Peanut (or Almond) Coated Tofu (vegan)

Recipe from Avant Garde Vegan

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Makes 3-4 servings

This is actually one component of a recipe from Avant Garde Vegan, but it was so darn good that I thought I should make a record of it to use for lots of other dishes. The original recipe did not include any marinating time at all.  It just called for coating the tofu with the sauce and crumbs and baking the tofu right away, but when I prepared this it was in the morning and so I let the sauce covered tofu hang out in the fridge until dinner time, coated it with the nut crumbs and then baked it. And it was delish.  By the way, the husband asked after tasting it, “Is this chicken?”  Ha!  I didn’t think it tasted so much like chicken, but it certainly had a “meaty” quality to it.  Make up a batch and serve it in your favorite Buddha bowl.  I think it would make a mean sandwich when the local tomatoes are ripe.

1 block extra firm tofu

1 Tablespoon peanut butter or almond butter

2 Tablespoons soy sauce or tamari

Juice of 1 lime

Pinch of dried red pepper flakes

½ teaspoon garlic powder

¾ cup toasted* peanuts or almonds

Tamari or soy sauce, for serving

Drain the tofu and then cut it into 4 slabs.  Place them on one end of a clean towel and fold the other end of the towel over the tofu to cover.  Place a baking sheet on top of the towel-covered tofu and place a heavy pot or book on top of that.  Set aside to dry while you make the sauce. In a bowl, whisk together the peanut (or almond) butter, 2 Tablespoons soy sauce, lime juice, red pepper flakes and garlic powder until smooth. Set aside.  Remove the tofu from the towel and cut the tofu slabs in half so that you now have 8 pieces.  Place the pieces into a shallow dish and pour the sauce over the tofu.  Flip the tofu pieces over to coat all the sides.  Cover and refrigerate several hours or overnight. Meanwhile, roast the peanuts (or almonds) and process in a blender or food processor until you have fine crumbs.  (Do not over process or you will end up with peanut (or almond) butter!) Place the nut crumbs in a shallow dish. 

Preheat the oven to 350F.  Carefully place each piece of sauce-covered tofu into the crumbs and flip to coat all the sides.  Put the crumb-coated tofu pieces on a parchment lined baking sheet.  (The original recipe suggested placing the tofu in a dry non-stick pan over medium heat on the stove top for 2 minutes on each side to lightly color them before baking, but I didn’t follow the directions and they turned out just fine.) Bake for 15 to 25 minutes or so until toasty brown, flipping halfway through the cooking time.  Drizzle with a little tamari before serving.

*To toast the peanuts or almonds: Preheat the oven to 325F.  Spread them out on a rimmed baking sheet.  Bake for 15 minutes.

Notes:  You can make this dish even easier on a weeknight if you make a double batch of the peanut/almond crumbs.  Store them in the fridge and then all that needs to be done is prep the tofu and bake.

Marinated Peanut Tempeh

Recipe from Minimalist Baker

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Serves 4

Well, this was just beyond good.  It was a big hit with the husband too.  I served this with Buffalo Cauliflower Salad, but now that I’ve made it, I’m excited to try it in other dishes, like spring rolls.

Tempeh:

8 ounces tempeh

Marinade:

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes or 1 fresh or dried bird’s eye chili, minced

1 ½ Tablespoons sesame oil

2 Tablespoons creamy peanut butter or almond butter or cashew butter

2 Tablespoons tamari or soy sauce (plus more, if desired*)

2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice

3 Tablespoons maple syrup

To remove bitterness from the tempeh, add to a rimmed skillet or saucepan filled with 1 inch of water and bring to a low boil over medium heat.  Cover the pan and steam the tempeh for a total of 10-12 minutes, flipping once at the halfway point.  Then rinse, pat dry on a clean towel, and cut into thin, bite-size pieces.  (I cut the tempeh in half lengthwise and then cut it into small triangles. The smaller the pieces, the better they can soak up the marinade.)

Mix the marinade ingredients with a whisk until smooth and thoroughly combined.  Taste and adjust the flavor as needed, adding more red pepper flakes for heat, maple syrup for sweetness, lime juice for acidity, or tamari for saltiness. 

