The Asian Bowl with Cauliflower and Tofu is a great start for the Veganuary. Lots of colourful crunchy veggies in a flavourful fruity-hot Asian sauce topped with crispy air fried cauliflower and tofu. Meal prep a large batch and you are all set for your work week with a seriously delicious and nutritious meal.
Why You Want to Make This
All the Nutrition in One Bowl
I’m often aiming to get all my veggies for the day in my main meal and this Asian Bowl with Cauliflower and Tofu is no exception. If you use the same vegetables as I do, you get a phenomenal 7 portions of veg, protein from the tofu and healthy carbs from the rice.
Versatile
Of course you could swap the vegetables out for any you might enjoy. Courgettes, broccoli, asparagus, sugar snaps or kale would all fit nicely into this dish.
Protein wise, if you are not a fan of tofu, you could use any meat you enjoy or even some fish. Though do try this way of preparing tofu. It’s super flavourful from the marinade, which doubles as sauce and crispy with tempura batter!
The Sauce
The Sauce is made with a delicious mix of Asian and Middle Eastern flavours, which may sound odd, but work wonderfully. It is both used to marinade the tofu and coat the vegetables, quick pickling the red cabbage in the process, making for a seriously flavourful bowl that you’ll want to keep eating.
The Ingredients
Vegetables
Cauliflower – I found a rather pretty orange cauliflower at my local Tesco and just couldn’t resist. You could just steam or roast it as is, after cutting into small florets, but I opted for coating it in crispy tempura batter and air frying it. If you are using a whole head, you can either fry it in batches or simply put it in the oven. I tried both and found the air fried pieces to be a bit crisper, so that would be my favourite method.
For the remaining veggies, you could use anything in your veg drawer. I had spinach, carrots, mushrooms, red cabbage, mini sweetcorn, and a bag of soy sprouts for a nice Asian inspired mix.
To top the bowl with bright green accents and more flavour, I used a bunch of spring onions and cilantro.
Protein – I’m using tofu here, which gets marinated in part of the sauce, then dipped into tempura batter, same as the cauliflower, and air fried/oven roasted. The sauce imparts lots of flavour here, so no need to worry about bland tofu.
The Sauce
A mix of low sodium soy sauce, orange juice, balsamic and rice vinegar, honey, pomegranate molasses, gochujang paste (or any chili sauce of your choice), nutty sesame oil, garlic and ginger make this a very more-ish dressing that you’ll want to drizzle on anything from salads to stir fry.
The pomegranate molasses has a distinct fruity sweet and sour taste. Most healthfood shops have it these days. If you can’t find it, use a little more balsamic vinegar and a bit more honey.
The Tempura Batter
While you could roast both cauliflower and tofu just covered with the sauce and they will be delicious, the batter adds that extra crispy shell and makes this bowl irresistible. You only need flour (gluten free works too), cornstarch, baking powder, salt, garlic powder, pepper and ice cold sparkling water.
Carbohydrates – I had rice as carb with this bowl, but you could use noodles or any other grain you enjoy. Frekkeh would be particularly good here due to its nutty flavour.
The Process
Pressing the tofu
Start by pressing the tofu, so it’s easier to fry to that perfect chewie texture and can soak up the marinade. If you don’t have a tofu press as mine in the picture, you could wrap it in a clean kitchen towel, then top with something heavy, like a cast iron skillet, to push out the moisture. Be careful though, I had a heavy cast iron pot slide off it once and drop to the floor, leaving a chip in my tiles. Hence my tofu press. I figured it’s less expensive than having to get tiles re-done or buy a new cast iron pot. About 30 minutes should be enough, but you can leave it for longer if you have time.
Once it has given up a good bit of moisture, cut it into bite sized cubes.
Vegetable Preparation
While the tofu is left to its devices, prepare the veggies. Cut the cauliflower into florets, half or quarter the mushrooms, depending on size, julienne or slice the carrots, shred the cabbage thinly, slice the mini sweetcorn in half lengthwise and wash and roughly chop your spinach. Slice the spring onions and roughly chop the cilantro if using.
The Sauce
Peel your ginger. This is easiest done by scraping the skin off with a teaspoon. Sounds weird, I know. But give it a try. I promise you won’t look back.
Peel and mince your garlic.
Mix all the sauce ingredients in a jar and shake well.
Marinate
Use ¼ of the sauce to marinate your tofu cubes. Keep in the fridge for at least 30minutes, so they can soak up all the delicious flavour.
In a large bowl, coat the shredded cabbage with about 3-4 tbsp of the sauce and mix well. Let it marinate until ready to serve.
Line either your air fryer basket with some baking parchment (after pre-heating, as the empty air fryer will pull the paper up and might cause burning) or 2 baking trays. If using the air fryer, you might have to fry in batches, but the results will be a little crispier.
The Tempura Batter
To mix the batter add all dry ingredients to a bowl and whisk to combine. Slowly add the water, whisking as you go, until you have a smooth batter that will coat tofu and cauliflower. Add the water slowly, you might not need it all.
Bake
Pre-heat your air fryer or oven to 400°F/200°C.
Dredge your tofu and cauliflower pieces through the batter, shaking each lightly, to let excess batter drip off. Distribute between the trays or add to your hot air fryer basket. Spray lightly with some oil or cooking spray. Air fry for about 17-20min until golden brown and crispy, flipping the pieces halfway through.
In the oven, they will need about 30-35 minutes.
Cook rice, fry vegetables
Cook your rice according to packet instructions and drain when done.
