Tofu Rancheros + Chocolate Berry Green Smoothie #6

Good morning folks. I hope this Monday morning is going perfectly well for all. I was glad to learn this morning that the weather is to reach to the near 60s after having lows of 20s last week! What will November have in store for us?

My 6am workout was tough this morning but it helped having 6 other people working next to me! I came home and resumed my smoothie series even though I did enjoy one over the weekend I decided to repeat it this morning so I could share it with you.

Chocolate Berry Green Smoothie #6

• 1/2 cup frozen raspberries
• 1/2 cup frozen blueberries
• 3 cups loosely packed spinach
• 1/2 cup So Delicious Coconut Milk
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 Tablespoon maple syrup
• 3 Tablespoons raw cocoa powder
• 1 Tablespoon flaxseed oil
• 1 teaspoon raw maca powder
• 1 scoop protein powder

This was a delicious creamy berry smoothie that held me over for  5 hours today.

Last night I chatted with @dreamofgreenie  about possible meal options at Seva, a well known vegan / vegetarian restaurant in Ann Arbor. Even though we were supposed to meet up this week upon her visit to Michigan, plans fell through but I was still able to recommend yummy dishes to her. One of the dishes I suggested was the Tofu Rancheros. It is one of my most favorite dishes that I know is simple to prepare but that I have never made.

This morning I was determined to replicate the recipe as close as I could remember. I pressed my tofu after coming back from my workout. I even measured it before putting it in the press so you can see the beautiful difference.

After 2 hours (because I could leave it pressing that long) I came to a block half the size.

I sliced the tofu in half and cut into 1/2 inch cubes and fried the cubes in 2 Tablespoons of olive oil under medium heat in a wok for 10-12 minutes. Here is the beautiful crispy result.

I then placed half this crispy tofu in 1 cup medium salsa and boiled for 5 minutes and seasoned it with a bit of Tony Chachere's seasonings.

Here is my easy Ranchero sauce with the crispy tofu.

I then quickly heat a can of black beans and added some onions and mashed it a bit with a potato masher. I let them boil quickly and took off the heat. I quicklly fried 3 corn tortillas in the same wok with the residue oil until a bit crispy. I placed one tortilla on a plate added beans and repeated the layering with the other 2 tortillas. I added the tofu ranchero on top and added some sliced avocado.

This was an incredible brunch!! It was VERY close to the restaurant version except that I left off the melted vegan cheese since I did not think it needed it. This was an incredibly easy meal and easy to prepare. Enjoy! This is why you need a tofu press. :) The end.  Check out the GIVEAWAY  here.

Tofu Rancheros

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serves 2

1-14 ounce package extra firm tofu
1 to 1 1/2 cups medium to hot salsa (I use Pace Picante)
1-15 ounce can black beans
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon Tony Chachere's seasoned salt
6 tortillas
6 avocado slices

Press your tofu for up to an hour with a tofu press or with paper towels and weighed by heavy books.

Slice the tofu in half then cut each half widthwise and cut into 1/2 inch cubes. Meanwhile heat 2 Tablespoons olive oil in a wok or non-stick pan. Add tofu cubes to the pan and fry for 10-12 minutes. Periodically turn the cubes with a wooden spoon so that they will evenly fry.

Add tofu cubes to a small pot with the 1 1/2 cups salsa and seasoned salt and simmer for 5-7 minutes.

Heat black beans in another small pot and gently mash beans with a potatoe masher. (canned beans are usually salted so no need to salt. I added 1 Tablespoon dehydrated onions and boiled the beans for 5 minutes.

Fry 6 tortillas in the same pan where tofu was fried. If needed add one more Tablespoon to continue to fry for 3-5 minutes or until somewhat crispy. I like then a little softer.

Assembly

Add 1 tortilla to a plate and add 1-2 Tablespoons black beans. Add another tortilla and repeat process a 3rd time. Repeat for second plate. Divide the tofu ranchero mixture between each plate and add 3 slices of avocado to each plate. Enjoy!