Tag Archives: tofu

Crispy Breaded Tofu Strips and the Virtual Vegan Potluck

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Welcome! Thanks for joining us for the Virtual Vegan Potluck. What’s the Virtual Vegan Potluck you ask?  It’s a world-wide online vegan recipe-palooza!  There is lots in store for you today with 105 participants, so do come in. It’s a rainy day out there, let me take your umbrella and coat.   I made some hot hors d’oeuvres just for you.  Have a seat, but mind the cat hair.

My kids call these Kentucky Fried Tofu.  They also make a nice light main course.

Crispy Breaded Tofu Strips

One package of firm or extra firm tofu (454 g)
approximately 1 1/2 cups of Sesame Lime Marinade (below, or use your own soy sauce-based marinade)
1/3 cup nutritional yeast
1/4 cup cornmeal
1/4 tsp garlic powder
salt + pepper to taste
coconut oil

Sesame Lime Marinade

2/3 cup sesame oil
2/3 cup Bragg’s/soy sauce/nama shoyu
2 tbsp lime juice
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp grated fresh ginger (optional)
2 tsp agave or maple syrup
1/2 – 3/4 cup filtered water

(also used to marinate my BBQ Veggie & Pineapple Kabobs)

Rinse the tofu, wrap in a clean kitchen towel and press to remove excess liquid.  Move to a cutting board and slice into strips.  I make mine into 24 thin rectangles pieces (8 pieces long and 3 pieces deep; see photo).

Make the marinade: Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and refrigerate until ready to use.  For this recipe, measurements need not be exact, so adjust ingredients to your taste (like more lime or less ginger).  For a more intense flavour, use less water.  Marinate the tofu strips until ready to use.

Make the breading: Combine the nutritional yeast, cornmeal, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a shallow bowl or baking dish.  Heat some coconut oil on a frying pan on high.  Dredge the tofu pieces in the cornmeal mixture so it’s covered on all sides and carefully drop into the fry pan.  Fry on each side until crispy and brown.  When frying in batches, keep the just-fried tofu warm in the oven or warming drawer until you’re ready to serve.

Makes 24 pieces.  This recipe is gluten-free.

Serve warm with your favourite dipping sauce.  We like Saigon Soul Food’s Tamarind Ginger sauce, an Ontario product which happens to be vegan.

Check out some other Virtual Vegan Potluck participants:

Thank you to potluck creators and hosts Vegan Bloggers Unite, An Unrefined Vegan, Vedged Out and Jason and the Veganauts!

This is also Vegan MoFo post #20 and my contribution to the Wellness Weekend blog hop.

Vegetarian Haven

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I was in downtown Toronto for work a few weeks ago (yep, I’m super late posting this), and I couldn’t resist the opportunity to get to Vegetarian Haven for dinner.  My husband and I got to enjoy the all-vegan, Asian-inspired bistro for the first time a year ago and we were smitten with the delicious food and lovely vibe.  This time I got to enjoy a dinner with my mother who lives close enough to have visited it several times since it opened 9 years ago and counts it among her most favourite restaurants.
A lovely quote from their website: “Vegetarianism is an acknowledgement of interconnection between beings. We yield to the fundamental truth that our actions invariably and significantly affect the lives of others. We then take responsibility for this power by tailoring our choices to support a wholesome result; wholesome, in that it is healthy, and “whole-some” in that it acknowledges the greater community.  This is the vision of the Vegetarian City; not merely a group defined by dietary restrictions, but a paradigm for awareness, compassion, and respect. The Vegetarian city is an embodiment of harmony, from the community of the individual, to the community of the world itself.”  Agreed!
Here is what we ordered:
Tofu Drumsticks

From the menu: “Sink your teeth into our famous crispy drumstick made of soya protein with a scrumptious sugar cane center.”   These were delicious and a really fun treat.  After eating the fried tofu, you get to suck the sugar out of the sugar cane.  Yum!

Fresh Garden Rolls
From the menu: “A refreshing burst of cucumber, avocado, mango, carrot in every bite. Cilantro, a hint of mint & lime wrapped in rice paper. Served w/ a spicy dipping sauce.”  I love all the flavours in these rolls, especially cilantro, so these were really great!

Spicy Coconut Curry ‘Seafood’ Bowl
From the menu: “A savoury mouth watering bowl of fresh rice noodles, ‘salmon, king prawn’, seaweed, mushrooms & vegetables in a spicy coconut curry broth.”  My mother ordered this one, her favourite dish.