Meanwhile, heat 2 frying pans. Coat both with some oil or cooking spray. Add the mushrooms to one pan and fry until nicely browned, stirring only occasionally, to not disturb the browning process.
In the second pan, stir fry the mini sweetcorn, followed by the julienned carrots, then soy sprouts and lastly the spinach until wilted. Add the remaining sauce to the pan and let it bubble up briefly, to take the raw edge off the garlic and ginger.
Serve
Start by adding rice to your bowl, then top with the remaining ingredients, finishing with the crispy cauliflower and tofu. Drizzle some sauce over. Sprinkle with some spring onions, cilantro and sesame if you like. Enjoy your colourful and healthy Asian Bowl with Cauliflower and Tofu.
Meal Prep
I made the ingredients for the Asian Bowl with Cauliflower and Tofu on my weekend and stored them in separate containers, to keep them fresh. While I fried each vegetable on its own to show them in the bowl, it makes more sense from a flavour perspective to stir fry them all in one pan and also store them that way. No need to go through all the trouble I did. Though if you want to keep them separate, you can just microwave them with the rice later, to heat them.
For the tempura battered tofu and cauliflower, I lined a large container with kitchen towels, and stored them in layers, to stop them from sticking. I then re-heated them in portions in the air fryer for a few minutes, to crisp them up.
The ingredients keep stored as above for about 4 days in the fridge. I wouldn’t necessarily advise to freeze them, especially the tofu and cauliflower, as they will go soggy.
Looking for more ideas for Veganuary? Here are some of my favourites: Vegan Tom Kha Soup
Now I’d love to hear from you in the comments!
Have you tried this? Did you enjoy it?
What other recipes would you like to see?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please share and comment. It helps me a lot.
Asian Bowl with Cauliflower and Tofu
The Asian Bowl with Cauliflower and Tofu is a great start for the Veganuary. Lots of colourful crunchy veggies in a flavourful fruity-hot Asian sauce topped with crispy air fried cauliflower and tofu. Meal prep a large batch and you are all set for your work week with a seriously delicious and nutritious meal.
Press the tofu for about 30 minutes to remove excess moisture, then cut it into bite-sized cubes.
Vegetable Preparation:
Cut cauliflower into florets, mushrooms into halves or quarters, carrots into julienne strips, shred the cabbage thinly, slice mini sweetcorn in half lengthwise, and wash and roughly chop the spinach.
Slice spring onions and chop cilantro if using.
The Sauce:
Peel and mince the garlic, and peel and grate the ginger.
Mix all sauce ingredients in a jar and shake well.
Marinate:
Use ¼ of the sauce to marinate tofu cubes. Keep in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
In a large bowl, coat shredded cabbage with 3-4 tbsp of the sauce and let it marinate.
The Tempura Batter:
Mix all dry tempura batter ingredients in a bowl. Slowly add sparkling water, whisking until a smooth batter forms.
Bake:
Preheat air fryer or oven to 400°F/200°C.
Dredge tofu and cauliflower through the batter, shaking off excess. Air fry for 17-20 minutes or bake for 30-35 minutes until golden brown and crispy, flipping halfway.
Cook Rice, Fry Vegetables:
Cook rice according to package instructions.
In separate pans, fry mushrooms until browned in one pan. Stir-fry mini sweetcorn, carrots, bean sprouts, and spinach in the second pan. Add remaining sauce to the stir fry and let it bubble briefly.
Serve:
In a bowl, layer rice, vegetables, and crispy tofu and cauliflower. Drizzle with sauce and sprinkle with spring onions, cilantro, and sesame seeds if desired.
Meal Prep:
Prepare ingredients and store separately for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave and crisp up tempura battered pieces in the air fryer.
Enjoy your colourful and healthy Asian Bowl with Cauliflower and Tofu!
Notes
Total for the Dish (including rice, excluding optional toppings):Calories: Approximately 750 kcal
Protein: Around 19g
Carbohydrates: Roughly 110g
Fat: About 26g
Fiber: Around 15g
Sugar: Approximately 26g
Nutrition
Calories: 750kcal
Nutrition Facts
Asian Bowl with Cauliflower and Tofu
Amount per Serving
Calories
750
% Daily Value*
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Keyword Healthy, High Fibre, Protein, vegan, vegetables, Vegetarian
This creamy Vegan Tom Kha Soup is a veggie packed Thai Coconut Soup with incredible flavours of lemongrass, ginger, garlic, and chili. Super easy to make and perfect for those colder days when all you want is a hot bowl of soup to curl up with. Each spoonful creates a party of spices in your mouth, while being soothing with creamy coconut at the same time.
Why You Want to Make This
The Vegan Version of Thai Coconut Soup
Not sure about you, but I always despised the typical chicken soup that was given to me when I had a cold. I felt it was plain, boring and did nothing to make me feel better. Quite the opposite.
Until I stumbled upon Tom Kha Soup. Or rather, back in time, Thai Coconut curry soup with chicken.
Though the chicken never felt quite right in it. I mean sure, I made a portion of it here too, for the meat eaters in my life, but the tofu captures the flavours and gentle bite so much better!
Fantastic for Fighting Colds
In general, the sodium in soups helps to sooth your sore throat, similar to gargling with salt water. The steam opens your nasal passages, helping you breathe.
Lots of vegetables add vitamins your body needs to heal, ginger and garlic may help with reducing the inflammation and fighting bacteria and viruses and of course add lots of flavour.
Easy to Make
Despite the fairly long ingredient list, this soup comes together in less than 1h, chopping included.
You could even use ready chopped garlic and grated ginger from jars, as I often do. The main seasoning comes in form of Thai Red Curry Paste, which most supermarkets offer these days.
