mexican breakfast burrito with salsa fresca

 

Overview

Time: 35 minutes
Dishes: air-fryer or oven, medium skillet, medium bowl 

Hello, hello Dear Readers!

I wonder if every family has members who have as strong food opinions as mine does. Until now I did not realize how divided we are when comes to sweet potatoes. One camp thinks it is way too sweet for savory dishes and the other camp believes that it is perfect, especially when paired with its food affinity, such as black beans.

This intense emotion runs so deep that my son went to the trouble of removing the sweet potatoes from his prepared burrito! After I patiently and painstakingly explained to him that the flavor profile is very much a "thing", and pointed out that he omitted the Salsa Fresca, which would have balanced the sweetness of the potatoes with its acid and heat, he gave it a second try. 

The burrito is stuffed with Breakfast Tofu, black beans, cheese, sour cream, avocado and Salsa Fresca.

So, dear readers, if you are in my son's camp, thinking that sweet potatoes are too sweet in savory dishes, by all means - use regular potatoes! Regardless of the potato you choose, however, please don't skip the Salsa Fresca. It truly does add the final touch that pulls all the flavors of this breakfast burrito together into …sweet... harmony.  

If you need inspiration for your weekly menu, check out ours HERE.

Enjoy!

Speedy Cooking Tips:

• Preheat the oven and gather your ingredients.
• Start the potatoes first. 
• If you need to make the Breakfast Tofu, prepare it after the potatoes are cooking.
• Make the salsa before warming the beans and tofu.

(Printer-friendly doesn't seem to be so friendly. Just select the text between the arrows (including the white space to add margin on the top), right-click, select Print, and now it's printer-friendly. Can also be saved as PDF:  choose Save as PDF in Destination drop-down, instead of a printer.)

Mexican Breakfast Burrito with Salsa Fresca

www.ZsusVeganPantry.com

Makes 4 servings 

weekday

2 medium sweet potatoes or regular potatoes, peeled and chopped

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 small tomatoes, diced

1 garlic clove, minced

1/4 small onion, finely minced

1/2 small jalapeno, finely minced

1 tablespoon lime juice 

1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained  

2 cups mashed Breakfast Tofu (1 recipe) 

1/2 cup shredded or 4 slices nondairy yellow or orange cheese

4 fajita-size flour tortillas

1/2 cup vegan sour cream

1/2 cup salsa

1 avocado, sliced 

1. Potatoes: Preheat air-fryer or oven to 400F. Peel and dice the potatoes. Spray with oil. Season with chili powder, cumin and salt.  Bake until tender. Air-fryer: 15-20 minutes, shaking the basket as needed. Oven: 30-40 minutes.

2. Salsa Fresca: Combine the tomato, garlic, onion, jalapeno and lime juice in a medium bowl. Salt to taste.  

3. Beans and Tofu: Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the beans, tofu and cheese. Cook until heated through, about 4 minutes.     

4. Burrito: Warm the tortillas in the microwave (between two plates for 1 minute), oven or over the stove. Divide the baked sweet Potatoes and the Beans and Tofu among the burritos.  Add sour cream, Salsa Fresca and avocado. Season generously with salt. Roll up and serve. 

© 2021 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

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vegan vegetarian meatless plant-based

making breakfast tofu

Overview

Time: 15 minutes
Dishes: large pan 

Hello, hello Dear Readers!

I want to share with you what we enjoy for breakfast on most days. Either my husband or I will make our meatless, vegetarian and vegan breakfast sandwiches, which takes about 10 minutes from fridge to table. To make these delicious English Muffin (or bagel, or breakfast burrito, or toast if you like) sandwiches fast, I prepare a package of tofu at the beginning of the week, as the base for the sandwich.

The Breakfast Tofu takes about 15 minutes to cook, hands-off most of the time, and keeps for about 7 days. It is easy to make and not fussy at all. Below is the step-by-step.

