Hey there! Did you have a good weekend?
I spent the weekend indoors being super productive. I wrote a lot, did a bunch of stuff to prepare for two new book releases and I made some vegan butter cookies for us and some hummingbird cupcakes for my in-laws. It was nothing all that interesting but it went by in a blur and here we are…back at Monday. Again.
What are your plans for the week?
My plan is to write, to work and to definitely and without a doubt get out of this house this week. NO MATTER WHAT!!!
But until then, let’s talk about vegan takeout meals. Do you have restaurants with lots of vegan options in your neighborhood? I do not.
Ploiesti is a pretty big town with almost 200,000 residents, so really there should be more vegan options than there are. My waistline appreciates it, but the rest of me is pretty annoyed about it once in a blue moon.
So what’s a girl to do when she needs (okay, wants) something she or her hubs doesn’t have to cook? Either eat something that doesn’t tickle my tastebuds or…cook it anyway.
I chose, as I usually do, to cook it anyway.
This vegan takeout recipe is a pretty simple one: garlic pepper tofu.
The ingredients are simple and easy to find year round, and those that you can find, like black vinegar, can be replaced with alternatives.
Kitchen Tools:
*Cutting board
*Kitchen knife
*Skillet (Wok if you have it!)
*Wooden spoon
Ingredients:
*Bell peppers
*Onion
*Garlic
*TVP
*Sesame seeds (toasted lightly)
*Chili pepper
*Soy sauce
*Agave syrup
*Cornstarch
*Black vinegar
Instructions:
note: if you don’t want an oil-free vegan recipe, just add oil to the skillet before adding the first ingredients.
*Rehydrate TVP or prep your other vegan meat alternative if necessary.
*Heat skillet over medium-high heat and add chopped onions, chili pepper and bell peppers. Cook 5 to 7 minutes and then add sliced garlic.
*Cook until garlic is fragrant and onions & peppers are slightly browned.
*Stir in 2 tablespoons of soy sauce and water or broth, cook 2 to 3 minutes.
*Make a cornstarch slurry (cornstarch & water) and add it to the skillet, bringing the sauce to a boil. Reduce to a simmer until the sauce is thick.
*Stir in agave syrup and black vinegar just before you remove from heat and serve.
*Mix in TVP and serve, garnishing with toasted sesame seeds.
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The Spicy Spatula 
Whatcha think?