Foodie Friday : Fish tacos

Vegan friendly fish tacos fresh from the Real Swanky kitchen. Follow Caitlin as she guides you through a quick, easy, adaptable recipe this Foodie Friday! Shallow fried tofu, coated in English-style fish + chip batter, on a bed of red cabbage, freshly chopped cilantro and a spicy mayo. Plant based fish tacos, enough to feed a Canadian army of 2.

Yields: 6 fish tacos - though this recipe is easy to half or double!

Ingredients I : The Batter

1/2 cup Fish and Chips batter

1/4 cup ice cold water

1 ice cube

Ingredients II : The Tofu-Fish

1/2 block extra firm tofu, cut into triangles, strips or torn into bite-size chunks

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp old bay seasoning

Ingredients III : The Toppings

1 cup thinly sliced red cabbage

1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves

Ingredients IV : The Sauce

3 tbsp dairy free mayo

1 tsp lime juice

3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon garlic

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

Considerably Optional

- Sliced avocado

- Chopped tomatos

- Skip the spicy sauce and go straight for mayo

- Finely chopped pickles

Did you know a ton of fish + chip battermixes are vegan friendly? They're primarily a flour of sorts (wheat, corn, rice, etc) in which you mix 2/3 cup of ice cold water to every 1 cup of batter mix. 

To start on Ingredients I, I often muck about with the batter mix directions and do 1/4 cup ice cold water to 1/2 cup batter mixture plus an ice cube. This does the trick wonderfully for half a block of extra firm tofu, or about 1 cup of dunkable proteins/vegetables. My favourite is the Club House brand.

For Ingredients II, slice/tear up your tofu or protein source, and throw it in a zip baggy with the lemon juice and old bay seasoning. Pop in the fridge while you prep your other toppings.

Prep Ingredients III, by thinly slicing your red cabbage and chopping up your cilantro.

Sort out your sauce. Add all of Ingredients IV together and stir well. Taste test for seasonings. Add in a little extra spices, mayo, garlic or lime juice if needed! 

Get ready to shallow fry your tofu. In a 6-8" non stick pan, place about 1/8"-1/4" oil in your pan and turn onto medium-high. 

Wait about 2 minutes for the oil to heat up. In the meantime, roll your marinaded tofu in your batter mixture (Ingredients I). 

Place a small piece of your battered tofu in the centre of the pan. In a moment or two you should hear some satisfying ttszzzz sizzling action.

Shallow fry on each side for a few minutes, or until each side is a crunchy golden brown.

Assemble your tacos - I start with the red cabbage, add cilantro, the fish, and drizzle with sauce. If you'd like, add some sliced avocado or a bit of habanero sauce!

 Find more rad recipes over at The Hardcore Herbivore!

Foodie Friday : sesame 'chicken' with lo mein noodles

Caitlin from Real Swanky here, sharing my latest favourite recipe: sesame chick'n with pan fried lo mein noodles. This recipe is quick, easy, adaptable and easy on the change purse! With lo mein noodles setting you back approximately $1.50 (to serve 4-6) and Soya Slices at $1.19 (to serve 6-8), breathe easy knowing you can feed an army on a budget no worries. :) 

Eerily similar to sesame "chicken" at vegan friendly Chinese restaurants. Which are, oddly, freakishly similar to sesame actually-chicken at non-vegan friendly spots in town. Whip this recipe up in 

I picked up my soya slices at Dino's Grocery in Winnipeg's West End. I like Luxmi brand soya slices. Alternatively, check out Bulk Barn for their "So Soya Slices" in Bulk near the TVP and quinoa. One "Bulk Barn"-sized scoop costs approximately $1.25, the slices typically double in thickness after soaking.

Ingredients for Soya Slices

3/4 cup dehydrated soy slices*

2 cups hot water

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp garlic, minced

-- Oil, for frying

-- Cornstarch, for frying

-- Sesame seeds, to garnish

Ingredients for Sesame Sauce

2 cloves garlic, minced / 1 tsp jarred garlic

1 inch fresh ginger / 1 tsp jarred ginger

1/2 onion, chopped

1/4 cup rice vinegar

2 tbsp Kikkoman soy sauce

2 tbsp brown sugar

1/4 cup orange juice**

2 tbsp agave

1 tsp Sriracha

1 tsp sesame oil

-- 1 tbsp corn starch + 1/4 cup water, mixed in a cup, kept aside

Ingredients for Lo Mein

Lo Mein noodles

Water for boiling

1-2 tbsp sesame oil

-- Sesame seeds, to garnish

Method for Soya Slices

Soya slices need marinating in hot water to bring them to a chewy, textured, hearty consistency. Bring a kettle of water to a boil. Pour 2 cups of this hot water in a large bowl and add remaining ingredients, all but the ingredients beginning with two dashes. Place a plate on top and let sit for 15 minutes. When 15 minutes is up, it ought to look like this:

Method for Lo Mein

Bring a pot of water to a boil, place your lo mein noodles in. Turn down to a simmer and cook about 4-5 minutes. Drain, then drizzle with sesame oil. In a large pan, fry up noodles on medium high. Stir and break up noodles as they start to brown and crisp up in the pan.

