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Better than takeout Crispy Sweet Chilli Tofu

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After having tried this recipe, you will never again think that tofu is boring. Crispy tofu tossed in that addicting, spicy, tangy, sweet chilli sauce served on a bed of fluffy rice. You will not want to go back to takeout and will want to start stocking up your fridge with tofu. A must try for all vegans and all non-vegans! 

What is special about this dish?

It is normal to think that tofu is boring and tastes like nothing. Because it really can. But if you know how to prepare it the right way, you‘ll be convinced differently! Just as in this recipe. Here the tofu is first tossed in flour and then baked. This makes it really crispy on the outside and provides a great texture. Personally, I think that the texture maters a lot when preparing tofu. It just is a completely different experience whether you have a crispy bite or a soggy pulp in your mouth. 

And then comes the sauce. The sauce is suuuper important! Since tofu itself is quite flavor neutral, the sauce it is toss in really matters! And this sauce is a slightly healthier twist on the conventional sweet chili sauce. Plus it is homemade, so it automatically tastes better and is fresher. 

Moreover, all of this is really easy to prepare and does not take very long either. Ot is perfect if you just want a quick dinner after an exhausting day or just a tasty lunch! 

Is this dish healthy? 

Tofu itself actually is really nourishing. It is high in protein and therefore a favorable ingredient in plant based diets. Plus, tofu contains a wide range of amino acids, vitamins and minerals, all essential for your body. A serving of tofu also comes with a small amount of carbs and fibre, making it a really nutritious addition to meals. 

Sweet chili sauces in general are not very nutritious. In order to achieve the addictive sweet flavor, a lot of sugar is needed. Usually, refined, white sugar is needed, which really has no benefit for your body. In this version we are substituting the white refined sugar for honey. Honey still contains sugar (without it would not have the sweet flavor) but also comes with other minerals, vitamins and health promoting features. Switching the refined sugar for honey does not drastically reduce the amount if sugar but it adds some nutritional value.

Plus, we are adding some greens on top, so we also get a decent amount of fibre and even more vitamins. And since we are serving it with some rice we also have a bunch of carbohydrates that will keep us energized! 

How to make this dish? 

The first thing that needs to be taken care off is the tofu because it takes the longest. Here it is essential that firm tofu is used and that we press it (placing it inbetween kitchen towels and letting something (rather) heavy sit on top). This way all the excess liquid is running out and it will turn out crispy. After is has being pressed for about 10 minutes, we can already chop it into about 1 cm sized cubes, which are then tossed in flour. The flour on the one hand binds the remaining liquid, and on the other hand forms a crust. Once they are placed on a baking tray, they can be drizzled with a little oil and baked in the oven until crispy.

That is it for the tofu. Now we can focus on the rest. First on the list is the rice. This can actually already be prepared while the tofu is pressing, since we only need to add rice, water and salt to a pot, bring it to a boil and reduce the heat. So what really still needs to be done is the sauce, for which we combine water, honey, vinegar, chili flakes and sambal olek in a pot and also bring that to a boil. In the meantime we also mix a little cornstarch with water and also mix it in. Also this can be turned down and simmer. The simmering will cause the honey to melt into the rest and everything to combine well, while at the same time the cornstarch helps to bind and thicken everything! After its time in the oven, the tofu can be taken out and tossed in the sauce and that already is it! 

Varieties of the dish

You can either enjoy it with some rice and broccoli, as described here but you can also enjoy the sweet chili sauce in several other ways. 

For example could you make a tofu stir fry out of it, by frying some veggies in hot oil and then adding the baked tofu and sweet chili sauce to it and mixing it. Also, you could add this tofu onto bowls or into wraps or even onto salads! 

If you are not that hyped for that much tofu, why not just make the chili sauce and keep it in the fridge? You can then use it for several different dishes and with several different ingredients. Make sweet chili noodles or sweet chili prawns! Add it to soups, to salad dressings or as a dip! There really are plenty ways of using it! 

This recipe is a great and easy way of making the kitchen staple a little lot healthier! And in combination with the tofu it is unbeatable!! Definitely something worth trying! 

I genuinely hope that you will enjoy this recipe and make it on repeat! If you do so, I would highly appreciate it if you leave a comment or send me a pic of your remake!! 

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Better than takeout Crispy Sweet Chilli Tofu

Whoever says tofu is boring, has not trued this dish. Spicy, sweet, addictive goodness that is super easy to make and will convince everyone of how delicious tofu can be! 

