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vegan

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 

The Best Ever 15 Minute Veggie & Tofu Peanut Noodle Stir-Fry

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This sounds very complicated, I know, but indeed it actually is super super easy. And don‘t be fooled, easy does not mean boring. Because this is everything else than boring. We have got crispy, stir-fried veggies and tofu combined with saucy, peanuty noodles and topped with a decent amount of fresh herbs. The combo? Insane! The time needed? Insanely little! 

When I asked you all on instagram which dishes you would like to see more of, there were soso many that said „quick meals“. And really, I get you! Some days we just cannot stand spending large amounts of time in the kitchen preparing dinner and still want to have something healthy. And this can be a challenge. So recipes like these are perfect for when you want something quick and yet healthy and delicious! 

What is special about this dish? 

Well, it is super super quick. All we need to do is fry the veggies and tofu, cook the noodles and combine everything with the sauce! It comes together in something like 10-15 minutes, really! 

And then also, it is not very traditional. You could say it is pad-thai inspired, just way simpler, with fewer ingredients and a bit healthy. Maybe something like a mix between a pad-thai and a wok. So basically, with this we are inventing an easy and healthy dish.

Is this dish healthy? 

Yup Yup, it is. How come so? It is packed with all the nutrients we need to stay happy, healthy and full. The large amount if different veggies that we are using add a whole bunch of fibre and vitamins to the dish. The fibre helps our digestion and the vitamins our immune system and organs. Then we also have the tofu, which is another great source of fibre and also of protein, to help us strengthen and repair muscles.

Now what’s left are the noodles and the sauce. So as for the noodles, they are our source of carbohydrates, which we need for our energy. And the sauce, which is made up from peanut butter, honey (or maple), soy sauce, sesame oil and lime juice, is a great way to sneak in some healthy fats and more protein (from the nuts and oil). Yes, the soy sauce makes it contain a lot of salt too, so if you want less of that, you could just go for sodium-reduced soy sauce. 

How to make this dish? 

As the name implicates, this is easy peasy. So, what we need to do is chop the veggies, here you can really use whatever you want. I personally love asparagus, edamame (you don‘t have to chop this), bell peppers, spring onions, or broccoli and carrot, but really, just use whatever’s left in your fridge. That‘s what makes this so easy and versatile.

Then we also need to finely chop some ginger and cube some tofu and them throw everything into a pan with hot oil. This then is stir fried for 2-3 minutes until crispy. Then we turn it down to medium heat and cook the noodles. Depending on what you package instructions say, the cooking time may vary, but should probably be around 5 minutes. While they are cooking, we can mix everything for the peanut sauce. Then, once drained, we add the noodles to the pan, take it off the heat and mix it all with the sauce. Voilà, that‘s it! Now we just need to garnish it with the mint and cilantro and a lime wedge and our meal is finished!!

Perfect for meal prep! 

How come? Shouldn’t it be served warm? Definitely! Surprisingly though, it also tastes incredibly delicious when being served cold! The sauce gives it kind of a salad-vibe, so it tastes at least as tasty when it is cold. You could just add it to a tupperware and enjoy it cold. 

Honestly, this is one of my favorite quick and lazy meals! Perfect for busy work days or evenings when you are just tired and don’t feel like cooking! It is just perfect! 

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The Best Ever 15 Minute Veggie & Tofu Peanut Noodle Stir-Fry

Easy, delicious and healthy. These stir-fry noodles not only are easy to make but also taste so incredibly delicious and addicting. Soft noodles tossed in a tangy and salty sauce along with fresh veggies and perfect tofu. Really, there is no reason you would not want to have this.

Course Main Course, mealprep
Cuisine asian
Prep Time 5 Minuten
Cook Time 10 Minuten
Total Time 15 Minuten
Servings 4 servings

What you will need

  • 400 g glas noodles (rice noodles)
  • 400 g firm tofu
  • 2 tbsp oil
  • 1 2cm piece of ginger
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 200 g edamame beans
  • 200 g mushrooms
  • 2 bok choy
  • 2 spring onions
  • 1 bell pepper

For the sauce:

  • 3 tbsp peanut butter
  • 3 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • 1 tsp rice vinegar
  • 2 tsp honey/ maple
  • fresh cilantro & lime for serving

How to

  1. Cut the tofu into 1cm sized chunks. Peel and finely mince the ginger. Heat up the oil and fry the ginger for 1 minute before adding the tofu and frying this for 2-3 Minutes on each side until crispy. Then add 2 tbsp of soy sauce.

  2. In the meantime prepare the noodles according to package instructions and undercook them for a minute. Peal (if necessary) and cut all veggies into bite-sized pieces and add to the tofu. turn onto medium heat.

  3. In the meantime combine everything for the sauce.

  4. Once the pasta is done, drain it and add it to the veggies along with the peanut sauce. Give it a good mix and serve with fresh cilantro & lime wedges!

