Love banh mi sandwiches? Imagine it stuffed inside a crispy potato skin instead! Now stop imagining and make this your reality.

Another day, another food holiday – National Potato Day! I’ve had the idea for these potato skins on my list of things to make for far too long, so when Valentina said she was hosting a potato event I knew exactly what to make. What’s not to love about banh mi marinaded tofu over smashed avocado, topped with pickled carrot/daikon, cucumber, and sriracha-mayo, all inside of a crispy potato shell?

These are also perfect for the upcoming season of football, aka snack and finger-food season. If you want to prep the potatoes and fillings ahead of time, I would do everything but the last part of cooking the potato skins a second time so that you can fill them fresh and crispy out of the oven. The rest will do just fine sitting in the fridge overnight.

Happy National Potato Day!

Thank you to Valentina from The Baking Fairy for organizing this event!
Check out all of the delicious potato recipes we made for the occasion:

Banh Mi Potato Skins by The Spiffy Cookie
Baked Tornado Potatoes by For The Love of Food
Brunede Kartofler (Danish Caramel Potatoes) by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
Campfire Potatoes by Our Good Life
Chutneywale Aloo by Food Trails
Gnocchi with Sage and Sausage by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
Hearty Beef and Potato Soup by Tip Garden
Individual Pommes Anna by A Day in the Life on the Farm
Loaded Mac and Cheese Stuffed Baked Potatoes by Big Bear’s Wife
Paleo Zuppa Toscana by Frugal & Fit
Potato and Spinach Curry by Savory Moments
Potato Dinner Rolls by Karen’s Kitchen Stories
Sour Cream and Chive Mashed Potatoes by Cheese Curd in Paradise
Spinach Gnocchi with Roasted Tomato Sauce by The Baking Fairy
Rainbow Smashed Purple Potatoes + 5 Spice Peanut Sauce by PlantCrush

Three years ago: Green Goddess Burgers

Four years ago: Key Lime Pie Cinnamon Rolls

Five years ago: Lighter Chicken Bellagio

Six years ago: Jalapeno Cheddar Chicken Burgers with Guacamole

Eight years ago: Goat Cheese Cheesecake with Basil Roasted Peaches

BANH MI POTATO SKINS

Serves 8

Ingredients:

POTATOES

8 large russet potatoes, scrubbed and dried

FILLING

2 avocados, mashed

2 tsp lime juice

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp garlic powder

TOFU

14 oz. extra firm tofu, drained of excess moisture and cubed

1/4 cup rice vinegar

1 Tbsp olive oil

2-inch knob of ginger, peeled and minced

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 tsp sriracha

Salt and pepper, to taste

PICKLED CARROTS AND DAIKON

1/4 cup rice vinegar

2 Tbsp honey

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1 cup matchstick carrots

1 cup matchstick daikon (or radish)

ADDITIONAL TOPPINGS & ASSEMBLY

Thinly sliced cucumbers

Cilantro

Sriracha mayo

Sliced jalapenos

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Pierce potatoes several times with a knife or fork. Arrange on foil-lined baking sheets. Bake for 45 minutes or until tender. Cool.
2. Add your tofu and all marinade ingredients to a large bowl, toss to coat. Marinade at room temperature for 30 minutes, or up to overnight in the fridge.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the rice vinegar, honey, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Add carrots and daikon, tossing to coat. Set aside (or cover and refrigerate if marinading for longer than 30 minutes).
4. Once the potatoes are cool, slice each in half, scoop out the flesh leaving a 1/4-inch thick shell (reserve flesh for another day). Brush them inside and out with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper and arrange back on the same baking sheets. Bake for 10 minutes or until crisp, turning once halfway. Remove from oven.
5. In a medium bowl, mash the avocado. Stir in the lime juice and garlic powder. Set aside (or cover and refrigerate if marinading for longer than 30 minutes).
6. To assemble, spread the avocado into each potato skin. Add tofu and top with pickled carrots and daikon, cucumber, cilantro, sriracha mayo, and jalapeno.