Frying the Soya Slices

In a large pan, pour enough oil in to lightly cover the base of the pan - about 4 tbsp.

Squeeze out the soy slices without breaking them. Coat lightly in cornstarch.

Fry in 1-2 batches (fresh oil for a second batch) for 5-6 minutes, turning as each side turns golden brown and crispy.

Method for Sesame Sauce

Place all ingredients minus cornstarch + water in a pot and bring to a simmer. Once bubbling, add in cornstarch + water mixture. Whisk until thickened and glossy.

**Alternatively, sub the OJ and sweeteners for apricot jelly!

Toss soya slices in sauce, being mindful not to stir in too much sauce.

Top with sesame seeds and serve alongside lo mein.

Sub the soya slices out for any protein of your choosing - just be sure to make up this awesome sesame sauce that keeps for up to a week in the fridge! (Not that you'll have leftovers ;)!)

Find more rad recipes over at

The Hardcore Herbivore !

Foodie Friday : no bake coconut cookies with almond butter

No bake cookies that whip up in a hot minute. Recipe by Caitlin of Real Swanky! Coconut oil helps firm up the cookies as it returns to it's more-so solidified state in the fridge.

Ingredients I

1/4 cup coconut oil, loosely scooped

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 tbsp dairy free cream

2 tbsp carob or cocoa powder

Ingredients II

1/3 cup nut butter (I used almond)

1 1/4 cups rolled oats

3/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

Vanilla

Up to 1/3 cup add-ins (chopped nuts, chocolate chips, dried cherries etc)

In a sauce pan, heat the oil in Ingredients I. Once fully melted, add in the remaining ingredients.

Let boil for a little under a minute and remove from heat. Add in all of Ingredients II, and stir until well combined.

With an ice cream scooper, scoop onto parchment paper on a 9x13 pan.

Refrigerate for a few hours (however, firms up best overnight).

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Find more rad recipes over at Caitlin's blog,

The Hardcore Herbivore!

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Foodie Friday : Smoky maple tofu "bacon"

Give those gustatory receptors a run for their money. Smoky, maple-kissed tofu baked in the oven. Super quick, easy, and adaptable as ever! Caitlin of Real Swanky shows you how below..

Preheat oven to 375F.

Marinade

1/4 cup water

3 tbsp (light) Kikkoman soy sauce

2 tbsp brown sugar, loosely packed

1 1/2 tbsp nutritional yeast flakes

1 heaping tbsp pure maple syrup

1/2 tsp liquid smoke ("hickory" flavour)

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp pepper

Extra firm or pressed tofu - sliced into 1/4" thick pieces

1 tbsp coconut oil, melted (alternatively, canola oil or cooking spray)

Create your marinade. Allow tofu to soak up the flavour. I let mine marinade for ~1hr while I was out and about. Reserve the marinade!

Oil up your 9 x 12 baking pan.

Bake for a total of 15 minutes. Each 4-5 minute interval, flip your tofu, and spoon remaining marinade on top.

Transfer to a cooling rack with parchment paper on top.

I downed mine on an open face sandwich ft. buttered, toasted Canadian rye bread and coleslaw.

For the coleslaw

1/2 cup shredded cabbage

1 heaping tbsp vegan mayo

1 tsp dijon mustard

1/4 tsp celery salt

Pinch of: garlic powder, onion powder, pepper

See more over at Caitlin's blog,

The Hardcore Herbivore!

Garden vegetable baked fusilli.

Step into the kitchen with Caitlin of Real Swanky! Today we work on a quick and easy baked pasta dish. Incredibly adaptable, quick and easy!