  5. Enjoy!

I genuinely hope that you‘ll enjoy this and make it on repeat! 
Love,
Katie// Une Petite Cuisinière 

Incredibly Easy Crispy Smashed Potatoes, Asparagus & Pesto

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There probably are a billion ways to cook potatoes – and (almost) all of them are delicious. But this one, this recipe – damn damn damn. This is pure deliciousness! And it is soso easy to make, so little mess and perfect to prepare ahead of time.

The crispyness on the outside of the potatoes and the softness on the inside just work so perfectly together in your mouth. Paired with some greens and a little tangy pesto and an herby dipping sauce, it is perfection. Perfection with so little ingredients.

What‘s special about this dish? 

The way the potatoes are prepared. So, instead of just cooking and peeling, or baking regularly or frying them in a pan, they are prepared differently. First, they are boiled in water, just as regular potatoes. Then, they are patted dry and smashed with something heavy, like a pot. Now, we drizzle them with oil and sprinkle some salt and bake them in the oven until they are crispy. 

Which potatoes should be used?

Definitely some from which you can eat the peel. We need to be able to do this because otherwise they won‘t get as crispy. Usually, the young and small potatoes can be eaten with the peel, such as the „Heurigenkartoffel“. 

Is this dish healthy? 

Oh yes. Potatoes often get a lot of (undeserved) hate because of their high carbohydrate content. Actually though, potatoes are such a healthy vegetable. They do have a high carbohydrate content, which though is very good because they‘ll provide you enough energy to stay fit and motivated throughout the entire day. Plus, they also add a bunch of fibre, which satisfies you and keeps you full! Moreover, they are packed with antioxidant, which help to prevent diseases. And obviously, they contain a whole bunch of vitamins such as Vitamin C and Vitamin B6. All in all, it needs to be said that potatoes are really healthy and definitely do not deserve all their hate.

What is more, is the asparagus, pesto and dipping sauce. Asparagus is full if fibre and vitamins, and also great to add some color. The pesto is not only delicious but also packed with many healthy, unsaturated fats. And the dipping sauce adds some more protein and also vitamins from the herbs. All in all it definitely can be said that this is a very well balanced meal or side dish.

How to make this dish?

As explained a bit above already, there are a few different steps to this. And yes, it takes long but it is one of those things that can just chill in the pot or oven and you can go do something else in the meantime. 

So we start by preparing the potatoes. To do this, we just add them to a pot along with some water and bring it all to a boil. Depending on how big your potatoes are, you need to cook them somewhat between 20 and 25 minutes. At approximately 5 minutes before they are done, we also are adding in the asparagus. Once they have finished cooking, we can drain them.

Now comes the fun part. Therefor we need a baking tray lined with parchment paper. We are going to have some fun and smash the potatoes (I know mom would say „don’t play with food“ but I guess in this case it is fine ;)). First, we need to gently pat them dry with a kitchen towel. They cannot be wet anymore because then they won’t become crispy. Then, we are taking one potato at a time and placing it on the parchment paper. Then, we‘ll take the pot we previously cooked them in and press it onto the potato so the peel tears apart and the potatoes are smashed. Now we need to repeat this with the remaining potatoes. 

Now all thats left to do is adding the asparagus, drizzling with olive oil, sprinkling with some salt and into the oven they go. While this is baking for approximately an hour, we can prepare the dip by mixing the herbs, greek yoghurt, sour cream and cream cheese. 

One the potatoes are done, we just add the dip and pesto on top and voilà, we can enjoy it!

Great to prepare! 

This way of cooking potatoes is amazing for when you have friends over for example. You can just pre-boil the potatoes, smash them and prepare the dip, and then drizzle with oil and bake them freshly whenever you need/ want them, and you do not make a mess anymore, you just pop them into the oven.

We really, really love this way of making potatoes because the crisp and the flavor is just genuinely soso good. I really, really hope that you‘ll also enjoy it as much!

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Incredibly Easy Crispy Smashed Potatoes, Asparagus & Pesto

This recipe is at least 5x better than your average way of making potatoes. Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside and really simple to make. Paired with the dip and the pesto it is pure heaven.

Course Main Course, Side Dish
Prep Time 10 Minuten
Cook Time 7 Stunden 30 Minuten
Total Time 7 Stunden 40 Minuten
Servings 4 sides

What you will need

  • 1 kg small potatoes (which you can eat with the peel)
  • 500 g green asparagus
  • oil
  • sea salt
  • some pesto to serve

For the dip:

  • 200 g greek yoghurt
  • 2 tbsp cream cheese
  • 100 g sour cream
  • 1 tbsp chopped parsley
  • 1 tbsp chopped basil

How to

  1. Start by adding the potatoes to a pot and covering them with water. Bring them to a boil and let simmer for about 20-25 minutes. About 5 minutes before they are done, add the green asparagus (before adding it, cut 2 cm of the bottom off). If a fork goes in and comes out easily when picking into the potato, they are done. If not, they still need some time to cook.

  2. Drain both, the potatoes and the asparagus and pat them dry with a kitchen towel. They need to be really dry or else they won‘t get crispy.

