I stan soft tofu. Soft tofu with mushrooms, chilled soft tofu with a spicy soy sauce, soft tofu in dessert, it doesn’t matter. My current favorite is this: a super-simple block of soft tofu with creamy avocado and crunchy bits of furikake. I’m not sure what’s faster : the amount of time to make this dish or the amount of time it takes for me to devour it.
Ingredients:
1 14-ounce block silken tofu
1 avocado, peeled and thinly sliced
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons lime juice
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons furikake
Cut the tofu into 1/2-inch-thick slices and arrange them on a plate. Shingle the avocado slices across the top of the tofu. Drizzle with the soy sauce, lime juice, and oil, then sprinkle with furikake. Serve immediately.
I promise you that this kale salad doesn’t taste like a plate of twigs. It’s got the perfect texture and thanks to chickpeas and hemp seeds, it’s nutty and full of protein, too. And honestly? The roasted spiced chickpeas make a terrific snack on their own too. Make sure to use curly kale here, as Tuscan kale will be too rough for the salad.
Ingredients:
For the salad:
1 bunch curly kale, washed and stemmed
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3-4 radishes, diced
2 Persian cumbers, diced (optional)
1 tablespoon hemp seeds
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
For the roasted chickpeas:
1 15-ounce can chickpeas
1 teaspoon avocado oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
For the tahini honey mustard dressing:
1 tablespoon tahini
Juice of 1 lemon (about 2 tablespoons)
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon honey
Make the roasted chickpeas: Preheat the oven to 400F degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Rinse and drain the chickpeas, then pat dry. On the baking sheet, toss the chickpeas with the avocado oil, salt, paprika, garlic powder, and cayenne. Roast the chickpeas for 20 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy. Set aside.
Make the tahini honey mustard dressing: In a small bowl, combine the tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, mustard, and honey. Whisk the dressing to emulsify. Whisk in up to 1 teaspoon water to thin as needed. Set dressing aside.
Make the salad: Tear kale into bite-sized pieces, then add to a large bowl along with the olive oil, vinegar, and salt and massage for 30 seconds or until the kale appears softened. Add the roasted chickpeas, radish, cucumbers, hemp seeds, and nutritional yeast.
Drizzle the dressing and toss to combine, and serve.
I can’t get enough chili crisp and I know you can’t either. This unlikely pairing of chili crisp, beets, kale, and creamy ricotta has won me over and honestly, I can’t stop making (or eating) it. Adapted from Bon Appetit, you can easily prepare the beets a day ahead of time and assemble the rest of the dish the day of. And this side dish is just as delicious without the ricotta, too.
Ingredients:
1 garlic clove, grated
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons chili crisp
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 bunch Tuscan kale, stems and ribs removed
1 pound prepared cooked beets, drained
1/4 cup avocado oil
4 ounces ricotta cheese
Prepare a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Stir garlic, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, chili crisp, and salt in a medium bowl until sugar and salt are dissolved. Set dressing aside.
Toss kale, beets, and oil in a large bowl with your hands until coated. Cook kale and beets, turning occasionally, until kale is crisp and charred and beets are charred, about 4 minutes for kale, 12 minutes for beets. Transfer vegetables to a cutting board and let sit until cool enough to handle. Cut kale into large pieces. Cut beets into quarters. Add beets to reserved dressing and toss to coat. Let sit 20 minutes.
To serve, spread ricotta on a platter. Add kale to bowl with beets, toss to combine. Spoon mixture over ricotta and drizzle remaining dressing all over.
This asparagus isn’t beautiful, but it’s simple, straightforward, and delicious. The whole thing comes together and the best part is you can swap out almost any green vegetable for the asparagus with similar results. Got Chinese broccoli or green beans in the fridge instead? Same prep, same method. Serve with rice and you’re good to go.
Ingredients:
Salt
1 bunch asparagus, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 teaspoons avocado oil
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1/4 cup oyster sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
Pepper
1/2 cup chicken stock
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it. Blanch the asparagus for a minute. Drain the asparagus well in a colander.
Heat the oil in a wok over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 10 seconds.
Add the drained asparagus to the wok and stir-fry over high heat for 1 minute. Add the chili garlic sauce and fish sauce and continue to stir-fry for a few seconds. Add the oyster sauce, sugar, and a dash of pepper. Stir-fry for a few more seconds, then add the chicken stock and cook until the sauce is thickened to a light glaze, for about a couple minutes. Serve warm.
Yeah, I know. No one gets excited at the thought of cabbage. But hear me out. What if the cabbage was charred to a caramelized goodness and tossed with a tangy kimchi sauce and butter beans for heft? I never thought I’d say this about cabbage, but I could eat this every day. Adapted from Bon Appetit, I recommend jarred butter beans for this recipe as the quality makes all the difference.
Ingredients:
1/2 small head of cabbage, cored and cut into 3-inch pieces
1 15-ounce jar or can butter beans or other large white beans, drained and rinsed
1/3 cup olive oil, divided
3 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup finely chopped drained kimchi, plus 2 tablespoons kimchi juice
1 teaspoon sugar
5 tablespoons lemon juice, divided
1/3 cup tahini
1 jalapeno, sliced
1/4 cup chopped dill
1/4 cup chopped parsley
Place a rack in the lower third of the oven; preheat to 450F degrees. Toss cabbage, beans, 1/4 oil, and 2 teaspoons salt on a rimmed baking sheet until cabbage leaves are separated and coated with oil. Roast until cabbage is tender and charred in spots, 30-35 minutes.
Whisk kimchi, kimchi juice, sugar, 3 tablespoons lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a small bowl to combine. Set kimchi dressing aside.
Whisk tahini, remaining 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/3 cup water in a medium bowl until light and creamy. Set tahini sauce aside.
Spoon half of reserved kimchi dressing over roasted cabbage and beans and toss gently to coat. Spread reserved tahini sauce over a platter and drizzle remaining kimchi dressing over. Pile cabbage and beans on top, and garnish with jalapeno, dill, and parsley on top.
