Peanut Butter Noodles (vegan)

Recipe from From My Bowl  
Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen
Makes 4 servings

The sauce for this dish is spot on. It tastes fabulous in this dish, but would also make a nice dip for spring rolls or drizzled over nourish bowls. 

 
8 ounces dried udon noodles or 12 ounces fresh or other pasta (I used rice noodles.)
¼ cup creamy natural peanut butter (I used a Tablespoon of natural peanut butter and then I made up the rest using PB2 and water.)
1 clove garlic crushed (optional)
1 Tablespoon low sodium tamari or soy sauce plus more to taste
1 Tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar
1 Tablespoon brown sugar agave, or maple syrup
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce sambal oelek or sriracha
2-3 Tablespoons hot water

Prep: Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the udon noodles according to the package instructions; dried noodles will take around 8-12 minutes while fresh noodles take 1-2 minutes. Drain, but do not rinse.

Make the Sauce: In a small bowl combine the peanut butter, garlic, tamari, vinegar, sugar, sesame oil, and chili garlic sauce. Whisk together until a thick paste forms, then add 2 tablespoons of hot water and whisk until a thick sauce forms and the sugar has dissolved. Add more water if necessary, but keep in mind that the sauce will thin out more when combined with the noodles.

Combine: Return to the pot or a shallow pan. Pour the peanut sauce over the noodles and use tongs to mix well, until every noodle is coated. The residual heat left from cooking the noodles usually warms them up enough for me, but you can also gently heat the noodles over medium low heat if desired. Add additional soy sauce to taste, as necessary.

Serve: Top with green onion, crushed peanuts, and/or chili oil and serve warm. Leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to 4 days and are best reheated on the stovetop or in the microwave with a splash of water to help thin the sauce out again.

Notes: Gluten-Free: Udon noodles are not gluten-free but you can easily substitute them with rice noodles! Use tamari instead of soy sauce to keep this recipe gluten-free.

Additions: edamame; mushrooms; scallions; tofu; broccoli; red bell pepper, etc…

Nutrition
Calories: 321kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 1315mg | Potassium: 117mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 0.1IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 14mg | Iron: 1mg

Marinated Baked Tempeh (vegan)

Recipe from https://www.loveandlemons.com
Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen
Serves 4

This is a simple and delicious way to prepare tempeh for salads, noodle dishes, and grain bowls. I love making this on food prep day for meals later in the week.

Ingredients
1 (8-ounce) package tempeh
¼ cup tamari
2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
2 Tablespoons maple syrup
1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon sriracha
Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions
Cut the tempeh into cubes, place in a steamer basket, and set over a pot with 1-inch of water. Bring the water to a simmer, cover, and steam for 10 minutes. (Steaming removes any bitterness from the tempeh and also helps the tempeh become tender and ready to soak up more flavor from the marinade.)
In a bowl, whisk together the tamari, vinegar, maple syrup, olive oil, sriracha, and several grinds of pepper. Place the tempeh in the bowl with the marinade.  Toss gently to coat.  Put the tempeh in a shallow dish  and pour the marinade on top to coat. Marinate for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Arrange the cubes in a single layer, reserving the excess marinade.
Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven. Put the tempeh back into the marinade and toss until it’s coated. Put the tempeh back onto the parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 10 more minutes, or until the cubes are charred around the edges. If there’s any marinade left in the bowl, add the hot tempeh to it and toss again to coat.  Then enjoy the tempeh on salads or grain bowls.  Store any leftover tempeh in the fridge.

Notes
For grilled tempeh: Cut the block into triangles and follow the marinating instructions above. Preheat a grill to medium. Spray the grill and grill the tempeh 7-9 minutes on the first side. Remove from grill, dip it back into the marinade to coat, then return it to the grill and grill the second side for 4-5 minutes, or until deep char marks form.

Peanuty Coconut Noodles (vegan)

Recipe from bosh.tv
Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen
Makes 2 generous servings

There's something about this peanuty coconut sauce, creamy and rich with a little heat from the sriracha and a pop of lime, that just hits the spot and makes the hubster very happy. This comes together in about 30 minutes and the whole thing feels way more impressive than the effort involved. The sauce keeps well for 3 days in the fridge. The sauce can be frozen. Next time I make this, I’ll prep several batches of the sauce, use one batch and freeze the other batches for quick busy-night meals. 

