Thai Tofu Lettuce Wraps with Cucumber Carrot Slaw

Hello Lovelies,

Lately I have been giving cooking lessons to ATM's cousin Steffie who recently went vegetarian (woohoo!).  Yesterday, when she was deciding what she would like me to teach her to cook, she mentioned her disdain for tofu.  She is certainly not alone in the Tofu Haters Club, more often than not I meet people who shudder at the mere mention of the word.  I believe that almost everyone can like tofu because tofu can taste like anything: chicken-y nuggets, feta cheese, ricotta cheese, chocolate mousse, ranch dressing. . . the possibilities are endless!  Tofu on its own is pretty sad and boring, so preparation is key when winning people over to bean curd love.  Steffie and I made super simple, super delicious Thai tofu lettuce wraps and guess what?  She sure doesn't hate tofu anymore!

 

Thai Tofu Lettuce Wraps with Cucumber Carrot Slaw

Ingredients:

- 1 head of romaine lettuce, or iceberg lettuce, or collards, or savoy cabbage for wrapping

for the tofu:

- 1 package of extra firm tofu

- 1 small onion, roughly chopped

- 3 cloves garlic

- 3 tbsp Thai green curry paste

- 2 tbsp tamari soy sauce

- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro

- 1 tbsp coconut oil or veg oil 

for the sauce:

- Juice of one lime

- 1 tbsp agave syrup

- 1 tbsp tamari soy sauce

- Sriracha sauce, or Sambal Oelek, or other chili sauce

for the slaw:

- 1 large English cucumber

- 1 large carrot

- 1 minced shallot

- 1 tbsp lime juice

- 2 tsp agave syrup

- 1 tbsp tamari soy sauce

- 1 small minced Thai chili (or a sprinkle or dried chili flakes)

- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Let's start with the slaw.  Using a vegetable peeler, make the carrot and cucumber into ribbons by peeling and rotating the veggies until there is nothing left.  Toss the ribbons, with the shallot, lime juice, agave, tamari, chilies and cilantro and set in the fridge to get cold and crisp and well marinated.

For the sauce, simply whisk the lime juice, agave, tamari and chili sauce (to your discretion).

For the tofu, place all ingredients except for the coconut oil into a food processor and pulse until the mixture is well combined.  Heat a skillet over medium-high heat, add the coconut or vegetable oil and the tofu mixture.  Saute for a few minutes, or until slightly browned and heated through.    

Separate the lettuce, or leaves of choice, and arrange them on a platter.  To make a wrap, layer a few spoonfuls of the tofu on a leaf, drizzle with the sauce, and top with the cucumber carrot slaw.

XOXO

Vivacious Vegan                  

Easy Vegan Soy Yogurt

Hey Friends!

I love soy yogurt.  I eat it topped with berries, I eat it in my granola, I eat it atop a spicy curry, I eat it when I'm in a hurry, I would eat it in a boat, I would eat it with a goat. . . you get the idea.  I'll tell ya one thing I don't love about soy yogurt:  It is expensive.  Today I would like to share with you a super simple recipe for soy yogurt that I whipped up the other day for brekkie.  ATM wasn't a fan, but I think she was turned off by the 'soy-ish' flavour.  Wussie.   

NOTE:  Technically, this isn't really a true 'yogurt' in the sense that it isn't cultured.  I don't see why you couldn't just stir in the contents of a pro-biotic capsule or two?  Would that be weird?  If any of you cats try it, let me know how it turns out!  

Easy Vegan Soy Yogurt

Ingredients:

- 2 454g pkgs silken tofu

- 1 banana

- 1 tbsp agave syrup (add an extra tbsp if you like it sweet, sweetie!)

- juice of 1 lemon (and zest if you wanna amp up the lemon flavour!)

- pinch salt

Put all ingredients into a blender.  Blend until silky smooth.  You can also use an immersion blender.  Put into a glass or plastic container with a lid and let it sit in the refrigerator for an hour to chill out.  

Hey!  Why not try these variations???

