While I know of her, I’ve never really followed Olivia Biermann (aka Liv B) on her blog or on her Youtube channel. If you don’t know her, she’s a vegan recipe developer/content maker. I don’t know why I don’t, as I 1) like experimenting with vegan recipes and 2) like unfussy recipes. But that changes now because she’s released her second cookbook, “Liv B’s Easy Everyday” and I got the chance to preview a digital copy.
The book is broken down into these chapters:
- Sauces, spreads, and cheese
- Beverages
- Breakfasts
- Snacks and apps
- Soups and salads
- Mains
- Sides
- Desserts
Some of the recipes that appeal to me are:
- “Honey” garlic sauce
- White lasagna soup
- Silky sweet potato soup
- Sheet pan pot pie
- Mixed veg and white beans with spiced tahini sauce
- Pumpkin pie stuffed sticky rolls
- London fog sheet pan cake
The recipe I decided to make was the creamy tofu tomato curry, mostly because it looked very easy to put together. And instead of just giving you a summary of how it’s put together, here’s the recipe!
Courtesy of Liv B’s Easy Everyday by Olivia Biermann © 2021 http://www.robertrose.ca Reprinted with permission. Available where books are sold.
creamy tofu tomato curry
Serves 4 • • Time: 35 minutes
Are you craving Indian food? This recipe was inspired by the Indian dish butter chicken, which is a chicken curry cooked in a tomato cream sauce. I replace the chicken with firm tofu and use blended cooked cashews to mimic the richness of butter and cream. I love serving it over fluffy basmati rice.
1 tbsp (15 mL) vegetable oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 tsp (5 mL) ground turmeric
1 tsp (5 mL) ground cumin
1 tsp (5 mL) garam masala
1 tsp (5 mL) ground coriander
1 tsp (5 mL) salt
1 tsp (5 mL) organic cane sugar
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 can (14 oz/398 mL) diced tomatoes (with juice)
1/2 cup (125 mL) raw cashews
1/2 cup (125 mL) water
12 oz (375 g) firm tofu, cubed
2 tbsp (30 mL) chopped fresh
cilantro (optional)
High-powered blender or food processor
1. Heat the vegetable oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion; cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until translucent.
2. Add the turmeric, cumin, garam masala, coriander, salt, sugar and garlic;stir to combine. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly, until fragrant.
3. Add the tomatoes (with juice), cashews and water. Simmer for about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mixture has thickened slightly.
4. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly. Transfer to a high-powered blender, reserving the pot. Remove the plug in the blender lid and cover the hole lightly with a clean dish towel to allow the steam to escape. Blend on low speed for about 2 minutes, until smooth.
5. Spoon the curry sauce back into the pot and add the tofu; stir to combine. Bring to a simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until heated through. Top with cilantro (if using); serve.
my tip If you have some extra time or don’t mind dirtying another dish, you can make the tofu crispy. Place it on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake in an oven preheated to 400°F (200°C) for 15 minutes, flipping halfway through, until golden.
I did not try the crispy tofu variation. Because of my schedule, I made the sauce, stored it in the fridge overnight, and then finished the next day with the blending and the simmering with tofu. It worked great! While curries are normally served with rice or a flatbread, I made a small batch of slightly savory steel cut oats just to change things up a bit.
For the amount of effort required, I liked the recipe. There’s a second curry recipe in the book, a peach and lentil curry, that I’m curious about. The spice mix is different from the tofu recipe so I wonder how it compares. But I also am having trouble imagining how peach and lentils pair, so I may have to try that recipe next.
Overall impressions, it’s a good collection of recipes that can be done with vegan pantry staples. Nothing looked too crazy or involved so, it works for everyday cooking, new vegans, and for new homecooks. If that appeals to you, go check out this book.
Disclaimer – I kindly received a digital copy of this book from Robert Rose for this review. I’m not getting paid for this post. The views and opinions expressed are purely my own.
Since there’s still a pandemic at the time of writing this, I’m trying to stay home as much as possible. So pardon me if I choose to skip an ingredient or substitute it. In this case, I skipped the cilantro garnish just because I really don’t like cilantro.
Reference Links:
Awesomesauce Eats 