making breakfast tofu

Overview

Time: 15 minutes
Dishes: large pan 

Hello, hello Dear Readers!

I want to share with you what we enjoy for breakfast on most days. Either my husband or I will make our meatless, vegetarian and vegan breakfast sandwiches, which takes about 10 minutes from fridge to table. To make these delicious English Muffin (or bagel, or breakfast burrito, or toast if you like) sandwiches fast, I prepare a package of tofu at the beginning of the week, as the base for the sandwich.

The Breakfast Tofu takes about 15 minutes to cook, hands-off most of the time, and keeps for about 7 days. It is easy to make and not fussy at all. Below is the step-by-step.

Easy Sandwich:

1) Toast the English muffin and vegan sausage patty in the air-fryer for 8 to 10 minutes, 375-degrees.

2) Heat a slice or two of tofu with a slice of vegan cheese in the microwave for 1 minute.

3) Slice onion, jalapeno, tomato (or whatever) while everything cooks.

4) Spread vegan mayo, avocado or salsa on English Muffin.

5) Assemble and season with salt and pepper.

Enjoy!

Making Breakfast Tofu

Makes 10 to 12 slices; doubles easily 

www.ZsusVeganPantry.com

1. Tofu: Rinse the tofu and slice into 10 to 12 slices. Do this while the tofu is in the package container to keep the tofu together and make it easy to transfer to the pan.

1 package tofu (any type except silken)

1. Sauté: Add oil spray to a large pan set over medium heat. Add the Tofu slices, cramming them into the pan. Cook the slices until golden on the bottom, about 5 minutes. 

Oil spray

2. Flavoring: Sprinkle the turmeric and nutritional yeast evenly over the Tofu. Add salt to taste. Pour the water over the Tofu slowly and evenly. Use a spatula to gently loosen the tofu from the bottom of the pan. If using black salt, keep in mind that the black salt will also add saltiness. Add black salt after tofu is cooked because heat dissipates the flavor of black salt. Adding the water slowly and evenly will mix the yeast and turmeric efficiently. 

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes

1/16 teaspoon (half of ⅛ teaspoon) turmeric 

Salt

1 cup water

3. Cook: Cook the Tofu in the Flavoring until the liquid evaporates, about 4 to 7 minutes. Store until needed, up to 7 days, and season with black salt after reheating, if desired,. 

© 2020 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

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curried chicken-free salad sandwich

 

Overview

Time: 35 minutes
Dishes: bowl, air-fryer

Heads Up! mango chutney and curry powder

Hello, hello Dear Readers!

This sandwich filling is a regular meal at our house. In fact, I find that I make this meatless, vegetarian and vegan dish it at least every three weeks, and that is saying something since I don't remake many things, always looking for something new. 

This reminds me of the Whole Foods curried tofu they used to sell, and since we liked that a lot, I decided to remake it at home. 

It is sweet and tangy and crunchy. It has almonds and raisins and mango chutney. The mango chutney can be very sweet, so use the amount that suits your taste. If the dressing is too thick, thin it with some plant milk. This will depend on how thick the chutney is.

You have your choice of Air-fried Soy Curls, Savory Tofu or Sauteed Gardein scallopini. I haven't tried it with chickpeas, but they should be sauteed, too, if you use that.  

Fresh, homemade curry powder does wonders (and smells amazing) so I do recommend you make a batch of Curry Powder (make Zsu's Curry Powder HERE), instead of the stale jar hanging in the back of the spice rack. 

Throw this between bread, inside lettuce leaves, on top of crackers, or roll in a tortilla. Either way, chances are good you, too, will make it again.

Enjoy!

Speedy Cooking Tips:

• Make the protein first.
• Make the curry powder, too, if you can.
• Make the dressing while the protein cooks.

 

Curried Chicken-Free Salad Sandwich

Makes 4 servings 

moderate (Preparation time for the protein kicks it to moderate) 

 

1. Protein: Prepare one of the proteins of your choice:

4 cups chopped air-fried soy curls or

4 cups cubed, air-fried Savory Tofu, or

4 cups chopped Gardein slices, sautéed

2. Dressing: Combine in a medium bowl:

3/4 cup vegan mayo

1/4 to 1/2 cup mango chutney

2 tablespoons vegan milk (optional, to thin dressing)

1 tablespoon mild curry powder, Zsu's Curry Powder or store-bought

1/2 teaspoon salt

3. Add the Protein to the Dressing. Also add:

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup minced scallions

1/2 cup toasted almond slices

 

4. Serve: Stir very well to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning. Chill if not eating right away. Serve in pita, in tortilla, in lettuce leaves, on bread or on crackers.

