saucy basil and bok choy pasta

Overview

Time: 40 minutes
Dishes: large bowl, large skillet, medium pot, small blender, air-fryer (optional)

Hello, hello Dear Readers!

Today's meatless, vegetarian and vegan dish is a relatively easy to make, but since the ingredients hit 13 and there are 2 pans called for, plus a blender, I am labeling this as moderate. Still, my cooking time was reasonable and since it includes protein and vegetables, no other sides are required.

The pasta dish is saucy and slightly sweet, and if you choose, slightly spicy, which adds to the dimensions so don't fear the spice! 

Vegetables are carrots and bok choy, but there's no reason that peppers, kale or cabbage couldn't take their place. In fact, use what you have!

Speedy Cooking Tips:

• Get all the ingredients out and the pots and pans prepared.
• Put the pasta water on first.
• Press the tofu for 5 minutes.
• Blend the Onion Paste while the water heats and tofu presses.
• Chop the tofu and begin frying it.
• Chop and cook the vegetables while the pasta and tofu cook.

 

Saucy Basil and Bok Choy Pasta

Makes 4 servings 

1. Pasta: Cook the pasta in a medium pot of salted boiling water, 2 minutes shy of al dente:

12 ounces pasta, fettucini, spaghetti, etc

2. Crispy Tofu: Press and cut the tofu into 3/4 -inch cubes. Toss with the cornstarch and spray with oil. Air-fry for 15-20 minutes (425 F) or pan-fry in 1 tablespoon oil:

16 ounces tofu

1/4 cup cornstarch

3. Cooking Sauce: mix all the ingredients in a bowl until sugar dissolves. Set aside. 

2 cups vegetable broth

1/4 vegetarian fish sauce

3 tablespoons brown sugar

3 tablespoons lime juice

 4. Onion Paste: blend all the ingredients in a small blender and set aside: 

1/2 small onion

3 garlic cloves

5. Stir Fry Vegetables: Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup sliced carrots

5 baby bok choy

6. Remove the vegetables and set aside. To the skillet add the Onion Paste and cook until browned. Add the Cooking Sauce and the semi-cooked Pasta and cook until the pasta is tender and the broth is mostly evaporated or thickened. 

7. Serve: Add the Stir Fry Vegetables and basil to the dish. Mix well. Serve with the Crispy Tofu. Serve with chili crisp or Sriracha, if desired.

2 ounces basil (Thai or regular), torn

Sriracha or Chili Crisp (optional)

© 2020 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

Overview

Time: 45 minutes
Dishes: air fryer or oven and baking sheet, large bowl, small bowl, whisk

Hello, hello Dear Readers!

I find it completely ironic and hilarious that a salad should take a lot longer to prepare or cook than a main dish, but those are the facts. I had to classify this meatless, vegetarian and vegan recipe as moderate because of the baking time (which CAN be reduced dramatically the smaller you cut the potatoes, but the lazy in me decided on 3/4-inch dice) and the ingredients list, which, as we all know, can hit the roof for salads.

If you've been to my blog before, you are familiar with my love of shawarma (see Herbivore copycat HERE and seitan shawirma HERE), so turning the Middle Eastern wrap into a salad was not a reach for me! Here is my take on the sandwich-turned-salad, which turned out pretty delicious and all things considered, pretty fast. 

It's the baking time that makes this take long, so, if you want, chop the potatoes into 1/2-inch cubes and drop the baking/air-frying to 10 minutes from 20 minutes, before adding the protein. That would make this salad take about 35 minutes to bake, but, all in all, consider the extra baking time not as more time in the kitchen but more time to be with your family and fur-babies, since that part is hands-off.    

This is a complete dish, with protein, vegetables and starch, so devour as is.

Enjoy! 

Speedy Cooking Tips:

• Peel and chop the potatoes BEFORE grabbing your ingredients.
• Soak the potatoes and preheat oven/air-fryer while grabbing ingredients.
• Start baking as soon as possible.

 

Shawarma Salad

Makes 4 servings 

moderate 

Preheat air-fryer to 400-F or oven to 475-F

1. Potatoes: Peel and chop the potatoes into 1/2 to 3/4-inch cubes. Soak in cool water for 5 minutes. Drain well.   Note: The smaller you cut the potatoes, the shorter the baking time.

4 medium to large potatoes

       

2. Roasting: Toss the ingredients in a large bowl and add to the baking sheet or fryer basket. Bake/air-fry for 20 minutes (for 3/4-inch dice).  

Drained Potatoes

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon paprika

3. Protein: Add to the pan or basket of Roasting and continue to bake for 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are crisp and tender.

