Vegan Recipes and Plant Based Cooking

  Roasted cauliflower is a thing of beauty. Never boil. Never steam. Never use any cooking method other than roasting to prepare your cauliflower! Not really. Just kidding.  But roasted cauliflower is absolutely the best way to prepare it.  This bland vegetable is magically transformed into a delectably nutty, texturally pleasing vegan treat.  The craziest part is that it's really easy.  Just cut it up into bite size pieces. Add a little oil and a lot of salt and pepper.  Roast it hot at 450 F until golden brown. The time varies depending on the amount of oil used and the water content of the cauli.  15-25 minutes usually is what it takes. Let it brown. That's the important part.  Toss it with some beans, minced jalapeno and a little hot sauce. That's all it needs. It's that good. 

  Twice cooked tofu marinated in soy sauce and spices has a pleasing texture on the outside and a soft center.  Drain your tofu, the cut your block of extra firm tofu into 1 inch cubes. Store uncovered in the fridge overnight to allow it to dry out.  Line the bottom of the container with a folded over paper towel to soak up excess moisture. Marinade Ingredients 2 tsps soy sauce 1 tbl hot sauce 1 tbl olive oil 2 tsps salt 1 tsp black pepper 1 tsp cayenne 1 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp italian seasoning Use a tightly sealed container to soak the tofu in the marinade for a 1/2 and hour and then invert the container and soak another half hour. Baste the tofu with a spoon to ensure it soaks up all the marinade. It should be almost entirely absorbed by the time you go to cook it.  Broil on high for 15 minutes. Once you turn off the broiler leave it in the hot oven for 15 more minutes. Then crisp in a skillet on each side. 

  I always have a lot of fun creating vegan sauces using tofu and the food processor.  If there's one thing I've learned from so many years of watching TV cooking shows, it's that the sauce ties it all together.  Just because we eat vegan doesn't mean we should go without that very important component that makes all the other parts sing.  Using tofu makes sauce creation easy. No cooking is required and the sauces will never break or split.  Once again, vegan cuisine proves superior.  Recipe Ingredients 1/2 package silken firm tofu 1 jalapeno, deseeded 1 serrano, deseeded 6 cloves garlic 1/4 cup sunflower seeds, ground 3 tbls nutritional yeast powder or flakes 1/4 cup hot water 1 tbl hot sauce 1 tbl olive oil 1 tbl turmeric 1 tbl salt 1 tsp black pepper Grind the sunflower seeds in a coffee or spice grinder until they are dust.  Heat water and salt. You can use the microwave. I actually used some of the water from cooking pasta. So that's also an option.  Add remaini