-Omit the agave and add 2 tbsp of your favorite fruit preserves

-Add 2 tbsp organic cocoa powder

- Replace the agave with maple syrup and add a sprinkle of cinnamon

- Replace the lemon juice with lime juice and add lime zest and toasted, unsweetened coconut

Happy noshing <3

XOXO

Vivacious Vegan

  

 

Vegan-ize Delivery Pizza and Tofu Feta Recipe!

Monday Monday. . .So good to me. . .

Hey hunnie bunnies!

I am a pizza fanatic.  I could eat it for every meal of the day!  I make it all the time at home but sometimes (particularly in the wee small hours of the morning apres a crazy night out) I just have to have delivery pizza.  For Winnipeggers, late-night pies are as easy to acquire as dialing the number '2' seven times (Pizza Hotline, anyone?) but regardless of your locale, you can vegan-ize delivery pizza no problem!

Simply order a vegetarian pizza with no cheese (at which point the order taker may repeat 'no cheese?!' as if you've lost your mind) maybe double sauce if you're a saucy gal like me, and add on whatever extra vegetarian toppings you like.  Extra spinach, spicy eggplant, garlic, banana peppers, pineapple, artichoke hearts, olives, bell peppers - whatever you like/they offer! 

Once your pizza arrives, you can add a little extra flare by drizzling it with extra virgin olive oil, maybe a few drops of balsamic vinegar, fresh basil or a sprinkle of dried oregano, some vegan cheeze (if you use vegan cheeze, then just broil it a little to make it melty), some white or black beans, toasted pine nuts, a pinch of chili flakes and some chopped sun dried tomatoes - again, whatever your heart desires!  My new fave is to top the 'za with some home made crumbled tofu feta and give it a little drizzle of olive oil before broiling it for a minute or two.  Tofu feta is DELISH and so easy to make.  Add it to salads, wraps, bruschetta, pasta dishes, vegan chili, the possibilities end only with your imagination :)

Tofu Feta

Ingredients:

- 1 pkg extra firm tofu, cubed or roughly crumbled

- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

- 1 heaping tbsp nutritional yeast

- 3 cloves minced garlic

- 1 tsp shoyu

-1/2 tsp garlic powder

-1 tsp oregano



- 1/2 - 1 tsp salt (start with 1/2 tsp then season to taste, real feta is quite salty)
- fresh group peppa

Whisk together all ingredients except tofu in a glass dish.  Add the tofu and toss to coat.  Let the tofu marinate for at LEAST an hour, tossing every now and then.  Taste and season accordingly.  The tofu and marinade can be stored together in a sealed container in the fridge for 3 - 4 days and the flavour will intensify, woo hoo!

Happy noshing <3

xoxo

V.V.

Vegan Thanksgiving Feast!

Hey Pals,

Thanksgiving Day is upon us in Canada, one of my aboslute favorite holidays.  Sharing a festive meal with family and friends and enjoying the beauty of autumn can be hard for vegans when the star of the show is a big dead bird.  Making your own tofurkey complete with stuffing, cranberry sauce and gravy is very simple and sooooo very tasty!  Surround the tofurkey with a host of yummmmy yegan side dishes: mashed potatoes with veggie stock and Earth Blance butter, roasted yams with a sprinkle of cinnamon, green beans or brussel sprouts with toasted almonds and lemon zest, carrots with agave orange glaze. . .skies the limit!  My Nana used to make boiled, mashed turnips for Thanksgiving. . .ick.

Roasted Tofurkey, Mushroom Sage Stuffing and Gravy 
Ingredients:
Tofurkey:
-2 bricks of extra firm tofu
-1/4 cup soy sauce + 1/3 cup for basting liquid
-1/4 cup nutritional yeast
-1 tbsp garlic powder
-1 tbsp poultry seasoning
-fresh ground pepper
-2 tbsp sesame oil
Stuffing:
-1/4 cup Earth Balance Butter
-4 shallots (or one small onion and 3 cloves of garlic) diced
-2 stalks of  celery, finely diced
-2 cups of wild mushrooms, diced
-6 cups dried bread cubes (available in the bakery of your friendly neighborhhod grocery store)
-2 tbsp finely chopped sage leaves
-approx 2 cups of veggie stock
-S&P
Gravy:
-1/2 cup veg oil
-3 cloves of garlic, minced
-1/2 cup all pourpose flour
-1 tsp poultry seasoning
-1 cup dry white wine
-1/4 cup soy sauce
-2 cups veggie stock
-S&P

STEP 1 - Tofurkey Phase A:  Place two paper towels on a plate.  Place the blocks of tofu on the paper towel.  Place another paper towel over the tofu.  Top with a plate and place heavy cans and other objects on the tofu.  Leave for 1 hour so all the extra water drains out.

