I received this recipe at a cooking class I took a few years ago and it is delicious. I know I always say that, but it’s the truth. Even the non-vegan instructor said it was amazing. It includes lots of ingredients but I am pretty sure they each play a specific role so don’t go substituting things until you try it as written at least one time.

This makes enough for 2 blocks of tofu

1/4 cup dijon mustard
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
1/2 cup tamari
1/2 cup rice vinegar
1/2 cup canola oil (I sometimes use just 1/4 cup)
1/2 teaspoon each – chili powder, onion powder
1/4 teaspoon each – oregano, garlic powder

The secret to perfect tofu is in the preparation. If you take tofu out of the container, cut it into pieces and toss it into a stir fry, you will be very disappointed. Anyone who has eaten meat most of his/her life will not find biting into mushy white blogs appealing. Don’t feed it to them. They will swear that they hate tofu and never try it again.

It’s not the tofu. It’s the cook, which could be you. I say that in love!

The first step should actually be to purchase the right tofu for this process: Extra Firm Tofu. I’ve tried Firm and I really notice a difference.

1. Press

As many people know, pressing tofu is key. You must get the water out so it can absorb the delicious sauce that you are going to marinade it in. You are going to marinade it, aren’t you? If you weren’t planning to, you should. Just my 2 cents.

There are many ways to press tofu. Search YouTube and you’ll find many.

A few years ago, I decided to invest in a TofuXpress and I haven’t regretted spending the money since. In fact, I purchased another one since I normally prepare 2 packages of tofu at a time. Enter our Ambassador giveaway and you could win one!

Tofu pressed with this gadget do not compare to those pressed the old fashioned way. I always press my tofu for an hour.

2. Dry Fry

Next is dry frying. I learned this online in an article entitled, “How to Cook Tofu Like the Pros: Dry-fry and Marinate Method” and this technique was later reinforced in a cooking class I took a few years ago. Dry frying helps remove more water so the tofu can absorb the delicious marinade you have ready.

3. Marinate

Buy a bottled marinade from the store or whip up your own. Just marinate your tofu. It wants it and it needs it. The How to Cook Tofu Like the Pros article includes marinade recipes.

I usually marinate my tofu at least 4 hours or overnight. It depends on how organized I am. I think there could be a point where longer doesn’t mean better when it comes to tofu absorbing flavor, but I don’t know what it is. 1 hour could be sufficient. Experiment and do what works for you.

I’m going to share my favorite marinade tomorrow. The recipe is from the class I took and it is amazing!

4. Bake

Bake the tofu on 350° for 30-45 minutes. What you get when you’re done is chewy, flavorful tofu.  In the class, we put it on top of a vegan caesar salad. I’ve made hoagies with it, adding sauteed peppers, onions and mushrooms. I’ve eaten it alone. The possibilities are endless.

Yes, this is not exactly a simple process, but you should try it at least once before you decide it’s not worth it. This is how I prepare tofu for my non-vegan friends and family and they really enjoy it. My grandmother, bless her 95 year old heart, was even motivated to try making tofu after eating mine on several occasions. She thought it would look like mine when she opened the package and was horrified to find a white glob in water. There is no way I could explain this process to her.

Kristie Agee is the owner of My Veggie Chef in Nashville, Tennessee.

In this episode, you will learn…

• About the cheese sauce that rocked Kristie’s world (she even shared the recipe below)
• How you can get Kristie’s food even if you don’t live in Nashville
• 2 cookbooks that will give you a good foundation
• The easiest way to start eating more vegan meals
• A quick taco recipe that will convert people every time

Recipes Courtesy of Kristie

Vegan Nacho Cheeze Dip

Makes about 2 cups

Kristie's Vegan Nacho Cheeze Dip

2 cups water
¼ cup raw cashews
One 4 oz. jar pimentos, drained
1 cup nutritional yeast flakes
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 ½ teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon turmeric

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until completely smooth.
2. Transfer mixture to a medium saucepan and stir very frequently over LOW heat until thickened, about 10 minutes.

Serve as a dip with tortilla chips and vegetables.

