dan dan noodles

Overview

Time: 30 minutes
Dishes: medium pot with lid, large skillet, measuring cup

Hello, hello Dear Readers!

Full disclosure: bump this meatless, vegetarian, and vegan recipe to a "moderate" if you add the stir-fry vegetables (from frozen is perfectly fine). I made this as a copy-cat recipe from PF Chang's, who make this without the vegetables, but I find adding them makes this dish even better; besides - vegetables are always great by me.

The sauce is sweet and just a bit spicy (unless you cannot have spice - as always, make the dish to suite your taste). This is best with tofu, but use seitan or Gardein with equal success. Mince the protein pretty well (check out the picture) because texture influences flavor.

Use a lid to heat the water for the pasta to get this meal on the table quickly - even with the added work of the vegetables, 30 minutes is all the time you'll be spending in the kitchen - unless you eat there, as well. 

Enjoy!

Speedy Cooking Tips:

• Put the water on for the pasta before grabbing the ingredients.
• Use a lid while heating the water.
• Grab the vegetables and thaw in water (unless already thawed). 
• Squeeze the excess water from the vegetables before cooking.
• Chop the green onions while the protein cooks and the water heats.
• Prepare the sauce while the pasta cooks (unless you had time already).
• Chop the protein while the green onions cook.

 

Dan Dan Noodles

Makes 4 servings 

easy

1. Pasta: Cook the pasta in a medium pot of salted boiling water, until   al dente. Drain and use the pot for the Sauce:

12 ounces thin spaghetti

2. Protein: Cook in a large skillet over medium-high heat, with a lid:

1 teaspoon olive oil

16 ounces tofu, sliced or 4 Gardein scallopini

3. Remove from the skillet and set aside to cool. Once cool, mince.

4. Cooking Sauce: mix all the ingredients in a large measuring cup until sugar dissolves. Set aside. 

1 1/3 cups vegetable broth

1/3 cup tamari

1/3 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons garlic-chili sauce

2 tablespoons cornstarch

5. Dan Dan Sauce: using the medium pot from the pasta, heat over medium-heat and add: 

1 teaspoon olive oil

2 tablespoons minced garlic

5 green onions, minced

6. When golden (do not burn), add the Cooking Sauce (stir the sauce first) and the minced Protein. Cook until thickened, about 3 minutes.

7. Stir Fry Vegetables (optional): Heat the large skillet from the Protein step over medium-high heat and cook until tender:

1 teaspoon olive oil

3 cups stir-fry vegetables (if frozen, thaw first)

8. Serve: Add cooked Pasta to a bowl, top with Stir Fry Vegetables (if using) and Dan Dan Sauce. 

© 2020 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

huli huli tofu

Overview

Time: 30 minutes
Dishes: cake pan (or shallow pan), grill pan, measuring cup

Hello, hello Dear Readers!

Today's meatless, vegetarian and vegan dish is from Hawaii and is technically a grilling dish. The term "huli" means to turn, as the ingredients are placed between two racks and turned to grill both sides. According to lore, this was the idea of a Honolulu businessman, and since the teriyaki-style sauce became popular, he tradmarked the recipe and sold it. 

I used a grill pan on the stove, but you can grill outdoors, if you want. Press the tofu for a few minutes, to get most of the liquid out, and then marinate it overnight (if you want) or as little as ten minutes (which is what I did). I supplemented with green beans, which is actually quite nice, so go for it. Substitute zucchini or Gardein scallopini. Grilling is another 10 minutes or so and the dish is ready.

Cook some rice and serve with a green salad and a simple dressing. Have mangoes on the side, to boost authenticity. 

Enjoy and Happy Fourth!

Speedy Cooking Tips:

• Press the tofu right away.
• Prepare rice (if using).
• Get all the ingredients out and the grill pan.
• Prepare the marinade while the tofu presses.
• Marinate the tofu before cleaning the green beans.
• Preheat the grill pan for 5 minutes.