4 seitan cutlets (chopped), 2 cups re-hydrated Soy Curlz, 2 cups chickpeas or 1 package Gardein Beefless Tips

1 teaspoon paprika

4 pumps of oil spray

2 pita breads, cut into 1/2-inch strips, added to basket or pan during last 10 minutes of baking (optional)

4. Dressing: Mix with a whisk in a small bowl:

1/3 cup hummus

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoon water

salt and paprika, to taste

1 teaspoon hot sauce (optional)

5. Salad: Serve Salad ingredients with the Protein/Potatoes and Dressing.

6 cups shredded lettuce

1 large tomato, chopped

1 avocado, 1 carrot and/or 1/2 cucumber, thin sliced

1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced

1 cup tortilla chips (if not using pita bread)

© 2020 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

"the vegan air fryer" + giveaway

The Vegan Air Fryer cookbook is here! Air fryers have become quite the rage and everyone from Becky Striepe of Glue and Glitter to JL Fields (the author of this new cookbook) has been frying up amazing dishes using little to no oil.

Even I have an air fryer (or two) and I, too, have been wondering when a vegan cookbook will hit the shelves. As it turns out, my publisher, Vegan Heritage Press, published the first vegan air fryer cookbook, written by JL Fields of JL Goes Vegan site: The Vegan Air Fryer [Amazon, B&N]

I have a very fancy air fryer (combo dehydrator, toaster oven, proofer, etc.) from Breville (thanks to in2insight!!), so I was very excited to see what kind of recipes JL created.

Fries, of course, would top anyone's list of things to make in an air fryer, and JL delivers with her Seasoned French Fries (page 44). The fries are made using fresh potatoes and a few seasonings. They come out beautifully crisp and delectable.

Since I am using a combo air fryer I had to up the temp on my oven and increase the time a bit, but this has nothing to do with JL's recipes, and everything to do with my oven. If you have a Breville Smart Oven, keep that in mind, but otherwise follow the recipe and you should be golden - very much like the fries.

JL has a few potato recipes in the book, which is not really a surprise since potatoes are perfect to cook in the air fryer. So, I couldn't resist making another potato recipe, this time these gorgeous Hasselback Potatoes (page 90).

And then there are recipes to accommodate sides such as those potatoes or Onion Rings (page 80), Cheesy Dill Polenta Bites (page 74), Balsamic Herbed Tomatoes (page 68) or Fried Avocado (page 53).

Such recipes as Mongolian Tofu (page 104), Tempeh Kabobs (page 110), Baked Spaghetti or this Chick'n Fried Steak (page 128), adds to your repertoire of cooking main-worthy meals in your air fryer.

No air fryer cooking is worth its weight in salt if it does not have a great selection of appetizers and snacks. The Vegan Air Fryer cookbook has those in spades. It includes Vegetable Egg Rolls (page 40), Jalapeno Poppers (page 47), Air-fried Pretzels (page 57) or Buffalo Cauliflower, below, (page 72).

The book is full of recipes to use in the air fryer, including many familiar ones that I, for one, was looking forward to seeing in such a book. And then there are more creative recipes to make in your fryer, such as Breakfast (Pan)cakes (page 26), Szekely Goulash Pastry Bites (page 52), Corn Dogs (page 116) and Doughnut Holes (page 20).

How about you take a recipe for a spin, and how about that recipe being the Doughnut Holes I just mentioned? Try the recipe and then enter the contest to win your own copy of The Vegan Air Fryer by JL Fields. Contest is open to US residents and will end June 26. Please leave a comment to enter and BE SURE I have a way to contact you. If I can't, I will choose another winner. Good luck!

Photo by Michelle Donner.

Doughnut Holes

These air-fried doughnut holes are fun to cook -- and eat. Enjoy them for breakfast or as a snack. They make for a great dessert, too. (From The Vegan Air Fryer, copyright © 2017 by JL Fields. Used by permission. Photo by Michelle Donner.)

2 tablespoons cold nondairy butter
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons coconut sugar, divided
1 tablespoon Ener-G brand egg replacer powder or your favorite vegan egg yolk replacement
2 tablespoons water
2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup plain or vanilla nondairy yogurt
1 to 2 spritzes canola oil
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

In a large bowl, combine the butter and 1/2 cup of the sugar and mix well, using your hands until
clumps form. In a small bowl or cup, whisk the egg replacer with the water. Add it to the butter and sugar and mix well. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix well. Fold in the yogurt. Mix until a dough is formed.

Roll pieces of dough into 18 (1-inch) balls and arrange them on a large baking sheet or piece of parchment paper.

Grease the air fryer with the oil. Preheat the air fryer to 360°F for 3 minutes. Transfer the doughnut holes to the air fryer basket. Cook for 8 minutes, shaking halfway through the cooking time. 

Mix the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and cinnamon on a plate. Roll the hot doughnut holes lightly in the cinnamon sugar before transferring them to a baking rack to cool.

Makes 18 doughnut holes

pantry+ thai bbq cauliflower

I adore cauliflower and whoever it was who first thought of making them into "wings" needs a gold star in Hollywood. 

I wanted to throw my spin on this with a Thai flare. This recipe is almost like a red curry, but in crispy appetizer form. Bonus: this is a Pantry+ recipe, requiring only a limited amount of ingredients: 5 pantry ingredients and 6 fresh ingredients. 

