BBQ "Pulled" Tofu Sandwiches

It's like pulled pork, but made with tofu, and it's good! After a stressful day at work, I was craving comfort food, but after a weekend of eating out, I wanted to keep it light. The sweet barbecue tofu with a tangy coleslaw on a toasted bun really hit the spot. The flavors are bold and classic so you might not even notice there is no meat. This recipe passed the husband test so I know it will satisfy meat eaters and vegans alike.

Ingredients:

• 1 package (14-16 oz) firm tofu
• 1 bottle of your favorite barbecue sauce
• 1 lime
• 4 cups shredded cabbage
• 1 tablespoon veganaisse
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce
• salt and pepper to taste
• 4 hamburger buns

1. Shred the tofu using the large side of a cheese grater and place tofu in a cool skillet. 
2. Add barbecue sauce and juice of half a lime. My sauce was really thick and I used the whole bottle plus a cup of water. You want just enough sauce so the tofu can marinade for an hour or so. 
3. While tofu is marinating, make your coleslaw. Combine veganaisse, juice of the other half of lime, teaspoon of hot sauce, and pinch of salt. Mix and toss with the cabbage. Set aside.
4. Place tofu on burner over medium heat and bring to a simmer. While tofu is cooking, toast burger buns. 
5. After about 10-15 minutes, sauce should be thickened. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
6. Assemble sandwiches and serve immediately. 

More Salsa!

Fiesta may be over, but I've still got salsa on my mind! As a follow up to my previous post of a black beans salsa, I wanted to share a couple more of my favorite salsa recipes.

This first one was my creation for last year's salsa contest where I won for the best salsa verde (but I had the only green salsa so that really doesn't say much, does it?). It's called "La Bomba Verde" and it's a thin sauce which you can use as a dip or to top food.

Ingredients:

• 1 onion
• 3 jalapenos (you can use less if you want it more mild)
• 1 bulb of garlic
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 2 cans tomatillos
• salt to taste
• sugar to taste
• 1 tablespoon vinegar
• 1 cup water
• 1 bunch of cilantro

1. Chop the onion, jalapenos, and garlic. They don't have to be very small as the salsa will eventually be blended. Then sweat them in some olive oil. 
2. Add 2 cans of tomatillos, salt, a dash of sugar, vinegar, and 1 cup of water. 
3. Let simmer, uncovered, for 2 hours. Add more water as the salsa thickens.
4. Roughly chop the cilantro and add to salsa. Puree with an immersion blender. Add more salt if necessary, but go light. 
5. Serve over food or refrigerate and use as a salsa dip.

The other salsa I want to share is one that a coworker made: a black bean and corn salsa. This salsa tastes fresh despite being made up of mostly canned food, and is the perfect combination of sweet and savory. This recipe is from Trader Joe's and uses their delicious Corn and Chili Salsa which you may want to stock up on in case they ever stop making it. If  that tragedy ever happens, I suppose you could substitute regular corn and this salsa would still be great. 

Ingredients:

• 2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 jar Trader Joe's Corn and Chili Salsa
• 1 red onion, finely diced
• 1 garlic clove, finely diced
• 1 jalapeno, finely diced
• 1 bunch cilantro leaves, chopped
• juice of 1 lime
• salt to taste

1. Combine ingredients in a large bowl and season. 
2. Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.

Viva La Fiesta! Salsa

Fiesta week has arrived in Santa Barbara! And that means lots of fun, sun, and delicious food. Fiesta is throw back to the "Old Spanish Days" of Santa Barbara, and is a time our community comes together to celebrate the various cultures in which our city was built upon.

My coworkers are holding a "dip off" in the spirit of Fiesta. I made a colorful black bean salsa. Lime vinaigrette brightens up the flavors and a little bit of chili sauce gives it a nice kick. I used just enough avocado so you get a little in each bite. Adding avocado to a salsa rather than making a guacamole helps stretch the costly avocado and cuts back the fat, but you still get the benefits of its creamy richness.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 red onion
• 1 bell pepper (any color of your liking, but I like red, orange, or yellow for the color)
• 6 cloves garlic
• 2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 small avocados
• 1 bunch of cilantro
• 1-2 limes
• 1/2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1-2 teaspoons salt 
• Sirracha or other chili sauce

1. Dice the onion, bell pepper, and garlic- you want it to be about the size of a black bean- and then saute in olive oil over medium heat.
2. Place onion, bell pepper, and garlic into a large bowl and allow to cool.
3. Meanwhile, chop cilantro leaves and cut avocado into bean size pieces. Add to bowl along with the black beans. You need to work quickly on getting the vinaigrette done for the next step and into the salsa once you get the avocado cut so it doesn't start turning brown.
4. Dress with juice of 1 lime, red wine vinegar, salt, and few dashes of chili sauce. Add more of any of these things to suit your taste. Toss well and chill before serving.