 

Huli Huli 

Makes 4 servings 

easy

Serve with: Rice, Green Salad and mangoes

1. Tofu: Press the tofu for 5 minutes using a press or wrap in a lint-free kitchen towel (which has the same effect). Then slice the tofu into 10 slices the long way.

1 package firm or extra-firm tofu

2. Marinade: Combine the ingredients in a shallow cake pan (or another shallow dish). Mix well.

1/2 cup ketchup

6 tablespoons tamari

6 tablespoons brown sugar

1/4 cup rice or apple cider vinegar

1-inch ginger, grated

1 teaspoon minced garlic

3. Green Beans: Add to the Marinade the Tofu and trimmed green beans. Set aside overnight or 10 minutes:

2 large handfuls green beans

4. Grill: Prepare outdoor grill or preheat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Brush the pan with oil or use oil spray. Grill the Tofu 4 minutes per side, rotating the tofu 45-degrees halfway through. This leaves pretty grill marks and prevents tofu from burning. Grill the Green Beans until tender. Brush the tofu and green beans with the Marinade as they grill. 

5. Serve: Serve the Huli Huli with rice, green salad with an Italian dressing, and mangoes. 

© 2020 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

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.

vegan fish cake num pang

There's banh mi and then there's Cambodia's version of the perfect sandwich: num pang.

They both have a lot in common, but there are a few subtle differences, as the owner of New York's Num Pang describes in his interview HERE, including the subtle differences in bread, ingredients (fresh vs. leftover) and toppings.

I wanted to try making it for myself and I chose to make a vegan fish cake for the bulk of this sandwich.

I was inspired by the Jazzy Vegetarian's (Laura Theodore) Not So Crabby Cakes recipe, which I took for a test run last year and simply adored!

For this version of fish cakes I used tofu, bread slices, hearts of palm and dulse.

The toppings are homemade chili mayo, pickled carrots, cilantro and cucumber slices.

If I could have made homemade bread using my Refrigerator Dough aquafaba recipe, this sandwich would have been even better, but as it was, it was pretty fantastic.

You can air fry these babies or pan-fry them, as you wish, but don't skip on the toppings - they really do make this sandwich authentic and amazing.

And now for the winner of the Vegan Air Fryer cookbook, by JL Fields: it is the comment made by....

Natalie Cartledge! Congratulations! Contact me at zsu at zsusveganpantry dot com.

Vegan Fish Cakes Num Pang
Makes 4 sandwiches

Pickled Carrots:
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup grated carrot

Fish Cakes:
3 slices bread
3/4 container of firm tofu, pressed 10 minutes
1 (14-ounce) can hearts of palm
1/2 cup parsley
2 scallions
2 teaspoon grated ginger
2 teaspoons toasted sesame seed oil
2 teaspoons coriander seeds
1 teaspoon dulse
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Zest of 1 lime
Panko crumbs, as needed

Chili May:
1/2 cup firm tofu
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon garlic chili sauce (or sambal oelek)
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon sea salt 
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Other:
4 crusty burger buns, toasted
Sliced cucumbers
Cilantro

1. Carrots: Combine the sugar, vinegars, water and salt in a mason jar. Mix well until the sugar dissolves. Add the carrot and set aside for at least 20 minutes.
2. Cakes: Add the bread to a food processor. Pulse until ground. Remove and set aside in a large bowl. Add the tofu, hearts of palm, parsley, scallion, ginger, oil, coriander, dulse, cornstarch and zest to the food processor. Pulse into a coarse grind. Add to the bowl with the bread and season with salt and pepper.  Set aside to firm up for 20 minutes. 
3. Sauce: Combine the tofu, water, garlic chili sauce, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper in a small blender. Blend until very smooth, adding a little water if needed. Taste and adjust seasoning.
4. Heat a large skillet over medium heat or preheat the air-fryer. Divide the fish cakes mixture into 4 portions and press into a patty. Dredge the cake in panko crumbs and fry in oil or air-fry until crisp.  
3. Assemble the burgers: bottom bun, sauce, cilantro, cucumber, cake, carrot and top bun. Serve immediately. 