Versatile
If, like me, you have meat eaters in your life, you can prepare one big pot of the base with the vegetables, then split in two and add chicken or even prawns to one half and Tofu to the other. Which is exactly what I did here, hence the chicken in the ingredient picture.
You can also vary the vegetables to your taste. I love using a large variety, as it covers my 5-a-day in one easy meal, but just throw in what you have in your fridge and enjoy.
The Ingredients
Thai Red Chili Paste – This is the basic flavour which makes this (together with Coconut milk) into the typical Tom Kha Soup. The great thing is, you can use it in lots of other Thai dishes too, like the stir fry version of this dish for example. Just use less liquid and more solids and bind with cornflour into a creamy sauce. Serve over rice and you have a great dinner.
The Chili paste keeps for ages in the fridge. Some come in a container with about a cup of the paste. Usually you need about 1 tbsp per large pot. Be careful with adding more, it gets very hot very fast. You can always add more towards the end if you like yours very spicy. I prefer my Coconut Thai Curry on the milder side, but you do you.
Coconut Milk – The other base ingredient for this soup is Coconut Milk. While there are 2 cans in the picture, I did add 3, as I found it a bit too spicy for my taste. The chili levels of the red curry pastes vary a little, so even though I’ve made this countless times over the years, I often have to adjust based on the brand I got.
I’m using both reduced fat and full fat coconut milk here. Both work fine. I would add at least one can full fat though, to achieve the perfect creaminess.
Miso Paste – To make this vegan, I swapped in white miso paste instead of the more typical fish sauce and loved the flavour of it. You could use vegan fish sauce if you prefer.
Tamari or Soy sauce – While I have both Tamaro and Soy sauce at home, I find myself reaching for the Tamari more often, as I feel it adds more complexity than the often extremely salty soy sauce. Use whatever you have on hand. Coconut Aminos work nicely too.
Rice Vinegar – I always have Rice vinegar around, but if you don’t replace with apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar. The important part is to add acidity for balance.
Rice Wine or Mirin – This adds sweetness for the perfect balance between sweet, sour, hot and creamy.
Maple Syrup or Honey – I’m using Maple Syrup here. Not particularly traditional, but I love the complexity it brings to this soup. Adjust to your taste. I quite like a bit of sweetness to come through, reminding me of the absolutely amazing Tom Kha Chicken I had in a takeaway in Germany. We used to take the tram in Hanover for about 30 minutes just to get to this very particular place, which made the best Thai Food I ever had.
Lime Juice – A different source of acidity, tying in with the lemongrass and vinegar, creating layers of flavour. You could use lemon juice, but lime feels more authentic here.
Lemongrass – I always have a few stalks frozen for an emergency pot of this soup. Most supermarkets offer it these days in the veggie and herb section. It adds a lovely lemony scent, typical for Thai dishes. If you can’t find it, add some lime zest instead.
Dried Shiitake Mushrooms – These add depth to the broth very similar to the effect of porcini mushrooms (which you could use as replacement). If you have neither, leave them out or use some simple fresh sliced mushrooms, to add some more umami to your soup.
Garlic, ginger and spring onions – The flavour base for each Thai Curry. I used fresh here, but more often than not I use ready chopped garlic and grated ginger from a jar. They work just as well. The spring onions are used both for the base, being fried with the garlic and ginger and the green parts sprinkled over for freshness and crunch at the end.
Broth – While bone broth would be traditional here, I’m using a good vegetable broth. Sometimes homemade, sometimes the instant version.
Protein – My favourite protein for this soup yet is tofu. Where I find it often a little boring in stir fries, it soaks up all the flavourful broth here and has just the right texture to be comforting.
You could also use chicken pieces or even prawn. Just adjust the cook times accordingly.
Specific to the tofu: I press it in a tofu press for a few hours before cutting into cubes, to get rid of some of its inherent moisture, which gets then replaced with the flavourful broth when you add it.
Vegetables – You can use pretty much anything you have in the fridge. This is a great soup to use up odds and ends!
I particularly like carrots, zucchinis (courgette), mini sweetcorn, a can of sliced bamboo shoots and water chestnuts for their irresistible crunch. Pak Choy adds lovely greens and crunch from the stalks.
Others I used before and liked are mushrooms, red or white cabbage and spinach.
Cilantro – I love to add fresh herbs at the end, for that bright green touch and the added flavour. If you have the unfortunate “Cilantro tastes like soap” gene, feel free to use either parsley or even basil to sprinkle over.
I’d love to hear from you in the comments, if you come up with other delicious combinations.
The Process
Now despite the seemingly endless list of ingredients, this is really quick.
In your largest pot, add a bit of groundnut or olive oil. On medium heat, gently fry garlic, ginger, spring onions and chili paste until fragrant and softened.
Add stock, coconut milk, lemongrass, mushrooms with their liquid, miso, tamari, vinegar, rice wine or mirin, maple syrup and lime juice. Let everything come to a boil and have a taste. Add more seasoning, depending on your taste. It should have a nice balance between sweet, sour, salty and hot.
Once you are happy with the flavour, you can start adding the vegetables.
I usually add cubed tofu, carrots, sweetcorn, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts and the firmer stalks of the pak choi first, let them soften and heat up a bit, before adding the zucchini and soft green pak choi leaves, to just wilt.
Serve in bowls with chopped herbs and the green parts of the spring onions on top, maybe some fresh lime wedges to squeeze over. Enjoy the heat spreading through your body and the flavours of Thailand transporting you into warmer regions.
