vegan mofo: tofu scramble

most vegans love their tofu scramble, as do i.  however, after reading about the amazing egg flavour you can get from black salt over at bianca's vegan crunk blog, i went a little overboard.  do you ever do that?  seriously, this was soooo salty that i didn't even finish it.


status: epic fail!

why i'm including it: although this was a one-time tofu scramble fail, it still stands out as one of my worst meals in the past year.

would i make it again:  i do, but i keep that black salt in check.

vegan mofo: homemade taco bowls

i rarely have a meal cooked for me - especially one with such effort!

status: foodgasmic!

why i'm including it: i do 99% of the cooking in my household, but sometimes i just want to come home to a home-cooked meal.  despite the marinated tofu and home made taco shell, i never posted it because i don't really know how he made it. but i will say it was delicious!

would i make it again:  never have made it, but would love to have it made for me again (hint, hint)! 

wild rice kale wrap

i've been a terrible blogger lately - summer is just so crazy busy.  the good news is that i'm still cranking out lots of recipes, i'm just not getting them posted as quickly as i'd like.  like a lot of vegans, finding a wrap or tortilla that doesn't contain l-cysteine has presented its challenges to me.  luckily our local store started carrying joseph's flax, oat bran & whole wheat tortillas, and i snatched them up in a hurry.  they were pretty decent, although they did start to dry out a little after a few days. you can see a few tears in the wrap, but that could also be because i overstuffed them.  at any rate, i was just happy to have a wrap to stuff all these yummy ingredients in.

• 1/2 cup wild rice
• 6 oz of tofu (marinated)
• 1/3 avocado, sliced
• 1/2 carrot shredded
• 1 kale leaf, shredded
• 1/2 cup salsa
• 1 joseph's flax wrap

tofu marinade:

• 1/2 cup wheat free tamari
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
• 1/2 tablespoon of pure maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder

mix the tofu marinade ingredients in a bowl.  crumble the tofu and mix with marinade for a least 2 hours.

cook wild rice according to directions.  about 15 minutes before rice is done, heat a large non-stick skillet and pour both the tofu and the remaining marinade in and sauté on medium-high until liquid dissipates. turn the heat down to medium-low and continue to fry the tofu, using a spatula to flip over occasionally.  this creates a nice crispy outside on the tofu.  after it reaches your level of crispiness, turn off heat and let cool.  the rice should be done as well, and should cool for about 5 minutes before placing in the wrap.

you will want to use a small dash of olive oil to massage your kale - this will remove the cardboard stiffness that raw kale can have.   layer the rice, avocado, tofu, carrot, and kale.  add salsa to your liking and wrap like a burrito.

the delicious kale was part of week 3 csa bounty!

lentil and tempeh stroganoff

stroganoff is one of those dishes i never had growing up... so my recipe mimics what i *think* it should taste like. luckily, i had a another tester who agreed that it was pretty similar to the traditional one. i've been on a major tempeh kick lately. i don't purchase it that often since it can become a costly ingredient, but i recently made my own homemade batch and have been swooning over some new recipe ideas.

• 8 oz. tempeh
• 1¼ veggie broth
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1¼ tablespoon lemon juice, divided
• 1½ cups cooked green lentils
• 1/2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 6 oz. silken tofu
• 2+ tablespoons reserved marinade

first break tempeh into smaller strips or cubes and steam for 12 minutes. mix vegetable broth, garlic and onion powders, paprika, black pepper and 3/4 tablespoons lemon juice in a flat bottom bowl or dish. marinate the steamed tempeh for several hours (at least 2).

after tempeh has marinated, drain and reserve liquid. in the magic bullet or food processor, combine tofu, apple cider vinegar, the rest of lemon juice and two tablespoons of reserved marinade. pulse until tofu mixture is thick and creamy... if needed, add a little more marinade by the teaspoon.

heat olive oil in skillet on medium and add cooked lentils. sauté until they start to brown and get a little crunchy, much like a lentil hash. after crunchy bits have formed, add in rest of the marinade broth (at least 1 cup) and simmer on low for 2-3 minutes. do not let all the liquid evaporate. finally, kick heat up just a notch and add in the creamy tofu mixture. cook for approximately 2-3 minutes, until it's a nice stroganoff consistency (like a thick gravy).

server over flat pasta noodles, or brown rice.

frito pie

so it's not the healthiest dish in the book, but when i made soyrizo breakfast burritos i was reminded of this childhood dish. frito pie: a simple culinary concept the likes of which make every child to college student coo with delight. is it just me, or does it seem like after our early twenties this dish disappears from our conscious? maybe because it's full of processed foods, but i say that even the healthiest of adults has to indulge their inner child every once in a while. go buy a bag of fritos, and you too could be enjoying the satisfying crunch of corn chips, loaded with nice warm chili beans, and topped with cool vegan sour cream.

