bulgogi spring rolls

Although I have a more authentic (and still easy-to-make) recipe for Korean Bulgogi - which is barbecue that is served in lettuce leaves - in my cookbook Vegan Bowls [Amazon, B&N], I wanted to make a more portable version of this dish, so putting it into rice roll wrappers seemed to be the answer.

This version is simpler and less traditional, but still very delicious in its own right. I used my SteaK Setian recipe for this (found HERE), but you can also use portobello mushrooms or even tofu, if you like. The seitan is quite delicious, though, and isn't difficult to make at all.

The seitan is grilled to perfection after marinating in the sweet and salty mixture for a little while (or overnight) and is then chopped into strips.

The seitan is then rolled into rice spring roll wrappers along with rice noodles (I used udon noodles here), carrots, lettuce leaves, scallions and the ssamjang sauce, which is a spicy paste (here turned into a sauce) that usually accompanies Korean barbecue.

Although the recipe calls for doenjang (a fermented soybean paste) and gochujang (a spicy chili pepper paste), you can use dark miso (not white - it is too sweet) and sriracha as substitutes.

It is very important that you don't soak the rice paper for a long time; soak it only until it is pliable. It will soften up further as it sits with the moist ingredients rolled into it. A mistake folks often make is soaking it too long (please, ignore the package directions to soak for up to a minute) and then having the paper fall apart on them before they have a chance to roll it up. Remember: only until it is pliable.

Now, go forth and create your own masterpiece.

Bulgogi Spring Rolls 

Serves 4

Marinade:

2 tablespoons vegetable broth

1 1/2 tablespoons reduced-sodium tamari

1 tablespoon date paste*** or sugar

1/2 medium apple, cored and chopped

2 medium garlic cloves

1/2 order Seitan SteaK or 4 portobello mushrooms, stems removed and gills scraped out

Sauce:

2 tablespoons hot water

1 tablespoons doenjang or dark miso

1 tablespoon date paste*** or sugar

1 to 2 teaspoons gochujang or sriracha

1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds 

Rolls:

8 (9-inch) spring roll wrappers

8 small lettuce leaves

1 large carrot, julienned

3 scallions, minced

4 ounces dry rice noodles or udon, cooked and cooled under running water, reserve the hot water for the spring roll wrappers

1. Combine the broth, tamari, sweetener, apple and garlic in a small blender. Blend until smooth. Transfer to a shallow pan and add the seitan. Coat well and set aside to marinade, from 10 to 60 minutes. 

2. Heat a grill pan over medium heat for 4 minutes. Spray with oil and add the seitan. Cook, about 4 minutes per side, basting as needed. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool. When cool, cut into strips.

3. Make the sauce by combining the hot water, doenjang, sweetener, gochujang and sesame seeds in a small bowl. Mix well until everything is dissolved. 

4. Dip a spring roll wrapper into the hot water reserved from the pasta and soak for 5 to 10 seconds, depending on how hot the water is. Soak only until the wrapper is pliable. It will soften once you add the other moist ingredients. Add a lettuce leaf and spread with the sauce. Add some seitan, carrots, scallions, and noodles. Roll up like a burrito, from the back roll to halfway and then fold in the sides. Finally roll it all the way up.  Serve or store, covered, for later enjoyment. 

*** Date Paste: Pit 10 medjool dates. Add to a mason jar and fill with enough water to cover, about 1 cup. Soften overnight in the fridge. Blend until very smooth, including the soaking liquid.  

© 2016 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

PIN IT!

katsu banh mi (aquafaba recipe)

Happy Friday! Let's kick off the weekend with a larger than life sandwich! This sandwich incorporates my two new favorite things: aquafaba and air fryer. My two new favorite toys to play with. 

I present to you: Katsu Banh Mi. Katsu means "cutlet" and this is a tofu cutlet that is battered in panko crumbs and air fried to perfection.

This may seem to be a daunting recipe, but it really is more a matter of organization than anything else. In addition, the aioli, the tofu and the pickles can all be done ahead of time, leaving the cooking and assembling for the last minute.

First and foremost, you need to infuse some flavor into the tofu and the best way to do that is to cook it with the marinade and then let it marinate overnight or up to a week. This process hearkens back to the Breast of Tofu recipe, created by Bryanna Clark Grogan of Vegan Feast Kitchen.

