Thai Ginger Peanut Soup (Vegan!)

This slightly spicy soup is bursting with flavor from Swanson’s Thai Ginger Broth, a hint of peanuts, almost 10 oz of mushrooms, chunks of tofu, and handfuls upon handfuls of spinach. And, it’s ridiculously easy to make! This soup is hearty and can be served as a main dish that’s ready in under 20 minutes! Makes about 6-8 servings.

What you will need:
oil for sauteing (I highly recommend coconut oil)
4 oz shittake mushrooms
32 oz carton of Swanson’s Thai Ginger Broth (kudos to Swanson for that one, by the way!)
3 well rounded spoonfuls of chunky peanut butter (not creamy!)
16 oz of Trader Joe’s super firm tofu (if you can find it. It goes above and beyond the calls of extra firm tofu. Trust me.)
3 oz enoki mushrooms
2 oz beech mushrooms
large handfuls of spinach (I used about 5)

In a medium or large pot, melt the coconut oil. Remove most of the stem from the shittake mushrooms and cut any of the larger mushrooms in half. Add them to the pot and saute for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, cut the tofu into small cubes and remove the woody ends of the enoki and beech mushrooms. Add the spoonfuls of peanut butter to the soup along with the tofu, enoki, and beech mushrooms. Then, start adding the handfuls of spinach, letting each handful wilt a little bit before adding the next, until you have your desired amount of spinach. Serve garnished with chopped peanuts or scallions.

Sweet and Spicy Curried Tofu Taco Lettuce Wraps

With ingredients like hot Jamaican yellow curry, cooling cucumber and mint tzatziki sauce, Asian slaw and sweet pineapple- these tacos are infused with flavor that’s bursting at the seams! And they’re gluten free! The Hot Jamaican Yellow Curry Hot Sauce used in this recipe from my good friend, Cowboy George, at Blaze Gourmet, will have you running home crying for yo momma. That’s where the fresh mint leaves and tzatziki come into play. Without them, you might really run home crying to yo momma.

Also, follow these tips on how to freeze and thaw tofu to achieve the best texture and flavor. Don’t skip this step. It’ll give you the best tasting tofu you’ve ever had!

What you will need:
oil for sauteing
1 lb extra firm tofu
1/2 c yellow curry sauce (I recommend Trader Joe’s Yellow Curry Sauce)
1/4 c Blaze Gourmet Hot Jamaican Curry Hot Sauce
Asian coleslaw (you can buy this prepackaged at just about any grocery store. Most of them already have the Asian slaw dressing included. If not, look for an Asian ginger salad dressing)
canned pineapple tidbits, drained

tzatziki sauce
red onion, sliced
fresh mint leaves
romaine lettuce leaves

First, follow these tips on how to freeze, thaw and drain tofu. Crumble the tofu into a scrambled egg consistency and fry in a greased frying pan over medium heat, letting the tofu get crispy on the outside. Mix the two different curry sauces in a bowl and add to the frying pan, making sure to coat every piece of tofu in the sauce. Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, mix together the ingredients for the Asian slaw. Then, start filling your romaine lettuce leaves, starting with tzatziki, then the curried tofu, Asian slaw, red onion, pineapple tidbits, and mint leaves. Serve with tequila for your next Taco Tuesday night!

Tofu Salad- Vegan Faux Egg Salad

This vegan twist on egg salad will have your taste buds dancing. Crisp, flavorful veggies and fresh herbs really give this dish a bright and delicious flavor. This recipe yields quite a bit of tofu salad, so if you aren’t feeding a lot of people or don’t plan on eating it for days on end, it’s really easy to cut the recipe in half.

What you will need:
2 packages of 14 oz extra firm tofu drained and pressed
2 celery stalks cut into 3rds lengthwise and chopped
1 c chopped red onion
1 large carrot cut into 4ths lengthwise and chopped
1 garlic clove chopped
1/2 c chopped parsley
dill to taste (I usually end up using a lot. dill is one of my favorite herbs)
1/2 c vegenaise
a generous splash of Bragg’s Liquid Amino Acids
1/8- 1/4 c yellow mustard
2 spoonfuls of whole grain dijon mustard
juice of half a lemon

In large mixing bowl, crumble drained tofu into the consistency of scrambled eggs with a fork or your hands. Add all chopped veggies and herbs, along with all your liquid ingredients and mix. Spread over multigrain bread for a delicious sandwich or stuff into mini sweet peppers for a quick, finger food snack.

Related articles

• Vegan Garlic and Parsley Dip (thisocalledlife.com)
• Vegan Breakfast Ideas! (chisaiiraion.wordpress.com)
• Fresh Recipe: Edamame Avocado Egg Salad (organicrunnermom.com)

Spicy Pineapple Habanero BBQ Tofu (Vegan!)

This recipe is great for summer BBQ’s and potlucks. It’s a slow cook recipe that allows the sugars from the pineapple and BBQ sauce to caramelize the outside of the tofu while the inside stays moist and chewy. It’s also the recipe that convinced my mom that tofu is not a horrible, non-edible, awful thing.

What you will need:
2 lbs. extra firm tofu
1/8- 1/4 c pineapple habanero sauce (add more or less depending on how spicy you want it) this is the sauce I used: http://www.robertrothschild.com/product/product-details.aspx?prodid=561
1 18 oz. bottle of BBQ sauce
1/4 c nutritional yeast (if you don’t have nutritional yeast, you can leave it out)
sriracha to taste
olive oil for pan frying

This recipe is a little time consuming. It will take a at least half an hour to prep and 2 hours to cook.

For this recipe, you will need to freeze and thaw tofu to give it a more “meaty” texture and to help it absorb the flavors of this dish better. Read my post on how to do that here: https://theveggieslaughterhouse.wordpress.com/2013/07/29/how-to-freeze-and-press-tofu-for-its-best-texture-and-flavor-absorption/. Follow the directions on how to prepare the tofu, then pan fry in olive oil. This step is very important because it prevents the tofu from drying out in the oven. Then, mix together the BBQ sauce, nutritional yeast, sriracha and pineapple habanero sauce in a bowl and completely coat the tofu in it. Arrange on a non-greased cooking sheet with just enough space between the pieces of tofu so they’re not touching. Cook for two hours at 300 degrees without turning the tofu over. Remove from oven and munch!

Related articles

• How to Make the Perfect Baked Tofu (onegreenplanet.org)
• BBQ 3001 Tempeh Bites (evolutionofjill.wordpress.com)
• Rosemary Lemon Baked Tofu (thetalkingscale.typepad.com)
• Spicy Vegan Peanut Butter Tofu with Sriracha (dailyfoodstruggle.com)

How to Freeze and Press Extra Firm Tofu for its Best Texture and Flavor Absorption

Freezing and pressing tofu gives it its best texture and ability to absorb all the flavors of what you cook it with. It will change your view on tofu forever!

What to do:
Take an unopened package of extra firm tofu and freeze for at least 24hrs. Let it thaw by leaving it out or you can speed up the process by putting the unopened package in a bowl of hot (not boiling!) water. Keep changing out the water until package is completely thawed. Open your package of tofu and start squeezing all the excess water out of your block of tofu without crumbling it. Cut into your preferred shape (I love doing tofu triangles!) and you’re ready to pan fry or bake your tofu!

Related articles

• Tofu – what is it? (thetalkingscale.typepad.com)
• 15 Delicious Ways to Cook Tofu (onegreenplanet.org)
• What? Is it vegetarian? (thehindu.com)