DIVINE Lettuce Wraps

Michael found this recipe in VegNews.  Now, I'm not the type of person who gravitates toward recipes where lettuce is involved, but he insisted we make this and I'm SOOOOOOO happy we did.  We used a new spice: Chinese five-spice, we used a new veggie: jicama, and we used a new sauce: hoisin!  We love when we incorporate new foods!  This is a really fun meal to share with friends - your all digging into the same bowl, it's a little messy which I think is fun, and competing for best lettuce wrapper never gets old.  Hands down, I think this is the yummiest recipe I have posted on this blog so far.  I mean it's amazing.  A-MA-ZING!!!!!!

Prepare your tofu first, and prepare everything else while the tofu is baking.  It might seem involved, but once you get the ingredients chopped, it basically all just gets thrown in a big pan and you'll be finished with the filling by the time the tofu is done.  The leftovers (pictured above) are just as good, if not better :)

Serves 4

Baked Tofu
Ingredients
1 16-oz block extra firm organic tofu sliced into eight pieces
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. peanut oil
1⁄4 tsp Chinese five-spice powder

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375°.
2. Between two clean dishtowels or paper towels, press tofu to remove excess water
3. In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, peanut oil, and five-spice powder 
4. In a lightly oiled baking dish, place tofu and cover with sauce
5. Bake for 45 minutes until golden and firm.  Flip tofu half way through baking 

Wrap Filling
Ingredients
1 Tbsp peanut or grapeseed oil
1 inch cube of ginger, peeled and minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1⁄2 pound of daikon radish or jicama, finely chopped (daikon radish isn't in season right now so we used jicama and it was perfect)
1 cup frozen, shelled organic edamame
3 scallions, ends trimmed and thinly sliced
the baked tofu, finely chopped or crumbled
2 Tbsp soy sauce (or tamari for gluten free-ers)
1 tsp-ish hot sauce - your choice how hot you want it!
1⁄4 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
2 Tbsp fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1 1⁄2 cups toasted peanuts or walnuts (we used walnuts), coarsely chopped
10-ish sturdy lettuce leaves (we used butter lettuce which was good, but not sturdy.  VegNews recommends Boston, bibb, or red romaine)
hoisin sauce for dipping/dabbing/sprinkling

Directions
1. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, preheat oil, stir in ginger and garlic, and cook for 45 seconds or until fragrant.  Add radish or jicama and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes until softened.  Stir in edamame and cook for another 2 minutes or until tender, then add scallions and tofu.
2. Sprinkle with soy sauce, hot sauce, and five-spice powder and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is hot and completely coated with soy sauce, 3 to 4 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in cilantro and nuts-o-choice.
Serve filling right out of the pan or in a deep dish, stack lettuce leaves on a plate, and pour some hoisin sauce in a small bowl.
3. To serve: take a lettuce leaf, spoon a few tablespoons of filling into the center and dab on hoisin sauce.  Fold the bottom of the leaf toward the filling then overlap the sides (like a little burrito) and eat immediately.  Make sure there are lots of napkins at the table.

*If you use tamari instead of soy sauce (which is what we did) and hold the hoisin sauce, this is Gluten Free!

This recipe is courtesy of Terry Hope Romero via VegNews.  She is the co-author of Veganomicon (one of our favorites), Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar (which I will be buying shortly), and Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World (another amazing one).  Viva Vegan!, her first solo book, was released earlier this year!  If I could only have one vegan cookbook, it would be Veganomicon!  Thanks you for keeping our mouths happy and our bellies full, Terry!!!

Blackened Tofu and Orzo Pasta Salad with Chipotle Ranch Dressing

One of my favorite lunches.  It's a long post, and it might look complicated, but if you have some of the ingredients made in advance, it's easy peasy.  This was a left-over creation when I already had extra cooked orzo from the night before, blackened tofu from 2 nights before and Ranch dressing on hand. But the Ranch is really easy and A-MA-ZING!  It's courtesy of our friends Jenny and Heather at Spork Foods and it's a staple for us.  So if you plan your meals a little in advance - have a yummy pasta dish the night before and make a little extra pasta for the next day.  Have blackened tofu, mashed sweet potatoes, and sautéed garlic spinach two nights before and make some extra tofu.  The leftover tofu will be nice and firm too! If you don't have leftovers, I suggest making the tofu and orzo the night before so it's not hot when you serve it.  If you don't want to make it the night before, chill the tofu and orzo for an hour before assembling.  This is better served cold because of the veggies and dressing.