For the pickles, it is just a matter of assembling the brine and pickling the cucumbers until you are ready to serve them.

For the aioli, again, just mix and set aside. This is tonkatsu type sauce/aioli that usually accompanies fried cutlet dishes.

Finally, it is time to bread and fry the tofu. Batter it using an aquafaba-wash (if you have it) mixed with plenty of ginger and garlic. Then use your air fryer to get them golden and crisp. If you don't have an air fryer, just pan fry them in 1/4-inch oil until golden on both sides, about 2 minutes per side.

Once you have all the components ready, it is time to assemble! Top with chiles, herbs, the aioli and the pickles.

And then you wind up with this delicious monster of a sandwich! For the banh mi rolls, using refrigerated dough, use the recipe HERE.

Katsu Banh Mi
Makes about 4 servings

Note: You can make the following up to 3 days ahead: Aioli, Pickles and Tofu.

Aioli:
1/4 cup vegan mayo, vegan sour cream or soft tofu
2 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoons vegan worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons coarse sugar (or 1 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar)

Pickles:
1/4 cup hot water
1 tablespoon coarse sugar (or 2 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded and sliced

Tofu:
1 (14-ounce) package firm tofu, pressed for 1 hour
2 cups water
3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried sage

Katsu:
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
6 tablespoons aquafaba or nondairy milk
1/4 cup all-purpose flour or cornstarch
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon finely grated ginger

Sandwich:
4 hoagie or banh mi rolls
Slices of jalapeno
Cilantro or basil

1. Aioli: Combine the mayo, ketchup, worcestershire, and sugar in a small bowl. Mix well and set aside. If using tofu, blend well in a small blender.
2. Pickles: Add the hot water to a small bowl. Stir in the sugar and salt and mix to dissolve. Add the vinegar and cucumbers and stir to mix. Press the cucumbers down into the brine. Set aside for an hour or 3 days.
3. Tofu: Cut the tofu into 1/2-inch slices the long way (so that you have long thin slices of tofu). Heat the water, yeast, parsley, salt, thyme, and sage in a medium pot over medium heat. Bring to boil and add the tofu. Simmer for 10 minutes and set aside for at least an hour or up to 3 days. 
4. Katsu: Combine the panko with salt and black pepper, to taste, in a shallow bowl and set aside. Combine the aquafaba, flour, garlic and ginger in a shallow bowl. Mix well. Dredge the tofu in the liquid mixture and then dredge in the panko. Spray with oil and add to the air fryer (or oven, preheated to 375-degrees F). Set the airfryer to 390 degrees and cook for 15 minutes or until golden and crisp. 
5. Make the sandwiches by toasting the bread, spreading with the tonkatsu aioli, adding a tofu to cover the roll, adding the cucumbers (drained), jalapenos and herbs. Serve. 


© 2016 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

PIN IT!

veganmofo - q&e + thai panang curry bowl

Our prompt for day 3 of veganmofo is quick, easy and delicious.

Right away I knew which recipe I would post!

Panang Curry is our whole family's favorite Thai dish, I kid you not! To think that you can make this curry dish in less than 30 minutes is awesome - but to make the dish into a complete meal is even better, and the icing on the cake.

This recipe appears in Vegan Bowls (Amazon, B&N), but I couldn't help but share it with you today!

Basically, Thai curry is coconut milk that is cooked into curry paste. The paste can be made of green curry (using fresh green chilies) or  red curry (using dried red chilies). Panang uses red curry paste with the addition of peanut butter.

Because I am aware that red curry paste is difficult to find vegan (some have shrimp or fish sauce), or when found, a little bottle is sold at an outrageous price, I have included a wonderful, fragrant and most of all, easy, Red Curry Paste in Vegan Bowls.

In addition to being easy and delicious, the Red Curry Paste I offer is low in heat. Using more dried Anaheim peppers (a.k.a California chilies) than small red hot chilies is the key to adjusting the heat level of the paste, and, in turn, the heat level of the curry. Not everyone loves a lot of spice, and my recipe offers great flexibility in that department.

The recipe below uses store-bought curry paste, but if you get the book, you will also receive your very own curry paste recipe.

Enjoy this easy and simple vegan bowl!