  3. Onto a baking tray lay some parchment paper and add a potato. Take a pot and smash the potato down, until the skin has torn and the potato is about 1-2 cm thick. Repeat with the remaining potatoes. Now, add the asparagus to the tray as well, drizzle all with some oil and sprinkle some sea salt. Bake for 50-60 minutes until golden brown and crispy.

  4. In the meantime mix the greek yoghurt, sour cream and cream cheese with the chopped parsley and basil. 

  5. Once the potatoes & asparagus are done, serve them with the dipping sauce and the pesto. Enjoy!

Have fun cooking,
Love,
Katie // Une Petite Cuisinière 

The Easiest 15 minute Saucy Avocado Pasta

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Pasta itself is a dream. Avocado itself is a dream. Well, can you now imagine what the combination of pasta and avocado tastes like? Like the best dream. Not only does it taste amazing, no, it also is incredibly easy to make (as easy as tomato sauce), super healthy and soso simple. Really, there is no excuse left not to make this!

What’s special about this dish?

It is everything else than traditional (sorry to all my Italian fellows, if this may hurt you). Avocado does not really grow in Italy and defintely is not eaten with pasta. Usually you’d eat it with bread, in bowls, with nachos or just as is. And I mean, all of those are some sort of carbohydrates – so is pasta! Why not eating avocado with pasta then? So besides it being very non-traditional, it also comes together really really quickly.

Plus, it is very versatile. If you want it springy, go ahead and add some herbs or dill, if you want it vegan, substitute the parmesan cheese for nutritional yeast and the greek yoghurt for a plant based yoghurt. If you wanted it a bit more meaty, you could also fry some bacon in a pan and toss it into the sauce, so you have a kinda cabonara-style avocado pasta. Or you could also fry some prawns or chicken and add that on top. It really is up to you and your preferences how you make this and that makes it really special and great!

Is this even healthy?

Yep, yep! Avocados are superfoods, this needs to be said. They are loaded with healthy (omega-3) fats, which are great for your brain and your heart. Then they also contain more potassium than e.g. bananas, great for your cells and heart, they contain a bunch of fibre, so your digestion works perfectly and they contain numerous different vitamins and minerals to keep you feeling fit and healthy.

Then we also have some greek yoghurt, which is loaded with protein and calcium, parmesan cheese, which is loaded with deliciousness, fresh herbs (always a nutrient bomb) and the pasta. Pasta, unlike many claims, can actually be very beneficial for you. The carbs give you lots of energy to do all the things you love. Plus, if you go for whole-grain pasta, you get another dose of fibre and minerals. And, obviously, pasta is very good for your soul 🙂

How to make this?

When I say this is easy, I mean this is EASY. You start by boiling the pasta (according to package instructions). Then we either use a blender or a fork to continue. When doing it with a fork, it will be less creamy, more like a pesto-guac consistency. When blending it’ll be saucy. So we grate the parmesan, and either add it to a bowl or a blender with chopped up herbs, greek yoghurt, grated garlic and mashed avo. And then we either mash or blend it until creamy.

Before the pasta is done, we’ll reserve some pasta water, then drain it and mix it with the avocado sauce and the pasta water. That already is it! Really easy right? Now you can add any toppings you like, if you want to, like tomatoes, prawns, chicken, chickpeas, or just more cheese (always a good choice)!

This dish really is perfect for summer, or warm spring days, for easy lunches or quick dinners. I would even say it´s justifiable as a brunch dish (bc it’s basically like avocado toast just with pasta, right?). Regardless or when you’ll enjoy it, I hope you will enjoy it! Have a great time cooking!

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The Easiest 15 Minute Saucy Avocado Pasta

Easy, delicious, healthy. Just on another level. The combination of pasta and creamy avocado sauce is just like a bite into heaven, plus it is so incredibly easy to make! A must try!

Course Main Course
Prep Time 5 Minuten
Cook Time 10 Minuten
Total Time 15 Minuten
Servings 4 servings

What you will need

  • 500 g pasta (spaghetti work best)
  • 1,5-2 avocados (depending on how big they are)
  • 100 g greek yoghurt
  • 100 g parmesan cheese
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 tbsp chopped herbs (a mixture of dill, basil and parsley works best)
  • sea salt
  • mozarella, prawns, chicken or anything else to serve with

How to

  1. Bring a pot with salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package instructions. 2 minutes before they're done, you can reserve 1 cup of the pasta water. Drain them.

  2. If you have a blender, peel the avocado and the garlic, grate the parmesan and add everything to a blender and mix until creamy.

  3. If you do not have a blender, mash the avocado, grate the parmesan and garlic and mix and mash everything in a bowl until as creamy as possible. You may need some (plant based) milk).

  4. When the pasta is done, mix it with the sauce and a bit of the pasta water to start with (you can add more later on if you feel like it needs to become a bit creamier).

  5. Divide onto bowls and serve with whatever you love! Enjoy!

Love,
Katie // Une Petite Cuisinière