A Seriously Hearty Meal… That’s Gluten-Free and Vegan? [Recipe]

Let me say off the bat that I’m generally skeptical of meals touted as gluten-free, sugar-free, vegan, raw, etc. I love the idea of eating as healthily as possible but finding good recipes can be pretty hit or miss when you try to meet some of those qualifiers. This however is one recipe whose gospel I can preach.   

My friend Haley started a food blog about a year ago called Brewing Happiness and every Friday she gets together with a friend to make a new, ultra-healthy dish together. This week was my week and we made an incredible Spicy BBQ Tofu Flatbread with Lemon-Dill Sauce that she thought up. I know a lot of you start looking for the exits when you hear the word “tofu,” but hang in there. I rarely (re: never) eat tofu but I really enjoyed this meal and I was SHOCKED at how hearty and filling it was. The recipe features a good kick of spice with pickled jalapeños and a sweet (but sugar-free) barbecue sauce drizzled with just enough creamy lemon-dill sauce to balance it all out. 

I recommend it to any man looking to try out some healthier eating without skimping on feeling a full stomach. This would also be a great recipe to try out for those of you looking to bless your healthier-minded significant other with a meal you’ll both enjoy. 

First up, you’ve gotta pickle some sprouts (which I promise is way easier than it sounds).

PICKLED BRUSSELS SPROUTS & JALAPENOS

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup brussels sprouts
• 2 jalapeño peppers

FOR THE BRINE

• 3 parts distilled white vinegar
• 1 part apple cider vinegar
• 1 part umeboshi plumb vinegar (or just rice wine vinegar)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Put all ingredients in a jar.
2. With the lid on, let it sit for 5 hours to 2 days in a cool, dark place.

Next up is the Homemade (and sugar-free) BBQ sauce, you literally make in a blender.

HOMEMADE BBQ SAUCE

INGREDIENTS

• 1 sweet onion, diced
• 1TBSP crushed garlic (or two garlic cloves)
• 1TBSP olive oil
• 6oz tomato paste
• 3/4C water
• 1/4C balsamic vinegar
• 6 dates (boiled with 1/2C water)
• salt, pepper & cayenne (to taste)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a large skillet heat the olive oil over medium low heat.
2. Add the onion and garlic, and sauté for 5-7 minutes.
3. Add the tomato paste, water, and balsamic vinegar.
4. Stir while sautéing for 10 minutes.
5. Season with salt, pepper, and cayenne.
6. After 10-15 minutes of sautéing, pour ingredients into a blender and add the dates and boiled water.
7. Blend until smooth.

The last sub recipe before you throw it all together is the chapati. We ended up keeping ours pretty thick which I was a fan of, although I think most people tend to flatten them a good deal. 

CHAPATI (FLATBREAD)

INGREDIENTS

• 2C brown (or white) rice flour
• 3/4C warm water
• 1TBSP grape seed oil (can sub for canola or olive oil)
• 1TSP sea salt
• 1-2TBSP olive oil (for cooking)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Mix flour and salt in a bowl.
2. Add the warm water and oil slowly.
3. Mix until doughy.
4. Cover and let sit for 30 minutes or so.
5. After 30 minutes, uncover move to a floured surface and knead.
6. Split the dough into two pieces, and smooth into a flatbread shape and size (pick yours, we went with about 1/4 inch thick).
7. Heat each flatbread in a skillet with 1TBSP of olive oil over medium-low heat.
8. Cook each side for about 30 seconds, or until brown spots show up.

And finally, you throw them all together to get that delectable-looking feast pictured below.

SPICY BBQ TOFU FLATBREAD

INGREDIENTS

• 2 Chapatis flatbread “crusts” (see above recipe)
• 1C firm tofu, drained & cubed
• 1C pickled brussels sprouts (see above recipe)
• 1-2 pickled jalapeños, sliced
• 1/2C homemade bbq sauce (see above recipe)
• 1TBSP olive oil
• salt & pepper
• 2-4TBSP lemon-dill aioli (see Eggplant & Sweet Potato Crisps post)
• 1 handful of arugula

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a small pan, heat olive oil over medium heat.
2. Add pickled brussels sprouts, jalapeños and tofu. Sauté for a few minutes.
3. Once the veggies start to brown, add the BBQ sauce and sauté for 5-10 minutes.
4. After 5-10 minutes, take the pan off the heat.
5. Layer the BBQ tofu and veggies on top of your Chapatis flatbread.
6. Top with arugula and drizzle with lemon-dill aioli. 

That’s it! Now simply enjoy yourself like I did and feel free to check out more healthy recipes at BrewingHappiness.com.