Okay guys, I have a new obsession. Actually, two new obsessions. Smoked tofu and Hazelnut tofu. They are both DELISH, and have quickly become one of my favourite vegetarian protein sources. As you guys know, after my Vegetarian Week challenge, I really found my whole mindset changed around eating meat and to a lesser extent about the whole area of animal protein consumption. I plan to write a full blog post about this as my thoughts evolve and I learn more on this topic in the near future so stay tuned for that.

One definite change I have made since Veggie Week is to have vegetarian/vegan lunches everyday, so my weekend meal prep recipe box has become a LOT more creative and inspired!  You WILL need to look in a health food shop to find the smoked and/or hazelnut tofu – saying that, 300g worth cost me about 3 euro which I consider pretty good going! And you can always plan ahead with your trips to health shops – buy a couple of packs so you’re sorted for the following week too! Now, let’s get cooking!

• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 450g Smoked Tofu
• 1 400g tin of chickpeas
• 1 400ml tin of chopped tomatoes
• 2 tbsp tomato puree
• 300ml water
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1 red onion
• 2 bell peppers (Use two different colours if you can)
• 1 courgette
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp garam masala
• A pinch of sea salt and black pepper

1. Chop up your tofu and veggies (onion, peppers, courgette) in little chunks approximately 1 inch size, place into small bowls and set aside.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large pot on a medium heat, and add the red onion and garlic, and cook for 3-4 minutes until the onion pieces are softened.
3. Next, add the spices (cinnamon, ginger, cayenne pepper, garam masala) to the onions, and cook for another 3-4 minutes until the onions are coated.
4. Add the rest of the veggies to the pot, and stir, cooking for another 5 minutes.
5. Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato puree and water, cook for a couple of minutes and then turn the heat down to a simmer.
6. Add the chickpeas and tofu chunks, and stir everything. Add a little extra water at this stage if the liquid level is a little low – it should be covering most of the solid ingredients.
7. Sprinkle with a little sea salt and black pepper, stir again, the cover and leave to simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
8. If serving immediately, put another pot on medium heat while simmering and when bubbling, cook the grain of your choice in the water according to package instructions. I had this with pearl barley for work lunches but rice or quinoa would be great choices either!