eggless tofu salad

There are a handful of things that I am completely obsessed with. Besides the SyFy channel and blog lurking, I think I'd definitely have to put egg salad on that list too. Nothing's better than a happy-chicken egg hard boiled to perfection, mixed with a little Vegenaise and devoured between 2 slices of toast with some spicy brown mustard. Yum!

Well, I've been really intrigued with the idea of an entirely vegan egg salad, and finally for lunch today, I decided to try it out with a block of firm tofu that desperately needed to be eaten. Being an egg salad purist, I was pretty skeptical, but wow! It was DELICIOUS!

Stuff you need: 1. Firm tofu 2. Vegenaise 3. Salt & pepper 4. Diced onion, shredded carrot or anything else you like in your egg salad

Start by squeezing the tofu like you normally would. While the tofu is getting pressed, chop up your onion, carrot, and/or anything else you'd like to include. When the tofu is ready, crumble it into a bowl and mix it together with a big dollop of Vegenaise, some salt, pepper, and all your tasty extras. I just used a little bit of onion, since that's what I had on hand.

When all the ingredients are properly combined, that's it! Dig in! You could eat it on a bed of greens, between 2 slices of toast with some kale and mustard, or if you can't wait a minute longer, just stand there in the kitchen and eat it right there on the spot :)

I can't tell you how excited and pleased I am with this recipe! I was fully prepared for this to turn out soggy and bland, but it was surprisingly great! Hard boiled eggs have a moderately neutral flavor, so replacing it with tofu wasn't really that crazy after all. This lunch was a total success. I may be an egg salad fanatic, but I think this tofu version is just as good!

vegetable bibimbap

Whenever I go home to my parents' house for a couple nights, one of my favorite things to do with them is cook something new and fun! Since Dad and I are both avid Asian-food fanatics, I thought that a vegetable Bibimbap was the perfect meal for a Tuesday evening. We first had this dish a few years back at a sushi restaurant by the house, and since then, I occasionally get huge cravings for this hot, tasty, Korean dish.

Tonight's recipe came from the home goddess herself, Martha Stewart, and I must say... it wasgood, but not great. We helped it out with some sesame oil, sesame seeds, and chili garlic tofu, but it still wasn't exactly that I was hoping for.

I mean, anytime you combine fresh cooked rice, stir fried vegetables, and a fried egg, it's going to taste good, but when putting together this recipe, I was hoping for something more authentic. Even though Martha Stewart knows all, I think I will entrust my Asian food needs to a more reliable source. Close, but no cigar ;)

a better breakfast burrito

If I have not properly expressed this previously, let me tell you that I am not a morning person. I'm the girl rolling into work at the crack of 9 am, still putting on makeup, and eating oatmeal out of a coffee mug. For these reasons and many more, I rely heavily on late night planning, and frozen, homemade breakfast burritos. A while ago, I made my first batch of breakfast burritos, and since then, I think they've just gotten better. In fact, this last round has been the best yet!

Stuff you need: 1. Whole wheat tortillas 2. 1 block firm tofu 3. Morningstar sausage patties 4. Roasted green chiles 5. Your favorite salsa

Begin by squeezing your tofu like you would for any other recipe- I like to wrap mine in a paper towel, and set something heavy on top of it while I prepare everything else. Meanwhile, you can chop your chiles and defrost your faux-sausage.

When the tofu is ready, crumble it into a skillet with a little olive oil, the Morngingstar sausage, green chiles, and some spices until everything is warmed through. In my tofu/faux-meat mixture, I like to add hot sauce, garlic salt, and cumin. Yumm.

When your burrito stuffing is tasting the way you'd like it to, grab a tortilla, spoon a healthy helping of the tofu mixture into the middle, add a bit of salsa, and then wrap the whole thing up in a square of foil.

Keep wrapping burritos until you're out of filling and tortillas, and then pop them into the freezer for future use. For me, 1 block of firm tofu made about 6 burritos.

When you're ready to devour your breakfast burrito, wrap it in a paper towel, and microwave it on high for 1 minute on each side. The tofu is difficult to heat all the way through, so it may need a little extra time as well. This not-so-fabulous picture is taken inside the microwave at my office. While not super aesthetically appealing, it was absolutely scrumptious, and the perfect way to start off a long day at work.

The combination of the fake sausage, chiles, and salsa, are the perfect mix of texture, heat, and flavor. They're fast and easy to make, they're absolutely delicious, and they're a total life saver first thing in the morning. You better believe I'll be making more of these very soon :)

baked tofu part 2

Ah, what a July 4th weekend. Rockies games, BBQs, surprise birthday parties, and lunches with good friends kept me outrageously busy! When Tuesday rolled around, and I was feeling like a big, fat, slob, I knew it was time to get my exercise and eating habits back on track. After a big produce shop on Tuesday night, and a couple of healthy, home-cooked meals, I'm starting to feel like I'm getting back to normal :)

Tonight I made a second attempt at baked tofu, except this time I called the expert- my mom! She has this amazing recipe that I had to get my hands on, and I must say, it turned out exactly like I remember it. The inspiration comes from a PETA cookbook, with a little help from my mom, and a dash or two of my cooking recklessness.