Source: Adapted from my Banh Mi Pork Sliders.

What if I told you I swapped out the tempura coating on sushi for crushed cheese doodles? Because that’s exactly what I did for this cheese doodle sushi!

I don’t like sushi, at least not the traditional type because I don’t like seafood in general. So why am I posting a recipe for sushi? Because this version has no seafood. After discovering tofu and even chicken sushi at a local establishment I have been converted. Scoff if you must, call it not real sushi, but it looks like sushi and I like it so there.

To push you over the edge even further, I skipped the tempura coating and opted for crushed cheese balls instead. It’s National Cheese Doodle Day after all! After sharing a recipe for Cheetos Cookies last year I couldn’t just share any old cheese puff encrusted recipe. I even wrangled up a few friends to share their own recipes which you can find just before this recipe!

I would be lying if I didn’t say I took a trip down memory lane and ate a bunch of the leftover cheese balls that I used in the recipe, letting the cheese dust slowly accumulate on my fingers, waiting until the last one before licking my fingers clean. Sorry if that grossed some of you out, but I know the rest of you totally get it! And this is also the reason I cannot have Cheetos in my house on a normal occasion.

But back to this recipe… I was actually slightly disappointed that the cheese flavor wasn’t more prominent but the color certainly was vibrant! Not to say that the crushed cheese balls didn’t add some tasty flavor, it just wasn’t the main component which might be for the best, allowing the other flavors to play a role as well!

This was my first time ever making sushi and I have to say it was much easier than I expected. We actually have a sushi board and serving set somewhere but haven’t found it yet since the move. But when I do I will be sure to make more! What are your favorite fillings and toppings? Would you give this version a shot? What about a breakfast sushi? Now scroll down for more cheesy recipes before grabbing this one!

Check out more creatively cheesy recipes:

• Beefy Cheeto Burrito from Palatable Pastime
• Cheese Doodle Chicken Tenders from Savory Moments
• Cheese Doodle Macaron from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
• Cheetoh Cheese Balls from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Cheese Doodle Sushi from The Spiffy Cookie
• Lightning Bolt-Encrusted Chicken Wings from Culinary Adventures with Camilla

One year ago: Cheetos Cookies

Four years ago: Salted Caramel Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Five years ago: Creamy Skillet Brussels and Corn

Six years ago: Chicken-Quinoa Burgers with an Avocado-Yogurt Sauce

Seven years ago: Maple, Walnut, and Flaxseed Pancake Doughnuts

Eight years ago: Spicy Cheetos Crusted Chicken

CHEESE DOODLE SUSHI

Serves 2

Ingredients:

2 cups cheese doodle puffs (I used cheese balls)

2 sheets nori (dried seaweed)

2 cups prepared sushi rice (medium grain white rice)

4 oz. extra firm tofu (I used a marinated baked version), cut into thin slices

1/4 of a medium cucumber, cut into thin matchsticks

1/4 of a red bell pepper, cut into thin matchsticks

1 small carrot, peeled and cut into thin matchsticks

2 green onions, green part only

1/2 of an avocado, thinly sliced

Spicy mayo, for serving

Directions:

1. Place the cheese doodles in a large sealed bag and crush with a rolling pin (or in a food processor).
2. On a cutting board covered with wax paper (or a sushi mat), place 1 sheet of nori. Top with 1 cup of the rice, cover with another sheet of wax paper and using a rolling pin, flatten the rice to cover the nori.
3. Peel back the top layer of wax paper and add half of the crushed cheese doodles. Add a new piece of wax paper to the top and gently press to stick to the rice. Flip the entire assembly over so the cheese layer is on the bottom. Peel off the top layer of wax paper.
4. Starting at the edge closest to you, add half of the fillings in rows. Roll up tightly, using the wax paper to help. Repeat with remaining ingredients, then cut into 1-inch slices and serve topped with spicy mayo.

