Lemongrass Tofu Banh Mi Sandwich

Banh mi's are Vietnamese sandwiches inspired by French cuisine. Chicago has several places one can get these tasty meals: Ba Le, Bon Bon Sandwiches, and Nhu Lan. All three restaurants offer vegan banh mi's. I decided to try to create one myself. It turned out really yummy! I even had leftover marinated tofu to put in a salad the next day. 

Lemongrass Tofu Banh Mi Sandwich

Instagram Photo (User: veganmiss)

* Prep Time: 1-2 hours
* Cook Time: 10 minutes
* Ingredients (for lemongrass tofu):

Instagram Photo (User: veganmiss)

• 1/2 package (10 oz.) firm tofu, pressed, drained
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 stalk fresh lemongrass
• 2 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1/4 cup peanut oil
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• salt and pepper, to taste 

* Ingredients (for banh mi):

• 1/2 cup carrots, shredded
• 1/2 cup daikon radish, shredded
• 1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1-2 tbsp sugar*
• pinch of salt
• 1 demi French baguette
• lettuce leaves, torn
• cucumber, sliced
• cilantro sprigs
• jalapeno, sliced (optional)
• 1 green onion stalk, sliced
• vegan mayonnaise*
• siracha (optional)
• garlic chili sauce
• soy sauce
• lemon wedge (optional)

* Recipe (for lemongrass tofu):

1. Cut the lemongrass stalk and use the tender parts (not the top). Smash as best you can to get bitty pieces. Using a mortar and pestle may help.
2. Add the lemongrass, garlic, soy sauce, oils, salt, and pepper to a large freezer bag. Slice the tofu 1/4" to 1/2" thick and add to the bag.
3. Seal the bag and toss the tofu with the marinade. Make sure it is completely covered. Place in the fridge for at least one hour, the longer the better.

* Recipe (for banh mi):

1. Combine the carrots, daikon, rice vinegar, water, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Mix well. Let sit in the fridge while the tofu is marinating. This will be a pickled carrot daikon mix.
2. When tofu has been marinated long enough, heat a skillet over medium heat. Add the tofu to the skillet and cook each side until brown, about 10 minutes. Do not add the lemongrass and garlic bits to the tofu in the pan. Leave in the marinade bag. Do not add oil to the pan as the tofu will be coated in oil already.
3. While the tofu is cooking, cut a demi French baguette in half. Cut the half in half horizontally. Toast the bread on both the inside and outside.
4. On the bottom piece of bread, lay a piece of lettuce, cucumber sliced, cilantro sprigs, sliced green onions, pickled carrot and daikon mix, and jalapenos (if using). On the top piece of bread, spread some vegan mayonnaise and sprinkle some garlic chili paste and soy sauce (and siracha if desired).
5. Place several pieces of tofu on top of the vegetables. Place the top piece of bread over the bottom and serve with lemon wedge if desired. Repeat the sandwich building process to the other half of the baguette for a second sandwich.

* Note: Make sure your sugar is vegan! I used Earth Balance vegan mayonnaise. I accidentally did the opposite of how I suggest to build this sandwich in the pictures (meaning I put the mayonnaise on the bottom).

Fried Rice Vegan Style

One of my very first entries on Vegan Miss was for vegan fried rice. I love that recipe still and it has had major success on VegWeb in the past too. I modified the recipe a bit and used brown rice instead here.

