Blueberry Barbecue Sauce with Creamy Polenta and Broiled Tofu

Sometimes being a good cook means being smart enough to NOT reinvent the recipe wheel.  Case in point:

Last night's dinner was full of inspiration from my fellow bloggers!  Since blueberries were on sale this week, I bought three containers of them.  Unfortunately, there are only so many raw blueberries I can toss into my mouth, on top of cereal, or onto oatmeal, before they start going bad.  I thought I remembered seeing a unique use for summer's blue beauties over on Katie's blog; and thankfully I was right!

Specifically, the inspiration for the:

• Blueberry Barbecue Sauce came from Chocolate Covered Katie; and
• Creamy Polenta and Broiled tofu came from Ashley over at Edible Perspective. 

Overall, I drew heavily from the amazing recipes that Katie and Ashley had already created.  I simply added a few twists here and there to put my spin on each component of the dish.  The result was spectacular!

For the Blueberry Barbecue Sauce I:

• substituted the red wine vinegar for a scant 1/4C of apple cider vinegar;
• cut the powdered ginger in half (to 1/4 tsp); and
• added three packets of stevia (instead of two...my blueberries weren't super sweet).

For the Creamy Polenta and Broiled Tofu I:

• added 3/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, and 2T Smart Balance to the polenta; and
• broiled the tofu on high for 15 minutes, flipped them over, and broiled them for an additional 10 minutes.

The result was ultra-creamy and flavorful polenta with perfectly crisp and textured tofu.  Hm...hmmm...good!

If you are skeptical of tofu, I would strongly recommend broiling it.  The result is a texture that is very similar to chicken.  The edges get a little crisp and - for lack of a better word - substantial, while the insides remain moist and chewy.  Even Bo likes it!

If I do say so myself, the afternoon natural light really did wonders for these photos.  The Blueberry Barbecue Sauce, in particular, looks shiny and delicious; and trust me, IT WAS!

Question of the Day:

Have you ever cooked with (or eaten) fruit in a nontraditional way?!  If so, I would love to hear about it in the "Comment" section below!

Blessings,
Ally and Bo

Tofu Salad with Curry Veganaise Dressing & Coconut-Infused Israeli Couscous

Last Friday Bo and I went grocery shopping at Whole Foods.  I can't tell you how excited I was to learn that Jacksonville has a Whole Foods approximately 15 minutes from our home.  Like many people, and especially like many vegetarians/vegans, I LOVE Whole Foods.  Even if you don't buy anything, it is so much fun to walk around looking at their stock.  We found ourselves salivating over:

• a million different kinds of cheese (ok, only Bo salivated over that one!);
• wines from around the world;
• two dozen (or more!) kinds of nut butter;
• produce arranged in a beautiful spectrum of color; 
• freshly baked bread; and
• of course - one can't forget - the prepared foods bar!

I wasn't much in the mood for cooking anyway, so I asked Bo if I could make my own "carry out" box of prepared foods for dinner.  After agonizing over my choices, I ended up with a random hodge-podge of different salads jammed into a cardboard box.  Everything was delicious, but one salad in particular really stood out on my taste buds.  This salad was a spin on the classic chicken salad, with a twist!  Instead of chicken, this salad had browned tofu in it, and was tossed in a creamy, yet spicy, dressing that made the whole dish mouthwateringly good.  

After two bites my decision was made.

I had to figure out how to recreate this recipe at home.

Three days later, I did just that, and it turned out wonderfully!

Comfort food with a twist, this salad takes some traditional ingredients and makes them extraordinary.  Don't be scared of the curry veganaise dressing...it makes the dish!  If you don't have raisins or almonds, feel free to substitute with craisins and/or pecans/walnuts.  Make this dish suite your own tastebuds, and at your next backyard barbeque, consider adding this salad into the mix!

Tofu Salad with Curry Veganaise
Serves 2

1 block of tofu, drained/diced/browned
1/3 C raisins
1/3 C sliced almonds
2 stalks of celery, diced
1 apple, diced
3 heaping T veganaise
1 T honey
1 T lemonjuice
1/2 tsp curry
1/4 tsp cinnamon
3-4 dashes tumeric

Directions:

• Add the raisins, almonds, celery, and apple into a large salad bowl.
• In a separate bowl, mix the veganaise, honey, lemonjuice, curry, cinnamon, and tumeric.
• Pour the dressing into the salad bowl and mix well.
• Add the tofu and toss to incorporate.
• Serve chilled, atop a bed of lettuce, and alongside Coconut-Infused Israeli Couscous.