Thai BBQ Cauliflower:

Equipment:

air-fryer (or oven)

small blender [such as Magic Bullet]

large bowl

Pantry ingredients:

Coconut milk

Brown sugar

Cornstarch

Sriracha

Pepitas

Fresh ingredients:

Cauliflower

Garlic

Curry powder

Lime

Lemon

Rice

This recipe really couldn't be simpler: blend the marinade and add to the florets. Set aside for 10 minutes and then bake or air-fry. I used my air-fryer and it came out delicious and crisp.

Get your rice cooking right away if you want this as a meal. Or serve it with raw vegetables and the dip of your choice, if you want it as an appetizer.

Thai BBQ Cauliflower (a Pantry+ recipe)
Serves 4
Pantry list is HERE.

3/4 cup coconut milk
10 garlic cloves
3 tablespoons cornstarch or arrowroot starch
2 tablespoons curry powder
1 to 2 tablespoons sriracha
1 tablespoon brown sugar
Zest of 1 lime
Zest of 1 lemon
Sea salt
2 small or 1 large head cauliflower
1/2 cup pepitas
Hot rice, for serving
Raw vegetables, for serving (optional)

1. Combine the milk, garlic, cornstarch, curry, sriracha, sugar, zests, and salt to taste in a small blender. Blend until smooth. Cut the cauliflower into florets and transfer to a large bowl. Add the marinade and set aside for 10 minutes.
2. Add half the cauliflower to the basket of an air-fryer (or bake in the oven at 375-degrees until tender). Bake at 360-degrees F for 15 minutes, basting every 5 minutes. Increase the heat to 390-degrees and continue to bake until crisp, about 5 to 8 more minutes, adding half the pepitas in the last 2 minutes. Repeat with the other half of cauliflower and pepitas.
3. Serve the cauliflower with hot rice or raw vegetables such as carrot and celery sticks. 

© 2016 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

PIN IT!

green pea toast with cayenne caramelized onions

We have all seen the new culinary favorite, toasts (which is really just an open-faced sandwich) and we have encountered the British favorite green pea spread, so why not combine the two?

Before I actually made a green pea spread I wasn't really sure what all the fuss of combining peas and mint was, but I understand now. The mint in no way overpowers the peas, and, in fact, complements its natural flavor - now I'm a believer.

You can actually forget the caramelized onions (but, really, why would you?) and add slices of avocado or toasted pine nuts or even salsa fresca (external link to a few of my sauces featured on Daily Dose of Art).

Whatever you feel doing, do it, but I'll let you in on a secret: this is a fantastic recipe to make in the middle of winter to bring back some of that summer feel. Frozen peas are perfect in this recipe and really lets the sun shine in.

I used my air-fryer (!!) to make the onions and they came out just right. I didn't even spray them with oil, just let the machine do its magic.

That little container in there cost me $6 from [AMAZON] and it isn't non-stick, which I love because Teflon is made with plastic. Besides, the pan that is actually sold for this machine costs $30+. I only wish it was stainless steel.

This recipe uses a whole bulb of garlic because roasted garlic is awesome! Cut the tips off the garlic and lightly smash them to easily remove the paper skin, that way your garlic will remain whole. The onions are cooked with balsamic vinegar to add even more sweetness to them.

Look at that pot of sunshine! Once you lightly cook them and puree them with the other fabulous ingredients, you have the makings of an amazing toast. Word of caution: please season the peas appropriately with salt; legumes need it to bring out their flavor.

Green Pea Toast with Cayenne Caramelized Onions 
Serves 4

Onions:
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 whole bulb garlic cloves, peeled
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon water
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon cayenne

Spread:
2 cups green peas (frozen is fine)
2 tablespoons almonds or sunflower seeds
1 garlic clove
1/4 cup mint leaves (not packed)
1 tablespoon white miso
1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice
Sea salt and black pepper

2 (6-inch) baguettes
Oil spray

1. Combine the onions and garlic in an air-fryer pan and cook on 360-degrees for 10 minutes. Add the vinegar, stir well and cook for 10 more minutes, stirring halfway through. Add the water and cook until the onions and garlic are tender, another 5 to 10 minutes, stirring after every 5 minutes. Alternatively, cook the onions and garlic in the oven, covered, until tender, about 45 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Season with salt, black pepper and the cayenne. 
2. Combine the peas and enough water to cover in a medium saucepan. Bring to boil over medium heat and cook 3 to 4 minutes or until heated through and lightly cooked. Remove from the heat and drain. Set aside.
3. Add the garlic and almonds to a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add the reserved peas, mint, miso and lemon juice. Process until smooth. Season with salt and black pepper. 
4. If you are making toast, cut the baguettes in half and toast. If you are making appetizers, cut the baguettes into 1/2-inch thick slices on the diagonal and toast. In either case, spray with oil before toasting. 
5. Spread the toasts with the pea spread and top with the onions. Serve. 


© 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!