Source: Inspired by the internet

This vegan scrambled tofu looks and feels just like eggs that you might not even know you are eating tofu! Served of a bed of seasoned sweet potato and kale hash.

I love meat. Seems like a strange way to start a post about a Vegan recipe right? But what I’m trying to accomplish by doing so is that despite that statement, I also love Vegan food. I order it more often than I make it (which isn’t saying much as even that isn’t often) but I’m always surprised by the results when I do. I’ve only purposely posted two vegan recipes on my blog (Buckeye pancakes and Macaroons), but have posted a few others that I realized were vegan after the fact (two that come to mind are my lentil skillet and chocolate almond cupcakes minus the frosting)- further proof that just because it’s vegan doesn’t mean it won’t be loved by meat eaters. So when I was asked by Valentina of The Baking Fairy to participate in her #Veganuary event I decided to step up to the challenge. I’ve been slacking lately and needed the creative push, so why not start 2019 with a Vegan recipe?

My first more experimental journey into Vegan cooking was a little while ago at vegan cooking class here in Columbus where we learned to make three recipes, two of which I am sharing combined into one today (the other was a cashew cream used to make a parfait, which was also crazy good and plan to share eventually). Sweet potato hash was nothing new to me, but tossing it in ground flax seed was something I had not yet had before and was very pleasing. The surprise was found in the tofu eggs. Never would I ever thought of replacing scrambled eggs with crumbled tofu but it really is as simple as that because the scrambled tofu truly does texturally resemble eggs and the color added by the seasonings helped solidify the illusion.

Looks for other Vegan recipes to try? Check out the other bloggers sharing Vegan Recipes for #Veganuary:

• Vegan Burrito Bowls with Jackfruit Carnitas by The Baking Fairy
• Baba Ganoush by Lemon Blossoms
• Creamy Vegan Curry Bean Soup by Cheese Curd in Paradise
• Delicata Squash Fries with Chipotle Garlic Dipping Sauce by Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Instant Pot Breakfast Stuffed Sweet Potatoes by The Live-In Kitchen
• Instant Pot Chipotle Sofritas by Herbivore Cucina
• Moroccan Eggplant with Chermoula by Caroline’s Cooking
• Roasted Veggies with Satay Peanut Sauce by Hardly A Goddess
• Scrambled Tofu with Sweet Potato & Kale Hash by The Spiffy Cookie
• Vegan Artichoke Hummus by A Day In The Life On The Farm
• Vegan Baked Oats and Vegetable Bites by Cook With Renu
• Vegan Buffalo Cauliflower Sandwiches by Kate’s Recipe Box
• Vegan Cannellini Rocket Tortilla Pizza by The Fiery Vegetarian
• Vegan Cookie Dough Energy Balls by Veggie Lexi
• Vegan Cranberry Apple Chickpea Salad by Join Us, Pull Up A Chair
• Vegan Fire-Roasted Tomato and Bean Soup by Blogghetti
• Vegan Khoresh Bademjan by Palatable Pastime
• Vegan Mushroom Stroganoff with Tofu by Simple and Savory
• Vegan Superfood Breakfast Cookies by Amy’s Cooking Adventures
• Vegan Thai Roasted Carrots with Peanuts by Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
• Vegan Vanilla Chai Oatmeal by Fairyburger
• Vegetable Chettinad (Vegan Spicy Vegetable Curry) by Flavours Treat

Five years ago: Peanut Butter Cup Oatmeal Cookies

Six years ago: California Quesadillas with Honey-Balsamic Dipping Sauce

Eight years ago: Red Velvet Shortbread Cookies

SCRAMBLED TOFU WITH SWEET POTATO & KALE HASH

Serves 6

Ingredients:

