Tofu Breakfast Scramble (Wheat-Free, Gluten-Free, Low-Fat)

I like things complicated. And I like things simple - now that I'm in the STEM field, all I have time for is simple. Unfortunately, however, I forgot my actual camera at home until November - so bear with me! :)

The best part is that you can just throw it together and be done, no need for a blender to make this fluffy, creamy, "meaty" breakfast! It's so fluffy and you can use this variation for anything else.

Tofu Breakfast Scramble Ingredients:
16 oz Tofu
2 cups Cooked Spinach
1/2 package Soyrizo
1/4 cup +1 tbl Cold Water
1 tbl Cornstarch
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1/2 tsp Sazon Seasoning Mix
Ground Black Pepper
Olive Oil (for cooking)
Cheeze Sauce Ingredients
1/4-1/2 cup GF Flour
1/4 cups Cold Water or Non-Dairy Milk 
1/2 cup Nutritional Yeast
1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1 Squeeze of Yellow Mustard
3 tbl of Coconut Oil

Combine your cheese sauce ingredients in a sauce pan, do not turn it on. Then, mash* the rest of your ingredients together, and put into a medium pan over low heat in the olive oil. If you fear that it will be too watery, add the water gradually. Turn on your pot with the cheese-sauce, constantly stirring. Once it thickens enough, either pour into the middle of scramble or drizzle it on after your plate is covered in salsa!

*I made mine more of an omelets with the help of a blender I had

Super easy, super yum, and pretty healthy too!

Who says you need dairy?

Fat-Free Kale Chips (No-Salt, Fat-Free, Sugar-Free)

This is super-simple and incredibly fast, especially if you use the roasting method. They're a great fat-free alternative to potato chips and I really prefer these over them. You can make these sweet or savory, dusting in some stevia and coating these in chocolate or maybe even adding a touch of salt and crushing them into some granola - whatever suits your fancy.

(Ingredients)

• 1/2 bunch of Roughly Chopped Kale
• Garlic Powder
• Salt-Free Chipotle Seasoning

(Directions)

• After removing the stem and chopping the kale, wash it and place onto some parchment paper.
• Season with your preferred spices and bake at 400 degrees for about 7-10 minutes or dehydrate at 150 degrees for a few hours.
• Enjoy!

Super Simple Buffalo Tofu (No-Added Salt, Low-Fat, Oil-Free, Gluten-Free)

Hey guys! I'm sure you've all been wondering where I've been lately. I've been trying to take everything slowly now because next year will be extremely busy what with my job and getting a new school done. I've also been working on bodybuilding for something that is totally not focused on simply cosplaying as Tanya from "Mortal Kombat" (cough). I've been trying to update every five days and making sure that you guys have plenty of simple things to look at and try.

This tofu only requires about five ingredients, most of which are pretty interchangeable whenever you like. All you need is some good tofu and a nice, nonstick skillet for this smokey, savory and spicy meal component. Here we go!

(Ingredients)

• 1/2 package of Firm Tofu
• 1/4 cup of Louisiana Hot Sauce
• Black Pepper, Chipotle Powder and Garlic Powder
• Water per slice

(Directions)

• First, slice your tofu into rectangles and press until all the liquid is out, then slice into triangles and marinate your slices in the mixture above for however long you feel. If you're pressed for time you can just put these on the stovetop and they'll still be delicious.
• Place into the pan without any oil at medium-high heat, and if anything starts to stick you can put in a few droplets of water which actually helps make it a bit crispier. Flip and repeat.
• Serve with celery and carrots or eat on its own - its a treat that certainly isn't naughty but tastes like it is!