Meal Prep
I often make a large pot of the Vegan Tom Kha Soup and only add the tofu and more crunchy veggies like carrots, before storing everything in the fridge, the remaining vegetables in separate containers. When I’m ready to eat, I just heat through the soup and add a few handfuls of the fresh vegetables, so it tastes like freshly made every day.
The soup keeps for about 4 days in the fridge.
To freeze, make just the soup without the vegetables and add fresh veggies whenever you like a bowl of it.
If you’d like some carbs with it, you could add cooked rice or noodles. I find it satisfying enough with the tofu and veggies, so I usually leave the carbs out.
Or maybe a chocolate dessert, to balance the lightness? My Protein Chocolate Mousse Pie gives you more protein, still fairly low calories, but tastes utterly decadent.
Please Comment
Now I’d love to hear from you in the comments!
Have you tried this? Did you enjoy it?
What other recipes would you like to see?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please share and comment. It helps me a lot.
Vegan Tom Kha Soup
This creamy Vegan Tom Kha Soup is a veggie packed Thai Coconut Soup with incredible flavours of lemongrass, ginger, garlic, and chili. Super easy to make and perfect for those colder days when all you want is a hot bowl of soup to curl up with. Each spoonful creates a party of spices in your mouth, while being soothing with creamy coconut at the same time.
1bunchspring onionssliced. Green parts put aside for topping. White used as base.
1tbspThai red curry paste
32ouncesvegetable stock1L
3cans13.5-ounce, coconut milk I used one low fat, two full fat
2stalkslemongrasssliced in large pieces, so you can fish them out later
¼cupdried shiitake mushroomssoaked in hot water for 15min
¼cupmiso pastewhite (Or optional fish sauce for non-vegans)
2tbsptamari
2tbsprice vinegar
¼cuprice wine
2tbsphoney or maple syrup
3limesjuiced to get about ¼ cup
1packfirm tofupressed and cubed
2courgetteshalved or quartered and sliced into bite sized pieces
2packsmini sweetcornchopped
2pak choiends removed, sliced into bite sized pieces
1canbamboo shootssliced
1canwater chestnutssliced
3carrotssliced
1bunchfresh cilantro leaveschopped
2tbspGroundnut or olive oil for frying
Instructions
In your largest pot, heat a bit of groundnut or olive oil over medium heat. Add minced garlic, ginger, sliced white parts of spring onions, and Thai red curry paste. Fry gently until fragrant and softened.
Add vegetable stock, coconut milk, lemongrass, soaked shiitake mushrooms with their liquid, miso paste, tamari, rice vinegar, rice wine, honey or maple syrup, and lime juice. Allow the mixture to come to a boil. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed to achieve a balance between sweet, sour, salty, and hot flavours.
Once you are satisfied with the flavour, start adding the vegetables. Add cubed tofu, sliced carrots, chopped sweetcorn, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, and the firmer stalks of pak choi. Allow them to soften and heat up.
Finally, add the zucchini and the soft green pak choi leaves, letting them wilt slightly.
Serve the Vegan Tom Kha Soup in bowls, topping each serving with chopped fresh cilantro leaves and the green parts of the spring onions. Optionally, provide fresh lime wedges on the side for squeezing over the soup.
Enjoy the heat and flavours of Thailand transporting you into warmer regions!
Notes
The soup keeps for about 4 days in the fridge.To freeze, make just the soup without the vegetables and add fresh veggies whenever you like a bowl of it.If you’d like some carbs with it, you could add cooked rice or noodles. I find it satisfying enough with the tofu and veggies, so I usually leave the carbs out.8 servingsCalories: Approximately 360 kcal per serving
Protein: Around 10g
Carbohydrates: Roughly 30g
Fat: About 25g
Fiber: Around 6g
Sugar: Approximately 10g
Nutrition
Calories: 360kcal
Nutrition Facts
Vegan Tom Kha Soup
Amount per Serving
Calories
360
% Daily Value*
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
I was tempted to call this Apple Cinnamon Protein Oatmeal “German Christmas Market Oatmeal”, as that’s essentially what it tastes like. Minus the Mulled wine, which I guess would just be weird in oats. It has the spices, caramelised apple flavour, creamy vanilla-caramel taste and all topped with spices caramelised almonds. This is a worthy oatmeal for Christmas morning, yet still has you covered nicely on the nutrition front with added protein.
Why You Want to Make This
German Christmas Market in a Bowl
Who wouldn’t want a Christmas market tasting, steaming bowl of oatmeal in the morning, right? I mean, it’s getting rather cold here in Ireland and all I want in the morning is, to wrap myself around a hot bowl of yummy breakfast. Bonus points for deliciousness.
More often than not, it’s a very simple Blueberry-Apple Oatmeal with protein powder mixed in, but for the season I wanted something a little more special.
So I figured I’ll try to get it as close to the thing I miss most about Germany during this time of the year: Christmas Markets.
Thinking about the essence of those for me, two things popped into my mind: Caramelised, spiced almonds and candy apples. Which is how this Apple Cinnamon Protein Oatmeal came into play.
These have their own recipe, as they are entirely optional, but very delicious!
I made a few versions of them, the simplest and quickest topping my Banoffee Protein Mousse Pie which is just taken to the point of the caramelised sugar crystallizing again and clinging to the almonds.
The version for this Apple Cinnamon Protein Oatmeal is taken a good bit further, to shiny caramel perfection, and just as suited as topping as it is for a snack in its own right. Or a lovely homemade Christmas gift. So better make a lager batch, as you’ll absolutely want to nibble them! (She says, sneaking into the kitchen and grabbing the last piece of them).