HASH

3 medium sweet potatoes, sliced into 1/4-inch thick half moons

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp dried rosemary

1/4 tsp onion powder

1/8 tsp ground allspice

Ground black pepper, to taste

2 cups kale, roughly chopped and tossed in 1 Tbsp olive oil

TOFU

1 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 red bell pepper, diced

1/4 sweet onion, finely diced

1 cup zucchini, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 Roma tomato, finely diced

1 (14 oz.) pkg firm tofu, crumbled into large pieces

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp turmeric

1/4 tsp dried thyme

Ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and coat with non-stick spray.
2. In a large bowl, toss the sweet potatoes in the olive oil, then sprinkle with flax and seasonings. Spread on prepared baking hsset and bake for 20 minutes, rotating halfway through. Add kale and bake 5 more minutes.
3. Meanwhile prepare the tofu. In a medium skillet over medium heat, add the oil. Add pepper and onion and saute until lightly caramelized. Add zucchini and saute for 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomatoes and cook for 1 more minute. Add crumbled tofu and seasonings and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes.
4. Serve tofu over sweet potato hash.

Source: Adapted slightly from a Zest Juice Co. cooking class.

Whether or not you eat kosher or vegetarian, all flavor palettes can enjoy this eggplant and tofu stir fry with a garlic sauce.

Jump to recipe

Easter may be over but some of you are still celebrating Passover so I thought this would be an excellent time to share a recipe I recently tried from the cookbook, Secret Restaurant Recipes From the World’s Top Kosher Restaurants. I may not be Jewish or eat kosher but that doesn’t stop me from enjoying the foods that may fall into that category. Great food cannot be denied!

This belief was solidified after salivating over the recipes in this cookbook such as smoked short rib tacos (Reserve Cut @ Manhattan, NY), sweet potato soup (Citron & Rose @ Philadelphia, PA), rockport salad (Milk Street Cafe @ Boston, MA), the chedarhurst sandwich (Carlos & Gabby’s @ Lakewood, NJ and various NYC locations), tortelloni (Ottimo Cafe @ Howell, NJ), cannelloni (Maxim @ London, England), pizza de nonna (Posh Tomato @ Brooklyn, NY), and chocolate babka bread pudding (The Prime Grill @ Manhattan, NY). Heck they even offer tips, techniques, and menu ideas.

The first recipe I tried was the eggplant chicken in garlic sauce (Segal’s Oasis Grill @ Phoenix, AZ), but made it with tofu as a suggested alternative in the recipe’s notes and it did not disappoint. Once the eggplant and tofu was drained, the rest was easy and quick to prepare and the garlic sauce was perfection. You won’t miss the meat in this dish but if you are unconvinced, substitute the tofu with chicken.

Looking for more recipes inspired by your favorite restaurants? Check out my Copycat Restaurant Recipes Roundup.

One year ago: Apple Jelly Glazed Pork Chops

Two years ago: Slow Cooker Chicken Nachos

Three years ago: Cheesy Potato Casserole

EGGPLANT TOFU IN GARLIC SAUCE

Print

Yield: 2-3 Servings Cooking Time: 25 Minutes 25 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

STIR FRY

• 1 lb. eggplant, cut into 1-inch cubes
• Salt
• 1 lb. extra firm tofu, drained and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 3 Tbsp cornstarch
• 3 Tbsp chopped garlic
• 1/4 tsp chili pepper flakes
• 1/3 cup shredded carrots
• Canola or vegetable oil, for frying

SAUCE

• 1/3 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tsp cornstarch

Directions

1. Place eggplant in a large colander and sprinkle with salt. Allow to rest for 20-30 minutes. Rinse and drain well, gently squeezing out any excess water.
2. While the eggplant rests, prepare the sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, sugar, oil, pepper, and cornstarch. Set aside.
3. Prepare the tofu: Place cornstarch in a shallow dish. Toss the tofu in the cornstarch until coated.
4. In a wok or large saute pan over medium heat, add 3-inched of oil. When oil is shimmering it's ready. Add tofu and fry until golden, about 2 minutes per side. Remove from oil and let drain on a paper towel-lined plate.
5. Add eggplant to the same oil and fry until golden, 2-3 minutes. Remove from oil and let drain on the same plate as the tofu. Discard all but 1 tablespoon of oil.
6. Add garlic and chili pepper flakes and fry for 30 seconds. Return the tofu and eggplant to the pan. Add carrots and sauce and fry for 2 minutes, stirring to coat all ingredients with the sauce. Serve immediately over rice, if preferred.

