Vegan Recipes and Plant Based Cooking

So, I remember as a kid really enjoying sausage. For whatever reason, I just really liked the flavor and the texture. Fast forward more years than I care to admit and I'm wondering why can't I make vegan sausage. It already exists commercially, so it can't be that hard to figure. I mean, I've made tofu meatballs. Would tofu sausage be all that different? Other than the spices, not at all.  The key to using the tofu in scenarios where you're pureeing it and then shaping it is to thoroughly drain it. This is done by removing it from its packaging. Discarding the liquid. Wrapping it in a kitchen towel. Setting in a shallow container and placing a can of beans on top. Put it in the fridge. Then you wait. At least a couple of hours.  You'll get a much better paste using tofu with very little liquid still in it.  For the sausage spices I went a little old school and used a mortar and pestle. Yes, I have one. No, I don't use it very often. You can use a spice grind

  This is an easy one. Lots of flavor, very little effort.  I love sriracha. If you do as well, this is a sauce you'll want to make.  It starts with a classic roux as the thickening agent. From there, it's just a few ingredients.  Ingredients 2 tbl olive oil  1 1/2 tbls flour 2 cloves garlic, sliced into several times, but still whole 1 cup soy milk (original style) 2 tbls sriracha 1 tsp paprika 1 tsp turmeric 2 tbls salt In a small sauce pan heat the oil over medium high heat and then whisk in the flour until incorporated and a golden paste is formed.  Add in the soy milk and and remaining ingredients. Continue whisking over medium heat until the sauce coats the back of a spoon.  Almond milk would work as well. I find oat milk too sweet for this application. I have not tried it with other plant milks. Depending on the temperature of your milk this can take anywhere from 5-10 minutes.  Remove from heat. It will thicken more upon resting. 

 This is an idea I had to accompany my tofu/black bean non-meatballs. Saffron is touted as such an expensive ingredient, but it really isn't when you shop online. Also, very little is required for big flavor.  It's a unique taste that's cravable enough to justify a few extra dollars spent.  I just wanted to do a simple, quick sauce that would be really pungent with saffron.  It literally took minutes from start to finish, yet it's packed with flavor.  Ingredients 1 pinch saffron threads 1/2 cup plant milk 1 1/2 tsps flour 1 tbl olive oil 1 tsp spicy mustard 1 clove garlic, smashed, minced A few slivers of jalapeno or long hot pepper 2 tsps salt Recipe Instructions Add the plant milk, garlic, pepper, mustard, salt and saffron to a small microwave safe container.  Microwave loosely covered for1 minute. Whisk to emulsify.  In a small sauce pot make your roux using the oil and flour. Heat the oil then whisk in the flour. Continue whisking over medium heat until you have a g

 Some people love avocadoes. They just slice them and eat them. Personally, I only like avocadoes as a component combined with other things. They have a lot to offer as far as texture, flavor and nutrition, but to my palette, they need a lot of assistance.  Thanks to their creamy nature they puree very well. That's what I prefer to do with them.  The trick with an avocado puree is that it needs the right background players to make it sing.  Ingredients 1 ripe avocado 1/2 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed 3 cloves garlic 1 jalapeno 1 serrano 1 tbl olive oil 1/4 cup plant milk 1 tbl white vinegar 2 tsps dry basil 2 1/2 tsps salt Puree all ingredient in your food processor.  Allow to rest a few hours in the fridge.  Enjoy.

I think tofu is one of the most misunderstood ingredients of all time. Most chefs don't understand it and the average person is repulsed by it.  But my experience with tofu is that if you know how to correctly manipulate it, it can help you create brilliant food that's packed with complete protein.  I enjoy making my own meatless meatballs. I've made black bean ones and red bean ones and various other beans.  So with the goal of incorporating more protein, especially more complete protein into my daily food intake, I tried to do some tofu meatballs.  The first attempt was pretty tasty. Nice texture. Still it, needed a little tweaking.  The second attempt was, to me, entirely successful.  Ingredients 1/2 a 14 ounce block of extra firm tofu, drained and chunked 1/2 a can of black beans, drained and rinsed 6 cloves garlic 2 jalapenos, mostly deseeded, chunked 1 serrano, mostly deseeded, chunked 1/2 cup old fashioned oats 3 tbls olive oil 2 tbls nutritional yeast 2 tsps Aleppo

  A good sauce is always an interesting challenge. There are already a million sauces out there floating around the internet. Not to mention all the classic sauces that have existed for who knows how long.  Nevertheless, there are all kinds of sauces that have yet to be discovered.  I don't know if this is one of them, but maybe it's new to some.  Ingredients 3 ounces arugula 2 small heels whole wheat bread 1 cup soy milk 1 tbl white vinegar 1 jalapeno, diced 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 tbls olive oil 2 1/2 tsps salt 1 tsp black pepper In a medium pot, sweat the jalapeno and garlic in the salt and oil for 3 minutes.  Add the soy milk, black pepper and arugula. Cover and simmer on low until the greens are tender.  Add cooked ingredients, bread and vinegar to a blender and puree until smooth.  Let rest 5 minutes and it will thicken.  I first heard of the technique for using bread to thicken a sauce on Masterchef Professionals UK. It's a really simple way to do so. It also utili

It's been a long time since I've had mashed potatoes. The better pre-made ones contain milk and the plain flakes are just terrible. The classic method of making homemade is just such a messy hassle.  I don't like peeling potatoes. Who does really? Not only is it tedious, it wastes the best part of the potato. And the giant pot of water and boiling the potatoes is just a pain. So yearning for some mashed potatoes after years without, I suddenly had a potato epiphany. I could bake the potatoes instead of boiling them. Then scoop out the flesh. Plus I'd still have the delicious skins to eat. It was the perfect solution! I baked the potatoes at 450 F for 35 minutes and then left the inside the hot oven for another 20. I used ordinary russet potatoes from the 5 lb bag. Try to use ones that are similar in size so they cook at the same rate.  4 small to medium russets 1/2-2/3 cup soy milk 3 cloves garlic, minced  1 jalapeno, seeded and minced, I used roasted jalapeno (they coo