STEP 2:  While the tofu is being pressed, prepare the stuffing!  Heat the Earth Balance butter in a pan over medium heat.  Saute the shallots, celery and mushrooms with a sprinkle of S&P until the shallots are translucent, the celery is soft and the mushrooms are well cooked.  

Transfer the veg from the pan to a large mixing bowl and toss with the bread cubes and sage.  Add the veggie stock and mix.  You want the bread cubes to be very moist and the stuffing should be pretty sticky, so add more veggie stock as needed.  Season with S&P and set aside.

STEP 3 - Tofurkey Phase B:  Place the tofu, 1/4 cup soy sauce, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, poultry seasoning and pepper in a food processor and pulse until it becomes a smooth paste.  Alternatively, you can use your hands or a potato masher for this job! 

Line a colander with cheese cloth or a paper towel and place it over a plate or bowl.  Put the tofu mixture into the lined colander and press it down so it's nicely packed in there and the top is flat.  Place a small plate on the top and a heavy can or two on the plate and let sit in the fridge for two hours. 

STEP 4 - Tofurkey Phase C:  Remove the cans and plate from the tofu.  With a spoon, caaaareeeefully scoop out the inner part of the tofu, as if you're making a bowl out of it, leaving a 1" border.  Set the scooped tofu aside.  Fill the cavity with stuffing just to the rim of the tofu bowl.  Cover the stuffing with the reserved tofu, sealing the tofurkey and making the top nice and flat. 

Oil a baking sheet well with veg oil and place on top of the colander.  In a quick, fluid motion, flip the colander onto the baking sheet and release the tofurkey dome.  Remove the cheesecloth/paper towel from the tofurkey dome. 

STEP 5 - Tofurkey Phase D: Mix together the remaining soy sauce and sesame oil and baste the tofukey with it.  Cover the Tofurkey with foil and place in a pre-heated 400 degree oven.  Roast the tofurkey for 25 minutes, remove the foil, baste again and bake for an additional 25 minutes or until the tofurkey is golden brown.  Baste again before serving. 

STEP 6:  GRAVY!!!  While the tofurkey is roasting, heat the veg oil in a large saucepan over medium high heat.  Add the garlic and saute until translucent.  Add the flour and poultry seasoning and cook for one minute, stirring constantly. 

Add the wine, soy sauce and veggie stock and whisk to combine (no one wants lumpy gravy!).  Bring the gravy to a boil and cook until thickened.  Add more stock if tooooo thick.  Season with S&P.

To serve:  Slice the tofurkey into wedges and serve alongside mashed potatoes, your fave veg side dishes and a sea of vegan gravy!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!!


XOXO,

Vivacious Vegan

Tofu Scramble!

. . .from a looonnngggg and busy week.
Helllooo my dears!

I used to scoff at scrambled tofu.  How could it even be the least bit tasty?  It should be said that I used to eat scrambled eggs almost every day, loaded with cheddar cheese, tomatoes and dill and cooked to perfection in lots of butter. . .   The idea that plain, crumbled tofu fried up with some veggies could make a comparable, let alone tasty, breakfast choice seemed outrageous. 

BUT I finally took the plunge.  Used up half a block of firm tofu that had been awaiting it's fate for almost a week and was SO impressed at how num num NUMMY scrambled tofu really is!

Served up with a pile of homemade hasbrowns, tempeh or tofu bacon and a bowlful of blueberries, I am sittin' pretty today, my friends!  Happy Sunday <3

Tofu Scramble
Ingredients:
-2 tbsp veg oil
-2 cloves garlic, chopped
-1 block firm tofu
-2 cups (or more) of your favorite veggies (I used sliced mushrooms, broccoli and diced tomatoes)
-2 tbsp nutritional yeast
-2 tbsp soy sauce
-S&P

Heat the oil in a pan over medium high-ish heat.