To go with the tofu salad, I decided to whip up something other than rice, millet, or quinoa (my standard go-to's).  Israeli couscous to the rescue!  In case you don't know, Israeli couscous is larger than regular couscous, and is great at absorbing flavors.  I opted to play up the Indian twist from the curry dressing by adding coconut oil, shredded coconut, and coconut extract to the couscous.  It turned out great!  I can't wait to serve this dish alongside a short-cut Indian dinner soon!

Coconut-Infused Israeli Couscous
Serves 2

1/2 C Israeli couscous
1 C water
1 1/2 T coconut oil
3-4 T unsweetened shredded coconut
1/4 tsp coconut extract
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Directions:

• Place the couscous, water, and oil in a medium saucepan.
• Boil the water, and then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
• Stir in the shredded coconut, coconut extract, and cinnamon.
• Serve immediately.

Next up - 30 X 30 is officially on!  If you missed my BIG post about 3 Steps to a Better Style, feel free to catch up here.  Today was Day 1 of 30.  So stay tuned over the course of the next month for updates on this fashion experiment!  I can't wait to show you what I chose for my month of mixing and re-mixing!

Question of the Day:

Have you ever been inspired to recreate a recipe from a restaurant in your home?  If so, how did it turn out?!

Blessings,
Ally and Bo

"Cheesy" Hummus and a Recipe Redo

Since this will be my fourth hummus recipe to post on the blog, you probably think all we eat in the Behne household is different variations of this savory dip.  For example:

1. it all started with Avocado Hummus;
2. then I made Roasted Red Pepper and Cilantro Hummus;
3. most recently I prepared Salsa Hummus; and
4. today I am sharing the recipe for "Cheesy" Hummus.

Wait!  You might be asking, "Vegans don't eat cheese, do they?"

Well, no, not exactly.  However, we do eat nutritional yeast, which has a cheese-like flavor, and there are a number of cheese substitutes out there now-a-days.  Don't get me wrong, many of these substitutes are disgusting and taste like rubber (seriously gross...trust me, I've tried practically all of them), but there are a small few that actually taste good.  One such brand is Daiya.  I have only tried the shredded versions, but both the cheddar and mozzarella flavors melt, don't leave an aftertaste or film in your mouth, and are actually pretty tastey.  Bo will even eat some...in a pinch.  See?!

Leftover ground turkey and "Cheesy" Hummus...yummm?!

Smooth, a little salty, with a hint of cheese flavor, this hummus is great for spreading on sandwiches, as a dip for crudites, or, and Bo prefers, mixed into ground meat!

"Cheesy" Hummus
Serves 8-10

1 can Great Northern beans, drained but not rinsed
2 T oil (I used vegetable because it was all I had on hand)
2 T water
2 T tahini
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 T Daiya shredded cheese
3 T nutritional yeast

Directions:

• Add all ingredients in your food processor.
• Whirl for approximately two minutes, or until all ingredients are incorporated.

I also recently discovered that I had one can of pumpkin left!  Who-hoo!  So what did I do?!  I quickly got to re-inventing my favorite Pumpkin Spice Pudding.  This time I:

• added 1/2 T molasses;
• drizzled in 1 T maple syrup; and
• served it with raisins, shredded coconut, and Uncle Sam's cereal.

Hm...hmmmm...good!  Perfect for breakfast, as a midday snack, or as dessert!

Okay, I'm off to teach!  When I get home, maybe I'll eat some of my favorite food: hummus! hehehe...just kidding...maybe...

Question of the Day:

What is a food that you ALWAYS have in your refrigerator/pantry?!

Blessings,
Ally and Bo

Cinnamon-Infused Chocolate Pudding

First, I should apologize for being MIA these past couple of days.

I'm sorry.

Usually I post pretty regularly throughout the week, but this week a couple of unforeseen developments arose that got in the way of my blogging time.  But enough of that.  Who cares about all that when there are delicious recipes to be shared?! What's important is that I'm back. :)

Some of you may remember my pumpkin recipe extravaganze from early November.  In that post, I gave you several recipes utilizing the YUMM-O ingredient called pumpkin.  Among my favorites was the Pumpkin Spice Pudding.

If you've tried that recipe and loved it, then kudos to you!  If you haven't - perhaps because you don't like pumpkin - then I have a couple of questions for you:

1. How on earth could you not like pumpkin?!
2. Do you like chocolate?!

I am fully aware that these two questions seems completely unrelated, but trust me on this one, there is a connection. 

And the connection is...

Cinnamon-Infused Chocolate Pudding
Serves 2

1 box Mori-Nu Silken Lite Firm Tofu
2 T cocoa (I used Ghirardelli)
4 stevia packets
2 T tightly packed brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2-1 tsp cinnamon
2 T lite coconut milk (or other milk)

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients in your food processor.
2. Process until smooth.
3. Serve.