Thai Panang Curry Bowl
SERVES 4 
This is such a simple recipe that it almost feels like cheating. In addition to being quick, this curry is super flexible; use any variety of vegetables that you please. (Recipe from Vegan Bowls, copyright © 2015 by Zsu Dever. Used by permission from Vegan Heritage Press, LLC.)


QUINOA
1 cup quinoa, rinsed well
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup green peas, thawed if frozen

CURRY
1 (13.5-ounce) can coconut milk, divided
3 tablespoons red curry paste 
2 tablespoons peanut butter
3 (2-lobed) kaffir lime leaves
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium tamari
1/4 to 1/2 cup water
5 cups coarsely chopped vegetables (carrot, winter squash, summer squash, green beans)
1 cup sliced red bell pepper
Sea salt and black pepper
1/2 cup Thai basil or Genoese basil

SOY-FREE OPTION: Substitute coconut aminos and 1/8 teaspoon sea salt for the tamari.

QUINOA: Heat the quinoa, broth, garlic and salt in a small saucepan. Cover, bring to boil over high heat, reduce to medium-low heat, cover and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside for 10 minutes. Fluff with fork and add peas before serving.

CURRY: Heat 1/4 cup coconut milk in a large pot over medium heat. Add the curry paste and cook until the milk reduces a bit, about 1 minute. Add another 1/4 cup of the milk and the peanut butter and cook for another minute. Add the remaining milk, the lime leaves, tamari, and 1/4 cup of water. Add the tough vegetables (carrot, winter squash) and cook for 4 minutes. Add the soft vegetables (summer squash, green beans) and simmer over medium until the vegetables are tender. Add the bell pepper and cook until crisp tender, about 1 minute. Add more water if the curry is too dry. Season with salt and pepper. To serve, divide the curry and quinoa among 4 bowls. Garnish with the basil.

indonesian stir-fried noodle bowl from "vegan bowls" + #2

These are a few of my favorite things...about Vegan Bowls:

Over the next few weeks, I will share with you my most favorite aspects of my new cookbook, Vegan Bowls (Amazon, B&N).

#2.
My next most favorite aspect of Vegan Bowls is that all of the recipes are on one page (except for a few that have substitution suggestions spill over to the next facing page).

This is really important since the recipes contain no sub-recipes needing to be made first. This means that once you turn to the recipe you want to make, there will be no further page turning needed to complete the dish.

My publisher and I really worked hard on making this a reality - especially since these are complete meals! Complete meals that you can prepare without any sub-recipes or page turning. I love this concept when I cook for my own family and I wanted to bring that uniqueness to this special book.

If you missed it, Reason #1 is posted HERE.

Below I am sharing my recipe for Indonesian Stir-fried Noodle Bowl from Vegan Bowls and felt it was appropriate to let you see the rest of the Chapter 5: Pastas. This chapter includes 14 delicious pasta recipes, including recipes from Europe, Asia and regions of the U.S.

If you have heard of the Laos dish of larb and have been wanting to make an authentic vegan version - look no further than Vegan Bowls. The Reuben Mac and Cheese is my homage to Tami Noyes of Vegan Sandwiches Saves the Day and the upcoming cookbook, The Great Vegan Grains Book (Amazon, B&N).

The list really goes on and on and not a single recipe is your ordinary, run-of-the-mill vegan renditions of pasta dishes. After you peruse the list, get in the kitchen and make the stir-fried noodle bowl below. It is quick and so, so good!

Indonesian Stir-Fried Noodle Bowl
SERVES 4
Mei goreng or bami goreng is a popular street food all over Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore. It is a sweet and spicy dish of noodles fried with vegetables and eggs. The sauce usually calls for kecap manis, a thick, sweet sauce, but here we will make our own sauce using tamari, mirin, fresh ginger, and garlic. (Recipe from Vegan Bowls,  copyright © 2015 by Zsu Dever. Used by permission from Vegan Heritage Press, LLC.)


NOODLES
8 ounces medium-thickness brown rice noodles

SAUCE
1/4 cup vegetable broth
1/4 cup reduced-sodium tamari
1/4 cup mirin
1 tablespoon sambal oelek, or to taste
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon natural sugar

VEGETABLES
1/4 cup vegetable broth, divided
1 small red onion, cut into 1/8-inch slices
3 cups small broccoli florets
3 cups finely shredded cabbage
1 celery rib, cut into 1/8-inch slices
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil or vegetable broth
6 ounces baby kale or baby spinach
1 cup frozen shelled edamame, thawed in a bowl of hot water and drained

NOODLES: Bring a medium saucepan of water to boil. Add the noodles and cook just shy of al dente, stirring frequently, about 3 minutes. Drain the noodles and cool under running water. Set aside.