Easy Sandwich:

1) Toast the English muffin and vegan sausage patty in the air-fryer for 8 to 10 minutes, 375-degrees.

2) Heat a slice or two of tofu with a slice of vegan cheese in the microwave for 1 minute.

3) Slice onion, jalapeno, tomato (or whatever) while everything cooks.

4) Spread vegan mayo, avocado or salsa on English Muffin.

5) Assemble and season with salt and pepper.

Enjoy!

Making Breakfast Tofu

Makes 10 to 12 slices; doubles easily 

www.ZsusVeganPantry.com

1. Tofu: Rinse the tofu and slice into 10 to 12 slices. Do this while the tofu is in the package container to keep the tofu together and make it easy to transfer to the pan.

1 package tofu (any type except silken)

1. Sauté: Add oil spray to a large pan set over medium heat. Add the Tofu slices, cramming them into the pan. Cook the slices until golden on the bottom, about 5 minutes. 

Oil spray

2. Flavoring: Sprinkle the turmeric and nutritional yeast evenly over the Tofu. Add salt to taste. Pour the water over the Tofu slowly and evenly. Use a spatula to gently loosen the tofu from the bottom of the pan. If using black salt, keep in mind that the black salt will also add saltiness. Add black salt after tofu is cooked because heat dissipates the flavor of black salt. Adding the water slowly and evenly will mix the yeast and turmeric efficiently. 

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes

1/16 teaspoon (half of ⅛ teaspoon) turmeric 

Salt

1 cup water

3. Cook: Cook the Tofu in the Flavoring until the liquid evaporates, about 4 to 7 minutes. Store until needed, up to 7 days, and season with black salt after reheating, if desired,. 

© 2020 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

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chilaquiles

Overview

Time: 30 minutes
Dishes: air-fryer or oven, blender, large skillet, medium skillet

Hello, hello Dear Readers!

Consider this vegan, vegetarian and meatless recipe more of a template than an absolute recipe (whatever that means, at dinner time!)  It is a traditional dish in the sense that you adjust it to whatever you have handy and go with the flow.

The sauce is a standard recipe you should use, but it is simply broth, tomato, onion, garlic and bell pepper. I used Anaheim pepper, but use whatever pleases you.  Once the sauce is reduced a bit, you add old tortillas (typically fried in oil - but here, air-fried - oven works, too). I've even seen tortilla chips used, but haven't tried that, yet. The sauce is thickened a bit more with the added tortillas, though not much. It's more of a vehicle for the filling.

For the filling this time, I have beans, zucchini and spinach, but, here again, add what you have available. If that is a link of leftover vegan sausage or ready to turn vegan tofu eggs, add them. If you have a cup of pinto beans, add that. Seriously, whatever is handy, needs to go or is leftover. 

This meal is also pretty fast, so it is perfect for weeknights! If you have an avocado, fresh cilantro or vegan cheese, it's a great way to finish the dish.

Enjoy!

On A Separate Note:

I have compiled the past 16 recipes into a booklet, Zsu's Summer 2020 Vegan Recipes . To print, download it and choose print. Choose Booklet and (if an option) check Front Only. Print and flip the pages. Check Back Only and Print again. Email me if you have any issues.  

At the very bottom (below the Pinterest image) is the image link or here is the PDF link.

~ Zsu

Speedy Cooking Tips:

• Prepare the tortillas first.
• Prepare the sauce next.
• Prepare and cook the vegetables.
• Few minutes before tortillas are ready, heat the sauce; this is about the time the beans and spinach are added to the vegetables.