Ingredients I

2 cups dry fusilli

5 cloves garlic

Water, for boiling pasta

Pinch of salt

Ingredients II

1 small zucchini, sliced

1/2 red bell pepper, sliced

6 mushrooms, chopped

1/2 yellow onion, sliced

1 roma tomato, chopped

1/2 tsp basil

1/2 tsp oregano

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper 

Ingredients III

12oz (1 1/2 cups) crushed tomatoes

1/2 cup non dairy cheese - I used a blend of Daiya mozzarella and cheddar

Ingredients IV

2 tbsp butter, melted

1/2 cup panko

2 tbsp nutritional yeast

Optional: flat leaf parsley

Preheat oven to 415F.

Oil up the inside of your dish, which ought to be about 8x12".

In a pot, boil water with salt for your pasta. Once boiling, drop in your garlic and pasta. Bake for ~7 minutes, or until 3/4 way cooked through.

Saute all of Ingredients II while the pasta is boiling.

Once your pasta is al-dente, drain and place in the frying pan with Ingredients III. 

Stir together and pour into your baking dish.

Top with more cheese if you fancy.

Mix up Ingredients IV and dollop onto your dish. It'll look a little mushy at first, but it crisps up real dandy in the oven.

Bake for 30 minutes on the button, and let cool for 10 minutes or so before serving. Top with parsley if using.

See more recipes over at The Hardcore Herbivore!

Foodie Friday : Vegan vegetable korma

Happy days, everyone! Has anyone made any New Years resolutions? Let's visit with Caitlin / Real Swanky and see what she's up to in the kitchen!

It's the second day into January and already I've been wanting to cook (lots more) and master a few dishes. I'm happy to report this is a solid recipe for vegetable korma that actually tastes like vegetable korma. No dairy here, just coconut-cashew cream. Serve alongside basmati rice, top with slivered almonds. This recipe serves 6-8 and I'll be making heaps more poste-haste.

Ingredients I - curry paste 

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp ground turmeric

1 tsp salt

1-2 tsp coarsely ground pepper

2 tsp masala

2 tsp white sugar

1 tbsp grated ginger

2 garlic cloves or 2 tsp minced garlic from the jar

2 tbsp tomato paste

2 tbsp canola oil

1 green chili, seeds taken out

1/4 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut

1/4 cup water

Ingredients II

2 tsp vegan butter

1 onion, diced - about 3/4 cup

1 red pepper, julienned

1 white potato, cubed into 1/2" pieces (steam beforehand to save you some time later on) 

1/2 cup carrots, sliced/cubed/etc (steam with the potatoes)

1/2 cup snow peas

3/4 cup broccoli, cut into florets 

Ingredients III - cashew cream - soak these together overnight/at least 3 hours

3/4 cup raw cashews

1 - 14oz can coconut milk

Method

In a small blender or food processor, puree all of Ingredients I. 

In a small pot, add in the butter from Ingredients II. Once the butter starts to sizzle, add in the paste you just made. Allow the flavours to come 'round for a few minutes, then add in your vegetables. 

Stir occasionally for 5 minutes while you make your coconut cream.

To make your coconut cream, throw the coconut milk + cashews in a blender until smooth and creamy. I used the same blender for my cashew cream, as I did to make the paste. Nothing to it but a quick rinse. Add coconut cream from Ingredients III to your pot, stir, and serve once the vegetables are thoroughly cooked through. 

Serve with rice, quinoa, couscous, etc. Top with some slivered almonds.

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Find more recipes over at

TheHardcoreHerbivore.com!

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Tutorial Tuesday

Welcome to Tutorial Tuesday! With the holidays just around the corner, consider making something by hand. Caitlin of Real Swanky has a quick, easy, tutorial for making a safety razor case, with pattern included!

What you need

--Vinyl or flexible, non-fraying material - I chose this grey vegan-friendly vinyl as a leather alternative from Mitchells on Main Street, and picked up the minimal cut that is required.
-- Pen

-- Scissors

-- Sewing machine

-- Thread and bobbin

-- Printed safety razor case pattern

Instructions

1. Download the pattern HERE. Ensure when printing that it fits perfectly on a standard 8.5x11" piece of paper (check your printers settings)

2. Cut out the pattern, and trace it to the wrong side of your vinyl.

..as you can see, this is how you will set up your vinyl to sew together. Inner Flap Cover C lays atop Body A. Piece D sits about half an inch below the top of Body B.

3. Sew along the edges as seen here. If your pattern happens to slip a little, or you didn't cut it perfectly, no worries! Trim after sewing up to the point.  

4. Lay Body B on top of Body A, and sew only the bottom edge.

5. You'll notice the top layer has more width to it up top - this is to compensate for the volume of the razor that will fit in it soon enough. Line up the two edges on the left, and sew.

