Smoky barbecue calzone with aubergine and peppers

Many thanks for your lovely comments on my last post. It's safe to say that parenthood is a whole new world, with many ups and downs, and that I have a new appreciation for the effects of persistent sleep deprivation. However, Mini Bite is delightful and I am learning to ride out the challenging moments and savour the cute, lovely, satisfying ones.

This post shares a recipe from before we had a newborn. I am definitely not rolling out dough or finely chopping vegetables at the moment! However, I hope I can re-create this one day because it was a meal we both enjoyed and I absolutely loved the smoky vegetable filling.

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Spicy + smoky tofu open sandwich

When putting together my recent picnic ideas post, I was reminded of how much more creative I could be with vegan sandwiches. Basically, I rarely make them and when I lived in Australia I wasn't very fussed about having them. However, London offers quite a few vegan sandwich options (from Pret A Manger varieties, to the Laura's Idea range in Whole Foods, to lots of hummus-based wraps) and so I have developed more of an affection for sandwich lunches. This post features one I made recently, albeit with so much filling I had to make it an open faced variety!

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Smoky paprika risotto with chickpeas (and giveaway winner)

I was recently pleased to pick up some liquid smoke in the supermarket. I haven't cooked with it since we moved to the UK and have missed the option of smoky, South American style dishes. Mr Bite was less pleased as he is not a big fan of liquid smoke flavoured meals. However, sometimes I exercise the cook's prerogative and serve them to him anyway...

It is perhaps not very surprising that where I loved this dish, he just tolerated it. I am posting it anyway because I am confident that in this instance, his lukewarm attitude stems from his dislike of the ingredients. If you are kind, you probably won't give this to someone who isn't a big fan of liquid smoke or chickpeas. For everyone else - I am certain it will be enjoyable!

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Smoky barbecue roast vegetables

Here in Australia, it isn't really the season for roast vegetables. However, that doesn't stop us having them and it is the season for large, make in advance side dishes. Roast vegetables fit that requirement perfectly.

This dish is a spin off from the tofu in barbecue sauce I first posted two years ago. I still love that dish, and it taught me that barbecue sauce isn't constrained to what you can buy in plastic bottles. Done well, barbecue sauce is a wonderful thing!

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Liquid smoke, tofu bacon, smoky roast almonds - and a thank you

Sometimes, things happen that make life (and people) seem really, truly, genuinely nice. Things that restore my faith in the world and which make the days seem brighter.

I was fortunate enough to have this experience a couple of weeks ago, when Mel from Veganise This! emailed and offered to send me some liquid smoke. As you may recall, I omitted liquid smoke when I made her tofu bacon last month, as it seems to Just Not Exist in Perth.

I had figured that liquid smoke may cross my path one day, somewhere in the future, and had resigned myself to not experiencing it until that time. Thus, I was really touched by, and grateful for, Mel's offer.

When her package arrived, I got to experience that gratitude all over again. You see, not only did Mel send liquid smoke, she also enclosed smoked paprika, chile chipotle powder, and chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. 

It felt like Christmas, only better, by virtue of it being a surprise.

The first thing I wanted to do was make tofu bacon again, this time with liquid smoke. I followed Mel's recipe exactly, with the exception of marinating the tofu for only 2 hours, as I put this together after work. Johanna has noted that shorter marinating times work for her and it does help if you decide you want tofu bacon on short notice.

I also grilled the tofu this time, in contrast to the pan-based stir frying I did previously. Some pieces were a bit chunkier than they might have been, and I found they were crisper if cut thinner (as Mel notes and recommends in her original post), so I will pay more attention to my slicing in future!

I wanted to really taste the tofu, so I used the slices to make wraps, along with grilled red pepper (coated in the leftover tofu bacon marinade) and baby spinach leaves.

The flavours really were smoky. There is no other way to describe them! Deliciously, amazingly smoky. I kept taking extra bites of the tofu with a sort of wonderment. It truly is a wonderful way to prepare tofu.

The grilling method worked well for this meal, but I am looking forward to trying the stir fry approach again too. I felt like that gave slightly crisper results (although that may also reflect the difference in the size of the tofu pieces) and I think I will have fun adding this to all manner of meals.

First, though, I want to talk about another way to use liquid smoke.

Smoky roast almonds.

These were made with a serious nod to the tofu bacon marinade ingredients, with the coating including maple syrup, soy sauce, liquid smoke and nutritional yeast.

I rarely eat roast nuts of any form, and have never made my own. However, on the basis of this one batch, I am now a convert.

The flavours are intricate, deep, and with plenty of smokiness. This is offset with a little sweetness and a little saltiness, giving an amazing umami  experience. They made my taste buds glow with happiness. 

I recommend them. Wholeheartedly.

Smoky roast almonds

Inspired by Mel's tofu bacon
Makes 1 cup

Easy, delicious, and guarranteed to leave your kitchen smelling smoky - in a good way

Print recipe

Ingredients

1 cup raw almonds

1 tbsp maple syrup

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tsp liquid smoke

1 tsp nutritional yeast

Method

Preheat your oven to 175'C and line an oven tray with baking paper.

Combine the marinade ingredients (maple syrup, soy sauce, liquid smoke and nutritional yeast) in a medium bowl, and whisk with a fork to combine.

Add the almonds to the bowl and toss to coat. Then pour the almonds and extra marinade on to the baking tray. Use a spoon to spread the almonds out.

Bake for 20 - 25 minutes, checking at the 10 minute and 20 minute marks. The nuts will be golden when done, and the marinade will have set.

Mel, thank you again for lifting my day (and week, and month) with your generosity, and for allowing me to experience the wonder of liquid smoke!

What has made your kitchen sing recently? 
And have you tried liquid smoke - any other suggestions for how I should try it out?

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