Category: vegan

Tahini Bulgur Bowls with Charred Broccoli and Crispy Tofu

Dips, Dressings, and Spreads, gluten free, grains, vegan, Vegetarian

Another vegan dish from Purple Carrot. I read the recipe 5 times, and I changed the directions around in a different order. My prerogative as the chef 😉 Says it can feed 2, but I am getting 4 meals out of this…

What is bulgur?

Bulgur

Bulgur

Bulgur (from Turkish: bulgur;[1] also burghul, from Arabic: برغل‎[2] bourghoul, “groats”) is a cereal food made from the cracked par boiled groats of several different wheat species, most often from durum wheat. It originates in Middle Eastern cuisine.

It cooks like Couscous, because it is parboiled and tastes like a cross between couscous and rice. You can substitute any grain you want to in this bowl, but I think you should give bulgur a shot. It is light, but very filling!

Ingredients

6 oz. broccoli florets (1 small package or 1 small bunch)
1 lemon, zest and juiced
1 package extra firm tofu, drained and dried with a paper towel
1 oz. fresh ginger. peeled and minced
3/4 cup bulgur wheat
1 clove garlic, peeled and grated
2 tbsp tahini
2 tbsp tamari (vegan, gluten free soy sauce)
1 tsp. agave (like honey, but vegan)
3 tbsp sesame oil (my favorite ingredient, but don’t let the smell intoxicate you. Use sparingly!)
2 oz. of red cabbage (garnish only…pretty for pop of color)
1/2 cup edamame (I may have eaten more than I put in the actual dish! Addictive with salt!)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 475. Roast the broccoli in a couple tablespoons of olive oil with some salt and pepper. Roast for about 10 minutes. Toss with the lemon zest at the end and put aside.

2. Add 2/3 cup of water to a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Ad the bulgur, mix, cover, and remove from heat. Let it rest covered for a bit until the end. The steam will cook it through.

3. Cook the tofu in a large non-stick skillet over medium high heat with a couple of tablespoons of vegetable oil. Season with a bit of salt and pepper. Toss occasionally, until browned on each side, about 5-6 minutes.

4. While the tofu cooks, make the dressing. In a medium bowl, add the garlic, juice from half the lemon, ginger, tahini, tamari, agave, and 2 tbsp of sesame oil. Whisk the dressing to combine. This dressing is a FLAVOR BOMB! LOVE IT!

5. Now they give directions on adding everything together. I think I just used smaller bowls than them? You are split everything in 2 bowls and top with the edamame and cabbage. I just did one bowl, ate it, then made 3 more bowls to eat and share this week.

It is a super yummy dish! I even think I could make this with more veggies, tempeh, seafood, chicken, or steak. Deconstructed Tahini Bulgar Bowls that everyone could add what they want!

img_4858

The Dog Ate My Pistachios

vegan, Vegetarian

No practice tonight! The girls and I got to pick anything we wanted for dinner…they just wanted to chill and eat Cheerios. I don’t blame them!  I choose to chill and cook one of my Purple Carrot meals. Right now I am doing this vegan meal delivery service every other week; I am really LOVING all these recipes! Tonight was no exception!

It was supposed to have pistachios in the title and dish, but they fell on the floor on accident and Brutus ate them. Oh well…

This is not my recipe. I am giving you all the ingredients and cooking directions, but Purple Carrot sends me everything. I change a few things in the process. They are awesome, and I am loving trying new things! Just sharing, because I did not make this up, but kinda make it my own and may possibly tell you how I might change it 😉

Ingredients- butternut squash cubes (6 oz.), thinly cut radishes (3), orange, tofu (1/2 block), olive tapenade (3 tablespoons- good luck finding that much), 3/4 cup fregola, pistachios (the dog ate my pistachios), 1 tbsp champagne vinegar (a bit leaked out on accident, but that is fine bc it was the perfect amount). za’atar (I love this stuff, but a little goes a long way. I thought the 1 tablespoon was going to be too much, but it was fine). 2 oz. Arcadian greens (basically a lettuce blend like romaine and butter lettuce)

Cooking- Roast the butternut squash with olive oil and salt and pepper on 425 for 16-18 minutes. Boil salted water for fregola and cook for 8-12 minutes. Drain the tofu, pat dry, and cut in to 1 inch squares. Slice the radishes thinly, orange in quarters.

Side note- I am allergic to the flesh of citrus; Makes my whole mouth break out. But no pulp is not too bad…I used the half the orange, instead of the entire one.

Add the olive tapaenade to a small bowl and add 2 tbs orange juice and 1 tbsp olive oil. Stir.

Once the fregola is cooked, drain and add the champagne vinegar, 1 tbsp olive oil, and 1 tbsp of orange juice, and pinch of salt. Stir.

***IF YOU HAVE THE PISTACHIOS (or walnuts or pine nuts is how I would change this) cook in a nonstick skillet over medium heat (change- LOW HEAT) Toast until fragrant for about 2-3 minutes. Keep the oil.

In the same pan as pistachios, cook the tofu that has been tossed in the za’atar. Cook on each side about 3-4 minutes on medium- high heat.

Spoon the fregola into large shallow bowls and top with roasted butternut squash, sliced radishes, orange wedges (no for me), tofu, and Arcadian Greens. Drizzle with orange-olive tapenade and sprinkle with toasted pistachios (no for me).

img_3207

 

 

 

 

 

Â