Did you make this recipe? I want to see!

Tag @THESPIFFYCOOKIE on Instagram and hashtag it #THESPIFFYCOOKIE

Post updated 4/11/20, pictures above and below are the originals.

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What a crazy World Cup game yesterday! I had my bets on Germany but was expecting a close game, as I am sure most people were. After the 4th goal I was completely at a loss for words. By the 6th goal I stopped paying close attention and was attending to other things, therefore missing the final two goals making it a 7-1 win for Germany. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a score that high ever in soccer, even when playing on my own club teams growing up. What a sad way for the hosting country to be booted out of the race. At least they get to play in the third-place game. On the up side, I’m even more impressed with the USA team keeping Germany to one goal in our game!

But moving on to this stir fry. After seeing a couple recipes for cauliflower rice I was sold. All I needed was to get my hands on some cauliflower, and after my broccoli/cauliflower/cabbage U-picking adventure that mission was completed. The texture of the cauliflower may not exactly resemble rice but it was close enough that neither myself nor my dad were overly aware of the substitution. As for the tofu, it was so sufficiently drained and dried that it sucked up all the flavors from the peanut-soy sauce, resulting in some of the best tofu I’ve ever had. If you’re been looking for a super-vegged out meatless meal, I highly recommend trying this.

One year ago: Salted Nutella Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

CRISPY PEANUT TOFU & CAULIFLOWER FRIED RICE

Serves 4

Ingredients:

TOFU & SAUCE

14 oz. extra firm tofu

1-1/2 Tbsp sesame oil

1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce

1/4 cup light brown sugar

2-1/2 Tbsp peanut butter

1/2 tsp chili garlic sauce

FRIED RICE

1 medium (about 24 oz) cauliflower, rinsed and dried

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 Tbsp sesame oil

1/2 small onion, diced fine

1/2 cup frozen peas and carrots

2 garlic cloves, minced

5 scallions, diced, whites and greens separated

Directions:

1. Drain the tofu for 1-1/2 hours before you want your meal ready. After draining, roll tofu in an absorbent towel several times and then place something heavy on top to press (such as a heavy flat-bottomed pot/pan). Let sit for 15 minutes.
2. Near the end of draining, preheat oven to 400 degrees and cube tofu. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and arrange in a single layer. Bake for 25 minutes to dry/firm the tofu. Once baked, remove from oven and let cool.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together all the sauce ingredients until combined. Add cooled tofu to the sauce and stir to coat. Let marinate for at least 15 minutes to saturate the tofu and infuse the flavor.
4. In the meantime, shred your cauliflower into rice by using a large grater or food processor. Set aside.
5. Heat a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Using a slotted spoon, place tofu into the preheated pan. Add a few spoonfuls of the sauce to coat. Cook, stirring frequently for a few minutes until browned. It will stick to the pan a bit. Remove from pan and set aside and cover to keep warm.
6. Rinse pan under very hot water water and scrape away any residue. Return to heat. Add the eggs to the pan, turning a few times until set; set aside and cover to keep warm.
7. Add the sesame oil and saute onions, scallion whites, peas and carrots and garlic about 3 to 4 minutes, or until soft. Add the cauliflower along with a few spoonfuls of sauce. Mix, cover and cook approximately 5 to 6 minutes, stirring frequently, until the cauliflower is tender. Stir in the egg then remove from heat and mix in scallion greens.
8. Serve tofu over cauliflower rice and any leftover sauce.

