Protein-packed vegan dinner bowl

What's one of the most common questions someone adhering to a vegan diet gets asked?

But where do you get your protein?

So today, we're talking a bit about protein. There are all kinds of great plant-based options out there.

One is the quinoa bowl with miso-glazed tofu, pictured above.

Soy--in the form of tofu, tempeh, or edamame--is one of the more well known plant-based protein options. Seitan is also a fabulous protein source (check out my seitan in a balsamic red wine reduction, here; or a seitan pot roast option, here), as are quinoa, beans, peanut butter, chia seeds, and hummus. If you're looking for slightly more processed food, there are a lot of options as well. These days you can find many varieties of vegan meat alternatives at natural food stores. One of my favorite vegan sausages that you can buy off the shelf are called Field Roast, and they make great frankfurters, deli slices and burgers as well.

For more information about some of these foods, check out one of my past Vegan MoFo entries, here.

Looking for something sweet? I recently discovered a fabulous recipe for protein-packed cookies with peanut butter and chia seeds from Ashley Wood.

And the recipe for the bowl pictured above? It comes primarily from the NY Times.

It essentially involves marinating some tofu, then dipping red peppers in the marinade and roasting both in the oven.



Put that over a bed of kimchi and quinoa, and you're good to go! The recipe actually calls for brown rice, but I like the additional protein you can get from substituting the quinoa. Now get out there, and enjoy your protein!

Vegan MoFo Day 30: Fusion Challenge!

Today's final Vegan MoFo entry is a fusion challenge!

I decided to go with my all-time favorite fusion--kimchi taco. Kimchi tacos are all the rage these days--I first had one on a food truck in Los Angeles, and have since progressed to regular lunches at Kimchi Grill in Brooklyn, which offers a variety of great vegan options!

I've never, however, made them at home, so I thought this was definitely a good excuse to give it a whirl!

Vegan Kimchi Tacos with Cashew Crema

What You'll Need:
1 package extra-firm tofu, cut into cubes
Marinade:
1 cup veggie broth
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 cup kimchi (just be sure it's vegan--some have fish!)

Purple Slaw:
3 cups cabbage, shredded
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 tbsp mirin

Cashew crema:
1/2 cup cashews (soaked for a few hours, if you don't have a highspeed blender)
1/2 cup milk
1/4 tsp garlic powder
juice from 1 lime (approximately 3 tbsp)
salt to taste

What You'll Need To Do:
Press your tofu and cut into 1/2" (or so) cubes. Place in the marinade for at least 30 minutes, up to overnight. While the tofu is marinating, you can prepare your cashew crema and purple slaw.

For the purple slaw, simply mix all of your ingredients together.

For the cashew crema, add all ingredients to a blender and mix until smooth (this may take several minutes depending on your blender).

Tips and Tricks:
You can save that kimchi marinade and use it for something else, or even put the cabbage in your taco for an extra kimchi kick!

Cashew crema is my way of making an easy, unprocessed cream, but if you want something even easier, you can also mix the lime juice and garlic powder in with some yogurt or even vegannaise (I know it sounds crazy, but trust me on this one), and then add a little dairy-free milk until you reach your desired consistency.

Lunch on the Go!

Today for Vegan MoFo we're talking lunch on the go!

I couldn't think of anything more "to go" than this great picnic backpack we received as another wonderful wedding present (thank you, Gretchen!).


This awesome backpack has all you need to enjoy a picnic for two--or four!

You just need a few good dishes to go with it! Might I recommend some balsamic tofu with cherry tomatoes?

This is a super quick and easy dish--you just need a little time to let your tofu marinate. Once you've done that, you just slice your tomatoes and basil, toss and go! It's a great "lunch on the go."



Balsamic Tofu with Cherry Tomatoes
What You'll Need:
Marinade:
4 tbsp vegetable broth
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp basil
1/8 tsp oregano
salt and pepper to taste (several pinches of each)

One 14 oz package extra-firm tofu
12 oz cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup loosely packed fresh basil

What You'll Need to Do:
Press your tofu first so that it will be able to absorb the balsamic properly. Cut into 1/2" cubes and then mix with the marinade ingredients. Cover and allow to marinate for an hour or so (or in the fridge overnight).

In the meantime, chiffonade your basil and slice your tomoatoes if you haven't already. Once the tofu is done marinating, toss it with the tomatoes and basil, and add in the olive oil. Add more salt and pepper, as needed. Depending on how much of the marinade your tofu has absorbed, you may want to add another tablespoon or so of balsamic.

Tips and Tricks:
I paired this tofu with a nice pasta salad. I simply cooked some pasta, then added a bit of salad dressing (strawberry vinaigrette this time around). Then I threw in some spicy olives (I love Jeff's Naturals antipasto olives which are vegan!) along with the red peppers from the bottle, dried oregano, mustard powder, hearts of palm, arugula and a little bit of olive oil.