50 g peanut butter (about 3 Tablespoons)
4 Tablespoons soy sauce
3 Tablespoons coconut milk
1-2 Tablespoons Sriracha
1 Tablespoon maple syrup
1 lime, juiced
2 portions of rice noodles**
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cm piece of fresh gingered, julienned
3 spring onions, sliced or 1 small shallot, minced
1 red bell pepper, cored and thinly sliced
3 heads of bok choy
3 Tablespoons coconut oil
1 Tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

In a small bowl, combine the peanut butter, soy sauce, coconut milk, sriracha, maple syrup, and juice from the lime. Stir until you have a velvety sauce.
Cook the noodles as per instructions on the packet. Rinse and set aside.
While the noodles are cooking, prepare the vegetables.
Peel and finely chop the garlic. Peel the ginger and slice in matchsticks. Trim the spring onions and finely slice. Slice the red pepper and cut the bok choy in half lengthwise and then cut into large slices.
In a large pan over medium to low heat, add the oil. Once hot, gently fry the garlic and ginger for a couple of minutes, taking care not to burn it. Increase the heat, add the spring onions and red pepper and bok choy and cook for another minute. Tip in the cooked noodles into the pan then stir through the sauce. Allow the sauce to bubble.
Divide the noodles, vegetables and sauce into two bowls, top each bowl with a sprinkle of sesame seeds.

Notes:
**Swap the noodles: Rice noodles work brilliantly here for a gluten-free version, and soba noodles give it a slightly nuttier flavor that works really well with the peanut sauce. 
Bulk it up: Add in some crispy baked tofu or a handful of edamame to make it a bit more substantial. Just toss the tofu in a bit of soy and bake at 200C for 20 minutes while you get everything else ready.
 

Peanut Miso Cucumber Crunch Sandwich

Recipe from Plant Based RD
Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen
Makes 4 sandwiches

I’m not a huge fan of sandwiches, but this one is quite delish.  I love that you can make the components in advance and then, come lunch time, place them on your favorite whole grain bread and enjoy. Easy peasy, tasty, tasty.

1 English cucumber, thinly sliced 
Pinch of kosher salt 
¼ cup cilantro leaves, minced 
1 scallion, thinly sliced 
3 Tablespoon finely chopped peanuts 
Zest and juice of 1 lime 
1 heaping Tablespoon natural unsalted peanut butter 
2 teaspoons soy sauce or tamari
1 teaspoon sriracha 
1 teaspoon maple syrup (optional)

1 (15 oz can) chickpeas, drained and rinsed 
2 teaspoons white miso paste 
2 scallions, thinly sliced ,
1 clove garlic, grated 
2 Tablespoons natural unsalted peanut butter
Pinch of salt 
1 Tablespoon sriracha 
2 teaspoon maple syrup 
2 teaspoon rice wine or brown rice vinegar 

Slices of whole grain sourdough bread or whole wheat bread or whole wheat lavash or whole wheat pita

Add the cucumbers to a medium bowl and top with a pinch of salt, cilantro, scallions, peanuts and lime zest. To a separate small bowl add the lime juice, peanut butter, soy sauce, sriracha and maple syrup and whisk together until evenly mixed. Pour the mix overtop the bowl of cucumbers then toss everything to combine and place in the fridge.

To a separate medium bowl, add your chickpeas and miso then use a fork to mash them together. When mashing, mash as much of the chickpeas as you personally like.

Add the scallions, garlic, peanut butter, sriracha, maple syrup, and rice wine vinegar then stir together well to combine into a uniform mixture. Refrigerate the mixture until ready to enjoy.

To assemble a sandwich, add a few spoons of the peanut miso chickpeas onto a slice of bread and spread it out evenly. Then layer the cucumbers on top. Cover with the other slice of bread then enjoy! (I would recommend adding some of your favorite greens to your sandwich as well.) Serve with some seasonal fruit or berries for a wholesome lunch.

Nutrition: (1 of 4 servings) 360 calories; 14g fat; 3g saturated fat; 0g trans-fat; 0mg cholesterol; 700mg sodium (This could be reduced by using tamari in place of soy sauce); 50g carbohydrates; 10g fiber; 3g sugars; 12g protein 

Spicy Thai Salad with Tempeh (Vegan)

Recipe from http://www.picklesnhoney.com
Husband-Tested  in Alice’s Kitchen
Makes 4 servings

This is a beautiful, delicious salad worthy of your best company, meat eaters and/or vegans.  Many of the components can be prepared well in advance, making this party perfect. This colorful salad is loaded with protein too. Make the dressing, the tempeh, the quinoa and edamame as much as a day ahead and then it’ll be a cinch to layer the salad on a large platter for dinner.

