amberitas kitchen

15 minute vegan tacos

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15 minute vegan tacos with beans and fresh guacamole. Now we’re talking. These tacos are easy to make and ready to eat in 15 minutes. For one of those nights that you don’t feel like cooking. But also you want to have a nice meal. That’s when you head on over to ohsoplantiful and grab this recipe!

15 minute vegan tacos in a bowl seen from the front with two small bowls in the background with sour cream and guacamole. Against a dark backdrop

15 minute vegan tacos with beans and all the toppings

Vegan tacos

Tacos are so easily veganised. I love them with beans, it’s quick and easy. But I also love taking a bit more time and making jackfruit tacos, spiced tofu tacos, or sweet potato tacos. Recipes coming soon!

There’s a few key ingredients you need to make a nice taco. First, a good tortilla. I luv a corn tortilla but I also enjoy wheat tortilla. Second, make sure you have some nice, ripe avocados. And get local avocados if you can, less harm and emissions. Then we move on to the taco filling, in this case the beans. Now we’re obviously not using plain beans, this isn’t our first rodeo. The beans are fried and spiced. To offset the creamy avocado and salty beans, we need some freshness. Freshness comes in the form of sour cream, lime, and coriander. Optional (but not really optional) is something pickled. A quick pickled red onion for example. And last but not least: spice! Hot sauce! A kick! This can come in the form of Valentina which I also used in this recipe. But Cholula Salsa is also really good.

Sour cream

In this recipe I’ve used homemade cashew sour cream. I’ll also upload the recipe for that soon! It’s not necessary to use homemade sour cream of course. You can easily use a vegan yoghurt or a store bought vegan sour cream. In Spain though I’ve found that it’s 1. hard to find and 2. quite expensive. Which is why I like making my own.

15 minute vegan tacos seen from above. a small bowl of guacamole, a wooden spoon, cherry tomatoes, coriander, a small bowl of sour cream with a spoon, against a dark backdrop with light coming in from the left side

Serve these tacos with fresh lime wedges and coriander.

15 minute meals

The trick to these 15 minute recipes is to make sure your flow is in order. The order of when to prepare what will define how quickly you’ll have these 15 minute vegan tacos on the table and into your mouth. That’s why it’s key to follow the steps. Make sure the oven is warm to heat up the tortillas. Get the beans on first since they need to be fried. Then move onto the guacamole and assembling the tacos. I recommend eating these straight away!

15 minute vegan tacos seen from above filled with beans, guacamole, sour cream, coriander, and lime wedges against a dark backdrop

15 minute vegan tacos

These tacos with beans are quick, easy, and delicious! Perfect to cook on a week night when you don't want to spend lots of time in the kitchen.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings: 2
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 4 tortillas
beans
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 200 grams beans (1 cup)
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • ½ tsp cumin
  • ½ tsp chilli flakes
  • ½ tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp paprika powder
guacamole
  • 1 large avocado
  • ½ red onion, minced
  • 1 tomato, diced
  • 1 lime
  • handful fresh coriander, chopped
  • salt
  • pepper
toppings
  • handful lettuce
  • hot sauce
  • sour cream
  • pickled red onion or cabbage

Equipment

  • small to medium sized pot
  • oven or microwave

Method
 

  1. start by heating up the oven and placing the tortilla's in there to warm up slowly.
  2. get a small pot on a low heat and add olive oil. once warm, add the minced garlic and sautée. go easy and make sure the garlic doesn't burn.
  3. after a minute or two, add the rinsed beans and don't be afraid to smoosh the beans so it becomes a bit more of a paste. add salt, pepper, cumin, paprika (both smoked and mild), and chilli flakes. let this sit on a low heat until ready to serve. cover with a lid.
  4. in a bowl, mash the avocado and add the minced red onion and minced tomato. mix together and add the juice of 1 lime, the chopped coriander, and salt and pepper to taste.
  5. take your tortilla's out of the oven.
  6. to assemble the tacos, take a tortilla in one hand and scoop in some beans, then top with guacamole, sour cream, lettuce, red onion, and hot sauce and eat straight away!