Fried Rice Vegan Style

* Prep Time: 30 minutes
* Cook Time: 20-30 minutes
* Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups brown rice 
• 1/2 block (14 oz.) firm tofu, pressed, sliced
• 2-3 tbsp peanut oil
• 1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tbsp ginger, minced
• 1 cup carrots, sliced
• 1 cup green beans, diced
• 2 cups broccolini (or broccoli), chopped
• 2 cups bell peppers, variety of colors, sliced 
• 1 cup shiitake mushrooms, sliced
• 1/3 cup frozen peas
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp mirin*
• 1/2 tbsp dried Thai basil (optional)
• black pepper, to taste
• sesame seeds, to garnish
• green onions, sliced, to garnish 

* Recipe:

Instagram Photo (User: veganmiss)

1. Chop all the vegetables and get them prepared. While you are prepping, heat 1 tbsp of peanut oil in a wok over medium heat. Once hot, add the slices of tofu and cook on both sides until golden.
2. Cook the rice while you are prepping the vegetables as well.
3. Once the tofu is cooked, remove from wok and set aside. Add the remaining peanut oil, then put the onions in the wok. Once the onions start to turn translucent, add the garlic and ginger. 
4. Next, add in the carrots, green beans, broccolini (or broccoli), and bell pepper. Cook until the vegetables start to become tender. Add the mushrooms and peas. Cook through. 
5. When the vegetables are done cooking, add in the cooked brown rice and tofu. Toss and mix well. Add the soy sauce, rice vinegar, mirin, Thai basil, and pepper. Taste to see if the fried rice needs a little more soy sauce, vinegar, or mirin. 
6. Garnish with sesame seeds and green onions.

Note: Mirin is often used in Asian cooking. You can usually find it in the Asian food section of most grocery stores. 

Vegan Chicago: Restaurant Review of Fritz Pastry

Fritz Pastry recently changed ownership and not only do they have vegan donuts (!!) and other goodies, but now Saturday & Sunday brunch as well as wraps. I checked out brunch the second weekend they announced having it. I really enjoyed it and will be back to try other menu options (the menu has changed since I was there - I think they change it every few weeks). If you're looking for a quaint brunch with a coffee & pastry shop vibe, this is your place! They also have an outdoor patio for the spring/summer/fall and while small, it's still cute.

Now, when I went there, the brunch menu had carrot cake pancakes and a tofu scramble as their vegan options. As of today, they have blue fennel hash (purple potatoes, carrots, onion, zucchini, baked tofu and red pepper ketchup - $8.50) and lemon cardamon pancakes (with seedling fruit blueberry syrup and whipped cream - $9). I'm not sure which menu sounds better! My tofu scramble was really awesome. It came with a variety of veggies - red potatoes, carrots, onion, zucchini. There was also a red pepper sauce (I'm pretty sure it was this - I ate this a bit ago so if memory serves!). I love ketchup on my tofu scrambles, so I piled that over the potatoes and such. The tofu was also baked. Super tasty and a great scramble over all. 

I also split a raspberry tart with my friend. I love raspberry desserts! This was a perfect ending to my brunch along with my soy latte.

Their only prepackaged vegan wrap is the balsamic roasted veggie wrap (though the bbq tofu sandwich is vegetarian - there is cheese). The wrap has eggplant, red pepper, zucchini, soy mayo, organic greens on a tomato wrap. It comes with chips and a pickle all for $7. There is also a seasonal salad for $6.25 which comes with seasonal veggies, fruits, and lemon-balsamic vinaigrette. 

Brunch is served on Saturday's and Sunday's from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Go check it out, Chicagoans! 

Baked Tomato with Tofu Spinach Basil Ricotta & Panko Topping

Before I begin, Vegan Miss is now on Instagram! Follow "veganmiss".

I had 3 organic tomatoes sitting in my fruit bowl and had been pondering what to make with them. Too much tomato in a salad isn't my taste and there were not enough to make a good sauce for pasta or lasagna. Then I thought, hey, why not core them and bake like a pepper? I used a ricotta filling that could be used in a vegan lasagna and topped with panko for a nice crunchy finish.