Stuff you need: 1. block firm or extra firm tofu 2. soy sauce 3. lemon juice 4. garlic powder

Start by pressing the liquid out of your tofu, while you prepare your marinade. For the marinade, combine 3 tablespoons soy sauce with 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and a shake or two of garlic powder. Hint: it helps to prepare the sauce in a large bowl to make tossing the tofu easier- definitely should've thought of that before I used the cereal bowl. Ha!

Take the tofu, chop it into bite-sized cubes, and toss it in the marinade until all the pieces are thoroughly coated. Let the tofu soak for as long as you can. During this time, preheat your oven to 375 F, prepare anything else you need for your meal, and take a second to change out of your work clothes and relax.

When the oven is preheated, oil a baking sheet, and place the tofu on top. Pop it in the oven for 10 minutes, flip the tofu over, and then cook it for another 10. DONE! Omg look at that golden baked deliciousness.

I used half of the tofu in an asparagus and mushroom stir fry, and I saved the other half for a future meal.

Damn, this recipe is great. The tofu is tender in the middle, with a slightly crispy, perfectly baked outside that's just a little salty. It's great in stir fries, it's good in hearty soups, and it might be a fun addition to a fully loaded salad. Let's be honest, this baked tofu is good in everything. I'm feeling healthy, and very, very full. I'm definitely writing this one down for next time. Thanks Mom!

ass kickin tofu

I am definitely a spicy food connoisseur. Ever since I was a kid, my dad and I have have been pushing the heat boundaries with copious amounts of Sriracha and hot peppers, much to my mom's dismay. Tonight for dinner, I thought I'd try my hand at baked tofu with a little kick.

Stuff you need: 1. A block of firm (or extra firm) tofu 2. Chili garlic sauce 3. Soy sauce 4.Hoisin sauce 5. Olive oil

Start off by squeezing all the liquid out of the tofu- I like to wrap it in a paper towel and place a heavy object on top while I prepare everything else. While the tofu is indisposed, prepare your marinade. Combine approximately 2 tablespoons olive oil and soy sauce with 1 tablespoon hoisin. Give it a good stir and a taste, and adjust the flavors to your liking- some ginger, sesame oil, or lemon juice would all be nice additions.

When your marinade is ready, grab the tofu, slice it into slabs, and arrange it in a glass baking dish. Lightly coat each piece of tofu with the chili garlic sauce, and then pour the marinade on top. Now pop the dish into the fridge while you preheat the oven to 350 F. About 5-10 minutes in, flip the tofu over so both sides soak up all those great flavors. At this point, I lightly coated the other side of the tofu with more chili garlic sauce. Please feel free to skip this step, unless you like your food with some serious burn.

When the oven is ready to go, pop that spicy tofu in for 15 minutes, flip the slabs over, and cook for an additional 20. When it's looking golden all over, gather some kleenex, a glass of milk, and dig in!

Now that is some tofu that will kick your ass. I mean, real coughing-fit-makes-your-nose-run kind of spice! Yeow! Some steamed broccoli and orange cauliflower were a really nice compliment to this dish- the hot, heat of the tofu, and the mild, subtle veggies were a great combo. I ate half of the slabs tonight, and popped the rest in the fridge for some stir fry tomorrow.

I must say, that for completely making this up on the fly, I'm pretty pumped with the results. Next time, I'll definitely increase the oven temp so it's a little less soft, and a little more crunchy- I think 375 or 400 degrees would work great. Also, I think a longer marinading time would help enhance flavors, but let's be honest, I'm usually hungry and impatient after a long day at the office.

A hot, fiery meal, for a hot, summer day. It needs a little tweaking, but not bad for my first attempt at baked tofu :)

basic miso soup

I think miso must be one of my favorite soups of all times. I love the unique, fresh, flavors, and it makes a perfect appetizer or light meal. I bought a tub of miso a while back, but kept forgetting it at my friend's house, so when I finally reacquired my miso paste, I was excited to make a big batch tonight. I mostly followed the recipe from The 30 Minute Vegan's Taste of the East, but tweaked it to my own liking a little bit too.

I won't give away all their published secrets, but I will tell you what I did differently. The book and most other recipes I found online call for dashi stock, but I'm poor and lazy, so I used vegetable broth, and I think it turned out just fine. I also used more tofu than it called for, and added strips of nori as well- hint: use scissors instead of a knife on nori sheets. It's way easier!

Maybe a little sodium-heavy, but honesty, I was craving it, and it was so worth it! In the book, the nori sheets were an optional addition, but it wouldn't have been as good without it. It was also nice that the recipe made a ton of soup, so I froze a little, and packed a portion or two for lunch this week. If I can figure out how to cut back on the salt a little, I will happily made this soup on a weekly basis. Not quite as good as the restaurants, but still tasty and satisfying! :)

broccoli almond sweet & sour tofu

I am a total sucker for cookbooks. I love buying new books with recipes I've never dreamed about, and going over the pages a hundred times before I settle on the first tasty treat I'd like to try. Recently, I've received a plethora of wonderful vegetarian and vegan cookbooks from Christmas and my birthday, and I'm just starting to dive into some fun new recipes. This time, my parents chose the first one from Vegan Yum Yum, by Lauren Ulm (via Christmas from my cousin Mal).