Stewed Caramel Apples
Where was I? Ah, yes. Oatmeal. Now I can’t really include a whole crunchy, candy apple in my bowl (Please send pictures if you tried!). But I sure can capture the flavour. So I slowly let a little bit of honey caramelise and then add the chopped apples and spices, stewing them to perfection for a few minutes.
Protein
As always, I’m adding protein powder (For flavour and the benefits it provides) mixed with ½ cup of Soy milk towards the very end of the cooking time, to just heat it through, achieving a custardy creaminess in the Oats which I absolutely love.
Very little added Sugar
Usually I add no sugar at all to my oats, as I feel the fruits and protein powder add plenty of sweetness, but we need some for the almonds here (No sugar, no caramel unfortunately) and a little maple syrup for the apples. But it’s by no means a lot and I would still happily count Apple Cinnamon Protein Oatmeal as healthy breakfast, even though it tastes utterly indulgent.
The Ingredients
Protein Powder – As usual I’m using MyProtein here.
In this particular case I just got a new bag of Toasted Marshmallow Flavour, which worked a treat with the general caramel theme.
This is neither affiliated nor sponsored. Just the powder I found to taste best after trying a fair few. If you never found one you actually enjoy, give this one a try.
Rolled Oats – As I enjoy the texture they give me and feel they are a bit more wholesome than the slightly more processed instant or porridge oats. But use what you prefer or have. If using instant oats, adjust the cooking time, as they need less time to get creamy.
Milk – Since I’m lactose intolerant when it comes to any unfermented milk products, I’m using unsweetened almond milk for cooking the oats and soy milk to mix the protein powder and add towards the end, for delicious custardy creaminess.
Apple – I always have Pink Lady around, as I love its sweetness with gentle acidity. And they are easily available in all supermarkets here. Use whatever apple you enjoy.
Spices – I’m adding a mix of Cinnamon, allspice, ground ginger, clove, nutmeg, and a pinch of salt for balance. If you just have cinnamon, that’s delicious too.
Caramelized Spiced Almonds – The recipe here makes more than you need for one portion of the oats. But once you made them, you’ll want more to nibble on. So better even double the recipe, to have some for guests and loved ones, popping by around this time of the year.
Honey – I used honey to caramelize the apple in it. You could use maple syrup or sugar instead.
The Process
To make your Apple Cinnamon Protein Oatmeal, prepare the optional Caramelised Spiced Almonds as per this recipe if you decided to use them. You can keep them around for about a week in an airtight container.
Caramelise the Apple
Add honey to a cooking pot and let it bubble and caramelize on medium/high heat for a few minutes.
Stir in the chopped apple, ground cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg, and cloves. Ensuring it’s coated with the fragrant, caramelised layer of spices and honey.
Cook until the apple softens slightly. If it gets too dry, add a tablespoon of water. Transfer 1/3 of the mixture to a bowl for topping later.
Cook the Oats
Add oats and unsweetened almond milk to your pot, stirring, and let it boil gently until the milk is mostly absorbed. Meanwhile, shake the protein powder and the soy milk, to get a custard like consistency.
Stir your protein “custard” to the oats until well combined. Lower the heat and just gently warm the whole mix while stirring, until the liquid is mostly absorbed but the oats are still creamy.
Serve
Transfer into a serving bowl. Garnish with the remaining apples and top with caramelised almonds and, if you like, with a little more cinnamon.
Enjoy your Apple Cinnamon Protein Oatmeal, feeling like you are walking over a German Christmas Market.
Now I’d love to hear from you in the comments!
Have you tried this? Did you enjoy it?
What other recipes would you like to see?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please share and comment. It helps me a lot.
Apple Cinnamon Protein Oatmeal
I was tempted to call this Apple Cinnamon Protein Oatmeal “German Christmas Market Oatmeal, as that’s essentially what it tastes like. Minus the Mulled wine, which I guess would just be weird in oats. It has the spices, caramelised apple flavour, creamy vanilla-caramel taste and all topped with spices caramelised almonds. This is a worthy oatmeal for Christmas morning, yet still has you covered nicely on the nutrition front with added protein.
1applewashed and chopped into bite sized pieces, without peeling
1tbsphoney or maple syrup
1tspbutter or olive oil for the pan
1tspground cinnamon
¼tspEACH of ground gingerallspice and nutmeg.
1/8tspground cloves
½cuprolled oats
1cupunsweetened almond milk
1scoopprotein powderI used MyProtein Toasted Marshmallow
½cupsoy milk
2tbspCaramelised Spiced Almondsoptional
Instructions
Prepare Caramelised Spiced Almonds:
Follow the recipe for Caramelised Spiced Almonds and set them aside. These can be stored in an airtight container for about a week.
Caramelize the Apple:
Add honey to a cooking pot and let it bubble and caramelize on medium/high heat for a few minutes.
Stir in the chopped apple, ground cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg, and cloves. Ensuring it's coated with the fragrant, caramelised layer of spices and honey.
Cook until the apple softens slightly. If it gets too dry, add a tablespoon of water. Transfer 1/3 of the mixture to a bowl for topping later.
Prepare Oatmeal Base:
In the same pot, add oats and unsweetened almond milk. Stir and let it gently boil until the milk is mostly absorbed.
Meanwhile, shake the protein powder and soy milk to achieve a custard-like consistency.
Combine Oats and Protein Custard:
Add the protein "custard" to the oats and stir until well combined.
Lower the heat and gently warm the mixture while stirring until the liquid is mostly absorbed, and the oats are creamy.