Baked Tomato with Tofu Spinach Basil Ricotta & Panko Topping

* Prep Time: 10 minutes
* Cook Time: 10-15 minutes
* Ingredients (for filling):

• 1/2 block firm tofu (12 oz.), mashed
• 2 tbsp fresh basil, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp spinach, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp non-dairy milk*
• 1-2 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1 tsp vegan Parmesan*
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• salt and pepper, to taste

* Ingredients (for topping):

• 1/3 cup panko crumbs
• 1 tsp fresh basil, finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
• salt and pepper, to taste
• olive oil, to taste

* Ingredients (remaining):

• 3 or 4 medium tomatoes
• olive oil, to top
• vegan Parmesan, to top
• salt, to top

 * Recipe:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, mash the tofu and add the rest of the filling ingredients. Mix well.
3. In a smaller bowl, combine the topping ingredients. Add enough olive oil just to make the crumbs stick. 
4. Cut the top of each tomato and take out the core. Add the filling to the tomatoes then top with the panko mixture.
5. Place tomatoes on a small baking dish. Also place the tomato tops in the dish, but not on top of the stuffed tomatoes yet. Drizzle everything with a bit of olive oil.
6. Put in oven and let bake for about 5-10 minutes until you notice the panko starting to brown. Remove from oven and using a fork, add the tomato tops back to the tomatoes covering the panko. Return to the oven and let bake for another 5-10 minutes or until the tomatoes seem soft and baked.
7. Top the baked tomatoes with vegan Parmesan and salt. 

Instagram photo

* Note: For non-dairy milk I used almond milk. Feel free to use whatever you like. The vegan Parmesan is optional but I enjoy it which is why it is in this recipe. I used Galaxy topping.

Mango & Lychee Tofu Stir-Fry

Down in Springfield, IL, I like to get the mango dish at Osaka. See my review of the restaurant here. I get a lot of Thai here in the city, but I never see a mango entree like I do down in Springfield which is disappointing! I tried to recreate it, but alas Osaka's is better, I think. Here is the recipe anyways (I added lychee too)!

Mango & Lychee Tofu Stir-Fry

* Prep Time: 15 minutes
* Cook Time: 30 minutes
* Ingredients:

• 1/2 package (12 oz.) firm tofu, triangular cut
• sesame oil, for cooking, to taste
• 1/2 medium yellow onion, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp ginger, minced
• 1/3 cup shiitake mushrooms, sliced
• 1 medium carrot, sliced
• 1/3 cup red and yellow bell peppers, sliced
• 1/4 cup baby corn
• 1/3 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
• 1/2 can (14 oz.) mango pieces
• 4 lychee (from can), sliced*
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp brown sugar*
• 1 tbsp vegetarian fish sauce*
• 1 tsp lime juice
• 1 tsp lychee juice (from can)
• 1 tsp mango juice (from can)
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• salt, to taste
• fresh parsley, to top
• green onion, sliced, to top

* Recipe:

1. Before starting the recipe, prepare all the vegetables so they are ready to go in the wok when needed.
2. In a wok, fry the tofu on both sides until golden in some sesame oil. Set aside.
3. Add more oil and fry the onions until translucent. Add the rest of the veggies in order of what takes longest to cook (i.e. carrots first) and salt and cook until tender. Toss in the tofu.
4. In a bowl, mix the liquid ingredients for the sauce. Add to the vegetables and cook until reduced in half.
5. Top with parsley and sliced green onion and serve with rice.

* Note: Lychee is an Asian fruit that can normally be found canned and in the Asian aisle of the grocery. You could choose to make this with just mango if you want. Make sure your sugar is vegan. Vegetarian fish sauce is something you can find at an Asian grocery store, usually. It may be called vegetarian oyster sauce as well. You could make it yourself too.