Take a look at the “fish”, it’s all entirely vegan.  The faux king prawn had the rubbery texture of shrimp and thanks to the seaweed, the whole dish had a surpringly strong fishy taste.  I never was a big fish eater pre-vegetarian days so the fishy taste was not my cup of tea, but if you like the taste of seafood, I bet you will love this dish.  It’s a very generous portion too.

Spicy Bali Stir-fried Rice Noodles
From the menu:  “Fresh flat rice noodles & tempeh, sautéed with sweet & spicy coconut, peanut sauce and vegetables.”


Singapore Seitan 13.49
From the menu:  “Tender slices of succulent seitan cooked in a sweet & spicy pineapple peanut sauce, served with purple rice & vegetables”.

I took the Bali noodles and Singapore Seitan home to enjoy with my husband and kids and we all agreed that the noodles were quite flavourful (but very spicy!) and the seitan was okay but not our favourite.

The very best entrée was the special of the day: a Sweet Potato Carrot Potato Frittata on a bed of greens with a pineapple mint citrus sauce stir-fried house rice pasta mixed bean salad with ginger sesame dressing.  The frittata was amazing! There were some spices in there that I couldn’t put my finger on but it made the dish beyond delicious.  Too bad they don’t have it on the menu regularly, it was one of the best restaurant dishes I’ve had this year!

We treated ourselves to dessert: Blueberry Tart with crumble topping and chocolate almond bark ice cream.  The tart was homemade and absolutely scrumptious!  It was the dessert I enjoyed when I went a year ago and was looking forward to enjoying again.  A dessert you fondly remember a year later is a really great dessert indeed!

I also enjoyed a Ginger Almond Steamer: hot almond milk with shaved fresh ginger.  Wow!  I’ve been recreating it at home and they are a super autumn treat!

Overall, an outstanding meal!  Lovely staff, quick service, and a large menu full of delicious options.  I got to meet the owner and she was so wam and gracious; someone I am happy to see succeed.  I highly recommend trying Vegetarian Haven if you have the opportunity.

Vegetarian Haven is located at 17 Baldwin St, Toronto, ON.

This was such a great meal, I am submitting it to Peas and Crayons’ What I Ate Wednesdays blog hop.

Vegan Brunch: Savory Scrambles and Sweet Parfaits

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Shortly after I became vegan, I learned a little tidbit I’ll share with you: Brunch is a big deal to vegans.  Waffles, pancakes, scrambles, muffins, lattes, even bacon and omelets….. we can do it all vegan, deliciously!
My primary brunch staple for about a year was Oh She Glows’ Sweet Potato Oatmeal Breakfast Casserole.  It’s excellent, like everything Angela creates.  Then Tofu Scramble with Coconut Bacon took over as my main go-to.  Click the link for the recipe.

When I hosted a brunch a few weekends ago, I wanted to create a special dish for a friend with severe allergies.  Not only is she vegan, she also needs to avoid soy and gluten.   Before cutting out soy, she adored tofu scramble.  I wondered if I could possibly make a tofu scramble without tofu and still be delicious and full of protein?  I decided to try swapping the tofu in my scramble with white beans and potatoes and I think it turned out wonderfully!   All the flavours of my Tofu Scramble with potato and white beans substituting the tofu.  Perfect for anyone wanting to change up their scramble or just wanting to reduce their soy intake.

White Bean and Potato Breakfast Scramble
1 cup onion, chopped
coconut or olive oil
2 medium potatoes, chopped into bite sized chunks
14 oz cooked white beans, drained and rinsed if using a can
1 heaping tbsp of spice mix (below)
3 tbsp Bragg’s all-purpose seasoning, nama shoyu or soy sauce
2 1/2 cups chopped veggies (we like red pepper, massaged kale, mushrooms and spinach)
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
1 tomato, chopped
2 tbsp fresh cilantro, minced

Scramble Spice Mix
2 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp dried thyme
1 tbsp turmeric
1 tbsp Herbamare seasoning or sea salt
1 tbsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder
1/2 tsp sage
Mix the spices together and keep in a glass jar.  Makes enough for 6 servings of the  scramble.