And don't forget your baguette!

Miso Soup with Udon Noodles

When I was in college one of my favorite things to prepare was udon noodle soup (usually the instant kind), with some tofu, enoki mushrooms, and an egg thrown in. The instant packets available at the supermarket typically contain fish, and aside from that are filled with all kinds of things that aren't altogether too healthy. These days I like to make my udon soup from scratch. For a little added flavor and substance in my broth, I just add a little miso.

Miso Soup with Udon Noodles
What You'll Need:
8 cups water
6 tbsp white miso
1 bunch baby bok choi (or pak choi), sliced thinly (you can include both stalks and leaves)
4 scallions, sliced thinly
1 14 oz. package firm or extra-firm tofu
20 oz. udon noodles, prepared according to package directions
1 tbsp sesame oil
Asian hot sauce (like Sriracha, optional)
white or black pepper, to taste

What You'll Need to Do:
Put your water in a large pot and bring to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer. Add in the miso, stirring until it is well dissolved (be sure not to boil the miso!). Add in the bok choi and scallions, and allow them to simmer and soften for approximately 10-15 minutes. While the vegetables simmer, chop your tofu into 1/2-inch cubes. After the bok choi stalks are sufficiently soft, add in you tofu and noodles, and stir in the sesame oil. Season to taste with pepper, and hot sauce, if desired.

My Thoughts:
This is a great, super-simple soup base, and you can throw anything in that you like! I used extra-firm tofu because that's what I had on hand, but it's especially good with firm silken tofu. You can also use red or brown miso for a stronger flavor (white miso is the most mild). I'd also recommend trying this soup with seaweed (just simmer it in the water first thing, for about 5 minutes, before adding the rest of the ingredients) and enoki mushrooms.

Buffalo-style tofu

My boyfriend loves spicy food. When asked what he misses the most from his meat-eating days, his two answers are steak and buffalo wings. I can't do much about the steak at this point (although I do make a mean seitan), but I've made it my mission to find a good buffalo sauce.

Chefs beware! This recipe is not for the weak-of-heart. It's a true spicy Buffalo sauce (although if you want to calm things down a bit, see my Tips and Tricks).

Buffalo-style tofu
What You'll Need:
One package extra-firm tofu, chopped into 1/2" cubes

Marinade:
1 cup beer (I used an amber ale)
2 tbsp orange juice
1 tsp chili powder
3 cloves garlic, crushed
a few dashes salt and pepper

Breading mix for frying:
3 tbsp flour
2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Buffalo Sauce:
1/3 cup Frank's Hot Sauce
1/4 c. melted margarine (I recommend Earth Balance)
2 tbsp vinegar
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp garlic powder

What You'll Need to Do:
Press your tofu, then slice into 1/2" cubes and marinate (see below). Once the tofu has marinated (for at least one hour), drain it, and combine it in a small bowl with the breading mix to coat the tofu before frying.

In a large skillet, heat about 2 tbsp of oil (olive or vegetable) over medium heat. Cook the tofu for 4 to 6 minutes, turning until golden brown and lightly crispy on all sides. Meanwhile, prepare the buffalo sauce.

Combine buffalo sauce ingredients in a pot and stir well. Raise the heat to medium and stir occasionally until heated through. Add the fried tofu to the sauce when ready, stir, heat, and eat!

Tips and Tricks:
If you'd like to decrease the spice a bit, you can try increasing the butter, to 1/3 cup.

I would definitely recommend serving this with a vegan ranch or blue cheese dressing (I'll post a recipe soon!).

This sauce goes great with any veggie chicken. Sometimes my boyfriend will buy pre-prepared vegetarian buffalo wings, and dip into this stuff for a little extra oomph.

A note on marinating tofu:

Marinating tofu is much like marinating meat, with one important difference: tofu has no flavor before you marinate it! So if you like fried tofu in general, and don't feel like marinating it for this recipe, you can do that, and you'll still have a nice, spicy buffalo exterior. Marinating the tofu, however, will give you a really delicious bite, that's filled with flavor through and through. It's super easy, too!

The first thing you'll need to do is press your tofu. This is important so that the tofu can absorb the marinade completely and thoroughly. I'd recommend 30 minutes on each side, but you can cut it down if you don't have that much time.

Then just pour in your pre-mixed marinade ingredients, cover, and throw it in the fridge until you're ready! I like to use a tupperware, so that I can shake things up every so often and make sure it's well distributed. The longer you can marinate, the better; I marinated this tofu for about three hours, but the longer the better! You probably want to give it at least one hour, though.





The marinade listed above is really, really simple. If you're planning on showcasing the tofu on it's own as a marinated protein, you can add in some specific spices and herbs, for example to make Asian or Italian-style tofu (pictured below). I'll try to post one of these recipes soon!