The recipe is broccoli almond sweet and sour tofu, and let me tell you, it was delicious. While the deep fried tofu and sweet, sticky sauce were both slightly sinful, it's super filling (so you won't eat a ton of it), and the sauce tastes great on the almonds, broccoli, and red bell pepper (that was our own addition).

I won't give away all the trade secrets, but here is a link to the sweet and sour sauce, which was quite delicious. My dad thinks that it would be far less hassle to just buy pre-fried tofu, and then add the homemade sauce, but really, there's nothing like hot, crispy, deep fried tofu right out of the wok :)

So far, 1 recipe in from Vegan Yum Yum, and I'm excited for more. I definitely won't make this all the time (just cause of the fried food thing), but I'll definitely hold on to this one for the future.

breakfast burritos & daiya cheese

Let me begin by saying that I am NOT a morning person. I usually make my lunch, lay out my clothes, and make extensive lists the night before, otherwise I always end up forgetting something important first thing in the morning. This is why last night I decided to make a big batch of vegan breakfast burritos to last me the next few weeks. A healthy homemade breakfast burrito always beats eating plain toast while running out the door, and trying to put on eyeliner in the car.

Stuff you need: 1. 1 firm block of tofu it will be about 6 burritos) 2. some tortillas (the regular size is fine) 3. tasty salsa 4. vegan cheese (or regular cheese or no cheese- your choice) 5. spices 6. foil

Start by squeezing the liquid out of the tofu like normal. When your skillet is warmed to about medium, crumble the block of tofu into the hot pan. Season the tofu with your favorite spices (I used tobasco, red pepper flakes, garlic salt, and CUMIN♥ to stick with the Mexican breakfast theme). When the tofu is warmed through and spiced to your liking, take a tortilla and throw it in the microwave for 25 seconds.

Pull the tortilla out of the microwave and put it on top of a piece of foil. Add some tofu, salsa, and cheese to the tortilla and roll it up nice and tight (don't forget to tuck in the ends). Wrap the burrito up in foil and throw it in the freezer. DONE AND DONE!

A breakfast burrito was perfect this morning! I grabbed one on my way out the door, and when I got to my office, I took the burrito out of the foil, and microwaved it for about a minute or so in a paper towel. A hot, healthy, and incredibly easy-to-make breakfast like that! I love it.

Here is my only complaint: the cheese. I know this is heresy, but I don't think I liked the Daiya vegan cheese I purchased. I've read about this stuff everywhere, and everyone and their mom says that this it's the best cheese substitute out there. Of course I had to try it! The texture is phenomenal- it does, indeed, melt and stretch just like real cheese, but there's no way I can get past the taste. Maybe I needed more salsa, or spices, or maybe there was too much cheese for the little burrito, but I definitely did NOT like the taste at all. I can't put my finger on it -like, old soy cheese with better texture? Maybe the flavor is too strong for cheese? I don't know, but it wasn't good.

I haven't given up on Daiya just yet. Since everyone loves it to death, I'm going to keep around the rest of the bag so I can try a dip or pizza or something, but until it impresses me, strike 1, Daiya, strike 1.

I think I'm in love with the homemade breakfast burrito idea.

On my next batch, I'll just skip the cheese altogether :)

tofu scramble

So this is the dish my mom goes crazy for. Every time we say, What should we have for dinner? Mom always says A TOFU SCRAMBLE! Yeah she's hooked. I've tried a lot of tofu scrambles out there, but I personally think mine is the best :)

Stuff you need: 1. 1 block firm tofu 2. any vegetables & fun stuff you have laying around the kitchen- veggies, Morningstar sausage, spices, etc.

Start by draining & squeezing your tofu- I usually wrap it in a paper towel and let it sit under something heavy while I do everything else for this recipe. Chop up all your veggies into bite-size pieces. For this particular scramble, we found onions, carrots, zuccini, tomatoes, mushrooms, bell peppers, and Morningstar Farms breakfast sausages (which I cooked in the microwave before adding to the scramble).

Pour a little olive oil into your pan and sauté all your fixins from hardest to softest- so onion goes first, so they get nice and soft, followed by carrots, bell pepper, zuccini, and mushrooms. When all your vegetables are starting to get tender, unwrap the tofu and crumble it into the pan. Mix everything thoroughly and make sure all the ingredients are warmed through. Add your tomatoes, cooked breakfast sausage, and cheese if you'd like it for a non-vegan version. Season with garlic salt, pepper, CUMIN♥, tobasco sauce, and anything else to your liking.

Voila! Plate it up and devour! A little salsa is nice on the side, but let me tell you, it's also delicious as is!