IMPORTANT:  You must use silken tofu for this recipe!

If you use the other kind of tofu (block, sitting in water) you will have an ooey, gooey, slimy mess!  The total opposite of YUMM-O! BLECK!

For those of you that aren't tofu veterans like me, don't let the fear of the unknown scare you!  This pudding is sweet and creamy, and you can't tell it has tofu in it at. all.  I guarantee you that this pudding could fool even the most ardent tofu-hater.   Silken tofu is your friend!

I ate this pudding for dessert one evening, and topped it off with coconut whipped cream, carob chips, and sprinkled cinnamon.  I also sipped on a mug of Silk Mint Chocolate.  Hmmm, hmmmmm, good!

This pudding is everything you could want in a dessert.  Smooth, creamy, decadant, sweet, and yet healthy too!  It is so good, in fact, that Bo has even asked me to remake this pudding twice: SCORE!

I have a feeling that this recipe is going to be in our dessert rotation for quite a while...

Question of the Day:

How would you dress up your pudding to make it into the perfect dessert?

Blessings,
Ally and Bo

Saturday Adventures

I knew I had a busy morning ahead, so I started my Saturday with this:

What is it, you ask?!  Why it's Peanut Butter and Banana Overnight Oats, of course!

Peanut Butter and Banana Overnight Oats
Serves 1

1/2 C oats
1 1/2 C liquid (water, milk, a combination thereof, etc.)
pinch of salt
2 stevia packets (or 2 tsp sugar)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 small banana, sliced (or 1/2 large)
2 T peanut butter (I used homemade)

Directions:

1. Add oats, salt, and liquid to a medium saucepan and heat over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes until beginning to bubble.
2. Turn down heat to low.
3. Add stevia and vanilla extract.  Stir until smooth.
4. Pour into a Tupperware, or other container, and store in refrigerator overnight.
1. Note:  The oats will not be fully cooked at this point.  Overnight, the oats will absorb the remaining liquid, continue to cook, and become voluminous and fluffy.  YUM!
5. In the morning, stir in a splash of milk to loosen the oats.
1. Note: I prefer my oats cold.  Weird, I know, but I like what I like!  If you prefer warm oats, at this point you may choose to heat them up either via stove top or microwave.
6. Place the sliced banana on top of the oats, and drizzle peanut butter on top.
7. Enjoy!  Elvis would have loved this bowl of oats!

After devouring this bowl of PB&B oats, Bo and I headed to the Corpus Christi Farmer's Market Fall Arts & Crafts Fair to do some Christmas shopping. 

Although it was pretty overcast and blustery, over 50 vendors showed up to display their food and/or crafts!  Bo and I were pretty impressed with some of the stuff up for grabs!

  

We ended up buying several Christmas gifts for our family and friends, but just in case some of you are reading, I can't show them here! :)

Later that afternoon, after returning home for some lunch and a little down time, Bo and I decided to go play golf.  This go 'round I played the role of caddy by driving the cart, holding his clubs, and manning the pole flag.  It was just a little too windy for me to feel comfortable hitting the ball, but next time I am definitely going to have to get back in on the action!

I completely forgot my camera for that outing, so there aren't any pictures from that part of our day. :(  Oh well, there is always next time!

For dinner, I decided to make something simple, quick, and easy: stir-fry!

Asian Stir-Fry with Peanut Sauce
Serves 2

1 broccoli crown, chopped
1 yellow onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 small carton of button mushrooms, chopped
1 tsp grapseed oil (or other oil)
salt and pepper (to taste)
1 block of firm tofu, cubed (or other meat such as chicken, beef, etc.)

Directions:

• Heat oil over medium heat.
• Add onion and stir-fry until beginning to sweat and soften.
• Add bell pepper and broccoli, and stir-fry for 3-5 minutes.
• Add mushrooms, and stir-fry for 7-10 minutes.
• Season lightly with salt and pepper.
• Note: The peanut sauce has soy sauce/tamari in it and is quite salty.  Be careful not to over-salt this dish.

• While vegetables are stir-frying, heat a medium saucepan over medium-high heat and spray with non-stick cooking spray.
• Once the saucepan is heated through, add the cubed tofu.  Allow to brown on the first side before rotating.
• Continue rotating tofu once every 5-7 minutes until tofu is browned on all sides.
• Note: This step can be a nuisance, but the end-product is well worth your effort!

• Once tofu is browned, add to the vegetable mixture.
• Toss vegetable/tofu mixture with Peanut Sauce (see recipe below) until fully coated.