 

© 2020 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

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kung pao tofu

Overview

Time: 30 minutes
Dishes: large skillet, oven, baking pan or cake pan, measuring cup

Heads Up! teriyaki sauce

Hello, hello Dear Readers!

This meatless, vegetarian and vegan dish is an old favorite recipe of ours, but it calls for brown rice syrup. Since that ingredient is hard to come by, I wanted to recreate it with more readily available ingredients and a simpler preparation. This is sweet and as spicy as you like it, but was on the table in 30 minutes, plus an extra 15 for my brown rice. It's always the brown rice holding things back!

If you have time to press the tofu (and you do if you are making brown rice) do so, otherwise, just bake it as is; it'll still be great.

This is such a quick, easy and delicious recipe that I wonder why we don't have it more often. Oh, yeah, the brown rice syrup. With the easy substitution of using molasses and maple, the syrup doesn't have to be searched for any longer. If you have it and prefer that, omit both the molasses and the maple and substitute an equal amount of the brown rice syrup.  

Enjoy!

Speedy Cooking Tips:

• If you are serving rice, start that first
• Press tofu for 10 minutes (optional) while oven preheats
• Prepare the tofu and bake
• Prepare the sauce and chop vegetables
• When tofu is 10 minutes out, start the Vegetables section in the recipe

 

Kung Pao Tofu

Makes 4 servings 

easy

Preheat oven to 350-F

Serve with Rice and Steamed Broccoli 

1. Tofu: Combine the tofu and teriyaki sauce on a 9X9 baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes.

1-pound (pressed preferably) tofu, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1/2 cup teriyaki sauce

2. Sauce: Combine the ingredients in a measuring cup and stir well:

3 tablespoons Blackstrap molasses

2 tablespoons maple syrup

2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

3. Vegetables: Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the ingredients and cook for 5 minutes, until peanuts are golden, stirring often:

2 teaspoons toasted sesame seed oil

1 teaspoon red chili flakes

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon grated ginger

2/3 cup peanuts

1 bell pepper, chopped

3 scallions, chopped

4. Add the Tofu and Sauce to the skillet, stir and cook for 2 minutes until thickened. Taste and add salt and pepper. Serve with rice and broccoli.

© 2020 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

ginger crunch salad

Overview

Time: 30 minutes
Dishes: skillet, measuring cup, salad spinner

Heads Up! mandarin oranges and chow mein noodles

Hello, hello Dear Readers!

The crunch for this meatless, vegetarian and vegan salad comes in the form of the chow mein noodles, cashews and vegetables. The marinade is made with molasses, which is a good source of iron and the mandarin oranges provides the vitamin C to help absorb the iron. Overall, the ingredients work together not only in flavor, but nutrition, as well.

The molasses offers a slight sweetness and nothing overpowering. If you like a little spice, remember to add the cayenne - it'll give it a little kick! 

If you want to make the dressing have more "body," add a few tablespoons of neutral oil to the marinade. As it is, I left it at a single tablespoon of toasted sesame seed oil because I like my foods with less oil. As always, cook to your own taste! 

Enjoy!

Speedy Cooking Tips:

• Press the tofu while making the marinade.
• Marinate the tofu while preparing the salad ingredients.
• Marinate the cashews while tofu bakes.

 

Ginger Crunch Salad

Makes 4 servings 

moderate 

www.ZsusVeganPantry.com

 Preheat air-fryer to 400-F or oven to 450-F

1. Marinade: Combine the marinade ingredients:

1 tablespoon toasted sesame seed oil

1/4 cup molasses

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon grated ginger

1 tablespoon tamari

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon cayenne (optional)

 

2. Tofu: Press the tofu for 5 minutes. Cut into 1/2-inch cubes. Add to the Marinade. Set aside for 10 minutes.

1-pound regular tofu

3. Bake: Add the Tofu (without the marinade) to the air-fryer basket. Cook for 10 minutes. If baking in the oven, add to a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.

4. Cashews: Add the cashews to the marinade while the tofu bakes. When 10 minutes is up, add the cashews to the basket with the Tofu and bake for another 5 minutes (same for the oven). Set the Marinade aside as dressing.

 3/4 cup cashews

5. Salad: Serve Salad ingredients with the Tofu/Cashews and leftover Marinade as dressing:

4 cups shredded lettuce

4 cups baby spinach

1 cup shredded cabbage

3 scallions, sliced

2 carrots, shredded

1 (10-ounce) can mandarin oranges, drained

2 cups chow mein noodles

© 2020 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

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green curry

Overview

Time: 30 minutes
Dishes: large pot

Heads Up! basil or cilantro, green curry paste, 2 light coconut milk 

Hello, hello Dear Readers!