Miss Lexy's Top 15 Vegan Miss Recipes (To Date)

I've been blogging Vegan Miss since 2009 and while I wish I posted more frequently with recipes (real life interferes, blast!), I do have some of my favorite gems. Here is a list of recipes that I think back to fondly (in no particular order):

1. Homemade Grilled Potato, Onion, & Cheeze Pierogies: These babies are well, bad ass. I have yet to find frozen vegan pierogies for sale in store. If you make a huge batch of this, it'll freeze and keep nicely for later use. Pair with some Polish braised red cabbage and sour cream for a very tasty Polish delight.
2. Balsamic Sage Butter Tortellini: I have yet to find vegan tortellini's anywhere as well. Someone should really just make tortellini's and pierogies in the frozen vegan variety. And cheese sticks. They would be a huge hit, I think! If you are feeling adventurous, these little guys will definitely rock your world. As with the pierogies, you can make a big batch and freeze them for later use. I would serve this with raw kale salad for a perfect meal!
3. Pumpkin Curry Soup: This soup is magnificent. Perfect fall weather soup. Even my mother who declared she hated pumpkin before trying this was converted. She had me make another batch just for her and my dad and again at Thanksgiving dinner. Serve with fresh brown bread.
4. Tiramisu: One of the desserts I crave still is tiramisu. I made a regular version for Valentine's Day 2011 and then a raspberry version for this past Valentine's Day. It's kind of like crack. Really delicious crack. Warning: you may want to eat way more than one serving.
5. Balsamic Baked Tofu Caprese Sandwich: One of my first recipes for Vegan Miss. The trick to this is to let the tofu marinate for preferably 24 hours. It'll really take in that flavor (tofu being like a sponge and all).
6. Deep Dish Pizza: Ah, vegan deep dish pizza. Living in Chicago for almost 7 years now, I've never had the traditional deep dish. This is my solution. It's an awesome, awesome solution. It was even my competition dish for the Chicago Vegan Chef Showdown. nom nom nom!
7. Italian "Beef" Sandwiches: Once again, in all my years in Chicago, I have never eaten an Italian beef sandwich. And trust me, they are mighty popular, originating here and all. This would be my vegan version which has been a hit with vegans, vegetarians, and omnivores a like. Don't forget the giardiniera!
8. Ginger, Carrot, Beet, & Sweet Potato Soup: This is the best winter soup. If you don't like beets, you will now. It is just the right combination of different root vegetables to have only a hint of that earthy beet taste. Don't blame me if you go back for seconds!
9. Vegan Horseshoe Sandwich: Most people don't know what a horseshoe is, so basically it is Texas toast with whatever meat you want on top and then cheese fries on top of that. Not healthy. The cheese sauce I came up with for this is still my go-to cheese sauce when I need to make nachos or anything cheezy like that. Even my omni, cheese loving friends liked it.
10.Chick'n Divan: Ah, 1950s food. This is recreated from the book, Dishes Men Like. I've been told this tastes a lot like the real thing sans all that gross meat and dairy. Serve with Caesar salad.
11. Chick'n Scallopini with Wild Mushroom Risotto: This one of my favorite romantic dinner recipes on my blog. It would be perfect for Valentine's Day or an anniversary. Gardein is such an amazing mock meat product that is ever expanding on the markets. I keep a package of their chick'n scallopini's in my freezer at all times! Serve with a bowl of French onion soup.
12. Chick'n Katsu: Did I not tell you that I keep those Gardein scallopini's in my freezer at all times or what?! I really adore Japanese culture and cuisine. I did my undergraduate minor in Japanese and studied in Japan as well. ♥ One of the nation's favorite dishes is katsu. Serve with some veggie miso soup.
13. Spinach & Mushroom Fettuccine Alfredo: Several of my followers have remade this dish and all have fallen in love with it like I have. This is another one of those romantic dishes I enjoy. Serve with a heaping bowl of Italian wedding soup!
14. Vegan Fried Rice: This is an oldie recipe, but a goodie. It has something like 12,000 hits on VegWeb. It is a great recipe to whip up during the week and have plenty of leftovers.
15. Southern Food Gone Vegan: Country fried seitan steaks? Check. Mashed potatoes? Check. Southern greens? Check. Biscuits and gravy? Check! If you want a simple gravy, you can dumb down what I have to a black pepper gravy. This is one of Vegan Miss' most popular entries over the course of the last three years. Another southern favorite is my chick'n & buckwheat waffles with preserves recipe. No one ever said southern food was healthy for you! ;]

Well, there you have it. My original intent was to have 5-10 recipes, but I just couldn't stop at 10! If you ever decide to recreate any Vegan Miss recipes, please email the pictures at veganmiss@gmail.com or post pictures on VM's Facebook and post a review of the recipe on VegWeb for me! 