Tofu Stir-Fry w/Spicy Garlic Sauce (Gluten-Free Option, Sugar-Free Option)

This was incredibly fun to make and I've only made it once before when I tried to figure out one of the sauces for my favorite "treat", stir-fried tofu in garlic sauce. Once a month or so, my family and I will get American-style Chinese takeout and this is my go-to dish aside from dumplings, desserts and steamed veggies. It is quite fattening so I won't eat it often, but it is especially addicting with the conflicting flavors and textures...and probably because I make it extra-spicy. You've probably had it before, and every restaurant has a slightly variating style - so I'm going to put my own little "Shin-Spin" on things. Whatever veggies you have on hand will do, so I'll list what I put in my stir-fry later.

(Spicy Garlic Sauce Ingredients)

• 1 & 1/2 tbl Rice Vinegar
• 2 & 1/2 tbl Rice Wine Vinegar
• 2 tsp Raw Sugar or Stevia (optional)
• 1/4 tsp Good Sesame Oil (retains both taste and smell)
• 1 tbl Veggie Oil
• 2 tbl Good Soy Sauce or Tamari
• 1/2 tsp Sriracha
• 5 Crushed & Minced Garlic Cloves
• 1 pinch of Red Pepper Flakes
• 1 tsp Cornstarch
• 2 tbl Water

(Directions)

• First, mix the water with the cornstarch.
• Saute your minced and crushed garlic in the veggie oil until softened and is lighter in color slightly.
• Add in your vinegars, soy sauce, and oil. Stir and let bubble
• Squirt in your sriracha and sugar, add a bit of pepper flakes and wait about 15 seconds.
• Mix in the slurry of cornstarch and water, then stir it in until it has thickened to your liking.
• Quickly coat your preferred veggies in this addictively spicy sauce and serve over a nice bed of rice.
• Enjoy!

My personal stir-fry contained mung bean sprouts, brocolli sprouts, carrots, baby corn, pan-fried tofu, steamed mushrooms, sweet peas, green bell pepper and broccoli. Since the garlic sauce is so flavorful and has a lot of sodium, I wouldn't suggest adding salt or anything else to the other ingredients so to keep it healthier.

Peruvian Stirfry, Lomo Saltado with Cauliflower Rice (Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Low-Fat, Low-Sugar)

I've been wanting to try this forever! The ingredients fit so well, you get a vinegary punch from hot sauce and a kick from that and some jalapenos with a bit of sweet and acidic flavor from caramelized onions with home-stewed tomatoes. This truly is a stirfry with great balance, and to absorb this melody of flavors you just need some thick-cut fries to sop it all up, they never get soggy and they always stay delicious. Instead of using seitan as I usually would, I decided to make it extra simple and just used some portabella mushrooms that I had in the fridge and it worked perfectly!

(Lomo Saltado Ingredients)

• 1/2 Large Red Onion
• 2 tbl of Sambal Oelek
• 2 Garlic Cloves
• 1/2 Jalapeno
• 2 Mini Yellow & Orange Bell Peppers
• 1 & 1/2 Large Tomatoes
• 1/4 tsp of Vinegar
• 1 tsp of Hot Sauce (your choice)
• 1/4 cup of Collard Greens
• 1/4 cup of Sliced Portabella Mushrooms
• 1/2 tsp of Stevia (optional)
• Salt to taste (optional)
• Cumin and Garlic Powder to taste
• Cilantro

(Cauliflower Rice Ingredients)

• 1/3 head of Cauliflower
• 2 tbl of Olive Oil
• Salt to taste (optional)

A large amount of Thick-Cut Fries (pre-cooked in an oven)

(Directions)

• Simply roast your cauliflower until softened and crisped a bit.
• run through a blender of food processor until it has the light texture of rice - but don't allow it to get mushy. Place aside.


• Mince your jalapeno, garlic and onion and then saute in a dry pan over low heat until they lightly caramelize.
• Season and then add in your bell peppers and tomatoes with your liquids.
• Continue to cook on low until the tomato has softened and released more juices, then mix in your collard greens, mushrooms and seasonings. Cook and taste, adding what you feel is needed.
• Then, turn off the heat and add your cilantro before folding in your fries and serving with your cauliflower rice.