Baked Seitan

Kristie's Seitan Au Poivre

1.5 c. vital wheat gluten
1/4 c. nutritional yeast
1 t. paprika
1 t. garlic powder
1/4 t. cumin
3/4 c. cold water
4 T. tomato paste
1 T. ketchup
2 T. olive oil
2 T. soy sauce

1. Preheat oven to 325°.
2. In a large mixing bowl mix dry ingredients. Mix the liquid ingredients in a smaller mixing bowl.
3. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients. Mix well, then knead for several minutes.
4. Form into a log (6-8″ long), wrap tightly in foil, twisting ends. Bake for 90 minutes.
5. Unwrap and leave out until log has cooled. Wrap in foil or plastic and refrigerate.

Slice to use as desired.

Connect with Kristie and My Veggie Chef

Website: www.myveggiechef.com

Phone: 615-200-TOFU (8638)

Facebook: www.facebook.com/myveggiechef

Twitter: twitter.com/MyVeggieChef

Google+: plus.google.com/115485489112280259174

All you have to do is teach 3 people to cook a vegan dish and get on the map!

You will automatically be entered to win a TofuXpress or a vegan cookbook of your choice (as long as its sold on Amazon).

Enter by Thursday, May 31 at 11pm EST!

Get more details in the original post.

Source: Divas Can Cook (adapted)

This is a quick refreshing salad that you could really eat as a main dish if you wanted to. When I made it, I added brown rice and kale that I quickly steamed in the microwave with a tablespoon of water. I’ll definitely be trying it again this summer with fresh corn!

Servings: 8 side dishes
Cost per Serving:  $1.03

16 oz frozen corn, thawed
15 oz black beans, rinsed and drained
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 small red onion, diced
1 pint grape tomatoes, diced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped or 2-3 teaspoons of dried cilantro
1 avocado, diced (optional)

Chili Lime Dressing
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice (3 limes)
1 tablespoon canola or olive oil
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon cumin

1. Add beans and vegetables to a large bowl and stir to combine.
2. Mix the chili lime dressing ingredients together in a small bowl.
3. Add dressing to the salad and toss to combine.
4. Refrigerate for at least an hour and serve.

If using avocado, drizzle it with lime juice before serving

This is #7 of 7 Side Dishes that Just Might Steal the Show

#1 Roasted Broccoli
#2 Lemon Asparagus
#3 Sauteed Zucchini and Yellow Squash
#4 Orzo with Roasted Red Bell Pepper, Basil and Lemon
#5 Roasted Carrots
#6 Navy Beans and Kale

Sources (adapted): The Neely’s and NutritionMD

I’ve talked to a few people at work about beans and it appears as though many people only eat green beans and baked beans. I remember eating black eye peas growing up for new years, but not very often throughout the year. If you’re not eating beans, legumes, you’re missing out on a whole bunch of nutritional goodness. They are actually more effective at removing extra cholesterol from your system than oats (find link).

I’m not even going to get into the health benefits of greens. Needless to say, this dish packs a nutritious punch and tastes delicious. The beans get all creamy, like potatoes and this will really stick with you!

Servings: 4 nice size side dishes
Price per Serving: .97

1 cup vegetable broth
2 cans beans (your choice; I like small navy beans for this)
½ teaspoon crushed garlic
1 bunch of chopped fresh kale
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (add more if you like a lot of heat)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon liquid smoke

1. Heat a large saucepan on medium-high.
2. Add everything except the beans and kale and stir until the salt dissolves.
3. Add the beans, turn the heat up some if necessary and bring everything to a boil.
4. Once the broth is boililng, begin adding your greens in batches. Toss them with the beans and broth as you add them so they wilt.
5. Once you’ve added all of the kale let it simmer for about 10 minutes. You want the greens to retain their color and not turn into mush.
6. Remove the pan from the heat and serve.

This is #6 of 7 Side Dishes that Just Might Steal the Show

#1 Roasted Broccoli
#2 Lemon Asparagus
#3 Sauteed Zucchini and Yellow Squash
#4 Orzo with Roasted Red Bell Pepper, Basil and Lemon
#5 Roasted Carrots

Source: Ina Garten

Carrots are another vegetable that are best roasted. If you eat them raw, you know that they are sweet. When they are roasted those sugars are carmelized and they are even sweeter. So good! Oh and don’t be tempted to buy those bags of baby carrots. Buy carrots by the pound. It’s cheaper and the product is the same.

Interesting note about baby carrots…According to American Wasteland,

“Baby carrots began as a way to reduce waste–finding a use for those bumpy, crooked, and stubby carrots that any gardener would recognize. They are basically carrots cut into two-inch pieces and whittled down in an industrial peeler.”