Course dinner, lunch, Main Course
Prep Time 10 Minuten
Cook Time 20 Minuten
Total Time 30 Minuten
Servings 4 servings

What you will need

For the sauce:

  • 100 ml water
  • 100 g honey
  • 40 g vinegar
  • 1 tbsp sambal olek
  • 1 tsp chili flakes
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch
  • oil

For the rest:

  • 400 g tofu
  • wholegrain flour (about 5 tbsp)
  • 400 g (brown) rice
  • 500 g broccoli

How to

  1. Preheat the oven to 200°C. 

  2. Place the tofu inbetween a kitchen towel or kitchen paper and add a (relatively) heavy object on top. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes. This will press the tofu and remove any liquid that is inside of it. Then cut it into about 1cm sized cubes, toss them in the flour, so they are evenly coated and lay on a baking tray. Drizzle with oil and bake for about 25 minutes until crispy and golden brown.

  3. To a pot add the rice along with twice the amount of water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer at medium heat and let simmer until all water has been absorbed. Turn down to low heat and let sit for another 5-10 minutes until soft and fluffy.

  4. In the meantime add the honey, vinegar, sambal olek, chili flakes and water, except for 2 tbsp to a pot and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. In the meantime combine the cornstarch with the remaining water until there are no lumps left, then stir into the remaining sauce. Turn down to medium heat and let simmer for 10-15 minutes, storing occasionally until it thickens. Then reduce the heat to very low.

  5. In the meantime break the broccoli into florets and steam it in a pot with boiling, salted water for about 4 minutes, then drain. Once the tofu is done baking, add it into the sauce and make sure it is all covered. 

  6. Divide the rice, broccoli and tofu onto bowls and garnish with some fresh cilantro. Enjoy!

Have fun cooking! 
Enjoy,
Katie // Une Petite Cuisinière 

Wholesome Wednesday – Weekly Health Tips

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Becoming healthy or healthier. It is something almost everyone has confronted themselves with at a point in life. Some want to do it because of the way they wish to look, some because of the way they wish to feel. Some because their overall health is important, some because they want a new challenge in life, some because they want balance. The list can go on forever. But whatever the reason for it is, the goal is the same: to be healthy. And I know, I have been there, it is not easy to become and more importantly maintain a healthy and balanced lifestyle while not drifting into any extreme. It can be overwhelming, it can be frustrating and it will be challenging. BUT what is essential is that you at all times remember that IT IS POSSIBLE. You just need to work for it.

To make it a bit easier for you to become healthier and reach your goal I decided to start this series called „wholesome Wednesday“. Each Wednesday I will share a tip that will help you to become healthier! Each of those is just a small one but remember: many small steps make a huge difference!

Tip Nr. 1:

Start slowly. If you tell yourself that you will completely stop eating sugar from tomorrow you are very likely to get into it very quickly. If you start slowly on the other hand, and decide that you´ll only do 2 days a week on which you cut out the sugar it will be way easier to get healthy in the long term!

Tip Nr. 2:

A little does a lot. Instead of having a giant bowl of greens which you do not like, just add a handful into your meal so you will barely notice it. Like adding some mushrooms to your meatballs or burger patty, a little spinach in your tomato sauce, some tomatoes in your scrambled eggs or some zucchini to your smoothie. This way you get extra fibre and vitamins without much change of taste!

Tip Nr. 3:

No waste shopping: This weeks health tip is a little special. I thought I’d share a tip with you today that benefits both, us to get healthier, and the environment. #nowaste or #littlewaste ! My tip is to go food shopping to a local market or a bulk store with reusable shopping bags to get your groceries done.
The benefit for YOU: fresh produce on local markets have usually not spent much time traveling to get there (it’s more like farmer to table) and therefore contain way more vitamins still. Mostly, they also do not have fertilizer in them.
The benefit for ENVIRONMENT: When using reusable shopping bags or nets to pack the produce you safe SO MUCH packaging and plastic which might otherwise go into the ocean!
Every single little change makes a difference!

Tip Nr. 4:

Define healthy for yourself. It is hard to say that you want to become healthier if you do not define “healthy” for yourself. Is it being more active, is it having a healthy relationship with food, is it eating more vegetables, is it finding the balance. Whatever it may be, find it for yourself and write it down. This is super individual. And writing down what you actually want will help you to stick to it.