Source: Adapted from Minimalist Baker and Gina’s Skinny Taste.

Even though the battle against the heat isn’t very prevalent anymore, I still like to make no-cook meals or desserts from time to time. This meal is legit no cook because it doesn’t even require a stove top or a microwave – absolutely no heat involved. Well, except for some spicy heat from the cashew sauce!

One year ago: Mini Pumpkin Black and White Cookies

TOFU LETTUCE WRAPS WITH CASHEW SAUCE

Makes 8 lettuce wraps (serves 4)

Ingredients:

WRAPS

1 block firm tofu

8 stalks romaine lettuce

1 large carrot, grated

2 avocados, halved and sliced lengthwise

Cilantro leaves, for garnish

CASHEW SAUCE

1 cup cashews, plus more for garnish

2 tsp canola oil

2 Tbsp water

1/4 cup lime juice

2 Tbsp brown rice vinegar

2 Tbsp + 2 tsp soy sauce

2 tsp honey

2 tsp chili garlic sauce

Directions:

1. Squeeze the excess liquid from the tofu by placing it between two large dinner plates. You can weigh down the top plate by stacking a couple bowls on top. Let drain for 30 minutes. Discard excess liquid that has accumulated on the plate and dice tofu into small cubes.
2. While the tofu drains, prepare the dipping sauce. In a food processor, combine the cashews, oil and water. Process until the cashews become cashew butter. This should take a couple minutes. Once the cashews are buttery, add the lime juice, vinegar, soy sauce, honey, and chili sauce. Scrape the bottom of the bowl to ensure even mixing of the ingredients. Add more chili sauce if needed, to taste.
3. To build the wraps, line one lettuce leaf with about 8 cubes of tofu (will vary depending on the size lettuce leaf). Follow with two slices of avocado, a sprinkling of shredded carrot, and a couple spoonfuls of the cashew sauce. Finish cilantro and cashews for garnish. Serve with more cashew sauce on the side for dipping.

Source: Adapted slightly from Eatsy, by Kimberley Hasselbrink.

With one week until I need to send the final draft of my dissertation to my committee I have been in super-productive mode. Hence my lack of a post yesterday. I did next to nothing other than write all last week until Friday afternoon when my brain died. After sending my Introduction to my advisor I just couldn’t process nerdy thoughts, so I took the night off and hung out with friends Friday night. The rest of the weekend wasn’t as writing-productive as I would have liked, but I feel less tense and my apartment is cleaner. Accomplishments come in many forms.

For all my fellow stressed out people who are desperately trying to get things done while still getting some sustenance, here is a quick and healthy meal for you tonight. It’s kind of like those healthier pasta recipes that mix in fettucine-sized slices of zucchini. This time whole wheat spaghetti is mixed with broccoli slaw and tofu which has sauteed into a spicy-honey sauce and topped with peanuts, cilantro and green onion. It’s spaghetti gone Thai!

Two years ago: Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies with Chocolate Candied Bacon

SPICY THAI NOODLES WITH TOFU

Serves 2

Ingredients:

4 oz. whole grain spaghetti

2 tsp sesame oil

2 tsp honey

2 tsp hot chile sauce (such as Sriracha)

4 oz. extra firm tofu, drained and cubed

10 oz. bag (3.5 cups) broccoli slaw

2 Tbsp chopped peanuts

2 Tbsp chopped cilantro

1 scallion, thinly sliced

Directions:

1. In a medium sauce pan, cook spaghetti according to package directions.
2. Meanwhile in a medium skillet, heat sesame oil, honey, and hot chile sauce over medium heat. Add tofu and broccoli slaw and saute for 5 minutes.
3. Toss noodles with slaw mixture, divide onto two plates, and top with chopped peanuts, cilantro, and scallion. Serve immediately.

Source: Adapted slightly from Fitness, May 2012.