Sautée the onion in a bit of oil over medium heat in a large pan and cook for about five minutes.  Add the potatoes and white beans to the pan with the onion and continue cooking, stirring frequently.  Add 1 tbsp of the spice mix to 3 tbsp of water, stir, then add to pan and stir well.  Add the Bragg’s, veggies and nutritional yeast to the pan and cook for another several minutes, until the potatoes are fork-tender and veggies are soft.  Use a metal spatula to scrape the bottom if the beans start to stick.  Taste and add more Bragg’s, spice mixture or nutritional yeast if desired.  Sprinkle with sea salt and pepper to taste.  Serve warm topped with chopped tomatoes and cilantro.
The scramble also makes a great entrée.

I also served my traditional Tofu Scramble with avocado, fresh fruit, raw almonds (brought by a friend from California where nuts are unpasteurized and truly raw), and cherry coconut parfaits!  The parfaits can be nearly sugar free if you choose no-sugar added jam and granola, making it a not-too-decadent treat for breakfast, brunch or dessert.
Cherry Coconut Parfaits

cultured coconut milk (also called coconut yogurt.  I used So Delicious brand)
your favourite jam (I used homemade chia-berry jam)
granola (I used homemade raw coconut granola, recipe coming soon)
one cherry per parfait to top

Spoon about a two tablespoons of cultured coconut into the bottom of a glass cup or wine glass.  Top with two tablespoons of jam followed by enough granola to cover the jam.  Repeat the layers of coconut, jam and granola, then top with a cherry.  Serve immediately.

I am submitting my White Bean and Potato Breakfast Scramble to the Allergy Friendly Fridays, Gluten Free Fridays, Healthy Vegan Fridays, Foodtastic Fridays,  Wellness Weekends and Meatless Mondays blog hops.
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Vegan dinner party and my favourite curry

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One of my favourite dishes to prepare when guests come over is my Thai-inspired curry so that when they walk in the door, they’ll be greeted by the lovely smells of curried coconut, ginger and pineapple cooking.  Mmmmmm…. The dish is easily made ahead of time and kept in the fridge, then tossed on the stove to simmer for about half an hour before guests arrive, making it easy for dinner parties when you want everything done ahead of time.  You can even make it a day or more in advance and freeze, then defrost in the fridge over night.

The dinner party menu:
Cool Hummus Pizza Bites
Nacho Kale Chips
Spinach and Cranberry Salad
Baguette with Herbed Garlic Butter
Thai Pineapple Coconut Curry
Chocolate Molten Lava Cakes
Fresh raspberries

I chose it to be the main course when we had our friends Mary and Paul over for dinner.  This dinner party happened some weeks ago but I delayed posting as I kept tweaking the recipe for the curry, but now I think it’s perfect.

Mary runs my favourite blog This Is Vegan and is a wonderful cook and baker.  As a newbie vegan, I’ve deeply appreciated Mary’s advice on everything from restaurant reviews to blogging tips.   I don’t know how successful my first year as a vegan would have been without her, and I certainly wouldn’t have had as much fun, so thanks, Mary!   I’ve gotten to share some adventures with her like our girls’ weekend at the vegetarian bed and breakfast that turned out to be a secret beef farm, a fact that wasn’t revealed to us until we had checked out.  (“Isn’t it wonderful these people are using their farm as a sanctuary for these cows?… Wait a minute, why are their ears tagged?”) .  Back to the dinner party.  Mary brought her cool hummus pizza bites and they were a fabulous appetizer.  Baked crescent dough topped with hummus and garden vegetables!  She posted her recipe for them here.

The recipe for my nacho kale chips are found here.

My Thai curry is adapted from the Vegetarian Meat and Potatoes Cookbook by Robin Robertson.  The curry is a bit time intensive as the flavours need an hour or so to simmer for best results.  I like to cook a big pot of brown rice every few days and keep the cooked and cooled rice in the fridge for quick meals; it keeps for about three days.  If you don’t have 2 cups of rice made, you can cook the rice while the curry simmers.

Thai Pineapple Coconut Curry
2 packages of extra firm tofu
1 shallot, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 inch of fresh ginger, grated
6 Tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp each brown sugar, cardamon, coriander, cinnamon, turmeric and cumin
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cups cooked brown rice
3 tbsp coconut oil
1/2 onion
2 cups vegetable broth
2 cups diced potatoes (we used red potatoes and purple yams)
1 cup pineapple chunks (fresh if you can find it, or canned)
1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained (optional)
1 cup coconut milk
fresh cilantro or pea sprouts

Rinse the tofu, then remove excess liquid by wrapping in a clean kitchen towel and pressing gently.  Chop into 1 inch cubes.

