Vegan Yum Yum (14 page)
Makes 2 huge servings (doubles nicely)
step 1
Start the rice with two cups of cold water or whatever ratio of water to rice works best for the type of rice you are using.
step 2
When the rice is almost done cooking, heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet. If using onion, add it and cook until golden brown.
step 3
Add the cumin, cumin seeds (if using), coriander, red pepper flakes, oregano, and mustard seeds (if using), and sauté until the spices begin to bubble up a little bit, being careful not to burn them (I don't need to tell you that, right?). If you're using mustard seeds, they'll start popping and jumping out of the panâjust warning you.
step 4
Add the beans, tamari (or soy sauce), and the vegan Worcestershire sauce and simmer on low, covered, until the rice is done.
step 5
Add the peas, carrots, and corn for a few moments until defrosted.
step 6
Add the rice to the pan, stirring well to mix in the beans and the veggies and to coat with sauce. If you want to make it “richer,” stir in a knob of margarine at the end. Serve immediately.
Ingredients
1 cup brown basmati rice, dry
(or white rice if you're in a rush)
1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
¼ cup chopped onion
(optional)
½ teaspoon cumin, crushed
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
(optional)
½ teaspoon coriander
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
½ teaspoon oregano
½ teaspoon mustard seeds
(optional)
1 can black beans, partially drained
3 tablespoons tamari
(or soy sauce)
3 tablespoons vegan
Worcestershire sauce
½ cup frozen peas
2 medium carrots, shredded
½ cup frozen corn
Earth Balance margarine
(optional)
Red and White Cauliflower Bake
I
love this casserole. It has three layers: an herb tofu layer on the bottom, steamed cauliflower mixed with a creamy, cheezy white sauce in the middle, and a yummy tomato sauce on top, hence the name.
The white sauce will work well for a variety of other recipes. Consider it for anything where you want a mild but rich sauce as a complement. It's also great on top of asparagus, steamed broccoli, or on baked potatoes.
Red and White Cauliflower Bake
Makes 4 servings
step 1
Start by making the marinara. Heat the margarine or olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Once hot, add the herbs and sauté for a minute or two, being careful not to burn. Add garlic and sauté for 30 seconds. Add tomatoes and bouillon or salt. Simmer until the sauce is the consistency you like; about 10 minutes works for me. Since this sauce is going on top of a casserole, you might want to cook it a bit longer than you usually would, so that it's not watery; a thicker sauce will work best here.
step 2
While the sauce is cooking, chop the cauliflower into very small pieces and steam.
step 3
Then make the herbed tofu ricotta. Mix together the tofu, salt, basil, rosemary, marjoram, lemon juice, yeast, olive oil (if using), pepper, and the cornstarch/water mixture.
step 4
Next, make the white sauce. Whisk the margarine in a saucepan over medium-low heat until melted. Add the flour and whisk into a paste. Add the tahini, lemon juice, mustard, and the yeast and whisk well. Slowly add the soy milk, whisking well to make a smooth sauce. Add the salt and pepper and whisk over medium-high heat until mixture is thickened; it should coat the back of a spoon thickly.
Ingredients
Simple Marinara
1 tablespoon vegan margarine or olive oil
2 teaspoons dried Italian herbs
(my favorites are basil, marjoram, and oregano)
2 to 4 cloves garlic, minced
1 can
(14.5 ounces)
stewed tomatoes, blended
½ vegetable bouillon cube or ½ teaspoon plus salt
4 cups cauliflower, chopped small and steamed
Herbed Tofu Ricotta
1 package extra-firm tofu, well pressed and crumbled
½ to
teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons dried basil
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon olive oil
(optional)
Fresh cracked black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water
(this helps it set up in the bottom of the pan; omit this for other uses of this ricotta recipe)
White Sauce
¼ cup Earth Balance margarine
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon tahini
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon stone-ground mustard
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 cup soy milk
½ teaspoon salt
Black or white pepper, to taste
1 cup bread crumbs
To Assemble the Casserole:
step 1
Place the tofu ricotta in an oiled 1½-quart casserole dishâshallow and long works better than deep and narrow. Press it down to form an even layer.
step 2
Mix the cauliflower with the white sauce and spread it over the tofu in an even layer. Add the tomatoe sauce on top of the cauliflower, top with bread crumbs, and bake at 400 ºF for 20 to 25 minutes until bubbly and browned.
step 3
Let stand at least 5 to 10 minutes before serving so the casserole can set up. It is a “soft set” while warm, though, so be gentle if you want identifiable squares. It tastes just as good all mushed up, though. This reheats really well and holds its shape better the second time around.
Seitan Black Bean Corn Burgers
T
hese burgers are really fast to throw together, and you can play with your own spice mix or add-ins if you want.
Seitan Black Bean Corn Burgers
Makes 10 servings
step 1
If the seitan is packed in water or broth, drain it. Add it to a food processor and process until finely chopped (a few remaining bigger chunks are okay).
step 2
Add the beans and process until finely chopped (you may still see the occasional bean piece). Remove this mixture to a mixing bowl.
step 3
Add the vegan Worcestershire sauce, tamari, bread crumbs, flour, corn, paprika, cumin, chili powder, and celery salt to the seitan/bean mixture and mix well with your hands (you can also use a spoon, but hands work best!). Adjust the mixture with salt, to taste, or add more bread crumbs if the mixture is too wet. It should be moist, but not gloppy. For example, if you stuff your ¼-cup measure with it, you should have to pry it out. If it glops out by itself, it's probably too wet.
step 4
Heat the oil in a pan over medium-high heat, preferably cast iron.
step 5
Begin forming patties (¼ cup of mixture per patty works well). My patties were about the size of my palm and fairly thin to avoid a too-mushy center. You can form all of the patties ahead of time and place them on wax/parchment paper, foil, plastic wrap, or whatever. Use the wax paper to help you remove the patties without mushing them.
step 6
Fry patties four at a time, or however many will
Ingredients
1 cup seitan
1 14-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 tablespoon vegan
Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon tamari or soy
sauce
½ to 1 cup bread crumbs
(or 2 slices of bread, toasted)
*
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
½ cup frozen corn
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon chili powder
¼ teaspoon celery salt
(replace with salt or mushroom stock powder if you don't care for it)
2 tablespoons high-heat vegetable oil for pan frying
*
Note: You may need to adjust the amount of bread crumbs depending on how moist the seitan is. Seitan varies a lot in moisture content. I use a wet seitan, so 1 cup of bread crumbs is on the upper limit of what you may need. Start with ½ cup and add more until the burgers are firm enough but still moist enough to stick together. reasonably fit into the pan (leaving room for flipping) until dark brown on either side. If you let them burn (just a little) it will taste more like a grilled burger. Serve immediately.
Soy-Mirin Tofu with Snow Peas and Peanut Sauce
T
his recipe is another one of my favorites. It makes a great larger lunch or a filling dinner. It's also easy to scale. For every two people eating, you will need 1 block of tofu, 1 glaze recipe, 1 peanut sauce recipe, 2 cups of veggies (snow peas), and 1 carrot. If you're making it for a crowd and you have to cook the tofu in batches, keep it warm in a low oven until you've pan-fried all that's needed.
You can definitely use water instead of coconut milk in this recipe. I only use coconut milk when I happen to have an open can in the fridge. Broccoli works really well in this dish if you can't find snow peas. Steam the broccoli as opposed to blanching.