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We’re back with another mystery box challenge! If you remember last time, I gave Brian a bunch of pantry staples to use. This time, the entire pantry, fridge and freezer was fair game, so I picked several things that I thought might work well together… but tried not to make it TOO easy on him!
Here’s the note I left him explaining the “rules” of the challenge:
Dear Brian,
Please make something special. You know the rules!
Love,
Jessica
P.S. Here are the rules since you probably forgot…*You can only use what is in the box… except basic spices (dry only) can be added as well. Nothing FANCY!
*You must utilize everything in the box. Everything.
I have to say… watching Brian go through this process is very interesting. He spent a good deal of time just sitting there staring at the ingredients, trying to imagine all of the ways he could put them together. I love these challenges because they really push him to come up with creative combinations he might not have thought of before!
The first thing he did was complain that I put too many ingredients in the box… LOL! Okay, so I picked twelve ingredients. But have you seen his recipes? I wanted to give him plenty to work with! 🙂
Of course, all of the ingredients are plant-based. Here is what I chose for him:
– Butler Soy Curls
– Frozen Carrot Veggie Spirals
– Frozen Broccoli Florets
– Canned Whole Water Chestnuts
– Diced Yellow Onion
– Medjool Dates
– Homemade Peanut Butter (recipe here)
– Lime Juice
– Vegan Worcestershire Sauce
– Bragg Liquid Aminos
– Red Wine Vinegar
– Better Than Bouillon
In addition to basic dry spices, he was also allowed to add in ONE bonus ingredient (thanks to Peef’s voucher). He chose maple syrup.
Spoiler alert… the final dish was amazing! It was such a tasty plate of food and I am excited for you to try these out. It did take quite a bit of work to translate Brian’s cooking madness into actual recipes, but after some testing (and maybe a bit of arguing LOL), I am happy with how it turned out. You can print out the recipes below!
Soy curls are definitely something we haven’t tried out a lot, but we recently started experimenting with them, and I have to say… they rock! For this part of the dish, Brian kept the flavors pretty simple with some veggie broth and a few seasonings. They really do crisp up nicely in our air fryer.
If you haven’t tried out soy curls, check out the featured products below for a link to order them on Amazon. I haven’t seen them in stores, so we usually buy a 3 or 6 bag box and then store them in our freezer.
Up next, Brian created this magical roasted broccoli with a peanut sauce! Now, I guess I am living under a rock, because the first thing I said was “Broccoli and peanut butter? Who would have thought!” Apparently a lot of people have thought of this combo. 😀 Either way, it was delicious and I absolutely LOVED the addition of the water chestnuts.
For the final component of the dish, Brian utilized the frozen carrot spirals that have been hiding out in our freezer for months. I picked them up a long time ago on “Special Buy” at Aldi. I don’t think they are available there normally, but I have seen the Green Giant ones in most major grocery stores and I believe Trader Joe’s also has these in their frozen vegetable section. You could also spiralize your own carrots, so knock yourself out! These were a perfect addition to the plate.
Check out the video here to watch Brian tackle this challenge!
Recipe: Crispy Soy Curls, Roasted Broccoli with Peanut Sauce & Carrot Spirals
by Krocks In The Kitchen
Ingredients
- For the Crispy Soy Curls:
- – 1 x 8oz bag of Butler Soy Curls
- – 4 cups of low sodium vegetable broth (we used 4 cups boiling water + 4 tsp Better Than Bouillon)
- – 1 tsp vegan Worcestershire sauce
- – 1 tsp garlic powder
- – 1 tsp onion powder
- – dash of cayenne pepper
- For the Roasted Broccoli with Peanut Sauce:
- – 1 x 16oz bag of frozen broccoli florets
- – 1 Tbsp liquid aminos or low sodium soy sauce
- – 1 Tbsp lime juice
- – 1/2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
- – 2 Tbsp peanut butter (we used our homemade peanut butter, which only has ONE ingredient – peanuts)
- – 1 pitted Medjool date
- – 4 to 5 whole water chestnuts, thinly sliced
- – 1/2 cup diced yellow onion
- For the Carrot Spirals:
- – 1 x 12oz package of frozen carrot spirals
- – 1/2 tsp liquid aminos or low sodium soy sauce
- – 1/2 tsp vegan Worcestershire sauce
- – 1/2 tsp pure maple syrup
- – dash of smoked paprika
Directions
- IMPORTANT NOTE:
- In the video, Brian used our Ninja Foodi Smart Oven to cook everything. It has options for air frying, air roasting & more. We haven’t tested these using a traditional air fryer with a basket, so we suggest you bake in a regular oven if you don’t have a smart oven like a Breville or the Ninja Foodi. We included instructions for both below!
