Hello, everyone!
This weekend I had my scheduled cooking experiment: I prepared a tofu spread with celery.
I am not very enthusiastic about the taste yet, probably because I did not use the right spices. Feel free to explore and add any spices and herbs that will make this otherwise nutritious spread more palatable.
The tofu provides protein, the sunflower seeds and olive oil add healthy fats, the seeds also contribute with fiber and magnesium, the celery adds more fiber.
The spread goes well with my home-made super-easy to bake bread.
Tofu-celery spread
Ingredients
16 oz firm tofu
4 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1.5 cups thinly slices celery
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 tsp salt
3 Tbsp olive oil
crushed garlic to taste
spices to taste
Directions
Divide the tofu into four pieces and squeeze these gently between your palms to remove the excess liquid. Mix all ingredients except for the celery and sunflower seeds in a food processor. After obtaining a smooth tofu spread, mix it with the celery and seeds and adjust the spices and herbs to taste.
Tofu with sunflower seeds spread
Ingredients
14 oz extra-firm tofu
½ cup raw sunflower seeds
2 - 3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp olive oil
crushed garlic (to taste)
salt (to taste)
dried basil (to taste)
Directions
Break down the tofu into handfuls and squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Combine all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until smooth. The salt, garlic and basil are optional and to taste. You can try any herb that is in season. I am planning on using dill next time.
Spinach-feta cheese spread
Ingredients
14-oz can leaf spinach
2 Tbsp plain yogurt
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 - 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp olive oil
crushed garlic (to taste)
salt (to taste)
Directions
Combine all ingredients except for the feta cheese in a food processor and pulse until creamy and smooth. Remove from the processor and combine with the feta cheese. At this time, you may re-adjust again the salt and vinegar.
Hello, everyone!
It is cold, dark and unforgiving out, so it is time to experiment inside. Today, I decided to celebrate my day off with a "party" lunch. I toasted thinly sliced French bread, and prepared a few new recipes for appetizers. The first appetizer was easy deviled eggs, and the second - a chickpea-avocado spread.
I happened to have all the ingredients in my refrigerator or the pantry. The toast was delicious with the avocado spread and a piece of roasted red pepper on top (I had a few peppers frozen from a jar). The eggs were spicy and a bit salty (due to the feta cheese). It was great to be inside on a frozen January day and enjoy a slow lunch.
Here are the two recipes:
Easy deviled eggs
Ingredients:
hard boiled eggs
crumbled feta cheese
chicken wing sauce (mine was from the dollar store)
Directions:
Peel the eggs; slice into two halves each egg. Carefully take out the yolks and mix with crumbled feta cheese and the spicy chicken wing sauce. Use any proportions that please you. Place the yolk mixture back into the egg whites, enjoy!
Garbanzo-avocado spread
Ingredients:
one can of garbanzo beans (15 oz)
two ripe avocados
the juice from 1/2 lemon
olive oil
salt
crushed garlic
Directions:
Mash the avocado and the garbanzo beans with a fork, add the salt, garlic, lemon juice and oil to taste. Mix and enjoy!
You already know that I am on a crusade to increase your fiber intake just because it is good for you! This is a high-fiber recipe and is a variation of a spread from the book of Leanne Brown, Good and Cheap, available free online. I just prepared the spread and it tasted divine.
You will need:
15 oz beans (garbanzo or navy), 10 oz frozen chopped spinach, 3 cloves of garlic, 3 Tbsp olive oil, hot pepper flakes, and paprika.
How to:
Divide the beans into two equal batches. Mash the first batch of beans with some of the can liquid by hand or blend it with a food processor. Heat the oil in a pan and add the minced (pressed) garlic for a few seconds carefully watching not to burn it. Add the second part of beans (the ones that were left whole) to the pan and heat for 2 minutes. Add the thawed spinach (after removing as much of the spinach liquid as possible), stir to incorporate. Finally, add the blended beans, the pepper flakes and the paprika. Mix, remove from the heat, store in a jar and use as a sandwich topping. Optionally: add spices of your preference and some lemon juice. I did not add salt since the beans are already prepared with salt.