Tip Nr. 5:

Focus on one thing at a time. It is hard to improve if you are focusing on improving 10 things at the same time. It will be difficult to eat less sugar, eat more greens, sleep more, work out more, start doing meditation and drinking less sugary drinks all at once. You will lose control of what you actually want to do and prioritize. If it is most important to you to cut back on sugar then focus on that. Once this is normal to you, you can start focusing on the next thing.

Healthy Carrot Cake Muffins

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Healthy Carrot Cake Muffins with Whipped Ricotta Frosting. Doesn’t that sound amazing? A sweet treat between classes, as a dessert or a snack to balance out your afternoon low. Yes! Yes! And yes! I think we all need this, like every week at least a few times! 

Taking a vegetable and putting it into a desert?! Sounds weird although it has already worked out so many times. Think pumpkin pie or zucchini bread. Also carrot cake is many people’s favorite dessert but I mostly is packed with tons of sugar and saturated fat and topped with a rich cream cheese or butter frosting. It is delicious but really heavy and not the healthiest thing to eat in the world. 

But not this version of it. The muffin itself is light and fluffy, no butter or refined white sugar. Light and delicious. The ricotta on top has its natural sweetness which doesn’t ask for any other sugars and works great with the muffins. Pair them with a cup of coffee as a snack, or top with almond butter and fresh banana for a delicious and healthy breakfast or just grab one on the go. You will get your veggies in without even noticing.

The batter is made out of simple ingredients of which most are everyone’s household staples. Grated carrots of course, greek yoghurt for protein and good fats, eggs for texture, protein, vitamins, and healthy fats, Apple sauce for sweetness. A mix of wholegrain and white flour for fiber and carbs, some enrythrit or coconut sugar for sweetness, cinnamon for the heartiness and pecan nuts for the crunch and healthy fats. 

A great balance of ingredients and nutrients that turn out to be a really delicious dessert. I believe it is a really great way to switch up your average use of carrots and try something new with them. I love making them when it is rainy and cold outside as the feeling of baking gives that comfortable feeling and coziness. They are perfect for the days now when it is getting colder and when carrots are in season.

I love enjoying them warm, when the frosting is melting on top of them, but they are also really delicious when chilled. The frosting is optional so if you do not like ricotta or want to go for an even lighter version you can of course leave it out but in my opinion it tastes amazing with it! If you decide to recreate that recipe be sure to tag me with @uneptcuisiniere or with #unepetitecuisiniere and if you could leave a comment that would mean and lot to me. I hope you will enjoy it!

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Healthy Carrot Cake Muffins

A healthy twist on the all beloved cake. LIght and delicious.

Course Breakfast, brunch, Dessert, Snack
Prep Time 12 Minuten
Cook Time 20 Minuten
Cool time 15 Minuten
Total Time 47 Minuten
Servings 10 muffins
Calories 127 kcal

What you will need

  • 2 carrots about 150g
  • 100 g Greek Yoghurt
  • 100 g Appl Sauce
  • 2 Eggs
  • 100 g Erythrit you can also use coconut sugar, or raw cane sugar if prefered
  • 80 g Whole Wheat Flour
  • 80 g Wheat Flour
  • 1.5 tsp Baking Powder
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 200 g Ricotta
  • 2 tsp Honey

How to

That´s how it works:

  1. Preheat the oven to 180C. Peel the carrots and grate them into a bowl. They shouldn’t be grated too thin, a little thicker worst best. Into the same bowl add the 2 eggs, the Greek yoghurt, the apple sauce and the sugar of your preference. Mix it well until all combined. 

  2. In a separate bowl combine the 2 flours along with the cinnamon, the baking powder, and the salt. One by one, slowly fold the flour under the wet mixture. Don´t whisk fast, gently fold it under with a spatula.

  3. Portion the mass out into 10 muffin forms. This works best with an ice cream scoop. Fill the muffin tin ¾ of the way. Place the muffins in the oven and bake them for about 18-25 minutes. Take a tooth pick and poke into the muffins, if no dough keeps sticking on the toothpick they are done. 

  4. Don´t take them out immediately, because they will fall back together and the fluffiness will be gone. Turn off the oven and let them sit in there for about 15-20 minutes. 

  5. Meanwhile in a bowl whip up the Ricotta and the honey. Once the muffins are completely cooled, add the frosting and enjoy! 

    They last in the fridge for up to 1 week!