For the Peanut Dressing:
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
¼ cup low-sodium tamari sauce
2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 Tablespoons pure maple syrup
2 Tablespoons (or to taste) Sriracha sauce
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 heaping Tablespoon fresh, peeled ginger (I use minced ginger from a jar.)

For the Tempeh:
1 (8 oz.) block of tempeh, steamed* and crumbled
2 Tablespoons toasted sesame oil
Juice of 1 orange
Sea salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the Salad:
1 head romaine lettuce, thinly sliced (I used several leaves of red leaf lettuce plus several leaves of Napa cabbage, thinly sliced.)
2 cups cooked quinoa, seasoned with sea salt and pepper
1 heaping cup shredded red cabbage
1 cup thinly sliced carrot 
½ cup cooked edamame 
½ cup roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped
1 Tablespoon toasted sesame seeds, optional for garnish
Lime wedges, optional for serving
Sriracha sauce, optional for serving
 
Instructions:  
Place all the dressing ingredients in a high speed blender.  Blend until the dressing is smooth.  Set aside.  (This can be made in advance.). Heat a non-stick skillet.  Add the toasted sesame to the skillet.  Add the crumbled tempeh.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Add the orange juice.  Stir until the tempeh is coated with the oil and juice. Cook, stirring every so often, until the tempeh is golden brown, about 7-8 minutes.  Set aside.  To assemble the salad, toss together the tempeh, lettuce, quinoa, cabbage, carrots, edamame, chopped peanuts, and green onions.  Divide between four bowls.  Garnish with the sesame seeds (if using) and drizzle the salad with the peanut dressing.  Serve with lime wedges and sriracha, if desired.

*How to Steam Tempeh:  After opening the package of tempeh, cut it into 4 sections.  Place it in a steamer basket.  Bring water to a boil in a pot that has a lid.  The water level should not come up above the holes of the steamer basket.  When the water comes to the boil, place the steamer basket in the pot and put on the lid.  Set a timer for 10 minutes.  When the timer beeps, remove the tempeh pieces to a clean towel.  Pat the tempeh dry.  When the tempeh is cool enough to handle, crumble it up and proceed with the above recipe. 

Nutritional Information: (1 of 4 servings)  
Calories 617
Total Fat 29g
Saturated Fat 4.4g
Cholesterol 0mg
Sodium 627mg
Total Carbohydrate 72.7g
Dietary Fiber 7.9g
Total Sugars 30.8g  
Protein 23.3g  
Vitamin D 0mcg
Calcium 163mg
Iron 18mg
Potassium 848mg

Crispy Sesame Tofu and Mushroom Lettuce Wraps

Recipe from Rainbow Plant Life (Nisha Vora) 
Servings: 4

This is one of those “moan meals” during which every bite will produce a moan from the eater.  It looks like a lot of ingredients, but the this is quite easy to make.  The sauce can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge.  While the tofu and mushrooms are roasting, you can clean up any dishes you used for prepping and set the table. This is definitely company worthy!  

Tofu and Mushrooms
1 (16-ounce) block of extra-firm tofu
16 ounces of oyster mushrooms (can substitute shiitake mushrooms)
2 - 2½ Tablespoons neutral-flavored oil, divided 
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1 Tablespoon tamari or soy sauce 
1 Tablespoons arrowroot powder (or cornstarch)
1½ Tablespoons panko breadcrumbs 
1 Tablespoon black sesame seeds or white sesame seeds
Kosher salt to taste
Freshly cracked black pepper to taste
1 small batch of rice noodles or brown rice noodles (4 to 6 ounces)
1 large head of Bibb or butterhead lettuce

Garnishes: chopped cilantro, chopped chives or scallions, and sesame seeds

Spicy Almond-Sesame Sauce
4 Tablespoons smooth, creamy almond butter
½ to 1½ Tablespoons Sriracha
½ Tablespoon black vinegar, or 1 Tablespoon rice vinegar
1 Tablespoon agave nectar (or maple syrup)
½ Tablespoon tamari or soy sauce 
1 Tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1- inch piece fresh ginger, minced or grated (or heaping teaspoon minced from a jar)
3 garlic cloves, crushed
2 Tablespoons water

Preheat the oven to 425°F/218°C. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Drain the tofu and press it.  Once pressed, chop the tofu into small cubes. Place tofu cubes in a large bowl. Add 1 Tablespoon of the neutral-flavored oil, the 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil, the 1 Tablespoon tamari, and 2 pinches of kosher salt. Toss to combine. Then add the arrowroot powder, panko, and sesame seeds. Gently toss to combine, using a spoon or your hands. Spread the tofu out in a single layer on the lined baking sheet.