Serve:
Pour the Apple Cinnamon Protein Oatmeal into a serving bowl.
Garnish with the remaining spiced apples and top with Caramelised Spiced Almonds if using.
If desired, sprinkle a little more cinnamon on top.
Notes
Calories: Approximately 380 kcal
Protein: Around 20g
Carbohydrates: Roughly 60g
Fat: About 8g
Fiber: Around 10g
Sugar: Approximately 25g
Nutrition
Calories: 380kcal
Nutrition Facts
Apple Cinnamon Protein Oatmeal
Amount per Serving
Calories
380
% Daily Value*
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Keyword Breakfast, Easy, fruit, Healthy, High Fibre, High Protein, Vegetarian
Caramelized Spiced Almonds taste like German Christmas Market, but have a smooth instead of bumpy caramel, with deep and rich caramel flavour. They form beautiful, shiny clusters of cinnamon-spice crunchiness, that are great for snacking, gifting or even topping your morning oatmeal with.
Don’t be scared of making caramel! It just takes a few minutes of patience.
Why You Want to Make Them
Reminds you of German Christmas Markets
If you ever visited a German Christmas market and loved the smell of it, these are a big part of what wafted through the air. Often just made with cinnamon and sugar, caramelised, and formed into nubbly crusted almonds by stirring constantly and stopping at the just right point, they are at the heart of every visit.
But that bumpy crust is also the tricky part, as you need to catch the exact moment between sugar crystals and caramel, to achieve it. Also, I tend to find it not particularly kind to my teeth, as it’s a rather thick and hard layer. And more sugar than caramel flavour.
So I changed my technique a little, to still give you the spicy, Christmassy flavour and scent, but a shiny and dark caramel with a bit more flavour to it.
Great Gift
The smoother caramel has another advantage over the classic Christmas Market almonds: It keeps longer. Usually the Candied almonds you’d buy on the market are a sticky mess the day after. These Caramelized Spiced Almonds can be kept in an airtight container for over a week. Which makes them a great gift to make ahead. And aren’t homemade, edible gifts the best ones anyway?
Doesn’t take long
These Caramelized Spiced Almonds take just about 10-15 minutes to make and aren’t hard by any means. 4 ingredients (I count the spice mix as one. Plus you could, if you wanted, just use cinnamon) and a few minutes of melting sugar are all they take.
The Ingredients
Almonds – For the most traditional treat you’ll need almonds. Ideally with their skin, as the caramel will adhere better than to skinned ones. Plus they keep more of their nutritional value.
I know…it’s a treat, but still, we can mix the delicious with the good for us!
You could use all sorts of other nuts and seeds you enjoy here too. I love cashews or macadamias, but even sunflower or pumpkin seeds work amazingly well.
Sugar – I’ve used soft brown sugar here, for it’s higher molasses content, resulting in an even deeper caramel flavour. Caster sugar would be more traditional, as it melts faster due to the size of the grains.
Spices – I’m using a mix of cinnamon, allspice, cloves, ground ginger and nutmeg here. Balanced with a pinch of salt. And some vanilla extract. You could use just cinnamon, and they will still be utterly delicious.
And that’s already it.
The Process
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Essentially you add the sugar and spices with a bit of water to a pan, let them come to a boil, then add the almonds.
Let it bubble away for a while, stirring now and then, until the water has evaporated, and the sugar crystallizes again. This is working as intended.
Now leave it on slightly lower heat, until the sugar begins to melt again. Gently fold over the almonds. Then leave to melt further. Be patient and wait until all the sugar is liquidized and transforming into a dark and shiny caramel. Stir again, so all almonds are coated evenly.
Once it has reached the desired darkness without burning, carefully pour the mass onto your parchment lined baking sheet and spread it out with a spatula. My ideal shape is mostly one layer of almonds with the occasional overlap. But arrange them however you enjoy them.
Be quick and careful though, the caramel is very hot and firms up quickly.
Let them cool entirely until crunchy and hard. Then break into smaller pieces and store in an airtight container for up to a week. The almonds will still be delicious after, but the caramel might start to soften a little and not look as shiny anymore.
Now I’d love to hear from you in the comments!
Have you tried this? Did you enjoy it?
What other recipes would you like to see?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please share and comment. It helps me a lot.
Caramelized Spiced Almonds
Caramelized Spiced Almonds taste like German Christmas Market, but have a smooth instead of bumpy caramel, with deep and rich caramel flavour. They form beautiful, shiny clusters of cinnamon-spice crunchiness, that are great for snacking, gifting or even topping your morning oatmeal with.
Don’t be scared of making caramel! It just takes a few minutes of patience.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
Create Caramel Mixture:
In a large, heavy-bottomed pan, combine the soft brown sugar, water, vanilla extract, ground cinnamon, ground allspice, ground nutmeg, ground ginger, ground clove, and a pinch of salt.
Bring to a Boil:
Over medium heat, bring the mixture to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Allow it to bubble for a few minutes until the water has mostly evaporated, and the sugar starts to crystallize.
Add Almonds:
Gently stir in the raw almonds, ensuring they are well-coated with the crystallized sugar mixture.
Continue Cooking:
Let the almonds and sugar mixture cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally. The sugar will re-melt and caramelize, creating a dark and shiny coating on the almonds. Be patient during this process.
Spread on Baking Sheet:
Once the caramel has reached the desired darkness without burning, quickly and carefully pour the almond mixture onto the prepared parchment-lined baking sheet. Use a spatula to spread it out, arranging the almonds into a mostly single layer with occasional overlaps.