© 2017 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

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grilled cuban tofu sandwich

I've had a very busy few months taking a few community college classes, but now they are over and I find some time to blog... and finally cook  - something that has been on the back burner.

I've been on a sandwich kick of late, so it seems to be a good place to pick things back up.

This is a Grilled Cuban Tofu Sandwich:

The tofu is cut into slabs and marinated in a mojo sauce. The marinade is made of fresh orange juice, fresh lime juice, oregano, garlic and brown sugar.

The tofu is then grilled and topped with watercress, bread and butter pickles and whole grain mustard. Pretty simple but very flavorful. Press the tofu first for maximum flavor and marinate overnight, but if you can't wait, thirty minutes is fine, but baste the tofu as it grills.

Grilled Cuban Tofu Sandwich
Makes 4 servings


Mojo Marinade:
½ cup orange juice
2 tablespoons lime juice
4 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon salt
1 (14-ounce) firm or extra firm tofu, pressed 20 minutes

8 slices bread
½ cup shredded vegan cheese or 1/2 avocado, mashed
4 tablespoons whole grain mustard
16 slices bread and butter pickles
1 cup watercress

1. Add the orange juice, lime juice, garlic, oregano and salt to a small blender and blend until smooth. Cut the tofu into 4 slabs (about 4x4-inches) and place in baking dish. Add the marinade and set aside until needed (or at least 30 minutes).
2. Heat a grill pan over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of cheese (or avocado) to 4 slices of bread. Spread 1 tablespoon mustard on the other 4 slices of bread. Set aside.
3. Grill the tofu slabs until grill marks appear, about 3 minutes per side. Baste the tofu as it cooks. Add a slab on top of the cheese on the slices of bread. Place one slice of bread with the tofu and one slice of bread with the mustard on the grill pan, cover the pan and cook until the cheese melts. 
4. Add ¼ cup of watercress to the tofu and close the open-faced sandwich. Repeat with all the sandwich halves. Serve.



© 2017 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

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chimichurri potatoes and tofu

As promised, I am taking the recipes from Prep Ahead Week 3 and posting them individually for the folks who would rather not make the entire menu.

If you are as busy as I am and life sometimes serves up plain beans and rice or a simple sandwich, when you'd rather be enjoying a delicious and unique meal, then I highly recommend you give the Prep Ahead menu a try.

The first recipe in the rotation on Week 3 is Chimichurri Potatoes and Tofu.

Typical chimichurri sauce is made with tons of oil and loads of fresh herbs, but I wanted to come up with a recipe that used no oil, but still tasted great.

Instead of the oil, this sauce recipe uses yogurt and tahini. The yogurt offers the body and the tahini offers the richness that would usually be supplied with olive oil. You can still make the sauce using oil, if you'd rather, and Becky Striepe has a terrific recipe over at Glue and Glitter, so I'd head there for a more traditional version.

I used both regular potatoes and sweet potatoes when I made my dish, but you can use one or the other. Press the tofu overnight using a flour sack (just wrap the tofu tightly and set in the fridge) or press it for an hour using a machine.

I air-fried my potatoes and tofu, but you can broil them instead.

Since the tofu and potatoes need a vegetable, I went to my go-to, easy way of cooking up greens, kinpira. This is a very old and traditional way of quick braising vegetables in any flavored broth. I chose a spicy kinpira for this dish to help elevate the chimichurri even more. The veggies are ready in about 5 minutes with minimal fuss.

Serve these with warmed tortillas; use the tortillas as tacos or just use them to scoop up all the goodies.

Chimichurri Potatoes and Tofu
Makes 4 servings

2 (14-ounce) packages firm tofu, rinsed and pressed 1 hour

Chimichurri Sauce:
1/2 cup packed parsley (1/2 bunch)
1/2 cup packed cilantro (1/2 bunch)
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 tablespoon unsweetened plain vegan yogurt or olive oil
1 tablespoon tahini
1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes

2 pounds potatoes, any kind

Kinpira:
1 pound bok choy
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
2 tablespoons vegetable broth

