (Pad Khing)

Ingredients 

Sauce

- 2 tbsp (30 ml) tamari
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) mushroom stir-fry sauce
- 2 tbsp (28 g) brown sugar
- 1 tsp soybean paste (Taojeaw or Miso Paste)

Stir Fry
- 8 tbsp (120 ml) vegetable oil, divided
- block of firm tofu (228 g), cubed

- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 1/2 yellow onion
- 1/2 red capsicum, cut into chunks
- 1/2 green capsicum, cut into chucks
- 1 cup (128 g) sliced carrot
- 8 button mushrooms, halved
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) vegetable broth
- 2 green onions, sliced
- 1 cup (101 g) sliced celery
- 1/4 cup (24 g) finely sliced ginger
- Steamed jasmine rice, for serving


Instructions
To make the sauce, combine the tamari, mushroom stir-fry sauce, brown sugar and soybean paste in a small bowl and mix until well combined and the sugar has dissolved.

Heat 6 tablespoons (90 ml) of the oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the tofu and fry for 3 minutes on each side until all the sides are lightly browned. Remove from the pan and drain well.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of oil in the pan over medium heat.

Add the garlic and fry until golden brown, about 10 seconds, then add the yellow onion, red and green bell peppers, carrot, mushrooms and vegetable broth and cook, stirring, until well combined and the vegetables have softened, about 1 minute.

Add the fried tofu, green onions, celery and ginger, season with the sauce mixture and stir for 30 seconds to heat through.

Serve with steamed jasmine rice.

Pomegranate Salad with Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Chickpeas

Adapted from StreetSmartNutrition.com


Ingredients
- 6 cups spring mix or baby spinach
- 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and diced small
- 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1/4 cup dried cherries or dried cranberries
- 1/3 cup pecans, walnuts, almonds, pistachios, sunflower seeds or pepita seeds
- 1/3 cup pomegranate arils
- 1 medium avocado, diced or sliced
- cracked black pepper, to taste

Can also roast:

- Potato 

- Broccoli 

- Carrot 

- Brussels sprouts

Creamy Pom-Honey Mustard Dressing
- 1/4 cup pomegranate juice
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tbsp dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp maple syrup or vegan sweetener
- 1 tsp fresh thyme
- Kosher salt and pepper

Instructions 
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.

Prep a baking sheet by lining it or greasing it.

Spread the sweet potato or other roast vegetables in a single layer, season lightly with salt, pepper, or a seasoning blend, a bake for 10-12 minutes. Flip once to ensure even browning.

In the meantime, prep the dressing by combining all ingredients in a measuring cup, small bowl, or small jar with a lid. 

Whisk or shake to combine, and adjust the flavor according to your taste preferences.

Drain and rinse the chickpeas.

Wash the salad greens (if needed), and dice or slice the creamy avocado. 

Once the sweet potatoes are cooked, build the pomegranate salad in a mixing bowl or on individual salad plates. 

Layer all ingredients, then drizzle with the pomegranate vinaigrette. 

No-Bake Vegan Chocolate Pomegranate Tart

Adapted from Bakerita.com

For the crust
- 2 cups (192g) blanched almond flour
- ¼ cup (21g) cacao powder
- ⅓ cup (67g) coconut oil, melted
- 2 tablespoons (40g) pure maple syrup
- Pinch of sea salt

For the filling
- ½ cup (114g) canned full-fat coconut milk
- ¼ cup pure pomegranate juice
- 226g (8 oz) dark chocolate, finely chopped
- ½ to 1 cup pomegranate seeds, depending on preference

Instructions
1) Lightly grease an 8-inch pan with a removable bottom with coconut oil.

2) In a bowl, combine all of the ingredients for the crust and stir together until fully combined. Press evenly along the bottom and up the sides of the prepared tart pan. Place in the refrigerator while you prepare the filling.

3) Place the chocolate in a large bowl. In a small saucepan, bring coconut milk and pomegranate juice just to a boil. Pour hot coconut milk mixture over chocolate and let stand 1 minute, then whisk until smooth and creamy. Pour the filling into the prepared crust.

4) Garnish the top with pomegranate seeds.

5) Place tart in the refrigerator to set and cool completely, about 1 to 2 hours. Slice and serve.

Store all leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Vegan Cupcakes 🧁

 Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups All Purpose Flour (188g)
- ½ cup Cocoa Powder (43g) Unsweetened
- ½ cup White Granulated Sugar (100g)
- ½ cup Light Brown Sugar (100g)
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- ½ tsp Salt
- 1 cup Soy Milk (240ml) or other non-dairy milk
- 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- ⅓ cup Canola Oil (80ml) or Vegetable Oil
- 3 Tbsp Applesauce
- 1 Tbsp Distilled White Vinegar or Apple Cider Vinegar

Vegan Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
- ¾ cup Vegan Butter (170g)
- 3 cups Powdered Sugar (360g)
- ¾ cup Cocoa Powder (63g) Unsweetened
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- ¼ tsp Salt
- 2-3 Tbsp Soy Milk or other non-dairy milk

Decoration
- Vegan Chocolate Shavings Optional

Instructions 

- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C)

- Mix wet ingredients

- Mix dry ingredients

- Divide between cupcake liners

- Place into the oven and bake for 20 minutes