Cool Completely:
Allow the caramelized almonds to cool completely on the baking sheet. The caramel will harden, resulting in a crunchy texture.
Break into Pieces:
Once fully cooled and hardened, break the caramelized almond mass into smaller, bite-sized pieces. Be cautious, as the caramel will be very hot.
Notes
Store:Store the caramelized spiced almonds in an airtight container for up to a week. While the almonds will remain delicious, note that the caramel may soften slightly and lose its shine over time. Enjoy your homemade treat!10 portionsCalories: Approximately 160 calories
Protein: Approximately 4 grams
Carbohydrates: Approximately 18 grams
Fat: Approximately 9 grams
Fiber: Approximately 2 gramsPlease note that these values are approximate and can vary based on specific brands and variations in ingredient measurements.
Nutrition
Calories: 160kcal
Nutrition Facts
Caramelized Spiced Almonds
Amount per Serving
Calories
160
% Daily Value*
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
If you are looking for the perfect side dish to complement my Black Garlic Aioli Burgers, this Herbed Cashew Aioli Slaw is it. Crunchy white cabbage together with grated carrot, sweet, juicy apple, and a bit of onion for spice are smothered in a healthy cashew based Aioli with lots of fresh herbs and garlic. Light and refreshing, yet packs a punch in flavour, to stand up to the burger. Or any other main dish you have it with.
Why You Want to Make This
Healthy Aioli
If you are like me and absolutely adore Aioli, but are not particularly keen on the nutrition balance, this is for you. The Cashews replace the oil and eggs, making this vegan too and giving you a much better nutrition to calorie balance than the classic version.
Cashews are rich in fibre, protein and healthy fats, so they are a fantastic choice for weight loss.
When soaked and pureed in a high speed blender like the Nutribullet or Vitamix, they become super creamy, which is perfect for coating any vegetables in your salad.
Keeps Longer
The fact that there are no raw eggs in this Herbed Cashew Aioli means you can store it for up to a week in your fridge, without issues. It will thicken further during that time, so just add some more water to get it back to dressing consistency.
Vegetables made Delicious
One of my main ways to lose 70lb in a years was to eat lots and lots of vegetables. I’m not one for boring food, so of course I had to prepare them in ways that make me really want to eat them. This is one of them. Crunchy fresh shredded cabbage with carrot and apple and a delicious dressing is one of my favourite ways to get my cruciferous veggie hit, as I love it to much, I could eat it by the bowl full. The good news? I can with this one! The Herbed Cashew Aioli does make the calories shoot through the roof and gives plenty of flavour to this slaw. You won’t miss the mayo one bit.
Easy to Make
If you have a food processor, the slicing and grating will only take seconds. If you do it by hand, only a few minutes. The dressing is equally easy, as you just throw everything into your high speed blender and a few seconds later you will have a perfectly creamy dressing you can use in a million ways.
Note: You do need indeed a high speed blender like the Nutribullet or Vitamix to get the extra creamy consistency. I’ve tried a standard blender and food processor, but both leave some graininess. It’s not the end of the world, but not perfect either.
The Ingredients
The Slaw
Cabbage
You can use white or red or a mix of both here, which will make this even prettier. I just could not find any red in the supermarkets when I was planning to make this, so white it was. Which is nice too, as it shows the lovely green herbs in the Cashew Aioli.
Cabbage has, as all vegetables, lots of fibre and micronutrients to keep your body and gut healthy, which makes it generally a good idea to eat regularly.
Carrots
The same goes for carrots, which contain a lot of the important Vitamin A, which is great for your eyesight. Plus they add a lovely sweetness to coleslaw, so I always include them (and munch some one the side, because I just can’t resist a fresh carrot).
My 2 dogs usually come running as soon as they hear me peel a carrot, since they know that’s the one thing they can have treats from when I’m cooking. I’ve trained them to lie down for treats, so they basically run in and drop flat on the floor, to get their carrot pieces faster.
Apples
Again different micronutrients in apples, but also fibre and antioxidants, more so in the peel than the flesh. So I usually leave it on.
They will also add to the sweetness of this salad, which I love. Use any kind you like. Personally I enjoy Pink Lady, which are available in most supermarkets here and have a lovely balance between sweetness and acidity.
Onions
More veggies, more health benefits is always better.
But onions of any kind come with the flavour backbone for so many dishes, you’d miss out not adding them to this slaw. I like red, for their sweetness and intense flavour usually, but since I had none, I used shallots, which worked just fine.
The Herbed Cashew Aioli
Cashews
Cashews are the base for this Herbed Cashew Aioli, as the name suggests. They make a surprisingly creamy dressing when soaked in water and can easily replace mayonnaise in many recipes with just a few flavour additions.
Raisins
I’ve learned the handy trick of adding raisins instead of sugar in an episode of the Whole Food Plant Based Cooking Show and have not looked back since, I like it so much.
If, like me, you enjoy your dressings with a bit of sweetness, this is a much healthier way to include it than highly processed sugar, as raisins still come with fibre and nutrients, which sugar does not. They also add a much more complex flavour than just sugar to the dressing, which is an added benefit.
Herbs
Again, really good for you, herbs generally elevate any dish from good to great by adding tons of flavour.
I’m using a mix of fresh Dill, Parsley, Cilantro and Basil here, as that’s what I usually have at home and enjoy. You can experiment with any soft herbs you find, they will all be lovely.
Fresh Garlic
The basic version of Aioli is simply fresh garlic mashed with lots of olive oil and a bit of salt. It has evolved into the more mayonnaise type over time and is these days often used for any mayonnaise with flavourings in the US. To me, having tried Garlic mayo first and fallen in love with it, it will always be a version of that, hence the addition here.