I actually can't believe I haven't posted this tofu yet - I eat it at least once a week.  This is also courtesy of Jenny and Heather, but with a little twist of my own.  I eat it on it's own, or in salads.  Unfortunately, by the time I'm done cooking it, usually only half has made it out of the pan alive...even my non-veg friends love it!

Serves 4 as a side or 2 as an entrée.

Pasta Salad:
Blackened Tofu (recipe below)
1⁄2 seedless cucumber, quartered and sliced
1 red bell pepper, cut into bite size-of-your-choice pieces
1 or 2 tomatoes depending on how much you like tomatoes, cut into bite sized pieces
15-ish baby carrots or 1 or 2 big carrots, sliced
1 Cup cooked Orzo*

*Orzo is a type of pasta that has a similar shape to rice.  If you can't find orzo, any small pasta will do.

**The veggies, tofu, and orzo in this recipe are just a guide.  I'm not sure exactly how much I used, so if you'd like more cucumber - add more! if you like more pasta and less bell pepper, go for it! If you want different veggies, be my guest! Same goes with the ranch dressing - start with less Chipotle and garlic seasoning and add more if you see fit - I like a lot of both :)

Ranch Dressing:
3⁄4 Cup Veganaise
1 tsp agave
dash of fresh lemon juice
1 tsp Chipotle seasoning (less if you don't like spicy)
pinch dried celery seed
1 tsp garlic powder
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste

Mix all ingredients in a bowl (adding Vegenaise first), and let it sit for a few minutes before mixing it in the salad.

Blackened Tofu: 
1 Block of extra firm organic tofu (I use Trader Joe's in the vacuum sealed pack)
Smokin Willies meat seasoning (I think this can only be found at Whole Foods - I couldn't find it online - but trust me; find it.  You'll LOVE it.)
1⁄4-1⁄2 Cup canned coconut milk or soy creamer
2 tsp Jerk seasoning (optional but yummy)
2 Tbsp Coconut oil (or another medium-high heat oil like Safflower. Do NOT use olive oil)
salt, to taste

Heat oil on medium-high heat in a large pan.  Cut the tofu into bite-size cubes.  Sauté tofu until good 'n brown on most sides - this will take some time. Add milk until it just covers tofu with a little extra in the pan and toss to coat.  Cook until most of the milk has evaporated.  Sprinkle a generous amount of Smokin Willies seasoning and a little salt until the tofu is completely coated.  Cook on medium-high heat for 3 or 4 more minutes.  Add the jerk seasoning, a little more Smokin Willies, and toss the tofu until evenly coated.  Remove the tofu from the pan onto a paper towel to remove excess oil if there is any.  Let cool before adding to the salad.

Mix all components together in a large bowl and Voila! You've just made a damn good lunch/side/dinner/snack/bowl of heaven.

Make this with Gluten Free pasta and it's Gluten Free!

Italian-ish Quinoa with Tofu

Another creation of mine!  Quinoa is an ancient grain that is high in protein and low in calories.  It has tons of nutritional benefits and is super duper healthy.  It cooks like rice (2 parts liquid to 1 part grain), and can replace rice in any recipe for a fun little change.  Click here to learn all about it!

Quinoa is virtually flavorless, but almost to a fault.  In order for it to absorb flavor, you have to sauté it with the other ingredients in the recipe before you cook it in the broth.  *if you don't have vegetable broth, use water and a low sodium bouillon cube.

This shouldn't take more than 40 minutes - probably less than that.  This recipe serves four.

Ingredients:
1 onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic (if you're a garlic lover like me), minced
1 Tbsp butter
1 tsp-ish dried thyme
1 tsp-ish dried oregano
1⁄2 cup white wine
1 cup Quinoa
2 cups vegetable broth
1 block super firm tofu
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1.  Melt butter in a large sauce pan.  Add onion and cook until soft.
2. Add garlic and cook 2 minutes more.
3. Add Quinoa, thyme, oregano, salt and pepper and cook for about 4 minutes on medium-high
4. Add wine and cook until all the liquid is absorbed.
5. Pour in broth and bring to a boil.  Cover and reduce to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes - read package directions.
6. In the meantime, drain and cut the tofu into bite-sized cubes.  Heat olive oil in a pan, add tofu, a little salt, and pepper until tofu is browned on all sides.
7. When Quinoa is done, it should be fluffy with a teeny tiny crunch to it.  Add the tofu, and cook on low, uncovered for about 3-5 minutes (just to get some flavor into the tofu).  Mix in lemon juice and serve.