Put the tempeh in a shallow dish and pour the marinade over the tempeh.  Flip the tempeh pieces to ensure each piece is coated with the marinade.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, preferably for 24 hours.  While marinating, carefully flip the tempeh over to ensure even coating. 

Preheat the oven to 375 F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Place the tempeh on the parchment lined baking sheet, leaving a little room between the pieces.  There should be some marinade left in the shallow dish.  Add about 1 Tablespoon tamari* to what’s left of the marinade and stir.  Brush this over the top of each tempeh piece. Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 22 to 30 minutes or until caramelized and deep golden brown. 

Serve this tempeh as the protein for a meal or add it to spring rolls, salads, stir-fry, and noodle dishes.  Store leftovers in the fridge, covered, up to 3 days.

Nutritional Info: 250 calories; 15.2 g fat (2.8 g sat. fat); 463 mg sodium; 19.3 g carbohydrates; 1 g fiber; 10.2 g sugars; 13.4 g protein

Broccoli & Cashew Cheese-Quinoa Burritos

Recipe from The Oh She Glows Cookbook by Angela Liddon

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Makes 4 large burritos or 6 small burritos

This got a big thumbs-up from the hubby.  The filling reminds me of a really delicious broccoli cheese casserole. You won’t believe how cheesy, delicious, and comforting these vegan burritos are.  If you make the cheese sauce and quinoa in advance, the rest comes together quite quickly.  If you use gluten free tortillas or lettuce leaves for wrapping, this recipe is free of gluten. 

3 cups cooked quinoa*

1 Tablespoon or less olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1 ½ cup diced sweet onion

Kosher salt or sea salt, to taste

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

¾ cup diced celery

2 cups diced broccoli

3-4 Tablespoons chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

Cashew Cheese Sauce**

4 soft tortillas or large lettuce leaves

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat.  Add the garlic and onion and sauté for about 5 minutes, until the onion is translucent.  Season with salt and pepper.  Stir in the celery, broccoli, and sun-dried tomatoes.  Sauté over medium-high heat until the broccoli is tender, but still bright green.  Add the cooked quinoa and the cheese sauce.  Stir to combine with the vegetables.  Add the red pepper flakes, if using.  Cook until heated through.  Spoon the mixture onto whole-grain tortillas or large lettuce leaves, wrap, and serve.  (You can also grill or press the burrito before serving.)

Nutritional Info: (I used Calorie King app.) (1 of 4 burritos) 500 calories; 8.7 grams fiber; 4.0 grams protein; 141.2 mg potassium; 907.3 mg calcium. (1 of 6 burritos) 334 calories; 5.8 grams fiber; 11.8 grams protein; 94.1 mg potassium; 605 mg calcium

How-To Prepare Quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah). Just 1 cup of uncooked quinoa will yield almost 4 cups cooked. Here's what you will need to cook the quinoa: 1 cup uncooked quinoa; 2 cups water for cooking; a sieve; water for rinsing; a saucepan with a cover and a kitchen timer.  Place 1 cup of uncooked quinoa in a sieve (strainer.) Quinoa has a bitter coating (called saponin) that must be rinsed off.  An effective method for rinsing off the bitter coating is to place the quinoa seeds in a fine-meshed strainer and run cold water over the quinoa while gently rubbing the seeds together in your hands. Place the rinsed quinoa in a saucepan and add the 2 cups water. Bring the cooking liquid to a rolling boil. Turn down the heat to a simmer. Place a tight-fitting lid on the saucepan. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes. (Set a kitchen timer to 15 minutes so you won't forget to check for doneness.)  Fluff the cooked quinoa with a fork.  Cooked quinoa can be frozen once cooled.

Cashew Cheese Sauce (Makes about 1 cup sauce)

¾ cup raw cashews

1 clove garlic

½ cup unsweetened almond milk

¼ cup nutritional yeast

1½ teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon white wine vinegar or lemon juice

¼ teaspoon onion powder

½ teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt

Place the cashews in a bowl and add enough water to cover.  Soak the cashews for at least 3 or 4 hours, preferably overnight.  Drain and rinse the cashews.  Place all the ingredients in the order listed in a food processor or high powered blender.  Process until smooth.  This can be made a couple of days in advance and kept in an airtight container in the fridge.