SAUCE: Combine the broth, tamari, mirin, sambal oelek, ginger, garlic, and sugar in a small bowl. Set aside.

VEGETABLES: Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of broth and the onion. Stir and cook until the onion is browned, about 5 minutes. Remove from the skillet and set aside in a medium bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of broth to the skillet. Add the broccoli. Stir and cook until the broccoli begins to char, about 2 minutes. Add the cabbage, celery, garlic and 1 tablespoon of broth. Stir and cook until the cabbage begins to char, about 2 more minutes. Remove from skillet and set aside with the onion. Add the sauce to the skillet and simmer until reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Add the oil or 2 more tablespoons of broth, the kale, the edamame, the reserved noodles, and the reserved vegetables. Stir and cook until the pasta is warmed through and beginning to brown, about 4 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning with more sambal oelek and tamari. Serve hot in bowls.

shyoyo ramen

How many of us have actually had a really good bowl of ramen? Although the noodle soup is ubiquous in Japan, even there, chances of finding a vegan bowl of ramen is rare since many of the broths are made with some kind of animal stock.

Making the broth at home, even making it close to authentic, is easy and fast, but you have to make the base of the broth first.

Ramen first caught my eye when I was researching Vietnamese Pho for Vegan Bowls (Amazon, B&N). I was surprised to learn that the broth for the Japanese version of the noodle soup is much simpler and less involved in terms of spices and flavorings.

I added tofu and vegan sausage to my ramen, since there is meat in the authentic version, but you can add either, both or vegetables instead.

There are three kinds of Japanese Ramen:

1. Shyoyo - seasoned with soy sauce, tamari or shoyu
2. Miso - seasoned with miso
3. Shio - seasoned with salt

I made my version, Shyoyo Ramen, seasoned with tamari. The whole shebang was ready under thirty minutes, so it is definitely worth the extra effort to make this more authentic ramen soup, in lieu of boiling water and adding a packet of who-knows-what and calling it ramen.

Shyoyo Ramen with bamboo ramen noodles.

Shyoyo Ramen
Serves 4

1 (2-inch) piece ginger, cut into 3 slices
1 small onion, cut into ½-inch wedges
4 unpeeled garlic cloves
4 cups water
3 cups vegetable broth
1/4  cup reduced-sodium tamari
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seed oil
1/2  teaspoon dulse flakes
1/2  teaspoon sea salt
1 (10-ounce) package super-firm tofu, cut into 1/4 -inch slices
2 links vegan sausage, cut into 1/4 -inch slices on the bias
2 tablespoons sake or mirin
1/4 small cabbage, chopped
1 small carrot, cut into julienne slices
10 ounces ramen noodles
Scallions, minced
Togarashi seasoning

1. Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the ginger, onion and garlic and cook until charred on both sides. Add the water, broth, tamari, oil, dulse and salt. Bring to boil and reduce to simmer. Simmer for 15 minutes. Strain the broth into a medium pot, discarding the vegetables. Season to taste and add the tofu, sausage and sake to the broth and continue to simmer until needed.
2. Heat the large pot over medium heat. Add the cabbage and cook to sear. Carefully pour the broth with the tofu and sausage into the large pot. Add the carrots and continue to cook until the vegetables are tender, about 4 minutes.
3. Heat a medium pot of salted water to boiling. Add the ramen and cook until al dente, stirring often. Drain.
4. Serve the ramen with the broth, tofu, sausage, scallions and togarashi.



 © 2015 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

meatball banh mi + vegan fish sauce

By now, if you haven't heard of the Vietnamese Banh Mi sandwich, you have been missing out on a fantastic sub - which is basically what it is, a sub sandwich with an Asian twist and, most notably, fish sauce.



Banh Mi can be composed of sliced meats, tofu, pate or, as in the case of this recipe, meatballs.

Banh Mi Burgers from EVE, page 90

There is a great Banh Mi burger recipe in Everyday Vegan Eats (page 90) and I participated in last year's Vegan MoFo with a different burger and now I offer this magnificent vegan meatball Banh Mi.