I hope that you enjoy! ^^

Amazing, Self-Icing Mini-Cinnamon Rolls (Yeast-Free, Low-Fat, Low-Sugar, Simple)

One morning I had a hankering for some fierce baking, and I had made some "marshmallow fluff" that was really more of a nice fat-free buttercream since I purposefully thickened it. I decided to make some cinnamon rolls but I've had an aversion to yeast lately so that was out of the question. No, I needed something quick that I could have within the hour - and so I just used a little bit of baking powder, elbow grease and a dash of sugar and spice (literally) until I was done!

(Cinnamon Roll Dough Ingredients)

• 2 cups of Whole White Wheat
• 1 tsp of Raw Sugar
• 1/2 tsp of Baking Powder
• A Pinch of Salt
• Vanilla Non-Dairy Milk to mix
• 1 tbl of Veggie Fat or Applesauce

(Cinnamon Roll Dough Directions)

• Combine your dry, then slowly add in your milk until it only slightly forms into a dough, then knead into a soft but elastic dough.
• Roll into a ball then cut in half. Roll each half thinly.
• allow to rest and then place on a liberal sprinkling of cinnamon-sugar with some vegan margarine.
• Afterwards, place some cold(preferably homemade) vanilla frosting on top and spread liberally.
• Let it chill in the fridge for 15 minutes then bake for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees or until it is finally well-baked.
• Let cool until only slightly warm then serve.(I like to add a little extra frosting, too!).
• Enjoy!

Brownie Bite Ice Cream Sandwiches w/ 30-Minute Ice-Cream and Raw Vegan Option

Crunchy on the inside and unbelievably fluffy on the inside with lots of yummy homemade ice cream. You can't even taste the spinach or bananas! Surprised? This dish is great to round up a healthy meal with a decadent treat with a nice surprise. Your kids (or anyone shorter than you, honestly) will look up at you and say "There's no way that vegetables can be in here!", I'm sure. But oh they are in there dear children and people that are shorter than me, they are.

(Five-Ingredient Ice Cream Ingredients)

• 1 Mildly Ripe Banana frozen
• 2 tsp of Fresh Lemon Juice
• 1 tsp of Vanilla
• 4 tbl of Peanut Butter
• 2 tbl of Raw Sugar

(Brownie Bite Ingredients)

• 1/4 cup of Vegan Margarine (or Coconut Oil)
• 1/4 cup of Non-Dairy Milk
• 1 tsp of Vanilla
• 1/4 cup of Raw Sugar
• 1 cup of Whole Grain Flour
• 3/4 cup of Cocoa Powder
• 2 tsp of Stevia
• 1/4 tsp of Baking Soda
• 1/4 cup of Spinach Juice (and pulp)

(Raw Vegan Version of Brownie Bites)

• 3/4 cup of Raw Cocoa Powder
• 20 Raw and Soaked Dates
• 1 tsp of Stevia (optional)
• 1/2 cup of Raw Oats
• 1/4 cup of Cold Coconut Oil
• A few tbl of Spinach Juice and Pulp

(Directions)

• For the Ice Cream: First, mash your banana with a whisk, add your lemon juice and then your sugar. Let that sit for a minute and then mash some more until it looks custard like. Move your whisk around in an effort to whip air into it.
• Combine with the vanilla and then add your peanut butter after everything has been whisked and masked completely. Mix for a minute more then stash in the freezer for about an hour.
• Take out, whisk again and then place in the freezer while you decide which Brownie bites version you want to make.


• For your Non-raw Brownie Bites:, cream together the margarine, sugar and vanilla and refrigerate for about five minutes. Whisk again and then fold in your dry ingredients. Mix on high with electric beaters and then slowly pour your milk in until it comes together. Use an ice cream scoop and place onto a well-oiled cookie sheet and place in fridge for 15 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes, crank the heat up to 400 for about five minutes and set back to 350 until the tops have firmed and the bottoms have browned well. Let cool for five minutes then scoop a bit of your ice cream top and enjoy!


