Vegan Recipes and Plant Based Cooking

It took me a long time to learn the right ways to prepare tofu. It's an inscrutable ingredient for many.  If prepared well, it can be a delight to eat. If not, it can be downright terrible.  There are a lot of great ways to make tofu. There are also a lot of bad ways to make tofu. This is one of the great ways! If you cook your tofu using this recipe, I guarantee that you'll love it.  Ingredients One 14 oz pkg firm tofu, drained overnight 1 cup roasted, lightly salted almonds 1/2 cup rolled oats 2 tbls oil 2 tsps turmeric 2 tsps paprika 2 tsps italian seasoning 2 tsps garlic powder 1 tsp crushed pepper flakes 1 tsp ground cayenne  1 tbl salt 2 tsps black pepper Instructions Drain the tofu by removing it from the package and discarding the liquid. Wrap in a kitchen towel and stash in the fridge overnight.  Add all ingredients to your food processor and buzz until a thick paste is formed. Cover the chute of the food processor with plastic wrap and store the mixtur...

If you love curry, then you'll love this puree. It's the familiar spices and heat of a curry in a thick and rich tofu puree.  I've put my own spin on it. The spice blend is pretty minimalistic and a little bit different. An Americanized curry to be sure.  The combination of turmeric and paprika is one of my favorites. It might turn out to be yours as well.  Thanks to the tofu base, it's creamy and full of protein.  It takes very little time to make and only a handful of common ingredients. With very little effort, you'll be rewarded with buckets of flavor.  Ingredients Half of a 14 oz. Package Firm Tofu, drained 2 Jalapenos, chunked 1 Serrano, chunked 7 Small Cloves of Garlic, chunked 2/3 Cups Water 2 Tbls Oil 2 Tsps Turmeric 1 Tsp Paprika 1 Tsp Crushed Pepper Flakes 1/2 Tsps Dried Oregano 1 Tbl Salt 1/2 Tsp Black Pepper Instructions Add to a small sauce pot the peppers and salt. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the oil, garlic and remaining spices. Stir...

This sauce is inspired by romesco and the use of almonds in sauce making. It's much hotter and doesn't use red bell pepper. That was the inspiration though.  To make sure it's not insanely hot, garbanzo beans temper it a bit.  Ingredients 1 poblano, small chunks 1 jalapeno, small chunks 1 serrano, small chunks 1 habanero, small chunks 1/2 cup roasted, lightly salted almonds 6 cloves garlic, smashed 2 tbls olive or veg oil 1 1/2 cups water 1/2 cup garbanzo beans, rinsed 1 tbl salt 1 tsp black pepper 1 tsp dry rosemary Instructions Sauté the garlic and peppers in the oil with the seasoning/herbs for 5 minutes.   Stir in the water, almonds and garbanzos. Bring to a boil and then simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.  Puree in a blender until smooth. 

OMG! When I took my first mouthful of this vegan cheesecake it was orgasmic.  It was a first attempt and I was just hoping it would come out okay.   It was incredible! One of the best desserts I've ever had.  Traditional cheesecake is a fussy dessert to make, but this one is not. All the work happens in the food processor and it's only a handful of ingredients.  When I was first creating this I wasn't entirely sure whether or not I should bake the filling or just set it in the fridge. I decided to try baking it and I'm so glad that I did. Not only was the flavor phenomenal, but the texture was also pretty near perfect. Crust Ingredients 1/2 cup lightly salted, roosted almonds 1/2 cup old fashioned oats 1/3 cup granulated erythritol  2 tbls original flavor almond milk 1 tsp salt Filling Ingredients 1/2 package firm tofu, drained 3/4 cup lightly salted, roasted almonds 3/4 cup old fashioned oats 1/2 cup granulated erythritol  1 cap full almond ex...

This emulsion straddles the line between sauce and puree.  Soy and tofu really enhance each other.  If you like salt and heat you'll enjoy this.  It has the soul of a remoulade, but it's completely vegan.  Ingredients 3 tbls soy sauce 2 tbls red hot sauce 1 tbl white vinegar 1 tbl olive oil 2 cups water 1/2 a 14 oz package medium or firm tofu 1 jalapeno, chunked 2 serrano, chunked 3 cloves garlic, sliced 2 tsps salt 1/2 tsp black pepper Instructions In a medium sauce pot simmer the jalapeno, serrano and salt for 5 minutes.  Add the oil and black pepper and simmer 3 more minutes.  Add the garlic, soy sauce and hot sauce. Continue to simmer 3 more minutes.  Carefully pour in the water and simmer uncovered for 7 minutes.  Add the tofu and vinegar to a blender. Pour the pot mixture on top. Puree until smooth. 

It's going to sound strange, but I came up with this sauce for my brother's rib eye roast that he was cooking for Thanksgiving. I wanted a sauce we could both enjoy with our respective meals. He eats meat. I don't. I know French mustard sauce is a classic and I also know that mustard goes pretty well with meat. I like any kind of sauce that's spicy. So that's the story behind that and here we are.  I kept the heat and spice mild because he doesn't enjoy a lot of it. But I still added a little because it's just the right way to make a sauce.  It was nice to see him enjoy the dairy free, vegan sauce even if it was with a big hunk of beef.  Ingredients 1/2 a package firm tofu, drained 1 jalapeno, chunked 3 cloves garlic, chunked 1 3/4 cups water 1 tbl spicy mustard 1 tbl dry rosemary 1 tbl olive oil 1 tbl salt 1/2 tsp black pepper Instructions Add the jalapeno, garlic, salt and rosemary to a medium sauce pot. Bring it up to medium heat. Add the oil and black pe...

This is a creamy and slightly spicy puree that combines flavors from both Spain and Italy.  It's rich with protein (thanks to the tofu) and decadently creamy even though it contains absolutely no dairy.  It's smooth and silky and sure to enhance any foods with which you decide to pair it.  Ingredients 1/2 a large poblano, diced 1 jalapeno, diced 1 serrano, diced 3 cloves garlic, sliced 2 tbls olive oil 1 tbl red hot sauce 1/2 a 14 oz package extra firm tofu, drained 2 tbls salt 1 tsp dry rosemary 1 1/2 cups water Instructions Most cooks like to start their vegetables in a hot pan with hot oil. I prefer to start my veg in a cold pan without oil.  It's easier because you can add the stuff from your cutting board into the pot directly. I also like the extra flavor that is extracted by beginning the cook with just salt. We'll add the oil once everything has dry roasted for a bit.  To a medium sauce pot (not on the stove) add the poblano, jalapeno, serrano, garli...