#MeatlessMonday - Vietnamese Summer Rolls Plus a Vegan Dessert!

Recently I've been obsessed with Vietnamese Summer Rolls. There is something about that cold, crisp bite that is instantly refreshing! I realized that I was ordering them off any menu they graced so it was about time I learned how to make them for myself.

After a quick spin down the Asian Foods aisle of the grocery store, I had all the ingredients I needed. It's amazing how even the most obscure ingredients, i.e. rice paper, can be found just a few rows over from Lunchables.

Don't forget to get a taste of the Vegan sweets from Sugar Beak Bakery at the bottom of this post!

Transform Your Tofu: Caprese Appetizers

Since working with Nasoya, I have had the chance to tackle tofu far more often than I would have imagined. However, there are only so many stir-frys a gal can make. That's why I decided to think outside the "block" and find a fun new way to serve our soy-filled friend!

Tofu Caprese

Ingredients
1 block of Nasoya firm tofu
fresh cherry tomatoes
fresh basil
Italian Dressing

Preparation
Using a melon-baller, scoop out balls of tofu from the block.

Place in a small storage container and cover with Italian dressing. Let marinate for at least one hour.

Skewer together the basil, tomatoes and tofu on toothpicks. Arrange and serve!

Rethink Your Tofu Timing: Tofu For Dessert

When I think of tofu my brain always goes right to stir-frys. It's pretty much everyone's go-to when they try tackling tofu for the first time but there are many different ways to play with this amazing ingredient such as incorporating it into an unexpected course, dessert!

I decided to create a tasty dessert that was packed with protein because who doesn't want a dessert you can feel less guilty about??

Super Simple Sweet and Sour Soup

Go ahead, try and say that one ten times fast! It will be a lot harder to say than it is to make, I promise! I love getting Hot and Sour soup when I order Chinese food, although I always load it with Duck Sauce to give it some sweetness. I wanted to see how I could make it at home and when I started researching recipes, my mind started to get a little boggled. Dried mushrooms?? Oh yeah, because I have those just laying around! 

Well, you know me! I figured out how to make the yummy soup with the stuff you already have in house! Check it out.

Ingredients

4 c Chicken, Beef or Vegetable Broth

1/4 c soy sauce

1/4 c rice vinegar

1 tbsp crushed red chili paste (Sambal)

assorted mushrooms, sliced thin

sliced tofu

brown sugar, to taste

black pepper

1 egg, beaten

Thai Coconut Soup

Once again, I let you all decide what was for dinner and the unanimous vote was Thai Coconut Soup! Traditionally when made, this dish called "Tom Kah" is SUPER complex with fish sauces and chili pastes and lemon grass... enough to make you grab the Thai takeout menu and just order in!

Here's a super simple way to get all that yummy flavor in a pinch and for a penny! (ok, a few bucks)

Serves 2

Ingredients:
fresh ginger
madras curry paste
1 lime
1 can of coconut milk
1/2 can chicken broth
crushed red peppers (Sambal)
cilantro
Thai basil (optional)
green onion
salt
brown sugar

Kimchi Tofu Soup

 

As some of you know, the month of March has been a whirlwind for me and Kasey's Kitchen. Between menu tastings, production meetings (yay!), interviews and traveling, I knew that when I finally slowed down, my immune system would be shot. 

So, as predicted... while I was playing catch up yesterday I felt a little lump in my throat start and my nose became a little stuffy. I decided when I got home I needed to make a soup that would kick this cold to the curb before it knew what hit it!