Clean off the oyster mushrooms with a damp towel. Then, slice off the tough woody ends. Use your hands to separate the bunches into individual mushrooms; for large mushrooms, slice them in half. Add the mushrooms to the same bowl used for the tofu; toss with the remaining 1 to 1½  Tablespoons neutral-flavored oil, and season with salt and pepper. Place the mushrooms on another lined baking sheet. Bake the tofu and mushrooms in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Remove the trays from the oven and toss the tofu and flip each mushroom over. Return to the oven and bake for another 15 minutes, until tofu is crispy and browned and the mushrooms are golden brown. 

While the tofu and mushrooms are baking, cook the rice noodles according to the package. When they are done cooking, drain the noodles. Use scissors to cut the noodles into bite-sized pieces. While the tofu and mushrooms are baking, make the Spicy Almond-Sesame Sauce. Add the almond butter to a microwave-safe bowl. Heat for 25 seconds to help loosen it up. Then add the remaining ingredients except for the water and whisk well to combine. Then, stream in the water and whisk to thin out the sauce until pourable but still thick.
Assemble the lettuce wraps: Separate the lettuce leaves. Spoon a small amount of the cooked rice noodles on top, followed by the baked tofu and mushrooms. Spoon the sauce on top. Repeat with remaining lettuce and fillings.

*Note: Calories per serving: 586 calories

Curried Tofu/Tempeh Banh Mi

Recipe from Vegan Richa

Husband-Tested (and adapted) in Alice’s Kitchen

Serves 3

While on vacation in Barcelona, my husband and I found a newly opened deli called Ferment9.  It was a beautiful, locally-owned shop full of fermented foods.  We visited the shop more than once and each time I ordered their Banh Mi with Tempeh.  It was just the best sandwich ever.  Now, this recipe, while not exactly like Ferment9 sandwich, comes pretty close.  The original recipe from Vegan Richa (one of my favorite websites/YouTube channels) calls for tofu, but I had tempeh in the fridge, so I used that.  By the way, as much as I love bread, next time I make this, I’ll use a bread that’s not so thick because it can overwhelm the flavors of the sandwich.

Pickled Veggies

½ cup brown rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar

1/3 cup hot water

½ teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon maple syrup

2/3 cup thinly sliced or shredded carrot

½ cup sliced cucumber

½ cup shredded or thinly sliced daikon radish or regular radishes, shredded

1 jalapeño, thinly sliced* (You can omit this OR use jarred pickled jalapeño in the sandwich when you assemble it.)

Sauce

¾ cup full fat coconut milk

½ teaspoon flour (whole-wheat or rice flour)

½ teaspoon sea salt

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

¼ teaspoon sugar

Tofu/Tempeh

Oil, for searing

14 oz. firm or extra firm tofu (pressed for at least 20 minutes) OR 1 package tempeh (steam for 10 minutes, then pat dry with clean towel)

1 teaspoon curry powder

1 ½ teaspoon soy sauce or tamari

1 teaspoon maple syrup

¼ teaspoon sea salt

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

3 Tablespoon coconut cream (scoop from a can of full fat coconut milk)

2 teaspoons minced lemon grass (optional)

For Serving

Fresh cilantro or mint or both

Lettuce or crunchy baby greens

Sriracha or Sambel Oelek (optional)

Bread or baguettes (You could even use a lightly steamed collard leaf as a wrap for this sandwich instead of bread.)

Pickle the vegetables.  Combine the vinegar, water, salt, and maple syrup in a shallow container with a lid.  Mix well.  Add the veggies and press down to submerge them.  Close the lid and chill for at least an hour or overnight.

Make the sauce.  In a medium saucepan, mix together the coconut milk, flour, sea salt, garlic powder and sugar.  Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Simmer 2-3 minutes to thicken, then take off the heat.  Set aside while you sear the tofu/tempeh.