All three components of the sandwich can be prepared ahead of time and reheated when needed.

An essential components of any good banh mi is fish sauce. I've searched up and down for a good vegan fish sauce recipe, but they are typically nothing more than soy sauce and sugar, unfortunately without the culinary funk that is so distinctive of the original.

During recipe development of Vegan Bowls, I needed a good replacement for fish sauce to make the dishes truly great. Ultimately, the recipe for vegan fish sauce became part of the recipes themselves, and the actual vegan fish sauce recipe was skipped.

Since Vegan Bowls (Amazon, B&N) is ready for pre-order (currently at the low price of $10+change from Amazon), I wanted to share the sauce recipe with you.

I've developed two versions, one that uses doenjang, Korean fermented soybean paste, and the other that uses liquid from jarred capers. The capers idea originated with my spilling a bottle of capers on the counter and a little bell going off. Then one of my fabulous testers, Liz of Cooking the Vegan Books, confirmed my hunch that she, too, has used it as a sub; I instantly knew I was on the right track as she is a globetrotter and quite familiar with authentic Asian cuisine.

Following the vegan fish sauce recipe is the Meatball Banh Mi recipe, a fusion of Italian and Vietnamese. Since the banh mi itself is a fusion of French and Vietnamese, because of the French influence during its colonization period, it only makes sense that influences from other countries are a good fit for a banh mi fusion.

Zsu's Vegan Fish Sauce

Makes ¼ cup

Version 1:

3 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons reduced-sodium tamari

2 teaspoons caper brine liquid

½ teaspoon sea salt

Combine the water, tamari, caper liquid and salt. Mix well to combine. Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.

Caper brine liquid is the liquid from a bottle of capers.

Version 2:

4 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons reduced-sodium tamari

1 teaspoon doenjang

¼ teaspoon sea salt

Combine the water, tamari doenjang and salt in a small blender. Blend well. Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.

Doenjang is Korean fermented soybean paste. It is available on Amazon.

© 2015 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

Meatball Banh Mi

Serves 4

Sauce:

1 tablespoon neutral oil

1 small onion, minced

½ teaspoon dried oregano

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 (18-ounce) jar whole tomatoes

1 ¼ cup vegetable broth

Slurry of ½ cup vegetable broth mixed with 2 teaspoons tapioca starch

2 tablespoons Zsu’s Vegan Fish Sauce

1 teaspoon sugar

Pickles:

½ cup hot water

1 tablespoon sugar

¾ teaspoon sea salt

½ cup seasoned rice vinegar

1 medium onion, sliced

2 small carrots, cut into julienne slices

6 large radishes, cut into julienne slices

Meatballs:

2 tablespoons neutral oil

1 medium onion, minced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 medium zucchini, grated (about 14 ounces)

1 (8-ounce) can water chestnuts, rinsed and drained, minced

2 tablespoons vegan oyster sauce

2 teaspoons brown sugar

1 cup oat flour

½ cup chickpea flour

½ cup vital wheat gluten

2 tablespoons tapioca starch

½ teaspoon sea salt

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

Hoagie rolls, toasted

Jalapenos slices, cilantro sprigs

Sauce:

Heat the oil in a medium saucepot over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and oregano. Cook until golden, about 8 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook 30 more seconds. Add the tomatoes and broth and bring to boil. Reduce to simmer and cook 25 minutes. Blend the sauce using an immersion blender and add the slurry, fish sauce and sugar. Season with salt and black pepper. Set aside, but keep warm.

Pickles:

Combine the water, sugar and salt in a quart mason jar and mix until the sugar dissolves. Add the vinegar and mix. Add the onion, carrots and radishes. Cover and set aside for 30 minutes. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.

Meatballs:

1. Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until golden, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and mix in the zucchini, water chestnuts, oyster sauce, sugar, flours, gluten, tapioca, salt and black pepper. Mix well and set aside for 10 minutes.

2. Preheat the oven to 350-degrees F. Form the mixture into balls about the size of walnuts and bake on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Bake the balls for 30 minutes, flipping them halfway through.

3. Transfer the baked balls to the sauce, return the sauce to simmer and cook the balls until tender.

Assembly:

Serve the balls on the toasted hoagie rolls, garnished with cilantro, jalapeno and pickled vegetables. Serve with additional sauce for dipping.  

© 2015 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.