Crumble the tofu up and add to the hot pan.  Brown the tofu a little bit and then add the garlic and veggies.  If you're using soft veg like tomatoes, wait to add them until a little later in the game, if you over cook them they will turn into mush. . .unless that's what you're into. . .Saute until the veg are nice and tennnder.

Sprinkle over the nutritional yeast and soy sauce and cook until they are absorbed by the tofu and veg.  Season with a teeny bit of S and a lot of fresh ground P. 

EASY PEASY!

Add what ever kind of herbs, spices, veggies, vegan cheeses, vegan sausage or diced vegan ham, hawt sauce, cooked beans, whaaaaaat evvaaaaaaaaaaaaa MUAH!

XOXO

V.V.

Southern Fried Tofu Sandwich

Baby come back,
you can blame it all on me.  I was wrong (for taking such a long hiatus), and I just can't be without you (my wonderful V.V. Blog readers).


It is a beautiful, sweltering hot August day and V.V. is ready to blog from her NEW APARTMENT (equipped with a/c, thank gaaawwwwd AND the most GORGEOUS KITCHEN) which she is sharing with her beeeeeeloved ATM (who returns home on Thursday from a month at work in Nunavut EEEE!!!!). 


I discovered my new faaaaave way to prepare good ol' tofu and I'm ADDICTED!  I slice it thin, marinate it for an hour and then coat it in nutritional yeast (don't be afraid of nutritional yeast!!!!) and frrrryyyy it up!  OMG OMG OMG vegan honey dill and some oven baked french fries would be amazing with the dreamy little slabs!  For this blog, I've stuffed the num num slices into a baguette with a red cabbage romaine slaw. 


ATM has decided to try vegetarianism on for size (woo!) and has been raving about the tofu sandwiches they serve at work, so, my dear ATM, this one's for YOU (and my wonderful V.V. readers, too!).

Southern Fried Tofu Sandwich

Ingredients:

-1 block of extra firm tofu

-lots of nutritional yeast (for coating the slabs)

-sunflower oil for frying

-baguette or crusty roll (toasted, if you like)

Marinade:

-2 cloves garlic, minced

-1/4 cup Japanese soy sauce

-1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

-1 tbsp nutritional yeast

-1/4 cup water

-lots of fresh ground peppa

Slaw:

-1/2 head of thinly sliced red cabbage

-1 chopped heart of romaine

-2 tbsp olive oil

-1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

- juice of 1/2 a lemon

-1 tsp Japanese soy sauce

-1 tsp nutritional yeast

-toasted sunflower seeds

-peppa!

Cut the tofu as if it were a loaf of bread into 1/4" slices.  Cut each slice on a diagonal to form two triangles and lay the triangles in a large baking dish.  Whisk all the marinade ingredients in a bowl and pour it over the tofu.  Marinate for an hour.

Meanwhile you can whisk all the slaw ingredients minus the cabbage, romaine and sunflower seeds in a bowl and let it  hang out in the fridge while the tofu marinates.

Sprinkle 1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes onto a plate.  Dip each side of the marinated tofu triangles and coat them WELL with the nute-yeast.  Add more yeast to the plate as you run out.

Toss the thinly sliced cabbage, romaine and sunflower seeds with the slaw dressing and set aside. 

Heat 3 tbsp sunflower oil in a pan over medium high heat and fry the tofu triangles on each side until they are golden brown (this wont take long at alllll so watch 'em!). 

Slice the baguette in half and lay the fried tofu triangles on it, each slice overlapping slightly.  Top with the slaw.  EAT!

This would be EXTRA NUMMY topped with sliced avocado or BBQ sauce or vegenaise or sliced pickles or whatever your little heart desires :) 

XOXO

V.V.



We Got Vegan Cannelloni, Baby!