Notes

Once assembled, the tacos should be eaten straight away. 
The beans can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days.
The guacamole should be covered with tin or plastic foil and can be stored for up to 3 days more or less. But I recommend not leaving guacamole in the fridge.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

 

vegan sour cream seen from front view with a hand holding a spoon with a bowl of tacos and guacamole in the back

Cashew Sour Cream

Easy peasy lemon squeezy cashew-based sour cream!
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Cook Time 10 minutes
soaking time 12 hours
Total Time 12 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 1 large bowl
Course: sauces
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups soaked cashews (346 grams)
  • 2 juice of 2 large lemons
  • pinch salt
  • ¾ cup water
  • pepper

Equipment

  • Food Processor

Method
 

  1. The night before, or early in the morning, soak the cashews. If you don't have time or forgot to soak them, you can place them in boiled water for 3-4 hours or even boil them for an hour.
  2. Place the cashews in a food processor and add the lemon juice, the salt, the pepper, and the water and blend until completely smooth.
  3. Blend for a few minutes, depending on the strength of your food processor.
  4. Chill before serving.

Notes

Keep in the fridge up to a week. 
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

easy vegan aioli

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This easy vegan aioli is absolutely delicious. Who doesn’t love a good aioli? I guarantee this aioli is the easiest, quickest, and most delicious (vegan) aioli you’ll ever have. It goes so well paired with bread, potatoes, maybe a vegan kebab. Or on a scrumptious sandwich of course. I’ve been tinkering with this recipe for well over a year now. So I can now guarantee you this aioli comes out wonderfully every. single. time. My aioli has fresh garlic, mustard seeds, and more.

easy vegan aioli seen from front view in a small bowl with a silver spoon and a hand against a dark and light backdrop

delicious vegan aioli

Aquafaba

The most important ingredient in this recipe is aquafaba. But what exactly is aquafaba? Aquafaba is the liquid found in a tin or jar of legumes (like chickpeas). Read more about aquafaba here. Why do we use aquafaba? Aquafaba’s used in recipes because of its properties very similar to egg whites. But without the animal cruelty. For example, you can use aquafaba to make merengue, in pastries, or to make emulsified sauces. Such as mayonnaise, hollandaise, and aioli! I prefer using aquafaba from a tin of organic chickpeas. However, any tin or jar of chickpeas will do. I’ve also used aquafaba from a tin of beans, but it’s slightly thicker. Which will result in a smaller amount of aioli. Therefore I recommend using a tin of chickpeas.

easy vegan aioli seen from above in a small bowl with a silver spoon against a dark backdrop

the perfect aioli, sans egg!

Aioli

Let me quickly add here that this is not a traditional recipe. (In terms of the ingredients). But what I can promise is that it’ll remind you of abuela’s aioli. Don’t have a Spanish grandmother? Then this aioli will remind you of that time you had patatas bravas somewhere along the Spanish coast. This recipe is more of a mayonnaise-aioli hybrid. Mostly because it’s got lemon juice, mustard seeds, and sugar in. Plus, I’ve chosen to use sunflower oil instead of olive oil. Olive oil goes bitter very quickly when using an immersion blender. Feel free to use any other oil, like avocado or canola. Obviously, that’ll drive up the cost per portion a little.

I’m certain you’ll love this aioli, and so will your friends and family. Not only is it easy to make, it’s pretty cheap too! Please leave me a comment if you make this. Either here or on Instagram or Facebook. I love hearing from you!

easy vegan aioli seen from above in a small bowl with a silver spoon against a dark backdrop

easy vegan aioli

this aioli is delicious, cheap, and so easy to make. aquafaba and sunflower oil as a base, and a few other ingredients to make this the best (vegan) aioli out there!
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Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings: 450 ml±
Course: sauces
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 100 ml aquafaba
  • 1 clove garlic
  • salt
  • pepper
  • ¼ tsp mustard seeds *
  • ¼ tsp dried chilli flakes
  • 1 tsp lemon juice **
  • ½ tsp sugar ***
  • 350 ml sunflower oil

Equipment

  • immersion blender
  • colander (strainer or sieve)