Vegan Chicago: Restaurant Review of The Bleeding Heart Bakery & Cafe

Popeye Cake

A few months ago, local punk rock baking heroes, Bleeding Heart Bakery, opened their new bakery and cafe in West Town. Prior to this, the company had only been a bakery. I've always been a big supporter of this place because: 1. it's local and they get a lot of exposure on the Food Network competing in challenges, 2. because a lot of their stuff is vegan, & 3. it's the only punk rock bakery I know of! The past two birthdays I have gotten my cake from Bleeding Heart. One was a vintage poodle design and the other was of my oldest cat, Popeye, who has only one eye. Both were completely delicious and filled with raspberry jam and yummy icing. They stood 3 layers tall and man, that was a lot of cake I ended up freezing! While it may be a bit pricey to order one of their cakes, it is most definitely worth it as they are genius bakers and designers. One day I was having coffee with a friend at their old location and someone came to pick up their cake. It was a gigantic life-like heart that bled raspberry jam. Amazing.

If you can't tell, I really like Bleeding Heart so I was excited to try out the new cafe that has a number of vegan options on their menu. I mean, a vegan s'mores pancake?! Yes! It exists here. The inside of the cafe is rather big and has a 1950's diner feel to it along with their signature artwork of "punk rock" themed things like skulls and slogans like, "Shut Up And Bake!", in the typical tattoo font (if you have seen the owners, you will understand the theme - they are literally quite the colorful bunch!). Oh, and if you are wondering why Bleeding Heart decided to branch out to savory food, it is because one of the owners, Chef Michelle, has a background in savory cooking despite being a baker and wanted to broaden her career horizons (she was on Food Network's Chopped twice in the last year). The service was kind of slow and we waited for 20 minutes or more for our food, but the atmosphere and quality of the food did not disappoint. 

The Farmers Skillet

For brunch, I had the farmers skillet and my friend had the housemade vegan biscuits and gravy. We split an order of roasted potatoes too. The farmers skillet had mushrooms, spinach, broccoli, carrots, and twice-baked tofu, all topped with wild mushroom gravy (which I added) and homemade fresh toast. I really enjoyed this skillet. It was reminiscent of a tofu scramble sans the scramble-y part. The bread was really delicious. I'm a sucker for homemade fresh bread. The carrots were a little underdone, but otherwise I would order this again. The roasted potatoes I believe were supposed to come with it, but didn't, so I ordered them on the side. These were really tasty. They were roasted with herbs and had just the right crunchy consistency on the outside.

Housemade Vegan Biscuits & Gravy

My friend's housemade vegan biscuits and gravy were super yummy too. The wild mushroom gravy has a lot of depth to it and is not just a simple black pepper gravy. The biscuits were fluffy and combined nicely with the gravy. Since it was made vegan, my friend got a big pile of twice-baked tofu which tasted great, but it was just way too much tofu. If they take away half the tofu from this dish and add roasted potatoes to it, it would be a winning brunch in my opinion. I left them a comment card which says just that!


If you check out their drink menu, you'll notice all the specialty coffee drinks have titles referring to A Clockwork Orange which I thought was cute. My friend and I both got the Agent Orange Mimosa (it's spiked with vodka as well as Prosseco and fresh O.J. and has muddled oranges) and they were really good (although probably not worth $10, but hey, it was a splurge brunch). 