• 1 bag original fritos
• 1 can chili beans
• 1 soyrizo link
  
• 1 can (15 oz.) fire roasted tomatoes
• 1 can (11 oz.) southwest style corn
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3/4 tablespoon onion powder
• 1/2 tablespoon cumin powder
• vegan sour cream

to make your soyrizo chili, crumble your soyrizo and place a large nonstick skilled on medium heat. drain the chili beans and add to the skillet along with the garlic, cumin, and onion powder. use a spatula to sauté for approximately 2-3 minutes. drain corn completely and slightly drain fire roasted tomatoes and pour both into skillet. (to slightly drain the tomatoes, open the can but keep the lid on. turn over in the sink one time, but don't compress the lid to force liquid out.) continue simmering chili mixture for approximately for about 5 minutes, or until liquid from the tomatoes has evaporated.

sometimes i buy tofutti vegan sour cream, but i found this recipe for tofu sour cream on vegweb.com. with a couple extra dashes of lemon juice, it really makes a nice cheap substitute for mexican dishes.

even though my pictures shows a plate, take my word for it - use a bowl. place a nice thick layer of fritos (original and bbq are vegan) on the bottom and spoon several scoops of the chili mixture on top. top with a few dollops of sour cream and chow down on some yummy nostalgia.

crusted tofu and sautéed chard

i'm no gourmet vegan chef, but sometimes i put my fancy pants on. i love to make these crusted tofu cutlets because they are simple, and you can easily glamorize them. plus they are baked, not fried, so they are definitely on the healthier side. to give the tofu a firmer texture, you can freeze it after pressing. just be sure to give it enough time to thaw, though. i've made that mistake a few times!

• 1 block of extra firm tofu
• 1 bunch gold chard, chopped
• 1 tomato
• 1 tablespoon vegan butter
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1½ cups balsamic vinegar

for the marinade:

• 2 cups veggie broth
• 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon onion powder

for the batter:

• 1 cup unbleached flour
• 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 1 tablespoon adobo seasoning

press your tofu and slice into thick slabs. mix marinade ingredients in a bowl. lay tofu slices in a 8x11 casserole dish, and pour marinade over top. place dish in the refrigerator for at least four hours.

mix batter ingredients on plate or in a bowl. take each tofu slab and place in them mixture. coat both sides. place a layer of foil on a cookie sheet, and coat with nonstick spray or use a little olive oil. bake tofu in oven for 30 minutes at 440°f, flipping half way through.

while tofu is baking, place the balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan on medium heat. once balsamic is heated up, turn burner to low and stir often. the heat causes the vinegar to thicken up into a nice glaze. some people add sugar to their reductions, but i don't think it needs it.

put butter in non-stick skillet, and sauté garlic. once garlic starts to brown, add the chard and tomato. continue sautéing on medium-high until chard is tender. sometimes i will add a tablespoon or two of water to assist the wilting process.

make a bed of greens with the chard and place two tofu cutlets on top. drizzle with balsamic reduction sauce, and enjoy and an easy 'gourmet' dinner. :)

baked cabbage rolls

i'm a long time cabbage fan - in fact one of the first recipes i posted on this blog was a cabbage salad of sorts. i came up with this recipe after we received a head of cabbage from door to door organics and i wanted something warm, filling and fairly healthy. my first instinct was to stuff them with rice, but we didn't have any. luckily i found some yellow split peas laying around, and they made the perfect substitute.

• 12 cabbage leaves
• 1/2 pack of tofu, crumbled
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1/2 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 small clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon low sodium soy
• pinch salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup veggie broth
• 5 button mushrooms, sliced
• 1 whole carrot, peeled and sliced
• 1 medium zucchini, sliced
• 1 cup cooked yellow split peas
• 1/2 tablespoon adobe seasoning
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 1 can diced tomatoes (15 oz)
• 1 small can tomato sauce (80z)

there are a number of ways to get your cabbage leaves. my method involves de-coring the cabbage, and placing the whole head in a steamer for about 10-15 minutes. after it cools a minute, then i peel off the leaves and they are pliable enough for wraps. you could also peel the leaves off without steaming, but i find that they rip less when slightly cooked.

heat the sesame oil in a large skillet on high. dump in the crumbled tofu and fry for about 7-8 minutes until it starts to brown on all sides. turn your heat down a notch to medium-high and add in the onion, garlic, salt & pepper, and soy. continue sautéing for a few minutes to really season the tofu.

