A creamy yogurt-chard sauce surrounds cubes of pan-seared tofu in this aromatic, satisfying riff on Indian saag. Being able to use both the leaves and tender stems makes Swiss chard a two-for-one star in the kitchen. Serve with rice or naan.
Nuts, like almonds, are an even better crunchy garnish when roasted. But you don’t need to fire up the oven to get the job done. Toss a handful of nuts with a little bit of neutral oil, such as grapeseed, and spread in a single layer on a microwave-safe plate. Microwave on high in 1-minute intervals, stirring between each interval, until nuts are fragrant and a few shades darker, about 5 minutes total.
Per serving:
Line cutting board with a couple sheets of paper towel. Top with tofu, a couple more sheets of towel, and another cutting board. Press to extract excess liquid. Slice tofu into 3/4 in (2 cm) blocks and toss with 1 tsp (5 mL) garam masala, 1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt, and black pepper.
Slice off stems from chard leaves and thinly slice stems. Roughly chop chard leaves and then soak them in large bowl of cool water, swishing to loosen any grit clinging to them. Drain and squeeze out excess water, or use a salad spinner to remove excess water. Chop greens into smaller pieces.
In large skillet over medium-high, heat 1 Tbsp (15 mL) oil. Add tofu and cook, tossing the cubes occasionally, until golden brown all over, about 8 minutes. Remove tofu from pan and set aside.
Heat remaining 2 tsp (10 mL) oil in pan. Add onion, chard stems, and 1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt; heat until onion has softened and browned, about 5 minutes. Place garlic and ginger in pan; heat for 2 minutes. Add 1 tsp (5 mL) garam masala, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, turmeric, and red pepper flakes in pan; heat for 30 seconds. Add chopped chard leaves in batches and cook, stirring often, until wilted, about 2 minutes.
Remove pan from heat and let cool for about 2 minutes. Stir in yogurt, 1/4 cup (60 mL) at a time, and then stir in cream. Gently stir in tofu and lemon juice. Serve topped with almonds.
Lime juice and ginger add a tropical whiff to this French-Japanese mashup, where seaweed tendrils and Dijon mustard bring out the umami flavours in mushrooms and eggplant. The ingredients might seem to be strange bedfellows, but they work. The result is somewhere between a quiche and a soufflé, with a gluten-free eggplant crust featuring punchy mustard and citrus. This makes for a hearty vegetarian main for brunch, lunch, or dinner with a side salad, or a filling side dish. Fresh or dried If you don’t have fresh thyme and parsley, use 1 tsp (5 mL) dried thyme (divided) and 1 Tbsp (15 mL) dried parsley. The flavours won’t be as pungent, but a little flavour is better than none.
These are the perfect two-bite appetizers. Though the first bite likely won’t “wow” you, the more you chew, the more the salt from the dulse soaks into the avocado and tomato. Wait for it. You can also turn these into breakfast à la avocado toast by substituting a piece of your favourite bread for a slice of baguette. What’s in a name? Theoretically, this should be called a “DLTA” because of the avocado (dulse, lettuce, tomato, and avocado). And if you left out the lettuce, you’d have a “DTA.” A DTA would arguably be a better overall eating experience, since lettuce slightly waters down the rich and creamy result and makes it harder to keep the tomatoes from sliding off the top of the crostini. But the juicy lettuce is actually helpful, since it spreads the salt from the dulse throughout the entire bite, making the “wow” moment come sooner. Besides, neither DLTA nor DTA is as fun an acronym as DLT.
This triple-threat recipe is made with (up to) three types of seaweed. Wakame is essential for the pesto, but kombu boosts the umami punch of sautéed garlic and cherry tomatoes, while kelp noodles are a low-carb substitute for flour-based noodles. Because kelp noodles can be hard to find (you’ll likely need to order them online), feel free to use your favourite boxed linguine, zucchini noodles, shirataki konjac, tofu, or yam noodles instead. You can also leave out the vongole (clams) to keep the recipe plant-based, or use mussels, which are usually more affordable than clams. Both clams and mussels are generally sustainable, as, like seaweed, they’re farmed without feed or antibiotics, unlike many farmed fish operations. Double-duty pesto Make a double batch of seaweed pesto, and enjoy it with eggs, scrambled tofu, or toast.
Spicy popcorn? You bet. This Japanese seven-spice blend combines salty and spicy notes for a healthy snack. If you don’t make your own togarashi, check the container before adding it to your popcorn to make sure it doesn’t contain salt. For an even simpler recipe, skip the togarashi and just grind a few pieces of nori and a pinch of salt in a blender or spice grinder to sprinkle on your popcorn instead. If you’re fresh out of nori, you can always grind wakame, arame, or dulse instead, leaving out the pinch of salt for dulse or any seaweed you taste and find already salty. Shichimi togarashi This customizable spice blend generally features sansho pepper, a.k.a. Japanese prickly ash, a green peppercorn with a citrusy taste, along with seaweed flakes, chili pepper, and dried citrus peel—often yuzu or mandarin orange. If you can’t find sansho, look for Sichuan peppercorn, which has a slightly stronger mouth-tingling effect. You can buy dried orange, mandarin, or tangerine peel. Or you can dehydrate your own, in which case you might as well dehydrate a 1/8 in (3 mm) thick piece of fresh ginger along with the peel. If you can’t handle a lot of chili pepper heat, reduce the pepper to your taste.