Lettuce Tofu Wraps

This delicious recipe is slightly modified from Eating Well magazine's website.  It's a great meal with a side of fries when you're looking for something easy, fun, and delish.

Ingredients:
1/2 c. smooth natural peanut butter
1/4 c. soy sauce, tamari, or shoyu (If you need the dish to be gluten-free, check the ingredients.  Not all of these are gluten-free.), plus more for the tofu, to taste
1 T. rice vinegar
1 t. minced garlic
1/4 t. crushed red pepper
1 lb. Chinese tofu (Tofu's texture is greatly improved if it has been frozen for 24 hours and then thawed prior to use.  Plan ahead.)
2 T. canola oil
1 c. julienned Asian pear
1 c. julienned cucumber
8 large lettuce leaves, washed and dried

Method:
Whisk the peanut butter, 1/4 c. soy sauce (or tamari or shoyu), rice vinegar, garlic, and red pepper together for the sauce.  Add a tablespoon or two of water to thin the sauce to the desired texture.

Squeeze as much water from the tofu as possible, then cut the tofu into 1/2-inch cubes.  In a large, non-stick skillet, cook the tofu over medium-high heat until water is no longer sizzling out of the tofu.  Drizzle the tofu with soy sauce (or tamari or shoyu), to taste, then drizzle with the canola oil.  Toss the tofu to coat with the oil.  Cook until one side of the tofu is browned, toss again, and cook until a second side is browned.  Remove from heat.

Divide the tofu, pear, and cucumber between the 8 lettuce leaves, and drizzle the filling of each lettuce leaf with the sauce.  Use the lettuce leaf as a wrap, and eat taco-style.

Serves 3 - 4.

Tempeh Breakfast Sandwich

I am not really a huge fan of traditional breakfast fare.  Too starchy, meaty, eggy, or sweet, in general, for my tastes.  Don't get me wrong, I love homemade biscuits (I'm from the Southern U.S., so I have them nearly every weekend.  Recipe here.), and I definitely want pancakes or waffles every once in a while, but usually I'm looking for something off the beaten path.

One of my new favorites is this breakfast sandwich, which I guess you could really eat at any meal.  It's filling and tasty!  Fry up the whole package of tempeh, and you'll have sandwich fixin's for the week.

Ingredients:

canola oil

soy sauce

smoked paprika

tempeh (I love the Lightlife "Garden Veggie" variety.), cut into 1/4-inch strips

bagel

avocado slices

roasted red peppers (from a jar or from your grocer's olive bar)

Method:

In a non-stick skillet, heat the canola oil over medium heat.  Add soy sauce and smoked paprika to taste, then add the strips of tempeh.  Fry the tempeh until browned on the bottom, then flip and fry the other side until browned as well.  Remove from pain and drain on paper towels.
NOTE:  I usually fry up a whole 8-oz. package of tempeh at a time, which takes about 3 T. canola oil and maybe 1/2 t. of soy sauce and a heaping 1/4 t. smoked paprika.  I'm guessing, but the amounts are flexible.

Toast both halves of the bagel in a toaster.  Sandwich tempeh strips with avocado slices and roasted red pepper, and enjoy.

Tofu Cubans

I got this excellent Cuban recipe from Food Network magazine...and no, I didn't substitute the tofu for something else.  Their recipe called for it!  Although I was a little skeptical about the combination of the ingredients, these sandwiches were so good last night that we're having them again for lunch today.  YUM.

Ingredients:

1 14-oz. pkg extra-firm tofu, well drained (Not the silken kind.  I like to freeze my tofu for 24 hours, then thaw it.  It improves the texture.)
1.5 T. canola oil
1 small onion, sliced 1/4-inch thick

3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

juice of one orange

4 small hoagie rolls, split

1/4 c. yellow or stone-ground mustard (optional)

2/3 c. roasted red peppers, drained

1/2 kosher dill pickle, sliced (about 1/4 cup)

Method:

Squeeze the excess moisture out of the block of tofu.  Lay the tofu on a cutting board and cut into 8 equal slices.

Heat the canola oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat.  Add the onion and garlic, and sauté until the onion is translucent.  Remove the onion and garlic from the pan and set aside.

Add the tofu slices to the iron skillet and pour the orange juice evenly over the tofu. Salt to taste.  Turn the heat to medium-high, and cook until the tofu is golden, about 3 or 4 minutes on each side.  Remove the tofu from the pan.  Turn heat back down to medium.

Spread the cut sides of the rolls with mustard, if using. Sandwich each prepared roll with 1/4 of the peppers, pickle, tofu, and onion mixture.  Working in batches, add the sandwiches to the hot cast-iron skillet, then top with another heavy skillet to flatten.  Cook until golden brown, 2 - 3 minutes per side.  Serve warm.
(I admit, sometimes I skip cooking the whole sandwich and just layer the onion/garlic mixture, tofu, pepper, and pickle on the roll and get chomping!)

Serves 4.

The King's Favorite

Today is the anniversary of Elvis Presley's death.  In his honor, why not have grilled peanut butter and banana sandwiches for dinner tonight?  Make it with vegan margarine, and you have a vegan treat fit for The King!

Tempeh Sliders

Here's a delicious dinner:  tempeh sliders garnished with tomatoes, avocado, and onion with a side of waffle fries!  Recipe for the sliders here.

Fried Green Tomato Po'boys

Let me thank Southern Living magazine right now for this fantastic idea:  fried green tomato po'boy sandwiches!  I also based this fried green tomato recipe on theirs.  I made these sandwiches for a late lunch/early dinner today, and I cannot tell you how thrilled I am with the results!  I didn't use rémoulade sauce, but you certainly can if you want.