Not vegan but cute!

As far as other vegan options on the brunch menu go, there are a couple skillets one can get with tofu including the seasonal squash and the roots (root veggies). As I mentioned, there are s'more pancakes as well as "plain jane" vanilla bean pancakes and seasonal fruit pancakes. Sides include apple slaw, roasted potatoes, and caramelized grapefruit. There are, of course, baked goods up at the bakery counter one can get. They always have a variety of vegan cupcakes, cake balls, donuts, fruit bars, and brownies. Bleeding Heart also carries fresh bread that they sell at this location.

So, everyone in Chicago, go check out Bleeding Heart Bakery & Cafe in West Town and have a really awesome punk rock brunch. Eat or die! xo

Southwestern Skillet

I've never actually had a traditional Southwestern skillet before, vegan or otherwise. I'm not a huge fan of spicy foods, Tex-Mex-style food, and I never ate eggs prior to being vegan. My friends wanted to try and make this for a brunch, so behold the Southwestern Skillet.

Southwestern Skillet

* Prep Time: 15-20 minutes
* Cook Time: 30 minutes
* Ingredients (for potatoes):

• 5-6 red potatoes, cleaned and cubed
• 1/2 medium red pepper, diced
• 1/2 medium green pepper, diced
• 1/2 medium white onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp chilli powder
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1 tbsp parley
• salt & pepper, to taste
• olive oil, to coat entire bottom of skillet

* Ingredients (for scramble):

• 1 package (16 oz.) firm tofu, water pressed out
• 1/2 medium white onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/8 tsp tumeric
• salt & pepper, to taste
• 1/3 cup vegan cheddar cheese, shredded*
• 1 tbsp olive oil 
• 1 medium tomato, diced

* Ingredients (for sausage):

• 1 box (8 oz.) vegan sausage crumbles*
• 1 tbsp olive oil

* Recipe (for potatoes):

1. Heat oil over medium heat in large skillet. Add onion, garlic, and peppers, and sautee for 1 minute.
2. Add potatoes and seasonings. Cook until brown and tender.

* Recipe (for scramble):

1. Heat oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Sautee onions until soft.
2. Add garlic, crumble tofu into skillet, and add spices.
3. Slightly brown tofu and add diced tomatoes. Sautree for 3-5 minutes or until tomatoes are cooked.
4. Top with cheese and cover with lid to melt.

* Recipe (for sausage):

1. In a medium skillet over medium heat, add the sausage crumbles with olive oil and cook until brown.

* Recipe (for assembly):

1. Assemble by layering potatoes on the bottom of a plate then the sausage and "scrambled egg" and cheese.
2. Top with salsa and chili peppers if you like spice. Serve with a side of toast. Perfect for brunch for two or as hangover food!

* Note: For cheese, I used Daiya cheddar shreds. One could shred other brands by hand. The sausage crumbles were Upton's Natural's brand that I chopped up fine. One could use Boca crumbles, Yves, or Lightlife Gimme Lean Sausage in replacement. Lastly, feel free to add some veggie bacon to this too such as Yves Canadian Bacon or Lightlife Smart Bacon.  

Lumpia

Growing up, I had a Filipino nanny named Luz for ten years. As I didn't have grandparents, she was very much like a grandmother to me (I brought her to Grandparent's Day every year at school too). One of my favorite memories is learning how to cook from Luz. This recipe, modified vegan, is a favorite childhood food of mine. Lumpia are a lot like egg rolls, but they are long and thin. They are so good, you could just sit there and eat one after the next, haha. I ate them with vinegar as a kid. Luz taught me many other things other than cooking. Most importantly, she taught me one of the best qualities a person could have in life: Remember to laugh. She was always smiling, laughing, and in a good mood. I keep a framed picture of myself and her on my desk so I can see her everyday. :]

Lumpia

* Prep Time: 20 minutes
* Cook Time: 15 minutes
* Ingredients: 

