24 Days of Spice | Day 1 - Chimichurri

Yesterday was Day 1 of my Spices advent calendar. For the next 24 days I’ll be sharing the fun spices and recipes that I uncover each day. I’m using it as an opportunity to bring a little zest and fun back into my cooking (pun most definitely intended).

All of my creations will be vegan and “mostly” gluten-free. Still playing around with gluten and what works best for me.

December 1 was a mix of Chimichurri spices that I combined with red wine vinegar and olive oil to make a sauce/marinade. For how I decided to use it, it was enough for 2 servings.

After researching a few chimichurri recipes and meals, I decided to work with veggies that I had on-hand and needed to cook before they went to waste. My roasting pan has: russet potato, poblano pepper, Anaheim pepper, jalapeño pepper, and cocktail tomatoes. I drizzled liberally with olive oil, salt, garlic, and pepper then baked until fragrant and cooked through.

For my protein/”meat” I crumbled up pressed tofu and mixed with the chimicurri sauce. I just needed to heat the tofu through and meld the spices, so I cooked this once the veggies were all done and resting.

I cooked cilantro-lime rice on the side (jasmine rice, salt, cilantro in a rice cooker with lime juice and extra cilantro mixed in at the fluffing stage).

Most times my plates look like a jumbled, unappetizing mess, but this one plated nicely! I added some corn tortillas to soak up the heat of the peppers and this recipe was definitely a 10 out of 10. All of the flavors melded together beautifully. I don’t eat vinegar-based dishes often, so this was a fun treat and good excuse!