Perfectly Air Fried Tofu

 Perfectly air fried Tofu - every time

Makes 4 cups

Ingredients:

• 1 block of firm tofu

• Soy sauce or tamari (coconut aminos for soy free)

• Balsamic vinegar
  
  Instructions:

1. Cut open the tofu container along 3 sides and using the plastic cover mash the liquid out of the tofu block.  This doesn’t have to be perfect.  Just get as much as you can.

2. Place the tofu upright and cut it in half with a long knife.  Place it back down in the container and cut rows from both directions until you have a container of cubed tofu.

   

3. Leaving the tofu in the container, layer the liquid by pouring soy sauce over the top then balsamic vinegar then soy sauce again until the container is full of liquid.  

   

4. Cut a piece of parchment paper big enough to cover the bottom of your air fryer basket as well as an inch up all the sides.

   

5. Pour the tofu and liquid into the air fryer basket and spread it out so that every piece of tofu touches some of the liquid.

   

6. Set the air fryer to 400 for 15 minutes then let it sit for 5 minutes.  Pull the parchment paper out and toss the tofu back into one layer then air fry another 5 minutes on 400.  If you want it to be crispier or tougher just leave it in the air fryer a little longer after it’s done.

   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Cashew Mayonnaise

 This recipe works great in any recipe and on any sandwich.  It's so creamy and adds protein without eggs and dairy.  Add a dash of sriracha sauce for a spicy version or herbs for a dip!

Cashew Mayonnaise

1 c raw, unsalted cashews
6 TB water
2 TB lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp maple syrup

Soak cashews in hot water for 10 minutes.  Drain and add to a blender with the rest of the ingredients.  Blend until smooth adding more water if needed to keep it going.  Taste and adjust ingredients as needed.

Store in the fridge and use within the week.  May store leftovers in freezer in small amounts for easier reuse.  Can store in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Potato Chickpea Salad Wraps

 This idea came to me last night as I was planning my recipes for the farm's meal prep service I offer on some Saturdays.  Today we made this version of vegan potato salad and chicken salad using chickpeas and new red potatoes.  I used a cashew mayonnaise that I made in the blender that was so easy and delicious!  If you want the egg like flavor in this salad, use the black sea salt, also known as Hawaiian black salt or Kala namak.  If you taste it on your tongue, you will think you are eating a boiled egg.  The high content of sulfur in the Black Sea gives this the egg like flavor without the egg like cholesterol 😊 Sometimes I like to steam potatoes and just put this salt on it when I'm craving boiled eggs.  If you don't have this type of salt, regular will work fine.

Potato Chickpea Salad Wraps

Makes 5 wraps

Ingredients:

• 2-3 cups small red potatoes steamed and quartered

• 1 can of chickpeas, drained

• ⅓ c red onions, diced

• 2 stalks celery, chopped

• ½ c sweet pepper, any color, diced (optional)

• 1 tsp black sea salt (for egg flavor) or regular sea salt

• 2 tsp garlic powder

• 2 TB dijon mustard

• 1 TB lemon juice

• 1 recipe of cashew mayonnaise
  Instructions

1. In a medium bowl toss in the chickpeas.  Using a potato masher, mash the chickpeas until there are only a few whole peas.

2. Add in the rest of the ingredients and stir together.  Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

3. Enjoy as a dip to carrots, as a wrap using lettuce leaves like bibb or romaine or as your meal with additional salad toppings like microgreens and sunflower seeds

Lemongrass Chickpea Curry

 Lemongrass Chickpea Curry

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 can chickpeas (1.5 cups)

• 4 oz broccoli

• 7 oz cauliflower

• 1/2 red bell pepper

• 1/2 yellow bell pepper

• 1 carrot diced

• 1 celery chopped

• 1/4 small onion

• 2 garlic cloves

• 1 lemongrass stalk

• 2 tbsp minced ginger

• 3/4 cup coconut milk

• 2 tsp red curry paste

• 2 tbsp light soy sauce

• Vegetable broth for cooking

• Optional - cilantro or lime juice for garnish
  
  Instructions

1. Chop the broccoli and cauliflower into small florets. Cut the bell peppers into bite-sized pieces. Chop the onion, carrot, celery and, mince the garlic and ginger, and finely chop the lemongrass or leave it whole and remove before serving.

2. In a large skillet or a wok add the onion, carrot and celery and cook until it becomes translucent.  Add veg broth as needed. Then add the garlic, ginger, lemongrass and red curry paste. Cook for about 30 second stirring frequently.

3. Add the broccoli, cauliflower, bell peppers and drained and rinsed chickpeas. Mix well. Cook for about 10 min or until the vegetables soften up.

4. Add the coconut milk and soy sauce. Reduce the heat and simmer for a couple of minutes. Garnish with fresh cilantro, lime and serve with rice.