Vegan Recipes and Plant Based Cooking

This emulsion straddles the line between sauce and puree.  Soy and tofu really enhance each other.  If you like salt and heat you'll enjoy this.  It has the soul of a remoulade, but it's completely vegan.  Ingredients 3 tbls soy sauce 2 tbls red hot sauce 1 tbl white vinegar 1 tbl olive oil 2 cups water 1/2 a 14 oz package medium or firm tofu 1 jalapeno, chunked 2 serrano, chunked 3 cloves garlic, sliced 2 tsps salt 1/2 tsp black pepper Instructions In a medium sauce pot simmer the jalapeno, serrano and salt for 5 minutes.  Add the oil and black pepper and simmer 3 more minutes.  Add the garlic, soy sauce and hot sauce. Continue to simmer 3 more minutes.  Carefully pour in the water and simmer uncovered for 7 minutes.  Add the tofu and vinegar to a blender. Pour the pot mixture on top. Puree until smooth. 

It's going to sound strange, but I came up with this sauce for my brother's rib eye roast that he was cooking for Thanksgiving. I wanted a sauce we could both enjoy with our respective meals. He eats meat. I don't. I know French mustard sauce is a classic and I also know that mustard goes pretty well with meat. I like any kind of sauce that's spicy. So that's the story behind that and here we are.  I kept the heat and spice mild because he doesn't enjoy a lot of it. But I still added a little because it's just the right way to make a sauce.  It was nice to see him enjoy the dairy free, vegan sauce even if it was with a big hunk of beef.  Ingredients 1/2 a package firm tofu, drained 1 jalapeno, chunked 3 cloves garlic, chunked 1 3/4 cups water 1 tbl spicy mustard 1 tbl dry rosemary 1 tbl olive oil 1 tbl salt 1/2 tsp black pepper Instructions Add the jalapeno, garlic, salt and rosemary to a medium sauce pot. Bring it up to medium heat. Add the oil and black pe

This is a creamy and slightly spicy puree that combines flavors from both Spain and Italy.  It's rich with protein (thanks to the tofu) and decadently creamy even though it contains absolutely no dairy.  It's smooth and silky and sure to enhance any foods with which you decide to pair it.  Ingredients 1/2 a large poblano, diced 1 jalapeno, diced 1 serrano, diced 3 cloves garlic, sliced 2 tbls olive oil 1 tbl red hot sauce 1/2 a 14 oz package extra firm tofu, drained 2 tbls salt 1 tsp dry rosemary 1 1/2 cups water Instructions Most cooks like to start their vegetables in a hot pan with hot oil. I prefer to start my veg in a cold pan without oil.  It's easier because you can add the stuff from your cutting board into the pot directly. I also like the extra flavor that is extracted by beginning the cook with just salt. We'll add the oil once everything has dry roasted for a bit.  To a medium sauce pot (not on the stove) add the poblano, jalapeno, serrano, garlic and sa

 The combination of hot and sweet is a pretty tasty one. Add in some creamy as well and you've really got a great dessert. In this case we combine spicy jalapeno, savory basil and sweetened tofu to create a vegan ice cream that will leave you wanting more.  Ingredients 1 jalapeno, diced 1/2 tsp dry basil 1 package soft tofu, drained 14-16 ounces 1/3 cup original almond milk 1/2 cup sugar alternative 2 tbls olive oil 1/2 tsp salt Instructions Warm up all the ingredients in a medium pot until the tofu softens and the jalapeno is tender. About 7 minutes.  Add mixture to your blender and puree until smooth.  Churn in your prepared ice cream machine until set.  Enjoy immediately.  Store leftovers in individual portions in the freezer. You don't want a larger batch that you have to defrost and then refreeze.  This stuff sets up hard after a while in the freezer. Leftovers will need some time on the counter to soften up before enjoying. 30-50 minutes. 

  These little cookies came out great and really satisfied my craving for a chewy, sweet treat. I was thinking about "Larry and Larry's" vegan cookies and wanted a similar taste experience without all the sugar. That's how I came up with these adorable thumbprint vegan cookies.  The tofu provides the chewy and oatmeal replaces the white flour. Instead of regular sugar, I use granulated erythritol.  It's a simple recipe, but it yields a very satisfying finished product.  Ingredients 1/2 block drained tofu, or 6-8 ounces 1/2 cup erythritol granulated sugar replacement 1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats 2 Tbls olive oil 1/2 Tsp baking powder 1/4 Tsp baking soda 1/2 Tsp salt 1/2 Tsp vanilla extract 1/4 Tsp ground nutmeg 1/4 Tsp ground cinnamon 2 Tbls almond milk Sprinkles Instructions Use a spice grinder to turn the oats into a flour.  Chop the tofu into small chunks.  You can use medium, firm or extra firm tofu. The firmer the tofu, the chewier the cookie.  As with a clas

 I have been re-watching season 18 of Worst Cooks in America. During one episode they made fried rice. This got me craving the same. I was also having a yearning for garlic oil pasta. So I decided to combine the two into a single dish.  When I googled garlic fried rice, I discovered it's a Filipino dish. Didn't know that.  This garlic fried rice is a little different though. It has a bit of an Italian flair.  Ingredients 2 Cups cooked white rice 2 Tbls Olive Oil 7 Cloves Garlic, minced 1 Tbl Salt 1 Tsp Black Pepper 2 Tsps Crushed Pepper Flakes 1 Tsp Dry Basil Instructions In a large skillet, sauté the garlic and spices until fragrant. About 5 minutes.  Add the rice. Spread it evenly in a thin layer across the pan. Press in down firmly.  Allow it to cook undisturbed for 7 minutes.  Stir.  Press it down again in an even layer. Try to get the unbrowned bits on the bottom. Let it cook again, unbothered for another 5 minutes.  Check for browness and crispiness.  Continue this proces

Some leftover ginger root and my deep love of garlic were the inspiration for this sauce.  You probably wouldn't think that you can make a really great sauce using some water and some vegetables, but you can.  Basically it uses the same techniques as would be used to make a broth, but instead of straining out the solids from the liquid, we puree it all up together.  Ingredients 2 inches Ginger, peeled and sliced 1 Head of Garlic, cloves peeled, stems removed, chunked 1 Jalapeno, chunked 1 Serrano, chunked 1 1/2 Cups Water 2 Tbls Olive Oil 1/2 Cup Garbanzo Beans 1 1/2 Tbls salt 2 tsps Thyme Instructions Add everything to a medium sauce pot. Bring to a boil and then simmer on medium low, uncovered for 15 minutes.  Puree the mixture in a blender.