Fiesta Tempeh Wraps (The Runner Up!)

Remember that Instagram poll from last weekend? No? That's OK. I was having some serious takeout cravings but decided to take to the kitchen instead! The beef lettuce wraps won (see the previous post for those delightfully colorful morsels) but I want to help out my non-meat-eaters too!

Here's what you'll need to make my fiesta tempeh wraps [makes enough for a single meal & lots of leftovers!]:

Fillings:

• 2 TBS olive oil (split; for the pan)
• 1/2 red onion, chopped
• 2 small zucchini squash, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, diced finely
• 1 tsp cumin, split
• 1 tsp smoked paprika, split
• Salt to taste
• 1 8-ounce package unseasoned tempeh, sliced into 1/2-inch thick pieces (see picture for reference)
• Refried black beans (I bought a 15-ounce can refried black beans and what I didn't use, I put into tupperware for meals during the week)

Toppings:

• Sliced radish
• Sliced avocado
• Chopped cilantro
• Sliced lime

Wraps:

• Any kind you want! I used 2 Siete almond flour wraps per meal—you can find these at Whole Foods or small health food stores

Method:

In a large skillet or sauté pan over low-medium heat, heat 1 TBS olive oil. Add red onion, zucchini, garlic, 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp paprika, and salt. Cook until the onion and zucchini are soft, about 5-7 minutes, depending on the strength of your burner. When the onion and zucchini mixture is cooked (soft and almost caramelized), transfer into a bowl and set aside. This makes about 1 1/2 cups cooked zucchini.

With the pan still over low-medium heat, add the remaining 1 TBS olive oil to the pan. Place tempeh slices in the pan, close to each other but not touching. If it doesn't all fit, no worries, you can repeat the cooking process with remaining tempeh.

Cook on one side for 3-4 minutes until browned, then with a pair of tongs, flip each slice over and cook on the other side for 3-4 minutes until browned. Add remaining 1/2 tsp each of cumin and smoked paprika, and salt to taste. When tempeh is browned on both sides, transfer to a plate and set aside. 

Now it's time to prepare the wraps! Place two wraps on a plate. Spread 1 TBS refried black beans on each wrap, leaving room around the edges. Add as much or as little zucchini mixture on to the wraps as you want, or you can have it on the side. Add 2-3 slices of tempeh to each wrap, and top with sliced radish, avocado, and cilantro. Squeeze wedge of lime over wraps to finish them off!

What's awesome about these wraps is having all of these different components that you can use to make different meals... try breakfast-for-dinner wraps with refried black beans, scrambled eggs, and zucchini; or a deconstructed taco salad with sliced tempeh, refried black beans, avocado, and radishes served over greens. The possibilities really are endless!

Black Sesame & Tahini Bread For The Win

I'm probably not the only one whose Instagram feed is mostly food, and it's honestly where I get a lot of inspiration for weeknight meals, weekend baking projects, and all the snacks in between. 

I'm such a sucker for banana bread, but when I saw this swirled sesame tea cake... mind. blown. First, it's gorgeous. And second, it utilizes an ingredient that I usually have in my fridge but I almost never use!

Tahini is ground sesame, this beautiful light golden paste that's nutty and savory. It's also one of the main ingredients in hummus, giving it it's rich flavor.

If you've read any of my blog posts or Instagram posts, you know I'm impatient and can't be bothered with all the extra bowls & baking steps. And so, this version of this bread was born!

Here's what you need to make my Black Sesame & Tahini Bread (makes one 8 1/2"x4 1/2" loaf):

Dry:

• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat (or AP) flour
• 1 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp each: cinnamon, nutmeg, ground ginger

Wet:

• 1/2 cup coconut (or full fat Greek) yogurt
• 1/2 cup tahini
• 1 cup sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 1/2 tsp sesame oil

Other:

• Black sesame seeds for sprinkling
• Ghee (or nonstick oil spray) for pan

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 F. 

Coat bread loaf pan with nonstick oil spray OR thin layer of ghee. Then, line pan with parchment paper, so that paper comes up above the sides of the pan. Once more, coat parchment paper with nonstick spray OR thin layer of ghee. Sprinkle sesame seeds and sugar to coat parchment liner, tapping to evenly coat pan liner. 

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all dry ingredients. In a small mixing bowl, combine yogurt and tahini. It might separate a little bit, but mix it until it's thoroughly combined. 