Method
 

  1. strain the chickpeas until you have 100 ml of aquafaba. put the aquafaba in a tall and narrow recipient (this is to make blending easier).
  2. add the garlic, salt, pepper, mustard seeds, chilli flakes, lemon juice, and sugar to the aquafaba.
  3. on low speed, blend this together until you have a foamy mixture.
  4. then, gradually start adding the sunflower oil whilst blending. when the aioli starts to thicken, move the blender up and down to incorporate all the oil.
  5. if you prefer a runnier aioli, use less oil. if you prefer a thicker aioli, use a little more oil.
  6. that's it! the aioli is done. use right away or store in the fridge for up to two weeks.

Notes

*instead of mustard seeds, feel free to use mustard. 
**you can substitute the lemon juice for vinegar. 
***would you rather not use any sugar? agave or maple syrup will also work. 
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

my favourite summer sandwich

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This is by far my favourite summer sandwich. In my opinion, everyone needs a favourite sandwich. A sandwich for every season! Ever since I started baking sourdough bread over a year ago, I’ve really upped my sandwich game. They’re the perfect meal; you can add veggies, your favourite sauces (yes, plural), and they’re easy to take with you to a picnic or on a hike.

stacked sandwich front view with aioli and tofu and greens against dark background

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Making a good sandwich: a how-to

For me, a sandwich needs a few components to make it a good sandwich. A bad sandwich makes me very sad. So, how does one make a good sandwich? First, start properly, with good bread. I typically use my own, but sometimes I might buy a bread if I’m not in the mood to bake. If you’re ever in Barcelona and looking for a tasty loaf of bread check out the pan de payés at Funky Bakers. Then, at least one good type of dressing or sauce, a variety of vegetables, and a protein. But, when making a sandwich, it’s not only about flavours. It’s also about textures. If you want to take your sandwich to the next level you need some crunch in there to offset the softness of the bread.

A mix of flavours

This particular sandwich combines Mediterranean and Asian influences. The tangy creaminess of the aioli, a slight hint of spice from the sriracha mayo, a sweet crunch from the red onion. The freshness from the coriander, the satiating tofu, and extra crunch and nutrition from the mixed lettuce. You can use plain tofu, sliced up, maybe char it on both sides, or use my recipe for BBQ tofu which you can find here.

stacked sandwich front view with aioli and tofu and greens against dark background

My favourite summer sandwich

I love bringing a delicious homemade sandwich like this one with me to the beach or when I’m going out for the day. I also have a standing promise to prepare a few of these for an upcoming road trip. A definite crowd-pleaser for any occasion.

So, don’t wait any longer, make this sandwich today!

stacked sandwich front view with aioli and tofu and greens against dark background

my favourite summer sandwich

5 from 1 vote
this sandwich has all that you can desire from a sandwich. it's the perfect summertime meal to enjoy on the beach or in the park, or for brunch in bed.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Servings: 2 big sandwiches
Course: Lunch
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 4 slices sourdough bread (or your favourite bread)
  • 2 tbsp aioli (or vegan mayo)
  • a handful mixed lettuce (i used a mix of baby leaf lettuce)
  • 150 grams tofu * (sliced) (smoked, charred, plain, or BBQ tofu)
  • ½ red onion
  • a handful fresh coriander
  • 2 tbsp sriracha mayo
  • salt
  • pepper

Method
 

  1. start by slicing some thick slices of bread. then on the bottom slice, put a generous spoonful of aioli.
  2. next place the lettuce on the aioli. add the tofu slices.
  3. top with the red onion, fresh coriander, salt and pepper.
  4. drizzle the top slice with sriracha mayo and top the sandwich.
  5. cut the sandwich in half and serve right away or pack it up for a delicious meal to go!

Notes

*If you don't like tofu, you could sub for some vegan cheese. Also optional: some tomato slices or maybe some cucumber.
eat on the same day.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

The BEST BBQ Tofu

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Welcome to my very first post on the new website! And a very good one at that: a show stopping smokey BBQ tofu. If you’re new here, you can find out a little bit about me by clicking here.