• For the Raw Brownie Bites: Grind your oats together and then mix with everything else.
• Use an ice cream scoop to place them on some parchment paper and freeze until ready.
• Combine with your ice cream, serve everything extremely cold and enjoy!

Coraline "The Other Mother" Soboro Bento

Hi again guys! I promise that I haven't abandoned you, but I've been working extra hard with volunteering for charities, making up some surprises (for you guys!) and cooking. But when I could crawl away from the self-beatings and trekked the desert of tiredness I was able to snag a few pictures and recipes down for you guys. I hope that you can forgive me for not having the greatest carving or nori art here but I was really smart with this idea. Notice her sweater? Yep, that's a little piece of apple that had been exposed to the air for about four hours...I dunked it in a little rice vinegar to keep it from becoming gross but allowed enough air to hit it to make the sweater look "knitted".

Coraline #2 Bento Ingredient List:

Soft Tortilla

Nori

Jamaican-style Soboro

Black Rice

Radishes

Carrots,

Jalapenos

Tomatoes

Cauliflower

Apple Slice w/ Rice Vinegar

Cilantro

To make the soboro all you have to do is add your favorite crumbles (or lentils, or beans, ect) and combine them with chopped onion, peas, allspice, curry powder, sliced cabbage, black pepper, minced garlic, carrots, water and cinnamon until it has all come together and it is no longer liquidy. Let cool and then place in your bento to enjoy!

Raw Vegan Gluten-Free Sardines/Anchovies

Yesterday I made a delicious banana flower curry that I'm now obsessed with, and while removing a layer of petals I noticed the immature bananas. I didn't want to ruin the flavor that everyone said was bitter and so I took a quick bite of one of the little gangly things - it tasted like a cross between a green bean and a green banana peel. Wanting to utilize everything, I noticed a lot of them looked like little fish and a few had little cute pockets on them so I decided to half-dehydrate some. The recipe is so simple that you'll have fresh little "fish" within the hour or so.

(Raw Vegan Sardines Ingredients)

• 1/4 Cup of Immature Bananas
• 4 tbl of Cold-Pressed Olive Oil
• 1 tsp of Minced Parsley
• 1/4 tsp of Minced Garlic
• A heavy pinch of Sea Salt

(Directions)

• Toss all of the ingredients together and place into an oven at about 180 degrees (about 300 if non-raw) and then wait until you've smelled the garlic and olive oil permeating the air.
• Take out, taste and tell me what you think!
• Enjoy!

I hope that you enjoyed this little tidbit!

Blog Round Up - Great Superbowl Eats

I'll be honest - I'm not much of a football fan, but I can most definitely get into the spirit of things when there's plenty of cute and delicious food around. Here are some great ideas I've found!

Amazing Recipes that Aren't Mine:


25 Vegan Recipes from Peas and Thank You


BoyfriendLovlie's Stuffed Veggies from Veganlovlie


25 Super Bowl Party Recipes from Love, Veggies and Yoga

Healthy Comfort Food from Chocolate Covered-Katie

Vegan Buffalo Wings from Frugally Green Mom

Bean and Veggie Sliders from Martha Stewart

Vegan Nachos from Ellen Degeneres

Dairy and Egg Free Vegan Pretzel from ecoKaren


Top Ten Vegan Smoothies from VeganPlanet


Stuffed Vegan Pretzels (with gluten-free option)


Seven Different Homemade Popcorns from Vegan-Wolf


Quick N' Crispy Popped Rice


Best Ever Vegan Miniloaf from Vegandad


Veggie Hotdogs from Thrifty Living


Baked Potato Chips from Cookie Madness


Baked Kale Chips from Dine and Dish


Baked Pumpkin-Spice Donuts (Gluten-free) from Cinnamon Quills


Vegan White Chocolate from Bittersweet Blog


Salad Ideas and Recipes from Veganfamily

My Recipes (Some are pictureless):

Onion Rings and Delicious Things

Fudgy Chocolate Brownies

Nacho Cheese Pretzels

Strawberry Butter

When It's Chilly Eat Some Chili

Cute Mini Pizzas

Baked German Sopapilla

Chocolate Covered French Fries


Garden In A Bowl

Where are my recipes you ask? Don't worry - later will be full of little treats and sweets to delight you whilst you get up before the troops assemble in front of your television.

