1. Has spring arrived in your town yet? We’ve been seeing a lot of sun and the temperature has slowly been rising (almost up to 40°!) and all of us are eager to eat fresh, raw foods on a daily basis. Spring rolls are the perfect food to get you feeling like warmer days are already here. I love spring rolls, but I’ve always been too intimidated to try making them. The wrappers seem so finicky and fragile, and I already know I’m terrible at wrapping based on my burrito experience. On top of that, all of the recipes I found online seemed overly complicated for something so unassuming. After a little practice, I’ve found a great method of making them, even on a day when I don’t feel like cooking. There are so many benefits to making spring rolls. First off, they’re super cheap to make. Just grab a few fresh veggies, like carrots, mushrooms, broccoli, sprouts, or cucumber. Toss a small head of cabbage in your cart and you’re good. If you want to add tofu, I would suggest super-firm, high-protein tofu that doesn’t need to be drained/pressed. (You can find this at Trader Joe’s for cheap!) You can use leftover veg & tofu in your fridge, even. The only “specialty” item you’ll need to get is the rice paper wrappers - I got mine in the international aisle of the grocery store by the “Asian” section. If you’ve ever had rice noodles, they’re basically the same thing but in a sheet. Once hydrated they’re soft and chewy but not heavy. Other great things about these: They’re really filling, despite the salad-like composition. They’re easy to make for a party, like pizza or tacos or sushi. They invite customization and participation! We rarely tout this, but they’re pretty healthy for you, too, depending on what you put in them. So, how do you make them? This is how WE make spring rolls, but there are many ways to do it - I just found this to be the easiest way. Prep all of your fillings. Thinly slice the harder vegetables (like carrots & cucumber), crumble the broccoli & sprouts, shred the cabbage, slice up some super-firm (high protein) tofu. Put a wide pot or pan of water on medium-high heat - make sure it’s wider than the sheets of rice wrapper. Lay out something non-stick on the counter to keep the wrappers from sticking & breaking. I like to use the un-used outer leaves of the cabbage, but you can also use a sushi mat or a damp cutting board. When the water is hot, not boiling, gently place the wrapper in the water. Get it submerged fully and then immediately take it out again, transferring it to the counter. Gently lay the wrapper flat out. It will probably stick to itself, but when it’s still wet you can carefully pull it apart. Then, like a burrito, put your fillings on, being careful not to over-fill. Fold the top and bottom of the wrapper over the filling, then carefully roll and tighten it as you go, until the whole thing is closed. This may take some practice, but I would just suggest taking your time. If the wrapper starts tearing, you might be tightening the roll too much. (Luckily the paper packages usually come with a lot of wrappers!) Make the rolls until you have enough for however many people you’re serving. Usually 2-3 rolls are enough for even very hungry people. Now’s the time to mix together your dipping sauce. To me, spring rolls are made amazing by their relationship to their sauce. You can make it by whisking together 2 tbsp vegan mayo, 1 tsp sriracha, and 1/4 tsp wasabi. Another good sauce option is 1/4 cup soy sauce, 2 cloves minced garlic, 1 tsp sriracha, and some liquid smoke. We hope you guys enjoy making spring rolls as much as we do, and enjoy them as spring finally comes back!
    High Res

    Has spring arrived in your town yet? We’ve been seeing a lot of sun and the temperature has slowly been rising (almost up to 40°!) and all of us are eager to eat fresh, raw foods on a daily basis. Spring rolls are the perfect food to get you feeling like warmer days are already here.

    I love spring rolls, but I’ve always been too intimidated to try making them. The wrappers seem so finicky and fragile, and I already know I’m terrible at wrapping based on my burrito experience. On top of that, all of the recipes I found online seemed overly complicated for something so unassuming. After a little practice, I’ve found a great method of making them, even on a day when I don’t feel like cooking.

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    March 29, 2013
  2. This is that kind of meal that used to worry me. Will the potatoes be soft at the same time as the brussels? Will the tofu have enough time to absorb all the flavors it needs to? How do I make all of this come together? Timing is everything in cooking, and making a meal like this makes me feel pretty good in the kitchen. Not only that, but this breakfast demonstrates exactly what a tofu scramble is best at. I never would have dreamed in my life that I’d ever be eating brussels sprouts, let alone at breakfast. But tofu scrambles have this weird power, making me excited to add vegetables to my morning meal. It really made me love vegetables, even the most hated of all vegetables, the brussels. Try this out on your next cold morning, and I think your mind will be changed about greens at breakfast too.2 large sweet potatoes 4 cups small (I’d even say tiny!) brussels sprouts 1 cup super firm tofu, or 2 cups firm tofu 3 tbsp olive oil spices to taste, I used: turmeric, cinnamon, mild curry powder, sea salt, and freshly ground pepperPrep your ingredients. Cut your brussels off the stalk and cut off any tough stems, slice them in half if you get any large ones. Dice the potatoes. If using firm tofu, press it. Coat the potatoes in olive oil and a heaping pinch of sea salt. Cook them on medium heat for about 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they’re soft. Meanwhile, steam the brussels. Put a steamer basket in a pot with an inch or two of water in the bottom. Cover the pot and turn the heat to medium. Let steam until the brussels are soft and bright green, about the same amount of time it’ll take the potatoes to cook. When the potatoes are pretty soft and getting crisped a bit on the edges, break in the tofu and add the spices. (Remember: this meal is all about flavor from the foods, so spices are pretty secondary. The ones I listed are what I thought worked best, but feel free to create your own mixture. That’s the point of cooking, right, learning what you like?) Pour in the strained brussels. Stir and let cook for another 5 minutes or until everything is flavorful and awesome. Add more salt as needed. Serve hot and enjoy! This makes enough for four people, or two hungry people. ;P
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    This is that kind of meal that used to worry me. Will the potatoes be soft at the same time as the brussels? Will the tofu have enough time to absorb all the flavors it needs to? How do I make all of this come together? Timing is everything in cooking, and making a meal like this makes me feel pretty good in the kitchen.