Servings: 4 side dishes
Cost per Serving: .54

2 pounds of carrots, peeled, cut in half lengthwise
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon dried dill or parsley or 1 tablespoon fresh dill or parsley

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Put the carrots on a sheet pan.
3. Toss them with the olive oil, salt, and pepper.
4. Roast the carrots in the oven for 30 minutes, until browned and tender. Mine didn’t turn very brown, but they were tender.
5. Toss the carrots with minced dill or parsley and serve.

This is #5 of 7 Side Dishes that Just Might Steal the Show

#1 Roasted Broccoli
#2 Lemon Asparagus
#3 Sauteed Zucchini and Yellow Squash
#4 Orzo with Roasted Red Bell Pepper, Basil and Lemon

Shannon Jewel is the owner of Bicycle Bakery in Sacramento, California. Shannon began veganizing recipes when her young children decided they didn’t want to eat animals in 1989. Bicycle Bakery does not have a storefront and is a co-manufacturing facility that does full-scale commercial, custom and specialty item baking.

In this interview, you will learn:

• Tips for replacing eggs and fat when you’re baking
• Spices that can enhance your desserts
• What the early days of her business were like and how she turned the corner and got her products in Whole Foods

Enjoy!

Connect with Shannon

Website: Bicycle Bakery
Phone:  530-570-1954

I discovered orzo, which is a small oval shaped pasta, a few years ago and fell in love with it. Once it’s cooked, it almost has a creamy texture. I ate a version of this dish at a restaurant a few years ago and came home determined to recreate it. This isn’t an exact replica, but it’s very tasty.

2 Notes: When I initially made this dish and recorded it, I didn’t add the lemon. But this dish needs it. Juice from half a lemon is just enough to take this dish to the next level. Next, fresh basil is amazing. It tastes nothing like it’s dried counterpart.

Servings: 4 medium size sides
Cost per Serving: $1.56

4 cups water
1 ½ cups orzo
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
¼ cup fresh basil
2 roasted red/yellow/orange peppers (fresh or in the jar), thinly sliced
⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Juice of half a lemon

1. Bring the water to a boil.
2. Add the orzo and salt and stir.
3. Cook uncovered 8-9 minutes, until the orzo is soft and has absorbed most of the water.
4. While the orzo is cooking, add the oil, basil and peppers to a food processor blender and blend until the basil is chopped and everything is combined.
5. Drain the pasta and pour the basil-pepper mixture over it.
6. Add the lemon juice.
7. Stir to combine and serve.

Roasting Fresh Bell Peppers

1. Cut them in half and remove the stems and seeds.
2. Set the oven rack in the oven as high as it can possibly go. You will want your baking sheet directly under the broilers.
3. Turn the oven on at “broil.” If you have the option, choose low broil.
4. Slit the halved red peppers a few times at both ends so that they will lay fairly flat.
5. Lay the slit pepper halves out on a baking sheet lined with foil and roast the peppers.
6. Watch the peppers closely. This process takes about 8 minutes.
7. When the skins are blackened and charred pretty evenly, they are done. It’s okay if the skins still have some red places, as long as they are mostly charred.
8. Place the completely blackened bell pepper into a paper bag, close the bag and let the peppers steam for at least 20 minutes.
9. Once the peppers have steamed in the paper bag for at least 20 minutes, rub the skin off and slice them.

This is #4 of 7 Side Dishes that Just Might Steal the Show

#1 Roasted Broccoli
#2 Lemon Asparagus
#3 Sauteed Zucchini and Yellow Squash

Squash is a standard side dish at my grandmother’s during the summer. It’s really quick to prepare since it can actually be eaten raw. If you fill your pan like I did, stir the zucchini frequently so that all of the pieces get cooked evenly. I was multitasking and ended up with some pieces more well done than others.

Servings: 4 side servings
Cost per Serving: $1.04

3 zucchini squash
3 yellow squash
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/8 cayenne pepper (optional)
oil, enough to coat the pan

1. Slice the zucchini and squash into ¼ thick rounds.
2. Heat a pan over medium heat.
3. Add enough oil or water to coat the bottom of the pan (if you’re using water, you may need to keep an eye on everything and add more if the squash starts to stick).
4. Add the squash to the pan.
5. Add the salt and cayenne pepper and stir everything together.
6. Saute until the squash is tender, about 10 minutes.

This is #3 of 7 Side Dishes that Just Might Steal the Show

#1 Roasted Broccoli
#2 Lemon Asparagus