Hi guys! If you have been keeping up with my IG stories you would have known that the past couple weeks have been insane in my household. Cody and I finally moved into our new apartment which has been both chaotic and fun so what better way to update you all than a blog (you can only say so much on captions right?).
5 weeks in and things have definitely settled down a lot more and we’re slowly getting into a routine again however the one thing that has been put on hold was my cooking! I have been so exhausted running around trying to organise everything and working that by the time I make it home I’m HANGRY and have no energy to cook. Also to add fuel to the fire, I have a highly advanced electric cooktop that hates me and I have always used gas stove tops so put them together and you have me having a break down in the middle of my kitchen at 8pm because it’s way past my dinner time and I didn’t order food delivery because I was trying to be healthy but being healthy backfired and the world hates me.
Total drama queen, I know.
Recipe creations had to go on pause and quick and easy comfort foods that I could manage on my electric stovetop without malfunctioning became my norm and ultimate saviours. Luckily this same month Coles has come out with an INSANE amount of vegan goods (I know you’ve all noticed this too because I see you all posting it on your stories like I do). My current favourite is the Nature’s Kitchen range and I’m slowly working my way through the lot of them because they’re making my life 100% times easier so thought I’d share my thoughts and a spicy fried tofu chicken recipe with you all!
The first meal from the range I tried was their Mediterranean vegetable lasagna because a little birdy told me it was the best premade vegan meal they’ve ever had. If you know me at all then you know that I am SO skeptical about premade meals because they are generally bland and tasteless, leaving me even hangrier than I was before, so it takes a lot for me to even go out and buy one. I oven baked mine and to be honest it took longer than I expected mainly because Cody and I spent ages debating whether the black tray was safe for the oven or not (it is BTW), but it came out bubbling and smelling amazing. I was very impressed with the béchamel sauce and with some salt and pepper the meal was delicious! It reminded me of the lasagnas you would have bought from the tuck shop back in primary school/high school and I would definitely recommend it to have as a back up in your fridge.
I also tried the vegetable tikka masala from the range which I was very impressed with because you can’t go wrong with a chickpea curry. I just added some more fresh chilli for heat as it was mild and then some salt and pepper to season it to my liking. For $7 a serve it has matched the level of other meal prep businesses at $3-5 less per serve and you don’t have to wait or organise a delivery!
The next meal I tried was the ginger chilli marinated tofu because the marinade just looked too good to not try. It also saved me heaps of time in meal prep so this one was my favourite, especially for the nights when you come home from work and really can’t be bothered but your bank account won’t allow you to order delivery anymore. I like to coat mine in some cornflour and quickly pan fry until crispy, serve with a quick veggie stir fry with fresh ginger, garlic, soy sauce and sesame oil and either rice or noodles. Pack your leftovers in a container and you’re good to go for lunch tomorrow too with minimal effort! Winning!
Finally, the spicy fried chicken recipe! I love pre marinated products but sometimes you need a good old classic and I’m glad Nature’s Kitchen caters for that too. This firm tofu recipe makes the best faux meat alternative and the freezing and defrosting method completely changes the texture of the tofu. It’s a lot messier and takes a bit longer than the other options but it is SO worth it and still relatively simple. You’ll be shocked at how amazing it turns out! If you were a lover of fried chicken batter before going plant based then this one is for you.
Spicy Fried Tofu Chicken (Makes 3-4 serves)
Ingredients:
1 pack Nature’s Kitchen firm tofu (freeze overnight and then defrost, trust me on this)
1 cup plain flour
2 tsp onion powder
2 tsp garlic powder
3 tsp All purpose seasoning
1 tsp Peri Peri salt (optional if you want it spicy)
2 cups vegan chicken stock
1/2 cup Orgran easy egg mix with 3/4 cup water (this creates the ‘skin’ texture)
Pepper to taste
Oil for shallow frying
Method:
1. After defrosting tofu, break into bite sized pieces and marinate in 2 cups vegan chicken stock, 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp garlic powder and 1 tsp all-purpose seasoning for at least 30 minutes.
2. In a bowl add flour, 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp garlic powder, 2 tsp all-purpose seasoning and 1 tsp peri peri salt. Add pepper to taste.
3. In another bowl mix Organ easy egg mix with water to create a batter.
4. Coat tofu in flour mix, then easy egg mix then flour mix again.
5. Shallow fry in oil until brown.
6. Serve with coleslaw and mash and gravy!
Let me know your thoughts and which of the Nature’s Kitchen range you’ve already tried! As always send through some photos and tag me if you make the fried chicken so I can drool.
xx Ana
*This post is in sponsorship with Coles