Try This: Radish Chips

I think radishes are totally underrated.I haven’t always felt this way.  I certainly did not grow up eating radishes, and while I do remember that they were one of “those things” that Daddy liked but “we” didn’t, I have no memory of ever actually trying them.

The first time in my entire life that I was ever aware of eating a radish then was last spring when I did a 3-day detox meal plan from Maria Marlowe, and one of the salad recipes called for them.  At that time, I discovered that I actually like these crunchy, peppery little guys!

If radishes aren’t yet a part of your rotation, give them a shot!  My favorite way to eat them these days is what I call Radish Chips.

Radish chips can be either raw or roasted.  As is the case with most root vegetables, roasting makes them more tender and sweet than their raw counterparts.

To Make
All you do is slice a handful of radishes thinly and toss them with olive oil and salt.   I like to eat them raw at this point, but if you want to roast them, you can do so in a 375 degree oven for about 10 minutes on each side (or a little longer if you want them pretty crispy…just be careful not to burn them!).

And of course you can add your seasonings of choice, to either the raw or roasted version!  Pictured above are roasted radish chips with the following seasonings (clockwise from top): cumin, plain (just salt), oregano, and turmeric.

Weigh in on radishes in the comments–do you love ’em or hate ’em?

This post is part of a series on the blog called Try This, providing new or interesting ways to prepare and enjoy a staple vegan food.  They’re not really recipes, just fun ideas!  Other posts in the series:
Try This: Banana Breakfast “Burritos”
Try This: Chili Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Try This: Tofu Bacon

Have a great weekend everyone!  Go Seahawks!

Try This: Banana Breakfast “Burrito”

Easy as 1-2-3, for those mornings when you can’t possibly handle more than that.  

1) Cut the banana and your wrapper of choice (I used a brown rice wrap from TJ’s but any kind will do) in half.

2) Spread peanut butter (or any other kind of nut/seed butter) and jelly across the wrap and place the banana in the lower half of the wrap.

3) Roll it up and go!

Tip: for more texture, use chunky peanut butter, or add a sprinkle of hemp seeds on top of the peanut butter.

This seriously travels so well and has become my go-to for a healthy, filling breakfast on the fly.

This post is part of a new series on the blog called Try This, providing new or interesting ways to prepare and enjoy a staple vegan food.  They’re not really recipes, just fun ideas!  Other posts in the series:
Try This: Chili Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Try This: Tofu Bacon

Have a great weekend!  

Oh and GO PATS!!!

Try This: Chili Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Who doesn’t love roasted sweet potatoes?  Give some extra pizzazz to this tried and true side dish by cutting a medium sweet potato into chunks and tossing with:

1 tbsp. olive oil (or refined coconut oil, melted)
1 tbsp. maple syrup
1/4 – 1/2 tsp. chili powder (or chipotle chili powder if you want a real kick!)
1/4 tsp. ground coriander
1/8 tsp. cayenne (more or less to taste)
Sprinkle of sea salt

Roast at 400F for 10 minutes, flip, and roast 10 more minutes.  That’s it!

These are absolutely delightful dipped in sriracha ketchup, dijon mustard, or anything else your heart desires!

This post is part of a new series on the blog called Try This, providing new or interesting ways to prepare and enjoy a staple vegan food.  They’re not really recipes, just fun ideas!

To see the first post in the Try This series, follow the link–Try This: Tofu Bacon.

Have a great weekend!

Try This: Tofu Bacon

The running cliche is that vegans will make bacon out of anything.  A brief glance at the blogosphere certainly supports the theory, as it is overflowing with ideas on how to make a vegan version of the ubiquitous salty-sweet topper out of coconut, shiitake mushrooms, eggplant, and, of course, tempeh.

But I have a new obsession: tofu bacon.  While it’s probably the most stereotypically vegan-sounding of all, it’s also so super-simple and so super-cheap that I now find myself making it all the time.

All. The. Time.

This is what you do.  Press your tofu (I usually do half a block at a time), then slice it nice and thin.  It probably isn’t strictly necessary to press it, but I think pressing helps the tofu soak up more of the marinade’s flavors.

Get out some sort of container in which you can lay out the tofu strips in no more than two layers.  Dump in enough low-sodium soy sauce to just coat the bottom (the exact amount will depend on the size of your container).  Then add 2-3 dashes of liquid smoke and 1/2-1 tsp. of maple syrup and swirl it all around until combined.

Lay the tofu strips side-by-side in the mixture.  If they all fit in one layer on the bottom of your container, then you’re done!  If you have to go to two layers (I always do), then shake a little more soy sauce, liquid smoke, and maple syrup over the top.  Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes to overnight.  Then you just spray a pan with cooking oil and pan-fry the strips for a couple minutes on each side until browned and a little crispy.

My favorite way to eat this is as a TLT on toasted whole wheat, with a little bit of vegan mayo spread on there.

I’ve also had it with red onion slices and it rocks.  Also, the tomatoes and lettuce are from our farmstand, and their incredible fresh flavor combined with the smoky-sweet tofu bacon makes this my absolute favorite sandwich of the moment.

Don’t forget–Boston Vegetarian Food Festival is coming up this weekend!!!