• 1/2 package (8 oz.) firm tofu, pressed and drained, mashed*
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup white onion, finely diced
• 1/2 cup carrot, finely diced
• 1/3 cup green onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup green cabbage, shredded
• 1 small green pepper, finely diced
• 1/2 cup bean sprouts, finely diced
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil + more for frying
• salt and pepper, to taste
• lumpia wrappers*
• sweet and sour sauce, to taste, to dip*

* Recipe: 

1. In a deep fryer or a large deep frying pan, add the vegetable oil and bring to medium heat.
2. In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients except the lumpia wrappers and sweet and sour sauce.
3. Separate the lumpia wrappers (be careful, they are very thin) and add 2 tbsp or so of the mixture into the center of the wrapper creating a line form across the wrapper.
4. Fold over the two right and left sides of the wrapper onto the filling. Roll the lumpia wrapper like a rug from bottom to top. Use water to seal the end of the wrapper to the roll.
5. Fry the lumpia until golden brown on all sides.
6. Serve with sweet and sour sauce.

* Note: Instead of tofu, one could use finely chopped ground seitan, just veggies, or even tempeh. It is traditionally filled with ground meat. Lumpia wrappers are easy to find at most Asian grocery stores. A variety of sauces could be used for dipping. I made a homemade sweet and sour sauce, but a sweet chili sauce would be good as well as a soy sauce or vinegar sauce. 


This is a good picture instruction guide for rolling lumpia.

Braised Tofu with Pilaf, Bok Choy, & Kabocha Sauce

I wanted to try something different with kabocha and this is what I ended up with. It is a pretty dinner and was quite tasty. This dinner is for two, but feel free to double the recipes. It was inspired by this recipe.

Braised Tofu with Pilaf, Bok Choy, & Kabocha Sauce

* Prep Time: 15 minutes
* Cook Time: 30 minutes
* Ingredients (for braised tofu):

• 2 slices firm tofu, sliced 1/2" thick, water pressed out
• 1/2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp lemon
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup vegetable stock

* Ingredients (for pilaf):

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/3 cup shiitake mushrooms, sliced
• 1 tbsp garlic, minced
• 1 cup edamame, shelled
• 1/4 cup green onions, sliced
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup uncooked brown rice, follow box instructions to cook

* Ingredients (for bok choy):

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 3 bunches baby bok choy, end trimmed
• 1 tbsp garlic, minced 
• salt and pepper, to taste

* Ingredients (for kabocha sauce):

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 small yellow onion, chopped
• 1 tbsp ginger, minced
• 1 cup kabocha squash, seeded, peeled, cubed
• 1/8 tsp cumin
• 1/8 tsp curry powder
• 1/8 corriander
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 cup vegetable broth, add more if needed

* Recipe (for braised tofu):

1. To make braised tofu, heat olive oil over medium heat in a small skillet. Once hot, add tofu and lemon juice.
2. Brown both sides making sure not to burn.
3. Once browned, add the salt, pepper, and stock. Cover with lid and cook, turning over occasionally, until broth dissolves.

* Recipe (for pilaf):

1. Cook the rice according to box instructions. Set aside.
2. In a medium skillet, add the olive oil and heat. Once hot, add the garlic, shiitake, edamame, salt, and pepper. Cook for about 10 minutes until browned and tender.
3. Toss in the green onions and cook for another two minutes. Remove from heat.
4. Mix vegetables with the brown rice for a pilaf.

* Recipe (for bok choy):

1. In a medium skillet, add olive oil.
2. Toss in the bok choy, garlic, salt, and pepper. Cook for about 10 minutes or until the leave begin to wilt and a fork can go through the stems.

* Recipe (for kabocha sauce):

1. In a small pot, add the olive oil and heat. Cook the onions and ginger until onions are translucent. 
2. Add the remaining ingredients. Cook until the squash is tender to a fork.
3. Puree in a blender. If the sauce is too thick, add more vegetable stock.