Ciao Bellas,

I had been dying for a comforting, rich, baked pasta dish and after my tenth failed vegan mac-and-cheese attempt (I just can't seem to find a good one), I nearly gave up.  Until I remembered one of my favorite pasta dishes: cannelloni!  I rushed to the grocery store and back and in no time at all whipped up a DEEEELISH and SUPER EASY recipe!
It uses tofu 'ricotta' but don't be frightened, it tastes just like the real thing.  If you use jarred or tinned tomato sauce you will save a ton of time, just make sure you check the ingredients to make sure they're vegan.  You can definitely use regular cannelloni noodles, I was just feeling very lazy at the time and couldn't be bothered to pre-cook anything.

Cannelloni with Spinach and 'Ricotta'
Ingredients:
1 box oven-ready cannelloni noodles
1 jar tomato sauce
3/4 cup water
1 package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, diced
6 garlic cloved, chopped
1 package of extra firm tofu
1/4 cup chopped basil or 2 tsp dried
pinch fresh ground nutmeg
juice of 1/2 lemon
S&P

Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees.  Mix the water and sauce together and spread 1/2 cup of it on the bottom of a 9"x9" casserole dish.
Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan on meadium heat.  Sautee the onion and garlic until tender and translucent.  Add the spinach and cook until warmed through.  Crumble the tofu into the spinach mixture and add the basil, nutmeg and lemon.  Season with S&P.  Put the mixture into a blender and pulse until the mixture looks even but is not a totally green puree.  Or you can use an immersion blender.
Fill each cannelloni noodle with the spinach ricotta mixture until it is at capacity.  Place the filled noodles in even rows in the casserole dish.  Cover with the remaining sauce and any extra filling. 
Bake for 25 min and broil the top until it's bubbly.  Let it sit for a few minutes before serving, it's hot!

Enjoy ;)

xoxo
V.V.

Veggie Burger Mania!!!!

Hey Baaaaaaaaaabes,


I have two delish and super easy veggie burger recipes for you!  I love to make large batches of burgers and freeze them.  I have been eating on the cheap lately: dinner comes straight out of the pantry.  Foods like beans, rice, quinoa, lentils, pasta, cous cous, canned San Marzano tomatoes, udon noodles, and a whack load of spices make for a huge variety of healthy and inexpernsive eats.  Recipes to come... 
My siblings and their significant others and I had another dinner party on Sunday, this time Italian themed.  I brought Spaghetti Aglio Olio which is basically spaghetti with olive oil, garlic, chili flakes and fresh Italian parseley.  Easy, easy, easy and so yummy!  I love hearing your feedback on recipes that I have posted so please don't be shy and let me know how yours turn out!!!

Basic Veggie Burgers

Ingredients:

2 cups beans (I used adzuki for this batch but you can use your fave!)

2 cups cooked brown rice

1 onion, finely diced

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 tbsp sunflower oil

1/2 tsp thyme (or any spices you like! If you use black beans try cilantro, if you use white beans use basil!)

2 tsp smoked paprika (again, have fun with the seasoning, maybe chili powder or curry!)

2 tbsp shoyu

S&P

In a large bowl, mash the beans until mostly smooth with a few chunks.  Add the rice.  In a skillet, heat the oil and saute the onions and garlic until very tender.  Add them to the rice and beans along with the spices and shoyu.  Mix well until the mixture is well combined.  Season with S&P. 

I find that it's easier to form patties when the burger mix is chilled.  Set the bowl in the fridge for 30 min to an hour and then form the mix into patties.  At this point you can wrap them in parchment paper and cling wrap and freeze them in freezer bags OR oil up that skillet and fry 'em til the burgers are golden on both sides!  If you freeze them allow them to defrost for a couple hours.  I have also has success baking the burgers in the oven with a little olive oil drizzled over them.

Tofurkey Burgers

Ingredients:

1 block of firm tofu

1/3 cup fine breadcrumbs plus extra for breading

1/2 tsp poultry seasoning

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

2 tsp smoked paprika

fresh ground black pepper

2-3 tbsp shoyu

Mash the tofu with your hands or a fork.  Stir in all the other ingredients until well combined.  Form the mixture into patties (they can be a bit finicky so be patient!) and coat with remaining breadcrumbs.  Freeze in the same manner as the basic veggie burgers and cook in the same manner as well!  Easy easy EASY!!!

Happy Trails,

XOXO

V.V.