 

Chilaquiles

Makes 4 servings 

easy 

1. Tortillas: Slice the tortillas into strips. Spray with oil and air-fry until golden, 10 to 15 minutes.

12 corn tortillas

oil spray

2. Sauce: Add the ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. Add to a large skillet and set aside.

1 1/2 cups vegetable broth

1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes, lightly drained

1/2 small onion, quartered

1/2 Anaheim pepper (the other half in the Beans)

2 garlic cloves

3. Vegetables: Add to a medium skillet over medium heat and cook until golden, about 8 minutes, using a lid. Season with salt:

spray of oil

1 medium zucchini, chopped

1/2 Anaheim pepper, chopped

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

4. When the zucchini is golden, heat the Sauce over high heat until boiling. Reduce to simmer and cook for 3 to 5 minutes. Add the Tortilla strips a few minutes before serving and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the strips are softened. Season with salt and pepper.

5. Add the beans and spinach to the Vegetables. Cover and cook until the spinach is wilted. 

1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained

4 to 5-ounce baby spinach (about 4 cups)

6. Serve: Add some Tortillas with the Sauce to a plate, top with the Vegetables and Beans and avocado or vegan cheese. Season with salt:

1 diced avocado or shredded vegan cheese (optional)

 

© 2020 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

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"vegan reset" + giveaway

Bet you didn't think I'd post again this soon, did ya? I didn't think so, either, but I wanted to let you know about a cookbook coming out this week that is pretty amazing, as a matter of fact. Vegan Reset (Amazon) was written by Kim-Julie Hansen of Brussels Vegan (though now the site is KimJulieHansen.com).

Kim-Julie explains that "reset" is just like it sounds; think of restarting a machine that's been malfunctioning or not working the way it should and pressing the magic button to send it back to the reset stage. 

She explains that the book is about giving your body the love and attention it needs to survive and thrive. 

There are a few things I love about the book. 

She does a reset section, which is roughly half of the book, that covers 28 days (4 weeks) of menus, breakfast, lunch, dinner and a snack, and she gives you the menus, the shopping lists and the bulk cooking strategies (along with all the recipes for everything!) of each week. Now reread this paragraph because it is packed.

Did you get that? She is basically holding your hand and walking you through each day of each week, for a month. The menus are there, the shopping lists are provided and the methods and process of bulk cooking twice a week is spelled out. All the recipes are with the weeks and everything has a photo. Each meal and each menu item.

Great, you say, but I don't want a reset. I just want to cook and eat. In addition to all the recipes and menu ideas for the weeks, for each meal, she also provides regular menu items that help you along, either after the reset, or just as a regular dinner or lunch or breakfast dish.

Let me be clear. Although this book can be used as a "reset," complete with 84 meal dishes and their recipes, it can also be used just as a regular cookbook of great meals, including drinks and desserts. Or you can choose a few days in a row that sound good to you and cook those meals. The reset part of the book is a bonus; the entire book is a gem.

Here is a sampling:

This is a Beet Salad with Miso-Ginger Tempeh and Red Quinoa.  This salad bowl is a composition of other parts of the meal of the week, on Day 22. The other meals this day are: Oatmeal with Papaya & Brazil Nuts for breakfast and Creamy Butternut Noodles for dinner.  

This Spinach Pasta with Zucchini-Nut Sauce is a recipe out of the fourth part of the book, named "Beyond Reset: Additional Recipes." This was a perfect summer dinner.

This Zucchini Bake was an ideal addition to our lunchbox. Because the potatoes were creamy, there was no harm done to the texture as it sat in the fridge the night before, and in the lunch box all day. Cashews are the base to this cream sauce. The other meals on this day, Day 26, are, for breakfast, Sunflower Seed & Berry Toast and for lunch, Heart of Palm & Kale Salad.

I doubled these recipes because, while the book is great for 1 person resetting, the recipes are made for 2 servings (or so) and we are a family of 5.

Now, you know the drill: test the recipe below and enter the contest to win a copy of the book Vegan Reset, US residents only, please. The contest ends on September 17, 2018. Good luck!

Excerpted from VEGAN RESET © 2018 by Best of Vegan LLC. Photography © 2018 by Best of Vegan LLC. Reproduced by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.