Origins

Cabrils. The lovely small village of Cabrils is where my partner, myself, and seven of our good friends rented a villa after lockdown. It was the first time since early March we were all allowed to go out and do regular human things like socialise, share meals, leave our houses, and see our friends. Barcelona (and the rest of Spain for that matter) had been on one of the strictest lockdowns in Europe. For weeks, nay, months on end we were confined to our homes, only allowed out for essential trips such as the supermarket or the pharmacy.

So, when the restrictions were fully lifted and lives could be resumed we decided on a get-away. For six days, we swam in the clear blue water of the pool, worked on our post-lockdown summer tans, drank ice cold bottles of beer and thirst-quenching cocktails, and made some incredible food. When I say incredible food, I mean incredible food. I highly recommend going on a trip with a bunch of foodies.

Waking up as the light filters through the curtains, in a bedroom that isn’t ours was marvellous. The sound of people in the kitchen, the smell of a freshly brewed batch of coffee. There was freshly foraged rosemary, sage, and thyme. Frosty fresh margaritas. Heady espresso martinis. Crispy baked potatoes, spicy tomato pasta, fragrant walnut aubergine dip, homemade flatbreads, and so on.

On our last night, we organised a grand finale barbecue. Having been around such good food my lovely friends, I felt inspired. This if when I came up with the following recipe for a sweet yet spicy, smokey miso glazed tofu.

top view of sliced marinated tofu in tin foil with coriander and a sharp knife

Serve the BBQ Tofu with fresh coriander

Back to the actual recipe

I absolutely love using miso in a variety of ways, and i tend to use many different types of miso. For this recipe, I used a dark miso like this one. Make sure to browse your local asian grocer for a miso you like instead of ordering from amazon of course. I also use gochujang paste in this recipe, a Korean pepper paste that gives anything a lovely hit of spice. I’m sure the asian grocer will also carry it, to give you an idea this is the brand i’ve been buying.

This tofu dish is a real showstopper at a barbecue or a dinner party. At the villa i made it on the barbecue, but I’ve since made it at home in the oven and that also works like a charm. You can marinade for a few hours if you’d like, but I recommend making this the night before and marinating overnight.

sliced marinated tofu with coriander in tin foil viewed from the front

The BBQ Tofu served with fresh coriander

The Cabrils trip will forever be one of my favourite holidays and some of my best memories.

top view of sliced marinated tofu in tin foil with coriander and a sharp knife

the best BBQ tofu

this smokey, spicy, and sweet BBQ tofu recipe is perfect for all your summer get-togethers
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 6 hours 45 minutes
Servings: 6
Course: Main Course
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 500 grams extra firm tofu
Marinade
  • 3 cloves of garlic (minced)
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp miso
  • 1 tbsp agave syrup *
  • 1 tbsp liquid smoke (i used hickory)
  • 1 tsp gochujang paste**
  • 1 tsp smoky hot sauce (i used Valentina)
  • 1 tsp rice vinegar ***
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp sweet paprika
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1/2 tsp chilli flakes
  • 1 pinch of salt
  • cracked black pepper

Equipment

  • oven
  • pan or griddle pan

Method
 

  1. start off by making the marinade for the tofu. in a bowl, mix the minced garlic, olive oil, miso paste, agave, liquid smoke, gochujang paste, hot sauce, the vinegar, the smoked and sweet paprika, the thyme, the chilli flakes, and salt and pepper.
  2. heat a griddle pan (or regular pan) on a high heat. char the tofu on all sides.
  3. place the tofu and the marinade in a sealable container, make sure the tofu is covered with the marinade, and place in the fridge. leave for 6 hours or overnight.
  4. when you're ready to prepare the tofu, wrap it in tin foil along with all the marinade. here you decide on how to cook the tofu. option 1 is to place it on a hot barbecue for 30 minutes. option 2: pre-heat the oven to 220°C degrees (428°F) and bake for 30 minutes.
  5. serve right away with some fresh coriander.

Notes

*you can sub maple or even sugar for the agave
**feel free to try another type of pepper paste or spicy paste (maybe sambal?). it'll come out slightly differently of course. 
***you could use other vinegar or even lemon juice if you're in a pinch
 
 
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!