Homemade Cocoa Krispies

This is more of a "toss around" food since all you need is five or six ingredients to make it - making it very simple. I prefer to make my own cereal for this because I prefer bitter foods moreso than I do the normal cereal and I can control the taste a bit better. Added to the fact that brown rice cereal is used doesn't make it half bad either.

(Cocoa Krispies Ingredients)

• 1 Cup of Puffed Rice Cereal (preferably Brown)
• 1/4 cup of Cocoa Powder
• 2 tbl of Raw Sugar
• 1 tsp of Neutral Oil
• Agave Nectar to taste

(Directions)

• Toss your cereal with the oil and coat with the sugar and cocoa powder.
• Sift the excess cocoa powder and sugar off of the cereal and place onto a parchment paper-covered pan.
• Toast at 250 degrees for about five minutes or until you can smell the taste of cocoa has changed.
• Add in a drizzle of agave nectar, some fruit and serve in a bowl with your favorite non-dairy milk
• Enjoy!

Breakfast Bento

My first (and simplest) non-kyaraben bento, normally I don't photograph these types - but this was too adorable!

Breakfast Bento Ingredients:
1 Lightlife Sausage
Scrambled Tofu
Oatmeal Yogurt
Steamed Kale
Blackberry and Dark Chocolate Pancakes (Whole-Wheat)

It was a great and filling breakfast that only took thirty minutes to prepare - I hope that you enjoyed my first non-character bento!

Vegan Kamaboko Exists

I've gotten some great suggestions for vegan kamaboko and decided to make this as firm as possible without it being like a rock. I used extra-firm tofu so that the vegan kamaboko wouldn't just be vegetarian jello and then I added exra beet juice after I fully blended the water together with it.

(Vegan Kamaboko Ingredients)

• Beet Juice for Color (you'll add it throughout)
• 1 Cup of Cold Water
• 1 and 1/2 tbl Agar Agar (soaked for 5 min. in 3 tbl of water)
• 1 tsp Sugar
• 1 tbl Mirin
• 1/4 tsp Sea Salt
• 1/3 Package of Extra-Firm Tofu

(Directions)

• Put the cold water in a medium-sized saucepan and add in enough beet juice for a dark pink color.
• Place the agar and the rest of the ingredients, except for the tofu in and boil it until it starts to firm up.
• Press your tofu until mostly dry.
• Crumble tofu into a large blender. Add in all of the agar and then liquefy until it is all a light pink color.
• Add in some extra beet juice to darken it even more and mix once more.
• Place into your preferred mold and let it sit for five minutes outside of the fridge, place into the fridge for about 15 more minutes or so until firm.
• Enjoy!

Sugar-Free Chocolate Daifuku

Rushed perfection (aka - sorry for the blur)

Normally I'll only eat mochi if it has sauce with it (in the case of dango) but in my attempt at another Ghibli treat I discovered something absolutely delicious. It was a combination of chocolate, strawberry and marshmallow (flavor and texture). It only takes a few minutes to prepare and it's absolutely delicious!

Chocolate Daifuku Recipe:
1 and 1/2 Cups Mochiko
1/4 Cup Cocoa Powder
1/4-1/2 Cup Agave Nectar
1/4 Cup of Cold Water (plus more for boiling)
1/8 tsp Sea Salt

Mix the ingredients together with your hands until they become firm but still easily moldable. Wrap a piece onto one your cleaned strawberries and make sure that none of the fruit is poking out. Take a piece of cheesecloth and wrap it around the daifuku, making sure that it is in an upright purse position. Tye it with twine and begin to boil a small amount of water (enough to bobble in). Cook them for about 5 minutes on medium heat and then turn the heat up to high at the last 30 seconds or so. Remove them from the water and let them cool until you can touch the cloth, unwrap and then enjoy!