Today's vegetarian, vegan and meatless dish is really easy and fast and tastes amazing! When we lived in Austin, there was a Thai place that made curry that was more of a soup and I've been wanting to recreate that for ages. 

Here it is! As great as I remember it!

I used jarred green curry paste (check for shrimp paste in the ingredients), but you can make your own with little fuss, but even that was too much for me on a weeknight.

Cooking Tip: cook your paste in 1/4 cup coconut milk (not oil) until the paste releases its flavors, before adding the rest of the milk. (I was low on green curry paste so I added a tablespoon of red to my dish - you know, whatever it takes!)

An aside: Please be aware that there are brands of coconut milk (Arroy-D and Chaokoh) that use and abuse monkeys to pick their coconuts (as of 9/2020). Please choose a more compassionate brand of coconut milk. Source. 

This curry has tofu, peppers, zucchini and spinach, but feel free to add Gardein scallopini if you want, or just extra vegetables - that never fails! Keep in mind you will need fresh herbs at the end - either basil or cilantro, depending on the diners. 

Add a squeeze of lime at the end and enjoy!

Speedy Cooking Tips:

• Prepare your rice right away (if using).
• Get all the ingredients out and prepare the pot.
• Press the tofu for 5 minutes.
• Cook the curry paste with 1/4 cup of coconut milk.
• Chop the vegetables while the paste cooks; add as it is ready.

 

Green Curry

Makes 4 servings 

easy

Serve with rice

1. Base: Cook the curry paste and the 1/4 cup coconut milk in a large pot over medium heat. Stir and cook until the paste has released its aroma, about 3 minutes.

3 to 5 tablespoons green curry paste

1/4 cup of (14-ounce) can light coconut milk**

2. Soup: Add the rest of the liquid ingredients to the Base. Bring to light boil over medium-high heat and reduce to simmer over medium heat:

1 (14-ounce) can light coconut milk**

remainder of other can light coconut milk**

2 cups vegetable broth

2 tablespoons tamari

3. Vegetables: Add the vegetables to the soup as they are ready. Cook the soup until the vegetables are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes:

1-pound regular tofu, pressed 5 minutes, cubed

1 bell pepper, sliced

1 zucchini, sliced

3 scallions, sliced

zest of a lime

4. Greens: When the vegetables are tender add the spinach and cook to wilt:

4 to 6 cups baby spinach

5. Serve: When the spinach is tender add the herbs and lime and serve:

1/2 cup cilantro or basil, chopped

juice of the lime zested

 

 

 

** Need a total of 2 (14-ounce) cans of light coconut milk.

 

 

© 2020 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

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making vegan bacon

Welcome to Making Mondays, dear Readers! 

On Mondays I will be posting tutorials for making staples and this is the first in the series. Let's get started today, and replacing bacon is a great place to start!

This meatless, vegetarian, and vegan bacon is made from tofu but is elevated to sheer baconness with the air-frying. If you don't have an air fryer then bake them in the oven with a few tablespoons of oil until as crisp as you like. 

The steps are basic and easy; the recipe is ready in about 20 minutes, including the air-frying. 

You can use tofu that ranges from medium-firm to extra-firm. Probably won't work with silken or soft, but the other fresh tofus are up for the transformation.

I use full-sodium tamari, but reduced-sodium works, too, or even straight up soy sauce. 

Liquid smoke is found in any grocery store, but if you are avoiding liquid smoke, let me know; you can use black cardamom, but it would take a few extra steps. 

Add these to BLTs, eat them out of the pan (as I do) or mince and top salads - your choice!

Below is the step by step.

Enjoy!

Making Vegan Bacon

Makes 18 to 25 strips 

Preheat air-fryer or oven to 400F 

1. Tofu: Press the tofu. Cut into thin slices, about 20 to a pound, but more if you can hack it.

1 pound regular tofu (not soft or silken)

Oil spray

2. Cook the tofu in a lightly oiled pan over medium heat until golden on both sides, about 8 minutes. Repeat with the rest of tofu. 

3. Nutritional yeast: Add all the cooked tofu back into the pan. Add the nutritional yeast and toss for 1 minute.

3 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes

4. Sauce: Combine the tamari and the liquid smoke. Add the mixture to the pan. Toss while adding. Remove from heat when the sauce evaporates 

1/4 cup tamari or soy sauce

1 teaspoon liquid smoke

5. Spray the air-fryer basket with oil (or add 2 tablespoons oil to a baking sheet if using the oven). Add the tofu strips and spray again with oil (flip the tofu in the oil if using the oven) Bake until crips, 5 minutes for air-fryer (about 8 minutes for oven - flip at 4 minutes for the oven)

© 2020 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

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