The Thug Kitchen Cookbook

Shameless Plug for the Thug Kitchen.

On my quest for vegan recipes, I came across this book on Amazon. Right now it’s $14.89 and it has over 4000 reviews!

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I absolutely love it! Not only is it pretty hilarious to just read; all the recipes I’ve made have been incredible! The best burrito I’ve EVER had, (and you know, I am 40 now, so I’ve eaten a few in my life) BBQ Burritos with Grilled Peach Salsa, is from this book! If you’re looking for amazing plant/whole food based recipes this is a great place to start!

PS. My family still doesn’t know the the Carrot Cake Cookies are from this book and are vegan. Shhhh, don’t tell!

Moroccan Tofu Kebabs (without the kebab)

When you start a food blog the night before, then you’re invited over for a girl’s night- the universe couldn’t have been any clearer- my friends are my guinea pigs!

This was a recipe I had saved and have been curious to try! It peaked my interest because I’m always looking for new ways to use tofu and I’ve never heard of zaatar spice.

Moroccan Tofu Kebabs – thatsugarfilm.com

One trick I’ve learned with tofu is to really get all the moisture out. I cut the tofu into the size I wanted and placed them between a couple layers of paper towels, then placed a plate underneath and on top, to squeeze out the moisture. While the tofu squeeze was happening I cut up the zucchini. I was delighted to find that I had pre-cut butternut squash in the refrigerator, not only did I think it would be a good addition, but it would be pretty too! Following the recipe I mixed together the tofu, spices and vegetables. So pretty! And yes, I used my hands, like the recipe suggested 🙂 It’s more fun that way, right?

before

I did assemble a few skewers, but since I was pan frying these and I’m super impatient, I decided to just cook them all together. While they were cooking I made the zaatar spice. I couldn’t find it at my local supermarket so I looked up what it is and made it from scratch, following this recipe.

Zaatar Spice for Moroccan Tofu Kebabs – finecooking.com

Since I already had everything in my pantry, it saved me a few bucks. Plus I was really able to appreciate what this middle eastern spice is made up of.

spice

When it was done cooking, I sprinkled my zaatar spice on it and it was done! Excited to share it with friends and get their feedback.

finished

Turning 40. Midlife. Middle age. This is cause for something epic to be done, right? Thanks to the inspiration from a dear friend, I compiled a 16-item bucket list of forty things to achieve during the year. These include things that I’ve been wanting to do, been putting off, quietly nagging at me or just plain fun!

I love food! I’m fascinated with new foods and learning about foods from different cultures. There’s so much out there! One of my #40 bucket list items is to cook forty new recipes. What makes this more ambitious is that I’ve stopped eating meat and dairy this year, while my family has not.

Rassasy, an old 15th century word meaning to satisfy a hunger. Could there be a better name for a food blog? I think this just may be my new favorite word. If I’m having deep thoughts, thank you Jack Handy, this hunger could also be my love for adventure. Or food adventures.