4 tortillas, warmed

1. Make sure to press the tofu first. Preheat the air-fryer at 450-degrees F. If not using air-fryer, preheat the broiler if needed.
2. For the sauce, combine the parsley, cilantro, garlic, water, vinegar, yogurt, tahini and chili flakes in a food processor. Process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
3. Cut the potatoes into 1/2-inch wedges. Cut the tofu into 1/2-inch slices. Cut the slices of tofu into 1-inch pieces. Toss 3/4 of the sauce with the potatoes and tofu. Add them to a baking sheet or air-fryer basket and cook until crisp and tender, about 15 to 25 minutes. 
4. For the kinpira: Chop the bok choy. Add it to a large pot. Add the minced garlic and chili flakes. Add 2 tablespoons broth. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook until tender and the broth has reduced. 
5. Serve the potatoes, tofu, vegetables and warmed tortillas with the rest of the sauce.


© 2016 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

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vegan baked chèvre cheese dip

Chèvre is the French term for goat - or goat cheese. I didn't want to name this outright "goat cheese dip" because, well, it isn't goat cheese. However, I do want to give you the idea that this cheese dip is not your ordinary dip, but is in fact funky and creamy and unique- just like goat cheese is.

This is not an aged cheese, so it is ready to bake as soon as you blend it up. However, it does have a unique component that is quite interesting: preserved or fermented beancurd. Beancurd is, of course, just tofu, but because this is a preserved ingredient it is quite on the funkier side of things.

Of course, the next question is where to get it? I've been able to get it at all kinds of Asian markets: Korean, Japanese, Thai, etc., so if you have a local Asian market, hit that up first. Get the version without the chili flakes or chili oil - just tofu, salt and oil.

For the very adventurous, I have found a recipe online for making it at home. I just recently found it and so haven't tried it, yet, but I am planning on making it because I like to know that the tofu I use is non-GMO; these bottles don't state that.

Recipe for making homemade Fermented Bean Curd.

The tofu itself, once preserved, is very soft and aromatic:

You won't use much of the stuff because it is very potent, but you can always adjust to your taste. The first time I made this dip I used 1/3 cup of it. While I liked it, I imagine it would be a bit over the top for others.

All you do is blend the ingredients and bake.

While the dip was baking I roasted off some potatoes to use as the dipping agents - air-fryed with a teaspoon of oil; they came out crisp and flavorful. Easy roasted potato recipe.

Serve the dip with some radishes and pickled onions (or raw onions) and you have a very elegant dip to serve to guests - or to enjoy on a night to yourself.

Vegan Baked Chèvre Cheese Dip

Makes 1 1/2 cups

1 cup plain unsweetened nondairy soy or almond yogurt

2 to 4 tablespoons preserved or fermented tofu

2 tablespoons tapioca starch

1 garlic clove

1/2 to 1 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon onion granules

1/2 teaspoon xantham gum (optional)

Olive oil (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 375-degrees F. Add the yogurt, tofu, tapioca, garlic, salt, onion and xantham gum (if using) to a blender. Blend very well until very smooth. Transfer to a small (about 2 cup) baking dish and drizzle with a few teaspoons of olive oil. 

2. Bake until golden and bubbly, about 30 minutes. 

3. Make the salad by combining the radishes, parsley and onion. Add the salad on top of the dip. Serve with crackers, raw vegetables or Roasted Russet Potatoes (recipe below).

Roasted Russet Potatoes

1 large russet potato, peeled and cut into wedges, about 1/4-inch thick

1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon onion granules

1/2 teaspoon garlic granules

1/2 teaspoon dried parsley

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 to 2 teaspoons olive oil

1. Preheat an air-fryer to 360-degrees (or an oven to 400-degrees). Add the potatoes, paprika, onion, garlic, parsley, salt and oil to a large bowl. Toss well. Add the potatoes to the basket of the air-fryer in a staggered crosshatch pattern (like building Lincoln Logs) and bake until crisp, about 20 minutes, shaking the basket after 10 minutes and then after 15 minutes.

2. If baking in the oven, bake on a baking sheet until crisp, about 30 minutes. Toss every 10 minutes. 

© 2016 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

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.

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