Vegans are frequently misunderstood as abnormal herbivores who choose to eat grass and miss out on protein, despite having the choice to do otherwise. Alongside this popular belief, they're also termed as boring individuals who'd rather live on supplements than eating a living, breathing animal.
There is a severe lack of awareness about vegans and veganism. The goal of this post is not to impart more knowledge on animal cruelty than we already have out there, as let's face it, most of us are content playing the role of informed ignorants. So let's sidetrack from the primary motivation of veganism and have a go at raising awareness beyond animal exploitation, and against the so-called 'boredom' of a vegan diet. In all honesty, vegan food can be as varied as you would like it to be. All you have to do is start creating!
Every now and then, I'll post featured recipes of food you wouldn't imagine to be vegan, along with their health benefits that'll assure you keep away from supplements and attain a well balanced diet. So if you have a great recipe, a signature meal or anything that's fancy and vegan, you can share it with me for a feature on Laughing Ananas. Find my contact details at the end of this post.
Ingredients
Battered tofu:
1 brick firm tofu
3 cups vegetable oil (this quantity may vary for every individual)
1 cup brown rice flour
1 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp of salt
Pinch of pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 cup sparkling water (cold)
Veggies:
4 heads baby bok choy, trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces
1/2 cup button mushrooms, chopped
1/4 cup trimmed and chopped spring onions
1 red bell pepper, chopped
Sesame seeds to top
Sauce:
Sweet and sour sauce (store bought or make your own)
Recipe
Drain the brick of tofu and cut it into bite-sized cubes. Place on a paper towel to absorb excess water while preparing the batter.
Prepare the batter by combining the flour, cornstarch, salt, garlic powder and pepper all together in a mixing bowl.
Now, prepare the vegetables in a separate saucepan with heated oil. Add all of the vegetables and cook for 5-8 minutes, adding the sweet and sour sauce towards the end.
During that time, add the sparkling water to the batter mixture and combine well.
In a medium pot, heat the vegetable oil. This is to prepare the tofu, the quantity of the oil is dependent on how well you want to fry the tofu. The healthier option is obviously lesser oil and less frying.
Using your hands, coat 3-4 cubes of tofu in the batter and drop each one (carefully) into the frying oil.
Fry for 2-3 minutes or until crispy.
Remove them from the oil with a slotted spoon and let them sit on paper towel to absorb excess oil. Continue this process with the remaining tofu cubes.
Add the tofu cubes to the sauce and vegetables and mix together before serving with sesame seeds sprinkled on top.
You can have this with brown rice, or on it's own.
Health Benefits
Tofu is made from soybeans curds which are gluten-free and low calorie, contain no cholesterol and are an excellent source of protein, iron and calcium for vegans.
It is also an excellent source of micronutrients such as essential amino acids, and contains the minerals zinc and vitamin B1. It is well acknowledged to provide the protection against cancer and heart disease in the same way soya beans do. Soya protein also helps lower the levels of bad cholesterol!
Bok Choy is a rich source of vitiamins C, A and K. It also contains important proteins and dietary fibre. It is very nutrient dense which helps promote strong bones, a healthy heart and protects from cancer.
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Hope you enjoyed that recipe. For a feature, contact me on:
laughingananas@gmail.com or you can also follow me and
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TheVeganSurvivalGuide, she's great!
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