The Crispiest Tofu

As with most well breaded recipes, you need a three “bowl” workstation for this. I like to use lipped plates, but if you don’t have any, try using cake pans.

Start with marinated tofu. Cut them into whatever shapes you want to eat.



Set up a three bowl work station consisting of: seasoned potato starch, thickened seasoned non-dairy milk, and seasoned home-made bread crumbs.

Mix the following together into each bowl:
Bowl 1:
½ cup potato starch
dash of salt and freshly ground black pepper

Bowl 2:
1 cup unsweetened soymilk
1 tablespoon lemon juice (or apple cider vinegar)
1/4 cup chopped parsley (or a combo of other fresh herbs)
dash of salt
dash of hot pepper or allepo pepper

Bowl 3:
1 1/4 cups homemade breadcrumbs (leave your favorite gluten-free bread out on the counter for a day or so, then pulse in a food processor until crumbly).
1/3 cup potato starch
dash of salt and freshly ground black pepper
3/4 teaspoon onion powder
3/4 teaspoon ancho chili powder

You'll need:
1 big block of extra-firm tofu, cut into whatever shapes you want to eat and marinated overnight, or as long as possible.
parchment lined baking sheet, greased with 3 tablespoons of neutral oil (like canola).
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 425F.
Dredge a few pieces of tofu with the starch mixture in bowl one. Make sure each piece is completed coated with a thin layer of starch, then tap off any extra and move down to bowl two.

Submerge each tofu into bowl two and allow any excess liquid to drip off. Move ‘em down to bowl three.

Pat each piece of tofu in the seasoned breadcrumbs, to completely coat on all sides. Transfer each breaded tofu to the oiled baking sheet.

Repeat the above steps until you’ve breaded everything within reach.

Season the tofu with a little salt and freshly ground black pepper.



Bake for about 5 minutes, then carefully flip each piece to allow the other side to absorb some of the oil from the baking sheet. Bake the tofu until the bottoms are brown and crunchy, about 10 minutes, then flip to brown the second side. Keep an eye on these so they don’t burn, you’re going for a deep golden brown.

Dip in yummy things like bbq sauce, low fat Vegenaise, tartar sauce, or be fancy and make remoulade!

The time needed to cook this recipe is a tiny bit more than one hour.

Korean Tofu Pancakes

Korean Tofu Pancake
* a package of firm tofu, mashed and drain
* a package of fresh oyster mushroom, cut into small pieces.
* a bunch of chives, finely chopped
* half of a sweet red pepper, finely diced
* 1 egg, beaten
* flour for coating

The tofu has to be drained properly. If the tofu is too wet, it will be very difficult to form the mixture into small patties.

Mix the tofu, oyster mushroom, red pepper and chives together. Season with salt and pepper.Add 3 to 4 tablespoons (or more) of flour to bind the mixture together.

Form the mixture into small patties.

Coat the patties in flour and then dip in egg wash (you may leave the egg wash if you would like to make this into a true vegetarian dish) and then re coat with flour.

Pan fry the patties in medium heat until both sides are browned.

You may serve the Tofu Pancake with a sauce made of Korean soy sauce, chopped green onion and Korean red pepper powder.

Or you can steam/stir-fry the whole mixture with extra slice onions and green onions. This is great with steam rice.

Vegetable Casserole with Tofu Topping

Vegetable Casserole with Tofu Topping
Makes 6 to 8 (side dish)

* Active time:1 hr
* Start to finish:1 1/2 hr

This colorful, delicious dish continues to be a staple at our Thanksgiving and Christmas tables. Using dried bread crumbs will create a crispy topping, while fresh bread crumbs produce a more tender result.

For Vegetables

* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 2 medium onions, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced lengthwise
* 1 lb cabbage, cored and cut crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick slices (4 cups)
* 1 lb kale, stems and center ribs removed and leaves coarsely chopped (12 cups)
* 1/2 lb carrots, cut into 1/4-inch-thick matchsticks
* 1/2 cup water
* 2 tablespoons soy sauce
* 1/2 teaspoon salt

For Topping

* 1 1/2 cups fine fresh or dried bread crumbs, preferably whole wheat
* 7 oz firm tofu
* 1 oz finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (1/2 cup)
* 1/3 cup olive oil
* 2 teaspoons dried basil, crumbled
* 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano, crumbled
* 1 teaspoon paprika
* 1 garlic clove, chopped
* 1/4 teaspoon salt

Sauté vegetables:

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.

Heat oil in a deep 12- to 14-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté onion, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to moderate and add cabbage, kale, carrots, water, soy sauce, and salt. (Skillet will be full, but volume will reduce as vegetables steam.) Cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are just tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a 13- by 9-inch glass baking dish.

Pulse all topping ingredients together in a food processor until combined well. Alternatively, mash ingredients together in a large bowl with a potato masher. Sprinkle tofu mixture over vegetables in baking dish and bake, uncovered, until topping is golden brown and vegetables are heated through, 15 to 20 minutes.