It’s what pulls together this coleslaw and my Black Garlic Aioli Burger and allows it to stand up to and support its strong flavours.
Lemon Juice
Any Aioli or dressing for that matter needs acidity to balance the fats. I chose lemon juice here, as I just love the flavour it brings together with the herbs. If you don’t have any, use white wine vinegar instead.
Dijon Mustard
Mustard is such an essential component of any mayonnaise (even nut based), it would taste bland without it. It adds sharpness, spice and that little something, to bring it all together.
Liquid Aminos
Liquid Aminos are a secret weapon for any nut based dressings I found. They add saltiness and a good hit of umami, which just makes them utterly moreish.
If you don’t have any, replace with soy or Tamari sauce, though you might have to adjust the amount of raisins, as aminos are slightly sweeter than the other two.
The Process
The Herbed Cashew Aioli
Soak your cashews in just boiled water for about 30 minutes or in cold water overnight.
Drain and add to your high speed blender together with the remaining ingredients for the dressing.
Blend until very creamy. Taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking. Add some water if your Aioli is too thick to suit a coleslaw, but be mindful, as the slaw itself contains water too, which will mix with it.
Assemble
In a large bowl combine your shredded cabbage, grated carrots, sliced apples and onions with your Herbed Cashew Aioli. Mix well and chill for at least an hour, so the flavours can meld and seep through the slaw.
Enjoy as snack or as side with your favourite meals. It goes with anything from Burgers to BBQ that can use a bit of fresh, garlicky-herb crunch on the side.
Or add it to other salads, to up your veggie intake in the best way possible.
Meal Prep
This Herbed Cashew Aioli Slaw keeps in a lidded container the fridge for about 4 days and only gets better while sitting. I love to make it on my weekend, to have some fresh side dish with every meal during my work week.
It’s great to take to a summer BBQ too, as there are no eggs that could spoil in the heat.
Now I’d love to hear from you in the comments!
Have you tried this? Did you enjoy it?
What other recipes would you like to see?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please share and comment. It helps me a lot.
Herbed Cashew Aioli Slaw
If you are looking for the perfect side dish to complement my Black Garlic Aioli Burgers, this Herbed Cashew Aioli Slaw is it. Crunchy white cabbage together with grated carrot, sweet, juicy apple, and a bit of onion for spice are smothered in a healthy cashew based Aioli with lots of fresh herbs and garlic. Light and refreshing, yet packs a punch in flavour, to stand up to the burger. Or any other main dish you have it with.
½white cabbageor a mix of red and white, finely shredded
2carrotsgrated
2applesfinely sliced
1onionfinely sliced
Herbed Cashew Aioli
½cupcashews
2tbspraisins Try 1 tbsp first if you prefer your dressing on the more savoury side.
½tsponion powder
2tbspfresh dill
2tbspfresh Parsley
2tbspfresh cilantro
2tbspfresh basil
2clovesfresh garlic
2tbsplemon juice
2tspDijon mustard
1tbspliquid aminos or Tamari or soy sauce. Liquid Aminos are slightly sweeterso you might have to adjust the seasoning if you are using one of the other options
½cupwater
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Herbed Cashew Aioli:
Soak cashews in just boiled water for about 30 minutes or in cold water overnight.
Drain cashews and add them to a high-speed blender along with raisins, onion powder, fresh dill, parsley, cilantro, basil, garlic, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, liquid aminos (or Tamari or soy sauce), water, salt, and pepper.
Blend until the mixture is creamy. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. Add water if the aioli is too thick, considering that the slaw contains water as well.
Assembling the Slaw:
In a large bowl, combine shredded cabbage, grated carrots, sliced apples, and onions.
Pour the Herbed Cashew Aioli over the vegetables.
Mix the slaw thoroughly to ensure all the vegetables are coated with the aioli.
Chill the slaw in the refrigerator for at least an hour to allow the flavors to meld and permeate through the slaw.
Serving:
Enjoy the Herbed Cashew Aioli Slaw as a snack or a side dish with your favorite meals. It pairs well with anything from burgers to BBQ, providing a fresh, garlicky-herb crunch on the side.
Alternatively, use it as a topping for other salads to enhance your veggie intake in a delightful way.
Notes
Note: Feel free to adjust the quantities of herbs, spices, and other ingredients according to your taste preferences.This Herbed Cashew Aioli Slaw keeps in a lidded container the fridge for about 4 days and only gets better while sitting. I love to make it on my weekend, to have some fresh side dish with every meal during my work week.6 PortionsSlaw (Per Portion):Calories: Approximately 104 calories
Protein: Approximately 2 grams
Carbohydrates: Approximately 26 grams
Fat: Approximately 0.5 grams
Sodium: Approximately 35 milligrams
Herbed Cashew Aioli (Per Portion):Calories: Approximately 121 calories
Protein: Approximately 3 grams
Carbohydrates: Approximately 8 grams
Fat: Approximately 9 grams
Sodium: Approximately 229 milligrams
Now, let's add them together:Total Slaw with Herbed Cashew Aioli (Per Portion):Calories: Approximately 225 calories
Protein: Approximately 5 grams
Carbohydrates: Approximately 34 grams
Fat: Approximately 9.5 grams
Sodium: Approximately 264 milligrams
Nutrition
Calories: 225kcal
Nutrition Facts
Herbed Cashew Aioli Slaw
Amount per Serving
Calories
225
% Daily Value*
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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