Vegan Recipes and Plant Based Cooking

Do you need something creamy and spicy to smear on your sandwich? Are you craving something rich and hot to dress your salad? This easy tofu puree might just scratch your itch.  It doesn't take much effort, but you'll be rewarded with outrageous flavor.  Ingredients 1 Poblano 2 Jalapenos 1 Long Hot Pepper 1 Serrano  3 Cloves Garlic Half of a 14 ounce pkg Extra Firm Tofu 1/3 Cup Water 1 Tbl Canola Oil 1 Tbl Salt 1 Tsp Black Pepper Instructions Chunk the peppers into 2 inch pieces. Slice the garlic cloves in half.  Add all the peppers, garlic, salt, and black pepper to a frying pan. Heat to medium high or until the peppers start to sizzle. Stir in the oil.  Saute until the pepper skins start to get brown and charred.  Carefully stir in the water and scrape any brown bits off the bottom of the pan.  Simmer for 7 minutes.  Add the tofu to a blender. Pour the warm pepper mixture on top. Allow it to cool uncovered for 5 minutes and then puree until smooth. 

Chefs love to say that a good sauce ties everything together. I'm not a chef, but I have to agree.  Ever since I started making sauces, I've been unable to stop. The food feels naked without one.  Because my sauces eschew dairy and meat, I like to use various chiles for flavor. When you combine a few, it gives the depth you might otherwise obtain from classic sauce ingredients.  Ingredients 1 Habanero 2 Jalapenos 1 Serrano 10 Small Cloves Garlic Half a 14 oz pkg Extra Firm Tofu, drained 1/2 Cup Water 1/3 Cup Water 1 Tbl Canola Oil 2 Tsps Rosemary, crumbled/broken 1 Bay Leaf 1 Tbl Salt 1/2 Tsp Black Pepper Instructions Cut the peppers into small chunks. Use a small frying pan to char the peppers and garlic.  Add the oil and spices and toast until fragrant.  Add the half cup water and simmer for 5 minutes.  Put the tofu into a blender. Add the third cup of water and the frying pan mixture.  Allow it to cool for 5 minutes, then puree until smooth. 

Finding myself in the mood for something both a little chewy and a little crunchy, I decided I would try to make some tofu dumplings.  I didn't have and didn't want to use flour, so I thought rice would work instead. I also used some lentils for a little texture and chew.  Ingredients One 14 oz pkg Extra Firm Tofu 1 Cup Dry White Rice 1/4 Cups Dry Lentils 2 Tbls Canola Oil 2 Tbls Water 1 Tbl Turmeric 2 Tsps Smoked Paprika 1 Tsp Garlic Powder 2 Tsps Thyme 1 Tsp Crushed Pepper Flakes 1 Tsp Black Pepper 1 1/2 Tbls Salt Instructions You'll need to drain the tofu, wrap it in a kitchen towel and place it in the fridge to dry overnight. This is essential. Once your tofu is ready you can begin the rest of the process.  Start by grinding both the rice and the lentils in a spice grinder until they are powder.  Add everything to your food processor. Pulse until a fairly dense, slightly wet dough is formed.  Cover the chute of the food processor with plastic wrap and place it in th

The key to this particular sauce is to make sure you get the jalapenos and the garlic really nicely charred. This will create the smoky flavor that makes this sauce so wonderful.  Ingredients 4 Jalapenos 5 Small Cloves Garlic 1 Cup Spinach Half a 14 oz pkg Extra Firm Tofu 1/4 Cup Water, 1/2 Cup Water 1 Tsp Spicy Mustard 1 Tbl Canola Oil 2 Tsps Dry Rosemary 1 Bay Leaf 1 Tbl Salt 1/2 Tsp Black Pepper Instructions Cut the jalapenos into 1/2 inch chunks. Thickly slice the garlic. Add them to a small frying pan. Use your fingers to crumble the rosemary into the pan. Add the bay leaf as well.  Sauté over medium heat along with the salt, pepper and oil. Let them cook until the jalapenos are medium-dark brown on their skins.  Add the 1/4 cup water and let simmer for 5 minutes.  Put the spinach, tofu (drained of its liquid), 1/2 cup water and the mustard into a blender. Remove the bay leaf from the jalapeno mixture and discard it. Add the jalapeno mixture to the blender. Allow everything to coo

 I got the idea for this while watching Tournament of Champions IV on the Food Network. It's kind of a silly show, but I like it.  Tobias Dorzon did curry lamb meatballs and I thought to myself, I would like some vegan curry meatballs. Thanks Tobias! There's also an almond milk curry sauce to go with them.  Making the sauce, I mimicked all the flavors in the balls, so they would amplify each other.  If you're a fan of curry, you should definitely try this.  Curry Balls One 14 oz pkg extra firm tofu, dried overnight 1/2 cup lentils, ground in a spice grinder 3 cloves garlic, peeled and chunked 1 jalapeno, chunked 1 serrano, chunked 1 tbl canola oil 1 tbl salt 2 tsps curry powder 1 tsp smoked paprika 1/2 tsp crushed pepper flakes 1/2 tsp dry thyme 1/2 tsp black pepper Grind the lentils into dust in a spice grinder. Add everything to a food processor. Pulse until a dense dough like mixture is formed.  Roll into 1.5 inch diameter balls. A small spring loaded scoop helps make th

This curry sauce is unique in that it doesn't use coconut milk and yet it's still rich and creamy thanks to the addition of the tofu. It's pretty simple too. Curry sauces can get complicated and utilize a laundry list of spices. In this case, I tried to keep the ingredients basic while still maintaining that classic curry heat and depth.  I used pre-packaged chili and curry powders. This was a first for me, but I'm quite pleased with the results.  Ingredients 1/2 package firm tofu, drained 3/4 cups water 3 cloves garlic 1 jalapeno 1 serrano 1/4 tsp chili powder 1/2 tsp curry powder 1/4 tsp turmeric 1 tbl salt 1/2 tsp black pepper 1 tbl canola oil Instructions In a small sauce pot cook the garlic, peppers and spices in the oil. Sauté until fragrant. Add the water. Cover.  Simmer and let steep for at least 10 minutes. 15-20 is better.  Add the tofu to a blender. Pour the sauce pot mixture over the tofu. Allow it to cool for 10 minutes.  Puree until smooth. Enjoy. 

One of my favorite preparations of tofu is just to cut it up really small and treat it like you would any ground protein. It's important to season it heavily, as it needs the flavor. It's also essential to cook it until it's nicely browned and has a pleasing texture. It's not hard to do and it makes all the difference.  Ingredients 1 block extra firm tofu, dried overnight 1 tbl salt 1/2 tsp black pepper 1 tsp italian seasoning 1/2 tsp garlic powder 1/4 tsp cayenne Instructions Drain the tofu and then wrap in a kitchen towel and let it dry overnight in the fridge. This step is crucial.  Next day, cut the block into cubes and transfer to a small bowl. Use a sharp knife to cut up the pieces until you have small shreds.  Season with the spices and toss to evenly coat.  Heat 1 tsp of oil in a large frying pan over medium high heat. Add the tofu. Spread it evenly across the pan and press down. Leave it alone for 5 minutes.  Stir. Then continue to cook. Stirring occasionally a