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Simple Sheet Pan BBQ Tofu

This Simple Sheet Pan BBQ Tofu is the most versatile thing ever. Make a batch and keep it in your fridge for the week… okay, make a few batches…

I am bowl-obsessed. I like to eat everything in a bowl. For some reason, everything just tastes better this way.

But it’s not only about taste when it comes to bowls. It’s about ease and variety.

Here’s what I mean: I prep and/or cook whatever ingredients I have in my fridge and I store them in glass containers in the fridge. Then, for the easiest meal ever, I take out all of the containers and arrange them on my counter. I look at them and decide what I want in my bowl. Then I put everything that makes me smile in it’s own little section in the bowl, and I’m good to go. Then everything goes back in the fridge and I do it again next time.

This Simple Sheet Pan BBQ Tofu has become my new favorite bowl ingredient.

It’s so good that even those people in my house who sneer at vegan food love it too.

BUT, and there’s always a BUT isn’t there… tofu should always be organic if possible. It’s a pressed food and therefore that means it’s been manipulated probably more than is healthy. So keep it organic if possible. Also, tofu is very cold in nature. In Chinese medicine, we know that too much cold can be hard on your digestion and on your health in general, so don’t just toss all of this tofu onto a cold salad. I like to add things to mine that are warmer in property too — like hot peppers, ginger, meats… I also like to spice it up with a tangy sauce (see the recipe below). I know this can be confusing, so ask me anything in the comments below.

Make this tofu. Keep it in the fridge. You will love it.

What are my other favorite bowl ingredients? Well, I’m pretty fickle, but lately these are my favorites:

This Simple Sheet Pan BBQ Tofu (yes, it’s worth repeating)
Sauerkraut
Fermented veggies (I buy jars of beets, cabbage, carrots, etc.)
Avocado
Leftover meats
Salami
Roasted veggies
Sweet potatoes
Cauliflower rice
Buckwheat
Dairy-free cheese
Banana peppers
And… wait for it… a fried egg on top, or hard boiled eggs if I have them.

I’ll post a full bowl recipe soon, and you can see how pretty and simple and appetizing it can be.

I haven’t even gotten to the health benefits of these bowls. I customize mine for whatever’s going on in my body at the time. Whatever area needs a little extra help can be given love with a bowl. Oftentimes, my bowls are geared toward digestive benefits and contain foods that help me deal with stress or fighting inflammation. But you do you.

If you need a little help with your digestion, please download my free Healthy Digestion ebook here.

This is the part of the recipe post where I usually tell you the health benefits of some of the ingredients. Well, there are so few ingredients in this one, but I’ll talk about the tofu itself:

Tofu is touted in Chinese medicine for its ability to help detoxify the body. It also can help you with energy and with dryness in the body. NOTE: many people don’t do well with a lot of foods that are cold in property, and tofu is cold. So, don’t eat too much if you fall into this category.

Simple Sheet Pan BBQ Tofu

Recipe type: vegan, vegetarian, grain free, gluten free

Cuisine: tofu, sheet pan

Author: Stacey@Kitchen Of Youth

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 25 mins

Total time: 40 mins

This Simple Sheet Pan BBQ Tofu is the perfect thing to make ahead and keep in your fridge for the week. It's got the perfect texture and tangy taste.

Ingredients

1 lb firm tofu
2 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper
2 Tbs BBQ sauce (store bought or homemade)
1 tsp coconut sugar
1 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425°F.
Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
Place several layers of paper towels or a clean dish towel on a large plate and lay the tofu on top. Cover with more towels and then place a can of food on top and let it sit for about 15 mins, so that the tofu drains a bit.
Cut the tofu into bite-size cubes.
Put the cubes into a bowl and add the rest of the ingredients. Toss gently to combine.
Lay the cubes out onto the sheet pan, making sure they are not touching each other.
Bake about 25- to 30-mins or until they are a little crisp on the outside.
Enjoy with everything.

Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas

August 14, 2017/0 Comments/in Boosting Immune System, Digestive Health, Managing Illnesses, Reduced Aches & Pains, Reduced Inflammation, Weight Management, Youthful Appearance chicken, one-pan meal, baked, simple Mexican, dinner, paleo, whole30, grain free, dairy free /by Stacey Isaacs

Sheet Pan dinners are all the rage. They are like last year’s kale recipes. Remember when every recipe seemed to have kale in it? Everything has it’s time, and for one pan, oven-baked dinners, that time is now. And nobody is happier than I am! I mean, really, what’s better than putting everything on a single tray, plopping it in the oven, and ending up with a flavorful, well-seasoned, spiced-up, healthy dinner? Nothing. Well, at least that’s how I feel now… I can’t wait to see what the next “in” thing is. So, if you want to jump on the sheet pan dinner bandwagon, you have to try these sheet pan chicken fajitas.

I love Mexican food. But, I try not to go out to eat it too much. It’s dangerous! All those chips… and margaritas… ugh… I have little self-control when it comes to this kind of deliciousness…

So, I healthy things up and make my Mexican meals at home. I used grain-free almond tortillas to wrap up these sheet pan chicken fajitas. And I added turmeric to the spice mix. And lots of scallions. Yup, this is not only delicious, but it’s healing too!

It’s funny, when I was younger I think my recipes were more complicated than they are now. I guess I got wiser as I got older. This dinner is so easy, yet it tastes as good as my fancy-schmancy Mexican recipes. As a matter of fact, I just told my daughter that she needs to try this one out when she’s cooking at her college house. Of course, if I was the one cooking at college, I’d be adding some margaritas to the dinner…

For another great sheet pan recipe, try my Roasted Salmon Sheet Pan Dinner.

Here are some of the healing ingredients in these awesome sheet pan chicken fajitas:

Chicken is something I push people to buy organic if possible. Organic chicken is a great, healthy protein to give you energy, lessen the pain of some types of arthritis, and boost your system when you are particularly weak — like after surgery or childbirth. People who have some conditions that we consider “excess heat” conditions should limit the amount of chicken they eat. So, if you have an illness that gives you a bright red tongue or severe dryness in your body, check with your doctor first. For example, if you have a lot of burning stomach acid, you should avoid chicken for awhile…

Bell peppers help with indigestion. If you are feeling bloated and full from over-eating a lot lately, consuming bell peppers will help reduce this feeling. They are also good for blood circulation and research has shown that they are good for people with a low appetite or anorexia. It used to be common in China to use green pepper tea to soothe indigestion.

Turmeric is actually a Chinese herb (Jiang Huang). It is great for reducing inflammation throughout the body. If you suffer from aches and pains in your joints, try turmeric. It can help relieve menstrual pain and some other abdominal pains but, if you are pregnant, ask your doctor before you eat too much turmeric.

Scallions, as I tell you often, are one of my favorites. In Chinese medicine, the root of the scallion is a healing herb (Cong Bai). I always keep scallions on hand in my refrigerator so that I can whip up a batch of cold and flu fighting tea (scallion roots and ginger) the second anyone feels that scratchy throat coming on. It helps the body sweat out toxins. Scallions are antiviral and antibacterial; they are good for the common cold and general nasal congestion — just don’t eat too many if you have a fever.

Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas

Recipe type: chicken, one-pan meal, baked, simple

Cuisine: Mexican, dinner, paleo, whole30, grain free, dairy free

Author: Stacey @There's A Cook In My Kitchen

Prep time: 5 mins

Cook time: 25 mins

Total time: 30 mins

Serves: 4

This is the easiest, most delicious Mexican dinner you can make. It's awesome -- better than at your favorite restaurant! And, it's all made on one pan in the oven!