6. Line up the two edges on the right and sew down.

Heat n' Bond Tutorial

Hullo, everyone! Caitlin of Real Swanky here, with a quick & simple tutorial on how to use Heat n' Bond for your applique projects.

You will need:

Heat n' Bond -- Ultra Light or Feather Light can later be sewn over with your sewing machine. Ultra-Hold will gum up your sewing machine needle, so is only recommended if you don't plan to sew over afterward. 

Fabric to iron your applique on (a shirt, skirt, etc)

Fabric for your applique

Iron

Scissors

Sewing machine, optional

To begin, flip your fabric so the wrong side is facing up. Cut your Heat n' Bond smaller than your fabric, as you will be ironing the entire piece of Heat n' Bond on top of your fabric.

Leave the waxy, peel-off paper on your Heat n' Bond. Iron the bumpy side of Heat n' Bond onto the wrong side of your fabric. Don't move the iron about too much whilst ironing! 

Next, trace a pattern onto the Heat n' Bond and cut out. Note: if you're appliqueing a letter or image that needs to face a certain direction, trace it backwards on the smooth, waxy side of your Heat n' Bond. A heart, letter T, etc will be fine to trace "as is"!

Cut out your design.

Carefully peel the waxy side of the Heat n' Bond off, and discard. Now, the wrong side of your fabric will be shiny, which is the adhesive that has transferred onto it.

Place the shiny (wrong) side of your fabric onto the right side of your selected fabric. 

Now pieces of the fabric will be "right" side up!

Iron, being mindful not to move the iron too much, or the adhesive will budge on you!

Done!

At this point you may leave your applique as is (preferred, if using Ultra Hold) or if using the Lite, you may hand stitch around the perimeter, or use your sewing machine's zig-zag option.

Heat n' Bond is sold in packages or by the meter. My favourite place to buy Heat n' Bond is Mitchell's Fabrics on 637 Main Street, Winnipeg. It runs for $3.50-$4.50/m right now. When sold by the meter, it will normally come with instructions on the smooth side. While sold in packages, instructions are normally on the back of the package. Be sure to roll your Heat n' Bond, and not crumple or fold it!

Tutorial Tuesday: Aged Paper

I spent last week devouring Jane Eyre. I am not a big fan of cutesy Valentine’s Day romance, but tragic, gothic victorian love affairs are definitely my style. This week, I’ll show you how to create the base for your own gothic love letter: aged paper.

This method involves first thoroughly soaking the paper, then drying it in a warm oven. I like baking the paper after staining it because it adds great texture and a fragile quality. It’s important to have your paper cut to the desired size, otherwise you’ll end up with an undyed edge where the cut is made. The paper will curl when first removed from the oven, but pressing it for a day or two under a heavy book will fix this problem.

For this project you can use either tea or coffee. Using tea will result in a fairly subtle light brown or beige colour, while coffee creates a darker, greener stain. If using coffee, I suggest adding a bit of vanilla extract to the soaking liquid to offset the weird smell.

This aged paper works wonderfully for any project! I made some tags using this method (with coffee) and screen printed little rabbits on them with my gocco. I think this would also be great for creating a treasure map for your kids (or pirate-obsessed grown-ups).

Skill level: Very easy

Materials:

a pot of strong black tea or coffee, hot or cold

paper (white or patterned) cut to desired size

flat bottomed glass cake pan (8” x 8”, or 13” x 9”, depending on the quantity of paper)

foil lined cookie sheet

an oven

Instructions:

Heat oven to around 250 degrees F and brew your tea (or coffee) if you don’t already have some cold stuff ready.

Pour your tea (or coffee) into the cake pan and submerge your paper. Allow them to soak for about 5 minutes, or until completely permeated by the liquid.

Carefully remove the paper from the pan. Arrange the pieces on the foil lined cookie sheet. Make sure that the pieces do not touch each other. Let them sit for a couple of minutes.

Bake in the oven for about two minutes. Keep a close eye on them and USE CAUTION! They will dry out quickly, and I certainly don’t want you to have a fire! Take the cookie sheet out and gently lift the paper off the foil . This allows the bottom to dry evenly. Return baking sheet to the oven until the tags are completely dry, about one to three minutes more.

Remove the aged paper from the oven. Allow it to dry for an hour or two, then press under a heavy book to flatten.

You can embellish the paper with stamps, burns and ink splotches. Use a calligraphy pen to write your note. If you’re really enthusiastic, seal the letter with a wax seal, or tie it up with a ribbon and drop it into an old bottle. Your gothic Valentine’s Day love letter is ready to give to your beloved.