CHERRY PANCAKES
MAKES 2 SERVINGS

¼ cup regular or gluten-free all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
1 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of sea salt
¾ cup soy milk
3 tablespoons maple syrup,  plus more for serving
2 tablespoons coconut oil
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 tablespoon unsweetened shredded coconut, for serving
Fresh cherries or other fruit,  for serving

1. Mix the flour, cornstarch, flaxseed, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl.

2. In a separate bowl, mix the soy milk, maple syrup, coconut oil, vinegar, and vanilla.

3. Combine the wet and dry mixtures and whisk together thoroughly.

4. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat, then scoop 2 to 3 tablespoons of batter per pancake into the skillet. Cook on each side until brown.

5. Serve with the coconut, cherries, and additional maple syrup.




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pumpkin waffles & cider-maple syrup (aquafaba recipe)

I know, it's not fall just yet, but I have to tell you that cooler weather is truly my favorite part of the year. Besides that, I have to post recipes like these in plenty of time for you to see them, be stung by the autumn bug, remember you saw this post and be so relieved that you have a Pumpkin Waffle recipe all ready for the fixin'.

Crisp on the outside, tender on the inside, with plenty of pumpkin pie flavor to get you in the cooler weather mood, these waffles are topped with a two ingredient Cider-Maple Syrup; all the makings of the perfect fall swoon.

To make things even lighter, crisper and tender, this recipe uses aquafaba.

Aquafaba Tid Bits:

If you are using homemade aquafaba make sure it is nice and thick and viscous. If you are using canned aquafaba, reduce it by 1/3 before using to get the right consistency. Strain the aquafaba before using; warm aquafaba strains better because it is thinner. Aquafaba thickens as it cools.

The Pecan Pralines on these waffles are from my cookbook, Aquafaba: Sweet and Savory Vegan Recipes Made Egg-free with the Magic of Bean Water [Amazon, B&N].

For your convenience, I decided to make a video about this recipe instead of shooting still images. Check it out and subscribe to my channel so I can change the name of it from that random chain of letters and symbols YouTube assigns, to something a little more catchy, say, Zsu's Vegan Pantry.

Pumpkin Waffles with Cider-Maple Syrup
Makes 8 to 10 (4x4-inch) waffles

Syrup:
1/2 cup apple cider
1/2 cup maple syrup

Waffles:
1 cup oat flour
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch or arrowroot starch
2 teaspoons double-acting baking powder
1 cup solid, canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
1/2 cup nondairy milk
1/4 cup aquafaba**
1/4 cup neutral-flavored oil
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice***
1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1. Syrup: Add the cider to a small saucepan and bring to boil over medium heat. Cook the cider until it reduces to about 3 tablespoons, about 20 minutes. Add the maple syrup, stir and set aside. 
2. Combine the oat flour, all-purpose flour, cornstarch and baking powder in a small bowl. Whisk and set aside. In a separate medium bowl, combine the pumpkin, milk, aquafaba, oil, sugar, spice and salt. Whisk well to combine. Add the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Set aside until the waffle iron preheats, about 5 minutes. 
3. Preheat the waffles iron according to manufacturer's directions. Add the recommended amount of batter to the iron and cook as directed. When the waffles is ready transfer it to a cooling rack. The waffle will become crisp after about 40 seconds.
4. Serve the waffles with vegan butter and the cider syrup. 

** Although aquafaba is best if homemade using the recipe provided in the book, you can use aquafaba from canned chickpeas. Use the organic, low-sodium, canned chickpeas and strain off the liquid into a measuring cup using a fine mesh strainer. Note the amount of liquid you acquired, then add it to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until the liquid reduces by 1/3. Cool the aquafaba completely before using.

*** If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice, use 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger and 1/4 teaspoon fresh nutmeg. 


© 2016 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

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"living candida-free" + giveaway

I have reviewed a few cookbooks over the years, but very much like the last book I reviewed, this one is not just a cookbook - it is a guide. It is a very important guide to living with candida. Candida is a yeast that lives in our bodies - in all of our bodies - but sometimes that yeast grows too big and begins to affect our health.