In another large mixing bowl, with a hand mixer (or standing mixer if you have one), beat sugar, eggs, and vanilla together until pale in color and thickened. Add in olive oil and sesame oil and beat until thoroughly combined.

Add dry ingredients and yogurt & tahini mixture alternately to the bowl with the wet ingredients (sugar, eggs, and vanilla)—dry, then yogurt & tahini mixture, then dry, then mixture, ending with dry.

Pour batter into the bread loaf pan, and sprinkle the top with more sesame seeds and sugar.

Bake for 55-65 minutes, until golden brown and no longer gooey in the center. Lift parchment & bread together out of the pan to allow to cool.

Serve warm topped with coconut yogurt & berries, or slathered with almond butter, or grab a slice straight out of the bread loaf pan (go ahead, no one's judging).

Adapted from bon appetit's swirled sesame tea cake.

No change, no growth.

You may have heard the saying, hindsight is 20/20. And of course, it wouldn't be so clear if you didn't have time to reflect on it afterwards. That's exactly what I've been doing these past few months - reflecting - and ready to tackle whatever comes my way.

Let me start at the end of the story: the trip of a lifetime, the trip to cap off the first half of my year that had quite a few bumps in the road. SurfYogaBeer, you gave me exactly what I needed at exactly the right time - the universe is funny that way, you know? Amazing food, amazing views, and even more amazing people contributed to a blissed-out week where I was more present in every moment than I had been in months.

Now, back to the real world, where I'm dealing with the ever-present reality of Saturn's return. Yep, Saturn's return, the period of time leading up to when Saturn returns to the same position it was on the day you were born. This period of time marks major transition as you move in to the next phase of your life. Think I'm crazy? Look it up!

What else has changed? A new job, a new apartment... just to name a couple. You may be thinking, Nina this is so much change at once! I don't disagree. It's a TON actually. If I've learned anything over the last few years, it's to be patient with myself, especially during these times of change. I tend to be very impatient and I often have to remind myself that it's going to take time. But I also remind myself that this is such an exciting time, with lots of beautiful and positive things to come.

So what remains true and consistent? My desire to keep up with this blog, and my love for cooking (of course). I've had to start meal prepping to bring lunch to my new job, which has been challenging but has allowed me to get more creative in the kitchen. I've been inspired by Food52's one-pot meals, like these curried coconut lentils. OH MY GOD, YUM. (Note: I added frozen peas and walnuts to mine). Meal prep has also allowed me to have a quick dinner without having to start cooking as soon as I get home. Win-win.

Oh, another thing that's going on? My dream of writing a COOKBOOK with my kickass friend Ilana is FINALLY COMING TRUE.

HELL YEAH, A COOKBOOK. A cookbook for us - the millenials - the ones realizing how incredibly valuable home cooking is and how important it is to have some basic skills, and absolutely delicious recipes, under our belts. We've been thinking about this for years and it's finally starting to happen. We only ask that you remain patient, as we're only at the beginning of planning, which happens to be the most fun... recipe development!

You wanna help test out recipes? Get in line.

Just kidding, there is no line. (Or is there?)

To give you a little taste of what's to come (see what I did there?), I'm going to share an exclusive cookbook recipe with y'all! 

Here's what you'll need to make GRAB-n-GO Protein Balls (makes 10-12, two-bite balls):

• 1 large banana, mashed
• ⅓ cup almond butter or peanut butter
• ¾ cup rolled oats (not quick cook!)
• 1 TBS maple syrup
• 1 TBS hemp seeds
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• 1 TBS dried goji berries (or cranberries, or blueberries)
• 1 TBS semi sweet or dark chocolate chips, slightly chopped (leave some full pieces)
• 1 ½ TBS unsweetened coconut flakes (mix in) + 1 cup flakes (reserved for rolling)
• Pinch of sea salt

Combine all ingredients in mixing bowl. Set aside baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

On a large plate, pour 1 cup of unsweetened coconut flakes. Using a spoon, scoop mixture and roll into 1-inch balls (about 1 TBS worth of mixture). Coat each protein ball with coconut flakes and place on baking sheet. Repeat until mixture is gone.

Refrigerate protein balls for at least 30 minutes; overnight is best. You can also freeze; the texture/consistency won't change that much! Store in an airtight container - will last 3-5 days in the fridge, 1-2 weeks in the freezer.

This is THE perfect snack to grab if you're running late to work, or to pop right before a spin class. Or, just-because you're hungry and want something packed with protein, fiber, and healthier sugars. 

It's good to be back, in more ways than one. Ciao (for now)!