Fried Green Tomato Ingredients:

½ c. all-purpose flour, separated

1 egg

½ c. rice milk

½ c. cornmeal

3/4 t. baking powder

heaping ½ t. salt

heaping ½ t. freshly ground black pepper

3 medium green tomatoes, cored and sliced 1/3 inch thick

canola oil

Sandwich Ingredients (per sandwich):

6-inch baguette, sliced lengthwise

2 slices fried green tomato

4 slices avocado

thinly sliced onion rings, to taste

shredded lettuce

2 slices red tomato

Tabasco chipotle sauce

salt and freshly ground pepper



To make the tomatoes, set up a dredging station with 3 shallow bowls.  The first will have 1/4 c. AP flour.  In the next bowl, whisk together the egg and rice milk.  In the last bowl, mix the remaining 1/4 c. AP flour, cornmeal, baking powder, heaping 1/2 t. salt and freshly ground pepper.

Heat the canola oil in a deep-sided cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.  Dredge each slice of green tomato in the AP flour first, then in the egg mixture, then in the cornmeal mix.  Place the slice in the hot oil.  It should sizzle but not splatter.  (No sizzle = not enough heat.  Splatter = too much heat.  Be VERY CAREFUL with hot oil!  Protect your skin and clothes!)  Fry each slice until golden brown, about 2 - 3 minutes on each side.  You may have to add more oil as you work through the tomato slices.  Drain the fried tomatoes on paper towels.

Once you have the tomatoes fried, the hard part is over!  Now open your baguette and layer up your sandwich like this or in whatever manner suits you:  2 fried green tomato slices, avocado slices, thinly sliced onions, shredded lettuce, red tomato slices, generous salt and pepper, and Tabasco chipotle shots to taste.  Close up your sandwich and get to work!

Scott and I ate them with cold homebrewed beer and finished up with a chocolate chip cookie from a local bakery.  Tres bien!!!

Vegan and Vegetarian Sandwiches

Some folks cannot fathom what could make a sandwich good without meat.  As I said in my post for the hummus recipe, the secret is good bread and a delicious spread.  Then pile on the veggies to your heart's delight.  Here are some ideas for various vegetarian and vegan sandwiches (The ones marked with an asterisk are easily vegan if you check the bread.):


*1.  hummus with cucumber slices and roasted red pepper on baguette
*2.  olive spread (like you'd find on a muffaletta) with tomato, red onion, green romain lettuce, and sliced banana peppers on a hoagie bun
3.  goat cheese smeared on a toasted bagel with white onion, roasted red pepper, and and arugula
4.  pimento cheese (make this homemade by mixing grated cheddar cheese, mayo, and chopped pimento) and ruffley greenleaf lettuce on white bread
*5.  peanut butter mixed with smashed bananas on wholegrain wheat bread
6.  baguette split lengthwise, toasted, then spread with pizza sauce and fresh mozzarella, then run under the broiler


And here are some ideas that don't follow the bread-spread-veggie recipe:
*7.  falafel tucked into a pita pocket with green lettuce, cucumber slices, and tomato chunks, then drizzled with tahini-lemon sauce (I'll get you the recipe for this sauce later.)
*8.  veggie burger (Morningstar Farms makes a very nice garden burger if you don't have a recipe to make your own or don't have time.) on a sesame seeded bun with burger toppings
9.  grilled cheese on rye (with onion, tomato, and/or even jalepeno tucked into the sandwich before grilling?)...And American cheese isn't the only cheese you can use, you know.  You can even combine cheeses for a gourmet grilled cheese experience.


SO.  Now you know that vegetarians have puh-lenty of options for sandwich makings.  Here's to all the picnics you'll be making and the great brown bag lunches you'll be taking to the office now!

Tempeh Sliders

Last night I made delicious tempeh sliders. Don't know what tempeh is? It's a fermented soy product which, I believe, is indigineous to Polynesia. Anyhoo, whatever it is, it makes a mean vegetarian slider. I use the Garden Veggie variety of tempeh from LightLife. It has peppers in it, and it's yummy. Here's what I did, in recipe form:

1 8-oz. package tempeh
about...4 T. canola oil
about, oh, 1 or 2 T. soy sauce, tamari, or shoyu
a baguette
slider garnish (I used spring mix salad, roasted red pepper, and sliced tomato last night. I know, I know. Tomato isn't in season right now, but Scott wanted some, and it was actually just fine. I prefer to use mashed avocado in place of the tomato.)

Now, you need to slice the tempeh into 6 slider-sized pieces, and that will depend on the shape of your tempeh cake. The way LightLife is shaped, I cut it across the width into thirds, then I slice each third to half the depth so that it's 2 "slices."

Put about 3 T. of the oil and 1 T. of the soy sauce (or tamari or shoyu) into a large nonstick skillet and warm it over medium heat. Once it's warm, put all 6 slices of tempeh into the oil and fry it until it's nice and brown on the bottom. Flip each slice with tongs and do the same to the other side. This is where you may need to add another T. of oil and soy sauce.

In the meantime, use a bread knife to cut the baguette into slider-sized chunks. Each chunk will be a "bun." Slice each "bun" in half lengthwise, then toast it in the toaster.

Once the tempeh slices are brown on both sides, load up your buns with tempeh, and your garnishes. Scott put ranch dressing on his sliders last night, and he said it was good. I'm not into ranch dressing, but you can decide for yourself. Serve the sliders with fries or chips (store-bought or homemade).

PS - Did you know you can print coupons for Terra Chips online? Here's the link I used:
http://www.terrachips.com/promos-offers/coupons