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    October 28, 2012
  3. When we asked you guys to ask us anything last week, we got a lot of questions about tofu. What is it? How do you cook it? How do you store it? Most importantly - how do you make it not taste like a big block of bland? Read below to learn a lot more about tofu, one of our favorite foods. WHAT IS IT? Tofu is basically soybean bean curd, and is made through a process not too unlike making cheese. It’s not some weird healthy food - it’s good food that just happens to be pretty nutritious that’s gotten a bad rap over the years. I know I’ve had my share of terrible tofu dishes out in the wild, but that doesn’t mean it’s inherently tasteless or bland. It’s the opposite: tofu is like a giant sponge, ready to be absorbed by any flavor you give it, and if you prepare it right it will be great. WHAT KIND SHOULD I BUY?We buy this super-firm high-protein tofu, because you don’t have to press it before you use it and it’s more nutrient dense. We use it for everything! Very firm and firm tofu are best for stir fries, tofu scrambles, and any dish you want the tofu to stick together. Soft and silken tofu are best for sauces, smoothies, soups, pies, and any dish you want the tofu to be more of a liquid.HOW DO I PREP IT? If you’re not using the super firm tofu, you’ll need to press it before you cook it. To press: Drain out the liquid from the tofu package. Wrap the block of tofu in a thick towel. Place the wrapped tofu on a plate, then put another plate on top. Place a stack of books or something heavy on top. Let sit for at least 30 minutes. You need to press out the water in the tofu so you can get flavor in it. Imagine the block like a sponge full of water - once you press the water out, all of the holes in the sponge are empty. That’s what you want! Pressing makes the tofu more dense and chewy, rather than wet and soggy, and will end up in a better flavor for you later. The beauty of tofu is that there are so many ways to prepare it. Usually, I fry it or steam it after marinating it. Below I’ve put together four dishes that use slightly different processes. These all make great quick weekday meals, and the marinated ones get better with age. :) This is a stir fry made with marinated tofu. The tofu was marinated overnight in a mixture of kimchi, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, black pepper, and a little cayenne. I put chopped onion, bell pepper, and the tofu on to cook in some of the marinade itself. Once the tofu started getting crispy and the onions were caramelized, I tossed in the cooked noodles and ate up! One of my favorites: a Canadian BLT. (Meaning: tofu Canadian bacon.) I very thinly sliced some tofu and let it marinate overnight in soy sauce, liquid smoke, maple syrup, sriracha, and salt and pepper. In the morning, I fried it up on a pan and ate it in a sandwich with garlic vegenaise, lettuce, and tomato. A tofu scramble recipe can vary wildly between people, and for me I change it up every time I make it. This one is a mix of tofu, butternut squash, dried cranberry, and spices - but the main ingredients for a scramble usually include tofu, turmeric, olive oil, vegetables, garlic, and salt and pepper. Just crumble up your tofu into a pan with your ingredients and cook until you’re happy with the texture. (I like it to be really crispy!) Scrambles are so great because they can introduce you to brand new ways of eating. I used to hate mushrooms and any leafy green, but by chopping them up in small bits and increasing the size each time, I’m eating them at every meal of the day. This is my boyfriend’s favorite way to eat tofu: shake n’ bake tofu. Toss some small cubes of tofu in a ziplock bag with nutritional yeast, flour, garlic & onion powder, bouillon powder, salt and pepper, and a dash of cayenne. Shake up the bag until everything’s coated. Fry the cubes in a hot oiled pan until golden brown, and serve on a salad or with barbecue sauce or with anything, really! HOW DO I STORE TOFU? If you have leftover tofu from your package (without any flavoring added to it), store it covered in water in a sealable container for up to a week. Change out the water every two days to keep it fresh. You can store the marinating tofu in the fridge for up to a few days. But really, I can never keep it in my fridge for that long :)
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    When we asked you guys to ask us anything last week, we got a lot of questions about tofu. What is it? How do you cook it? How do you store it? Most importantly - how do you make it not taste like a big block of bland? Read below to learn a lot more about tofu, one of our favorite foods.

    Read More

    October 15, 2012