 * Recipe (to build dish):

1. Using a small bowl, pack the rice pilaf inside. Carefully flip over onto a plate.
2. Top rice with bok choy and braised tofu.
3. Pour sauce over the dish and around sides.

Vegan Thanksgiving Feast: Part Three

These recipes are going to be the dessert and biscuits. I would have done these recipes last, but alas they happened to just be done before the others. The final part will be more sides.Those will be posted tomorrow! My friend helped me make this cheesecake. He has a beer brewing blog called Brew or Die! Chicago and his beers are vegan! Check it out.

Pumpkin Cheesecake

* Prep Time: 20 minutes
* Cook Time: 10-15 minutes in oven, rest overnight
* Ingredients (for crust):

• 1/2 cup whole almonds
• 1 pack (5 oz.) cinnamon graham crackers*
• 1/4 cup brown sugar*
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 cup soy butter, melted*

* Ingredients (for filling):

• 1 14 oz. pack silken tofu*
• 1 15 oz. can pumpkin pie filling*
• 2 8 oz. packages vegan cream cheese*
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg

 * Recipe (for crust):

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grind almonds in a food processor.
3. Add graham crackers, spices, and sugar to the food processor. Grind until smooth.
4. Move the mixture in the food processor to a medium sized bowl and add the butter. Mix well.
5. Pack into a 9 in. springform pan. Push the mixture up the sides.
6. Bake the crust for 10-15 minutes.

* Recipe (for filling):

1. In a mixer with whisk attachment, blend the tofu and pie filling.
2. Add a tablespoon of cream cheese at a time until smooth.
3. Next, add both types of sugar and spices. Mix well.
4. Pour into crust and let site overnight in the refrigerator.
5. Serve with cinnamon and whipped cream (optional).

* Note: I used 365 Organic brand. Make sure your sugar is vegan! For silken tofu, I used Nasoya brand. The pumpkin pie filling was Farmer's Market brand. Lastly, for vegan cream cheese I used Tofutti.


Lemon Thyme Biscuits
 

* Prep Time: 10 minutes
* Cook Time: 15 minutes
* Ingredients:

• 1 cup non-dairy milk*
• 1 tbsp distilled white vinegar
• 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt, plus more for sprinkling
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 1 tsp fresh thyme, plus more for sprinkling
• 4 tbsp soy butter, cold*

* Recipe:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. In a bowl, combine the milk and the vinegar. Set in the refrigerator. 
3. In a mixer, blend the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, lemon zest, and thyme on a low setting.
4. Spread out some flour for dusting on a surface.
5. Add the butter to the dry ingredients in the mixer a tablespoon at a time. Mix on a low setting. 
6. Lastly, add the non-dairy milk. Mix well but do not over knead.
7. Take 1-2 tablespoons at a time and create balls by rolling in the flour dusted on the surface.
8. Place on ungreased cookie sheets.
9. Using water, brush the tops of the biscuits. Add a bit of salt and fresh thyme to each.
10. Bake for 12-15 minutes.

* Note: For non-dairy milk, I used almond milk. Use whatever variety you prefer. For soy butter, I used Earth Balance olive oil-based type. 


Sage Brown Butter

* Prep Time: 2 minutes
* Cook Time: 10 minutes, 1/2 hour rest time (or more)
* Ingredients:

• 2 sticks (4 oz. each) of soy butter
• 1/4 cup fresh sage
• pinch of salt

* Recipe:

1. Over medium heat, melt one stick of butter. Let start to bubble.
2. Add the sage and cook for 30 seconds.
3. Remove the sage and dry on paper towels.
4. Remove the butter from heat and let cool.
5. When sage is cool, mince.
6. Combine the other stick of butter with the melted, browned butter. Add the minced sage and salt. Mix well.
7. Let set in refrigerator for at least half an hour.