• Serve over brown rice.

Bo and I both agreed that the Peanut Sauce made this dish!  Without it, it is a bit boring and a bit "flat" in terms of taste.  So, if you are going to make this dish, I would strongly recommend making the sauce to go along with it!

Peanut Sauce
Serves 2

1/4 C PB2
1 T rice vinegar
1 T sesame oil (or other light oil)
2 T tamari (or soy sauce)
2-3 T water (I used 2T)

Directions:

• Mix all ingredients together until smooth.
• Pour over stir-fry and serve.

As you all know, I LOVE regular peanut butter, but PB2 is particularly good for recipes like this because it is peanut butter in powder form.  As a result, it mixes very easily into sauces and dips and creates a smooth, slightly thick, consistency.  It is perfect for sauces such as this one, because it sticks to each individual vegetable and piece of tofu.  If you can find it, I would strongly suggest investing in some PB2.  It is great to have on-hand in your pantry!

Sadly, we didn't have any leftovers from dinner. :(  I guess it was just too good!

Question of the Day:

Did you have any adventures this Saturday?  If so, I would love to hear all about them!

Blessings,
Ally and Bo

Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal & Pumpkin Spice Pudding

In my last post I promised you a pumpkin recipe extravaganza.  Well, here it is!

Y'all already know that I love pumpkin.  If you think I'm exaggerating, I think the evidence speaks for itself both here and here.

Anything Pumpkin = YUMM-O!

When I'm in the mood for something comforting and filling for breakfast, my go-to is oatmeal.  With the addition of pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice, this recipe is over-the-top-good for getting your morning off on the right foot!



I think my photography is getting a little bit better...


Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal
Serves 1

1/2 C rolled oats
1 1/2 C water (or 1 C water, 1/2 C unsweetened almond milk or vice versa for an extra creamy version)
pinch of salt
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2 stevia packets (or 1 T brown sugar)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp butter extract (or 1 tsp Smart Balance or other butter)
1/2 C pumpkin puree

Directions:

1. Place oats, salt, and liquid (i.e. water and/or milk) into a medium pot.
2. Heat over medium heat for 2-3 minutes.
3. Stir in all other ingredients until smooth.
4. Reheat for 1-2 minutes.
5. Serve.

Suggested toppings include:

• chopped pecans;
• chopped walnuts;
• unsweetened, shredded coconut;
• dried cranberries; and/or
• raisins.

If you are a little weird like me :), you might prefer to make your oatmeal the night before, place it in the fridge, and eat it cold in the morning.  I know that sounds SO weird, but I honestly LOVE cold oatmeal.  Strange, I know, but there is just something about the cold, creamy porridge that I can't get enough of!  Just call me Goldilocks :) hehehe...

Moving on to recipe extravaganza Part #2!

It's smoothe.  It's creamy.  It's Autumn in a bowl.  It's...


Served over raspberries and apple chunks.  Garnished with coconut flakes and cinnamon.


Pumpkin Spice Pudding!
Serves 2

1 box Mori-Nu Silken Lite Firm Tofu (Don't let tofu scare you off!  Keep reading!)
1/2 C pumpkin puree
3/4-1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2 T Silk Original coffee creamer (or unsweetened almond milk)
2-4 stevia packets (depending upon your sweet tooth, or 2 T brown sugar)

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients in your food processor.
2. Process until smooth.
3. Serve.

IMPORTANT:  You must use silken tofu for this recipe!

If you use the other kind of tofu (block, sitting in water) you will have an ooey, gooey, slimy mess!  The total opposite of YUMM-O! BLECK!

For those of you that aren't tofu veterans like me, don't let the fear of the unknown scare you!  This pudding is sweet and creamy, and you can't tell it has tofu in it at. all.  I guarantee you that this pudding could fool even the most ardent tofu-hater.   Silken tofu is your friend!

On the first day I had the Pumpkin Spice Pudding for a snack.  I garnished it with pumpkin and sunflower seeds and unsweetened coconut flakes, and had a glass of orange juice and mineral water.  It hit the spot perfectly and held me over until dinner-time!

On day two, I had the pudding as a late-night snack/dinner.  I served it over a bed of warmed raspberries and apples, and topped it with coconut and cinnamon.  I also had a side of honey-butter toast :)  YUM!

Unfortunately, the pudding was gone by day three.  I had hoped to stir it into some oatmeal. :(  Oh well, that just means I have to make it again...and SOON!

Question of the Day:

Do you like oatmeal?  I find that it is a polarizing food: you either love it or you hate it.  Which camp do you fall into?!

Blessings,
Ally and Bo