Ingredients

8 boneless skinless chicken thighs (preferably organic), cut into bite-size pieces
sea salt and black pepper
1 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbs chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp garlic powder
½ tsp smoked paprika
4 scallions, sliced into thirds
2 bell peppers, sliced (any color)
grain-free wraps, for serving (or any kind of wraps or tortillas that make you happy)
1 avocado, sliced, for serving
½ cup coconut yogurt mixed with the juice of 1 lime and a sprinkle of sea salt, for serving
hot sauce or salsa, for serving

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 400°F.
Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
Spread chicken out on the pan.
Add the oil and spices to the chicken and toss well.
Add the bell peppers and scallions and toss again.
Bake in the oven for about 25 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.
Heat the wraps/tortillas if you like. (I hold mine in a tongs over my gas burner, and char them a bit.)
Remove tray from oven and set it on a trivet or dish cloth on the table. Yup, serve it right in the cooking pan.
Serve the wraps/tortillas alongside and let people make their own.
Serve with avocado, salsa, hot sauce, coconut crema, or whatever makes you smile.
Enjoy!

Crispy Spicy Roasted Potatoes

February 21, 2016/0 Comments/in Digestive Health side dish, potatoes American /by Stacey Isaacs

If you’ve been looking for the perfect potato recipe, this is it — crispy spicy roasted potatoes for the win!

It seems like such a simple thing. Crispy roasted potatoes should be a really easy thing to make. And, they are… but I didn’t get it really right until this time. And I’ve been playing with this recipe for a long, long time. But once you get the right ratio of spices and the right amount of fat and the correct baking times and temperature, you can use this formula time after time with whatever spices and herbs you like and it will never disappoint.

Oh boy, I just read that paragraph I just typed. I sound so serious and I’m talking about potatoes! OK, so it’s really not a serious topic, but these potatoes are so awesome. And so easy. I guess I just feel a little humbled by these simple potatoes because it took me until now to get them so perfectly crispy and buttery and delicious.

You have to try this recipe.

I mean, who doesn’t need a great easy people-pleasing recipe in their arsenal that can be pulled out at any time? And this recipe is so versatile. I’ve made these crispy spicy roasted potatoes for breakfast. I’ve made them for dinner. And, mostly, I’ve eaten the leftovers at really weird times during the day.

If you are a spicy-potato-recipe fan, you should also try my Buffalo Chicken With Potatoes And Bacon recipe!

Aside from the amazing texture and taste, these potatoes are awesome for you:

Potatoes are good at soothing ulcers and neutralizing acid in the stomach and they help relieve constipation. These tubers also can help relieve arthritic inflammation. So, even though sweet potatoes are thought of as the white potato’s more nutrition sister, regular old potatoes can be just what the doctor ordered.

Garlic is amazing in its antiviral and antibacterial capabilities. Garlic is actually a Chinese herb (Da Suan). It’s used to kill toxins and parasites and also to reduce swelling in the body. It’s what I call a great “A” herb: anesthetic, antibacterial, anti fungal, antioxidant, antiviral, etc…. I almost always use fresh garlic in my recipes, but for this recipe, garlic powder works wonderfully.

Black Pepper is a Chinese herb called Hu Jiao. It’s used to alleviate diarrhea, vomiting and some stomach pains.

Oregano is a powerful antioxidant and it is great at fighting bacteria. It’s also known as an herb that brings joy and happiness to people.

Crispy Spicy Roasted Potatoes

Recipe type: side dish, potatoes

Cuisine: American

Author: Stacey @There's A Cook In My Kitchen

Prep time: 5 mins

Cook time: 45 mins

Total time: 50 mins

Serves: 4

So simple and so perfect. This is the only recipe you will need for crispy potatoes.

Ingredients

4 medium yellow potatoes, unpeeled and cut into bite-size pieces
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp garlic powder
½ tsp dried thyme
½ tsp black pepper (or to taste)
sea salt to taste
1-1/2 Tbs butter or ghee, melted (here's a good organic ghee)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Boil the potatoes for 6-minutes.
Drain well.
Toss the drained potatoes in a large bowl with the rest of the ingredients.
Spread the potatoes in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Try to spread out the potatoes so that they are not touching each other.
Roast for about 45 minutes, or until the potatoes are golden and crispy.
Enjoy!
Note: I've seen lots of versions of this recipe and oftentimes the baking time is much less than 45 minutes, so check your potatoes frequently. Mine were perfect at 45 minutes.