next, pour in the veggie broth and rest of the vegetables. do not add the last two spices or canned tomatoes yet. cook your mixture on medium high, stirring frequently, until the liquid runs low. now add in the canned tomatoes - partially drained. to 'partially drain' my canned tomatoes i usually open the can 95% with the lid still attached, turn over once and let drain, but i don't press the lid to force any more liquid out. add the tomatoes to the mix, along with the curry and adobo seasoning. simmer for about 2 mintues until most of the tomato juice has been absorbed.

in an 8x11 casserole dish, spread 1 tablespoon of the canned tomato sauce in the bottom to prevent the cabbage rolls from sticking. then wrap each leaf like burrito, stuffed with your veggie mixture, and place in the casserole dish. once all the leaves have been assembled, pour the remaining can of tomato sauce over the top.


bake at 375°f for 25 minutes, remove and sprinkle vegan parmesean on top. i just used nutritional yeast as i didn't have any vegan parm.

general tao's tofu & veggies

the original recipe is one of vegan folklore on vegweb.com. i made some serious modifications to the recipe, partially because the original calls for so much sugar. i do realize that general tao's sauce is sorta sweet anyway, but i just couldn't bring myself to do it. so, although vegweb was the inspiration, below you will find miss v's own less sweet general tao's tofu & veggies.

• 1 container of extra firm tofu
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1½ tablespoons sesame or coconut oil

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• 1½ tablespoons ginger (minced)
• 2 tablespoons garlic (minced)
• 1 tablespoon chili oil
  
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1-1½ tablespoons agave nectar
• 1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce
• 1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
• 1 cup vegetable broth
  
• 1/4 cup vegan hoisin sauce
• 1 pkg. (16 oz.) vegetable stir fry medley (or more)

tofu prep:
gently squeeze tofu to drain initial water, and then press to rid it of excess moisture. to press: place two layers of papers towels on a plate, place tofu on towels, and another two layers of paper towels on top. put on another plate, an top with a can of veggies or something for a weight. so basically, you will have plate-towels-tofu-towel-plate-weight. let stand for about 15 minutes. after pressing tofu, cut tofu into 1-inch cubes, and freeze. this gives the tofu a firmer and 'meatier' texture. be sure and thaw for at least 4 or 5 hours prior to making recipe.

after thawing, place tofu on paper towels again to remove some moisture that will drain off. on a large plate, sprinkle 1 tablespoon of cornstarch. put tofu cubes on plate and press into cornstarch. sprinkle the other 2 tablespoon of cornstarch on top, and gently roll tofu around until it's lightly coated. heat sesame or coconut oil in wok on 350 (medium-high heat).
drop tofu in and let brown on each side for about 4 to 5 minutes. after about 20 minutes of browning (if needed), turn the heat up to 400 (high) and crisp up the tofu. pull out and place in bowl. if you follow the tofu prep instructions, you should have nice crispy cubes, *scarily* similar to chicken.


in wok on 350, heat ginger, garlic, chili oil, rice vinegar, agave nectar, chili garlic sauce and soy sauce. after about 30 seconds, put in the vegetable medley (i use asparagus stir fry). then add in about 1 cup of a pepper strips medley. after stir frying veggies for about 5 minutes, add the vegetable broth and hoisin sauce. turn up heat to about 375 and cook for about 7-10 minutes, until sauce has thickened. turn off wok, and immediately drop tofu in and stir up.

top with sesame seeds and serve with rice. i add additional siriacha sauce to my bowl because i like a lot of heat. so although it's not as sweet as traditional general tao's, this is soooo good and to me it tastes exactly like chinese take out. total kitchen time is about an hour, and i'd say it serves about 3-4, depending on the appetites involved.

breakfast burrito #1

i'm not a huge fan of typical breakfast foods, so it was never really hard to give up the eggs, bacon, pancakes, etc. every once in while though - especially after a late night :) - i really crave something hearty in the morning. breakfast burritos have become one of my favourites. this is one of many recipes to come.

• 1/2 pkg. of firm or extra firm tofu (about 6 oz.)
• 3/4 cup mixed bell pepper strips
• 2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• salt & pepper to taste
• 10 black olives
• 1/2 cup salsa
• 2 8-inch wheat tortillas
• jalapenos (optional)

cut tofu into cubes and place in non-stick skillet on med-high to high. season one side with garlic powder, onion powder, nutritional yeast and salt & pepper. tofu can be pretty crumbly, so i like to cook it on one side without stirring until it browns. then flip, season and brown the other side. after about 7-10 minutes of browning the tofu, add the peppers and continue cooking the mixture until peppers are tender. warm up the wheat tortillas and divide the tofu mixture and rest of ingredients between the two.

roll up and chow down. :)