Sear the tofu/tempeh. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Place the tofu pieces or tempeh pieces in the skillet and allow the pieces to sear (brown) on one side and then flip the pieces over to sear the other side.  Meanwhile, measure out the curry powder, soy sauce, maple syrup, sea salt, garlic powder, coconut cream and lemon grass (if using) in a small bowl. When the tofu/tempeh is browned on both sides, add the curry powder mixture. Using a spatula, flip the tofu/tempeh over so that each piece is coated in the curry powder mixture.  Remove from the heat and set aside.

Assemble the sandwich: Drain the pickled veggies.  Toast or grill the bread, if desired. Place some greens/lettuce on one slice of the bread.  Place the tofu/tempeh on top of the greens. Drizzle with the sauce.  Add some pickled veggies, then cilantro/mint and jalapeno, if using.  Add some sriracha or sambal oelek for additional heat (optional).  Serve.

Nutritional Information: (for 1 sandwich, includes tofu with whole grain mini baguette) 369 calories; 44 g carbohydrates; 17 g protein; 13 g fat (5 g sat. fat); 642 mg sodium; 221 mg potassium; 3 g fiber; 5 g sugars; 223 mg calcium; 3.2 mg iron; 4750IU vitamin A; 2.4 mg Vitamin C

Vegan Okonomiyaki Vegetable Pancake with Pickled Ginger Salad

Recipe from Good Eatings

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Serves 2-4 people

This is a vegan version of the popular Japanese vegetable pancake called Okonomiyaki. Being a pancake, it is traditionally made with eggs.  But with chickpea flour, a little rice flour and some raising ingredients (baking powder/baking soda), this pancake words quite well.  Using chickpea flour adds protein to this dish.  Adding vegetables to the pancakes makes them even more nutritious and the onion, ginger, garlic and cilantro boosts the flavor for sure. (If you don’t care for cilantro, you can omit it.) You can change up the vegetables if you wish, but the cabbage is a great base and so I would recommend leaving that in.  The Pickled Ginger Salad is scrumptious on its own, but creates a nice kick to the pancakes.  To save yourself time in the end, make the salad in advance.  You can also measure out the dry pancake ingredients and keep them in a glass jar in the fridge until you are ready to make the pancakes.

For the salad:

¾ of a large cucumber (seeded, if using a large cucumber) or 2-3 small ones, cut into small cubes

12 radishes, cut into small cubes

¼ cup pickled ginger, finely chopped

A big handful of cilantro, finely chopped (optional)

1 large lime, juice only

1 teaspoon sriracha sauce

2-3 Tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

Sea salt, to taste

For the pancakes:

1 cup cabbage, finely sliced

½ large carrot, julienned or shredded using the bigger holes of a grater

1-2 spring onions, cut into strips roughly 2 inches long or 1 thick slice red onion, diced

¼ cup cilantro, finely chopped (optional)

1 garlic clove, minced

1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced

1½ cups chickpea flour

½ cup rice flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

1½ cup water

1 Tablespoon soy sauce or tamari

Oil for pan frying the pancake, about 1 Tablespoon

Sea salt and black pepper, to taste

Serve with: vegan creme fraiche or sour cream (optional)

Prepare your salad by mixing all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and giving them a good toss to combine. Set aside while you make your pancake.  For the pancake, prepare the vegetables and then set them aside as you make the batter. Mix all the dry ingredients for the pancake in a large mixing bowl and then add the minced garlic and ginger to it. Then pour in the water and soy sauce as you whisk to combine it with the dry ingredients. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Fold in the vegetables as well as cilantro. Heat up a non-stick frying pan over medium high heat. Once the pan is hot add oil. Pour one quarter of the batter trying to distribute the vegetables even in terms of what ends up in the pan and what stays in the bowl. Then even the mixture out in the pan and cover with a lid. Lower your heat to medium and then let it fry under the lid for about 5 minutes. (Bubbles will appear on top of the batter.  At that point, carefully lift one side of the pancake to see if it’s browned.  If so, flip the pancake over.) Then fry on the second side for about 3 minutes or until slightly browned. Repeat with the rest of the pancake batter making 4 pancakes in total. You could keep the pancakes on low heat in the oven as you finish the rest of the pancakes. Serve with a dollop of vegan creme fraiche or sour cream onto each piece and/or the pickled ginger salad.