- Crispy Soy Curls:
- Heat 4 cups of vegetable broth in a large saucepan until simmering.
- Add in remaining ingredients, including soy curls, and stir to combine.
- Turn heat down to lowest setting, cover and let sit for 10 minutes.
- Remove lid, turn heat up a bit (but keep on low) and let cook uncovered for an additional 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until a majority of the liquid is cooked off.
- Store in a covered container in the refrigerator until ready to cook. We like to air fry two servings right before eating so it maintains a crispier texture. They should keep for 3-4 days.
- Heating times will likely increase depending on how many portions you cook. We used these instructions for two portions (about 1/4 of the entire batch):
- SMART OVEN AIR FRYER – Use nonstick baking tray. Air fry at 375°F for 10 minutes total, stirring halfway. Keep a close eye on them, as the smaller pieces can burn very quickly!
- REGULAR OVEN – Transfer to a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper and bake at 375°F for 20-30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes until desired crispiness is achieved.
- Roasted Broccoli with Peanut Sauce:
- Microwave frozen broccoli for 1-2 minutes until just thawed. Drain and pat dry with paper towels to remove any excess liquid. It is important to remove as much as possible to prevent the sauce from getting too thin!
- Combine liquid aminos, lime juice, red wine vinegar, peanut butter, and pitted date into a small blender cup (like a magic bullet). We used the 8oz cup and adapter for our Vitamix. If you don’t have a small enough blender, you may have to multiply the ingredients and make extra sauce to get it to blend.
- Blend until smooth.
- Add thawed broccoli, sliced water chestnuts, diced onions and peanut sauce to a mixing bowl and stir to evenly coat.
- Roasting instructions:
- SMART OVEN AIR FRYER – Use nonstick baking tray. Use the “air roast” setting (if you have it) at 375°F for 15-20 minutes total, stirring halfway.
- REGULAR OVEN – Transfer to a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper and bake at 375°F for 30-40 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.
- Carrot Spirals:
- Thaw frozen carrot spirals by submerging the bag in warm water (or according to package instructions).
- Drain carrots well, using paper towels to squeeze out as much liquid as possible.
- Add carrot spirals, liquid aminos, Worcestershire sauce, maple syrup and smoked paprika to a mixing bowl and stir to evenly coat.
- Cooking instructions:
- SMART OVEN AIR FRYER – Use nonstick baking tray. Air fry at 375°F for 10-15 minutes total, stirring halfway, until desired texture is achieved. Keep an eye because they will burn quickly.
- REGULAR OVEN – Transfer to a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper and bake at 375°F for 20-30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. *NOTE – We have not tested this method yet, so keep an eye on them!
Needless to say, I was very happy with the final results of this challenge! Brian is always super creative in the kitchen and he shines when given the opportunity to come up with new dishes on the fly.
I think this would make a really great “bowl” as well if you wanted to put in a layer of the broccoli and then top with the carrots and soy curls. You could even add some rice or riced cauliflower to the bottom… yum!
I have a feeling that the next mystery box might be coming MY way. Let us know in the comments if you want to see my attempt at cooking. 🙂
Featured Products:
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Ninja Foodi Digital Fry, Convection Oven, Toaster, Air FryerVitamix A2500 Ascent Series Smart Blender (Renewed)
Vitamix Ascent Series Blending Bowl Starter Kit, 8 oz (only works with Ascent Series Vitamix Blenders)
Butler Soy Curls, 8 oz. Bags (Pack of 3)
Better Than Bouillon Organic Vegetable Base 16 Oz, Reduced Sodium
365 Everyday Value, Organic Worcestershire Sauce, 5 fl oz
Bragg Liquid Aminos, All Purpose Seasoning, 32 fl oz
AmazonBasics Silicone Baking Mat Sheet, Set of 2
*We have the Silpat baking mats, but the Amazon Basics brand above is basically the same thing for a lot cheaper. Just make sure you find the correct size mats for the baking sheets you have.
Silpat Non-Stick Silicone Jelly Roll Pan Baking Mat (2, 14 1/2-Inch by 10-Inch)
Wow!!! Way to go Brian, this looks amazing!!! Makes me want to try the Soy Curls now!! Please keep making more amazing recipes to try, I’ll keep following you guys, lol. & no, i’m not a stalker, just like good, healthy, recipes!!