Combine the sugar (try it with coconut sugar if you can!), shallots, garlic, ginger, soy sauce and spices in a food processor.  Add the oil as well as 1/2 cup water.

Warm 2 tbsp of the coconut oil in a pan and cook the onions on medium heat for about five minutes, until softened.  Add the spice mixture, then the potatoes and stir.  Cook for about three minutes, then add in the vegetable broth, cover and cook until the potatoes are soft, about 20 minutes.

In a separate pan, warm the other 1 tbsp of coconut oil over medium-high, then add the tofu, stirring every minute or so, so that all sides of the tofu cubes are brown and a bit crispy (you can skip this step if you want softer tofu).  Add the tofu, pineapple, chickpeas (if using) and coconut milk, stir, and let simmer for at least 10 minutes.  Serve hot.  Top with fresh cilantro or pea sprouts and serve.

The best dish of all that night was the chocolate molten lava cakes with raspberries from my garden.  I can take no credit for cake recipe as they are the creation of the amazing Chloe Coscarelli.  I haven’t found a recipe for the cakes online, so you’ll just have to go out and get the Chloe’s Kitchen cookbook, but I promise it’s well worth it.  It’s one of my very favourite cookbooks.

What are your favourite dishes to serve at dinner parties?

Tofu Scramble and Coconut Bacon

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I’ve never been a fan of eggs; even as a meat-eating kid I wouldn’t touch them.  It was no hardship at all giving them up entirely for veganism.  When I was first served tofu scramble a couple of years ago, I didn’t find it particularly appetizing to look at, since it resembles scrambled eggs, but one taste and I was sold.  Tofu scramble is also a winner with my kids, they will eat every bite.
Tofu scramble makes a superb dish for brunches or dinner entrées.  Tofu is an excellent source of protein, calcium and iron, plus it’s not highly processed like some other soy foods.  Add some vegetables and nutritional yeast and you have one super healthy dish!  I make up a spice mix for the tofu scramble and keep in a glass jar in my pantry so I don’t have to measure out seven spices every time I want tofu scramble.
Tofu Scramble
1 cup onion, chopped
coconut or olive oil
2 14-oz packages of extra firm tofu
1 heaping tbsp of spice mix (below)
3 tbsp Bragg’s all-purpose seasoning, nama shoyu or soy sauce
2 1/2 cups chopped veggies (we like red pepper, massaged kale, mushrooms and spinach)
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
optional topping: fresh herbs, Daiya, coconut bacon (see below)
 
Tofu Scramble Spice Mix
2 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp dried thyme
1 tbsp turmeric
1 tbsp Herbamare seasoning or sea salt
1 tbsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder
1/2 tsp sage
Mix the spices together and keep in a glass jar.  Makes enough for 6 servings of the tofu scramble.
Sautée the onion in a bit of oil over medium heat in a large pan and cook for about five minutes.  While the onion cooks, drain and rinse the tofu, then wrap in a clean kitchen towel and press gently to remove excess liquid.  Add the tofu to the pan with the onion and use a metal spatula to chop it up into chunks; it will continue crumbling into smaller pieces as it cooks.  Add the spice mix to 3 tbsp of water, stir, then add to pan.  Cook the tofu, scraping the bottom with the metal spatula as the tofu becomes brown and crispy on the bottom.  Add the Bragg’s, veggies and nutritional yeast to the pan and cook for another several minutes, until the veggies are soft.  Taste and add more Bragg’s or nutritional yeast if desired.  Serve warm.  Sprinkle with sea salt  and pepper to taste.
The scramble tastes excellent on its own, or you can top it with melted Daiya and even crispy coconut bacon for a higher-fat treat.  I first heard of coconut bacon when I read Mary’s rave review of Aux Vivres on her blog This is Vegan and was intrigued.  If you don’t like that’s it’s called “bacon”, just think of it as “smoky coconut crisps”.  I was excited to make my own crispy treat and was happy to find the recipe for Aux Vivres’ coconut bacon at Kirsten’s Kitchen here.  I used large flaked dried coconut since I couldn’t get my hands on a fresh coconut and it worked just fine.
I found that the recipe resulted in a surprisingly sweet taste; in future I will reduce the maple syrup to 2 tbsp for a more savoury taste.  The coconut bacon was also lovely in sandwiches and topped on salads, crackers, pastas and pizza.  Crispy and delicious!