I served this with Sautéed Spinach:
3 cloves garlic
olive oil
1 tsp. butter
dash of lemon juice
salt, pepper to taste
1 bag of baby spinach

Cook garlic in oil.  Add spinach and butter, salt and pepper.  Squeeze lemon juice when cooked - don't over cook!

Your mouth and heart will thank you.

Gluten Free!

Bacon, Egg, and Cheese...whaaaaat?!

Yeah that's right. I've conquered it. Michael and I have been concocting this idea for years. We never expected it to be this good. Warning: wear a napkin on your shirt - you might just drool.. ok that was cheesy..pun intended...I'm stopping now...
*Read how to make the bacon and the egg first. You'll want to do them kind of simultaneously. For example, while the bacon is marinating, start your "egg." Or prep both and cook at the same time.

Provides about 4 healthy servings.

Bacon (brought to you by Vegan with a Vengeance..go buy it! It's a necessity!) *I doubled the marinade because it didn't cover the tempeh in the dish I put it in.
1 (8oz) package of Tempeh
3 Tbsp Bragg's Liquid Aminos, tamari (wheat free), or soy sauce
1⁄3 cup apple cider (the spiced kind)
1⁄4 tsp. liquid smoke (found by the meat marinades)
1 tsp. tomato paste
2 cloves garlic (crushed)
2 Tbsp peanut or vegetable oil

To make the marinade, combine the Braggs, cider, tomato paste, and liquid smoke in a shallow bowl (I used a small glass casserole dish) and mix with fork until the tomato paste is fully dissolved. Set aside.

Cut tempeh block in half and then into thin strips (less than 1⁄4 inch thick) lengthwise. Basically make it look like a mini piece of bacon. You should get about 12 strips. Rub the strips with the crushed garlic, then toss the garlic cloves into the marinade. Submerge the tempeh strips in the marinade and let sit, turning occasionally, for half an hour.
Heat the peanut oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the tempeh strips and cook for 4 minutes on one side: the bottom should be nicely browned. Flip the strips over and pour the remainder of the marinade over them; if there isn't enough marinade left (which if you double it, there should be plenty), add a splash of water. Cover and let cook for 3 more minutes, until the liquid is absorbed. Uncover, and see if you want it browned more (I did). Don't brown too much as it will brown a little more in the broiler.

Egg 
Brought to you by Michael and me! This part seems like it wouldn't taste good at all..but you gotta have faith!
*while you're cooking the "egg", lightly toast your bread of choice. 8 pieces if you want a sandwich, 4 if you want open-faced.
1⁄2ish block of really firm tofu (I love Trader Joe's)
Turmeric
Salt
Pepper
1 1⁄2 Tbsp Nutritional Yeast
1 Tbsp vegetable or peanut or olive oil
Daiya Cheese

Slice the tofu lengthwise into 4 squares that would fit on the bread. How thick you slice the tofu will depend on how thick you want your "egg." Ours were about 3/4 inch thick. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle a healthy amount of turmeric on each side of tofu and rub in until the tofu turns yellow. Then sprinkle a little more. Sprinkle a healthy amount of pepper. You can salt it, but the bacon is really salty, so I wouldn't. Cook tofu until slightly browned on both sides. Carefully remove tofu from pan (it's hot!) and set aside for a sec. Add about 3 Tbsp water and the nutritional yeast in the pan. Stir until the yeast is dissolved. Place the tofu back in the pan and smush (my own word) it around the pan on both sides to coat with the nutritional yeast. Let cook until the liquid is dissolved.

Assembly (fun part!)
Turn oven on to broil. Place the "egg" (tofu) square on the bread. Place 4 pieces of bacon (or more - don't be shy with it!) on top of the tofu. Sprinkle with Daiya cheese (this pictures show the Follow Your Heart rice cheese, but we've gone on to bigger and better..sorry Follow Your Heart..). Broil it until the cheese is melted. Keep an eye on it so you don't end up burning it as much as I did...oops!! Squirt some ketchup on it, top with another slice of bread if you're going sandwich style, and prepare to take a trip to heaven!