Signed,

<3 Bou Shin <3

Bagel Italiano

*Picture will be re-taken soon*

Isn't that the most beautiful Italian flag you've ever seen? There's the bright splash of red coming from the oven-roasted tomatoes underneath the freshly-made sesame seed bagel. The inside is stuffed with delicious mashed white beans and dotted with little bits of fresh rosemary and spinach. To finish this menagerie of flavor I topped it off with some good-quality olive oil leftover from the oven-dried tomatoes. I sandwiched it in between the fresh bagel and enjoyed with a side of grapefruit and wavy potato chips. This bagel/sandwich is extremely filling and extremely easy to make. Its kid friendly and you don't have to just stop with the toppings that I used. You can try chocolate, fresh fruit, or just your basic schmear of (vegan) cream cheese to make the flavor pop. If you're on the go or just don't like feeling like you're masking the pure deliciousness of your bagel, you can always just eat it plain. It's full of fiber, protein and low fat!

Bagel Recipe:

1 cup of Lukewarm Water

3/4 A teaspoon of Rapid-Rising Yeast

3/4 a cup Bread Flour

1 and 3/4 a cup Wheat Flour

3/4 A teaspoon of Iodized Salt

1-2 Tablespoons of Blackstrap molasses (or any sweetener of your choice)

Add half of the cup of water into a large bowl and add your yeast, then prep your oven to 500 degrees and mix your dry ingredients together. After that, stir the yeast and prepare a baking pan with greased parchment paper, a pot with about 3-4 inches of water in it and something to scoop out your bagels with.  Create a well in your dry mixture and slowly add the yeast-water mixture. After it is loosely formed together, add more water until it is a good and only slightly doughy mixture. Knead it until it comes together and is elastic and transfer it into a small bowl covered with a towel. Let that mixture rest for about an hour and work on whatever toppings or fillings you want for your bagel. Let your imagination run wild, and after about 55 minutes of waiting have elapsed - put enough water into your pot with the molasses (make sure to grease your measure spoon prior to working with the molasses) and place it on the lowest setting. Then, uncover your dough ball and split it into equal pieces. Work with each piece slowly and make sure that it comes together, then take both of your palms and slowly work from the middle, to the left, to the right of the dough piece until it forms a long skinny piece of dough. Then you can hold it slightly in the middle until it stretches out a bit more and finally you can connect the two ends of the dough together to form an the shape of the bagel. Place it onto the greased baking pan/parchment paper and repeat with the other pieces of dough. After you have all formed them, cover them with a towel and wait for about 10 minutes for them to proof once more. Make sure to stir your pot to make sure that everything has come together and hasn't burned. 

Meanwhile, you can place your toppings (I used sesame, chia, and poppy seeds) in a small bowl as you wait. After the bagels have proofed for 10 minutes, place them individually into the water slowly, to ensure that none of them stick together. Wait for exactly 60 seconds for each one and flip them over at their 30-second mark (make sure to do this in the order that you put the bagels in) afterwards, place them onto the baking sheet and cover with your preferred toppings (or none if you prefer naked). Wipe away the excess seeds as they have a tendency to burn, but do not affect the flavor in any way, and place them into the oven for about 15 minutes or until they look to be a satisfactory color.

After they have cooled down for a few moments (10 to 15 minutes should be fine), slice them in half and  treat them as you will. Wasn't that fun?

(Recipe makes about four bagels)

Vegan Cream Cheese Recipe:
1 package of pressed Silken Tofu (your choice on the amount)
2 teaspoons of fresh Lemon Juice
2 teaspoons of Apple Cider Vinegar (or more lemon juice)
1 tablespoon of Raw Sugar, Agave Nectar, or vegan White Sugar

Hope you enjoy!