Symptoms of candida-related illness can range from fatigue, memory loss, brain fog, depression, problems in the bathroom, headaches, to rashes and hives. Ricki Heller, author of Living Candida-Free, details how she herself was diagnosed with candida and her ordeal over many decades to find treatment.

Ultimately, as we all know, the most effective treatment for bodily illnesses is through diet. Your diet determines the health of your immune system among other systems in the body, however, where candida is concerned, it is a  most vital part of the treatment.

Ricki Heller, with Andrea Nakayama, provides a complete three-step program to help you conquer candida  and live as candida-free as possible in this groundbreaking book, Living Candida-Free.

Candida grows in your body based on what you eat. Certain foods, such as sugar, feed the yeast and make it grow. When it grows out of control, it causes an imbalance in your body and results in noticeable and negative reactions.

Ricki covers all the nuances of treatment, offers her three step plan, details the foods that are good to eat and ones that can make the candida flare up and, most importantly, provides us with recipes of delicious food that puts you on the path of health.

You might think that this book has nothing to do with you, but, since all bodies live with candida, there is a chance that your candida is out of whack. To help determine if you are one of the folks with a candida imbalance, there is a Yeast Assessment Form in the book that helps you gauge your risk factor.

If you already know that there is a good chance that you have candida out of control, then this is definitely the book for you. Don't even wait, go and buy it right now. For the rest of us, this is an excellent book to assess just how much candida has grown in our bodies and how to treat it before it gets out of control.

Ricki Heller and Da Capo Publishing have given me permission to share one of the recipes from Living Candida-Free. Get the recipe and enter to win the book at the end of the post.

This is one book I think everyone can benefit from. More than just a cookbook, it is a guide to improved health. Contest open to US and Canada residents. Contest ends Monday, February 23.

"Conquer the hidden epidemic that is making you sick!"

Almost Instant Grain-Free Breakfast Porridge

Good for: Stage 2 and beyond (or all stages if fruit is omitted)

I came across this recipe when I first taught a course with Andrea and it was included in the recipe packet for course participants. It was definitely love at first bite! This porridge is quick and easy, and infinitely variable: use sunflower or hemp instead of the pumpkin seeds; substitute another favorite nut instead of the walnuts; include the coconut or omit it, as you wish. It’s also a great year-round breakfast as you won’t have to heat up the kitchen cooking it on the stove top.

MAKES 1 SERVING

2 tablespoons (30 ml) unsweetened coconut flakes or shredded coconut

1 tablespoon (15 ml) raw pumpkin seeds

1 tablespoon (15 ml) raw whole flaxseeds

2 teaspoons (10 ml) chia seeds

1 tablespoon (15 ml) raw walnuts (about 6 walnuts)

½  teaspoon (2.5 ml) ground cinnamon

½  to ¾  cup (120 to 180 ml) very hot water

7 to 10 drops plain or vanilla pure liquid stevia

2 to 4 tablespoons (30 to 60 ml) coconut milk

(page 99), almond, or other milk of choice

½  cup (120 ml) blueberries or other fresh berries, or chopped fresh apricots

In a coffee grinder, grind the coconut, pumpkin seeds, flaxseeds, chia seeds, walnuts, and cinnamon. Transfer to a bowl and cover with water. Let sit for a few minutes to thicken. Add the stevia, coconut milk, and blueberries and stir well.

Note: You can make a large batch of this cereal in advance and store it in single

servings in the freezer so it’s ready to go when you need it: thaw overnight in the refrigerator and enjoy! It’s also great for traveling. Just bring single servings of the dry mixture with you in resealable plastic bags, empty into a bowl, and add hot water for a quick and delicious breakfast.

From Living Candida-Free by Ricki Heller. Reprinted with permission from Da Capo Lifelong, © 2015.

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