Mushroom Tofu Loaf

Mushroom Tofu Loaf

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, finely sliced
4 garlic cloves, crushed
3 1/2 Tbs chopped walnut or Brazil nuts
3 1/2 Tbs rolled oats
1/2 cup chestnut mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup vegetable stock
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon vegetarian Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
17.5 oz firm tofu, pressed of excess water and crumbled
3 tablespoons arrowroot or cornflour
1/2 cup stale brown bread crumbs

In a large pan, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, and cook, stirring occasionally until soft and golden brown. Transfer to a bowl. Set aside
In the same pan, heat the remaining oil. Add the nuts, oats and mushroom. Saute for a few minutes, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms are tender. Stir in a small amount of stock, turn up the heat and loosen stuck on bits. Add the remaining stock and cook for 10 minutes . Add the soy sauce, mustard, tomato paste, vinegar and Worcestershire sauce. Continue to cook until the mixture is thick. Add to the bowl with the onions and set aside. Season to taste.
Add the tofu and arrowroot or cornflour to a food processor; puree until smooth. Add to the onion mixture and blend in enough breadcrumbs to make a thick paste; mix well/ tip gently into a non-stick or lightly oiled loaf pan measuring 9 by 5 by 3 inches. Press down firmly to pack in the mixture into the pan. Bake for 40 minutes. For optimal result, let the loaf cool for an hour or two before slicing; or make a day ahead and reheat.

Mexican chocolate tofu pudding

I could read Bittman all day long!



Mexican chocolate tofu pudding

* 3/4 cup sugar
* 1 pound silken tofu
* 8 ounces high-quality bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, melted
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
* 1/2 teaspoon chili powder, or more to taste
* Chocolate shavings (optional)

Preparation

1. In a small pot, combine sugar with 3/4 cup water; bring to a boil and cook until sugar is dissolved, stirring occasionally. Cool slightly.

2. Put all ingredients except for chocolate shavings in a blender and purée until completely smooth, stopping machine to scrape down its sides if necessary. Divide among 4 to 6 ramekins and chill for at least 30 minutes. If you like, garnish with chocolate shavings before serving.
Serving Size

Time: 10 minutes, plus 30 minutes of chilling time. Yield: 4 to 6 servings.

Oven Roasted Tom Tofu

While making out our Thanksgiving menu, I ran across this little jewel. Won't hit my table this year (we're going w the Tofurkey and the Dinner Roast combo), but maybe it'll hit yours :)

1 pound regular tofu (firm), rinsed and patted dry
Marinade:
3/4 cup water
3 tablespoon soy sauce -- I use Bragg's
3 tablespoon nutritional yeast
1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning -- I use the chik-it seasoning
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Coating Mix:
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup yellow cornmeal -- I like panko instead
1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:
Cut the tofu into 1/2-inch-thick slices, and place them in a wide, shallow mixing bowl.
Place all the ingredients for the marinade in small mixing bowl and whisk them together.
Pour the marinade over the tofu, spooning it over each slice.
Turn the slices over so that all sides are coated well with the marinade.
Cover bowl and place in refrigerator.
Let tofu marinate for several hours or overnight, turning slices over occasionally.
When you are ready to cook the tofu, place the ingredients for coating mix in a shallow mixing bowl, and stir well.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Mist a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray, and set aside.
Remove each slice of tofu from the marinade, and dredge it in the coating mix, covering it well all over.
Place tofu on baking sheet.
Mist the tops lightly with nonstick cooking spray.
Bake the tofu until the bottoms are golden brown, about 15 minutes.
Turn slices over, and bake until other sides are golden brown.

Makes about 8 slices (4 servings).

Elvis Fried Tofu

All credit for this beauty goes to the master at What The Hell. There's some seriously mad genius at work over there!!



Elvis Fried Tofu
(makes 16 pieces)

1 block of firm tofu
smoker box with hickory chips (optional)
1 1/2 tbs. tamari

Cut the tofu into eight rectangular cutlets, then cut each cutlet diagonally into long triangles.

Smoke the tofu with hickory chips for 25 minutes.

Remove from the smoker box, place the tofu on a flat plate and add the tamari, turn to coat both sides, let marinate for 5 minutes.

3/4 cup of AP flour
1 1/2 teaspoons of (smoked) paprika (if you have it, if not regular will do)
1 1/2 teaspoons of salt
1/4 teaspoon of black pepper

Oil (for frying)

Add the flour, paprika, salt and pepper in a medium-sized brown paper bag and shake to mix.

Add half of the marinated tofu cutlets and shake until well coated. Remove from bag and knock off excess flour. Repeat with the second batch.

Using two cast-iron skillets add about 1/8" of oil over high heat (If you're using just one cast-iron skillet, divide the tofu into two batches and fry separately). When oil has come to temp, add the coated tofu pieces gently into the oil and fry until well browned on both sides (about 3-4 minutes per side). Drain on a rack (or the brown paper bag).

Serve with a fresh made mushroom roux gravy, mashed potatoes and roasted broccoli. WOW!!

BBQ Tofu Pizza

Found this one over at the vegan menu. Sounds great!



BBQ Sauce (version 2)

1 tbs. vegetable oil
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 tbs. Dijon mustard
1 tbs. ketchup
2 tsp. smoked paprika

1 cup fire-roasted whole tomatoes
1/2 cup bourbon (http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/Articles/Wine-and-Alcohol-644/alcohol-substitutes.aspx)
1/3 cup agave
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

In a large frying pan over medium heat, heat oil and saute onion and garlic until translucent.

Add salt, pepper, smoked paprika, mustard, ketchup and simmer for 5 minutes.

Add tomatoes (we like to crush them with a potato masher) and the remaining ingredients. Bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer on low for 25-30 minutes until starting to thicken.

Remove from heat and add to the vita-mix (or blender) and puree until smooth. Use immediately, or store in refrigerator.

Greek Burgers w Tzatziki

In the absence of vegetarian pastitsio (I haven't given up yet!), we've had Greek Meatloaf, Greek double baked lemon potatoes, lemon scallops, and Greek rice pudding straight from Papui. Why not add one more :) I LOVE Greek food!!

Greek Turkey Burgers With Tzatziki Sauce
Start to Finish: 20 min
Ingredients

Tzatziki Sauce:

1 container (6 oz) plain Greek yogurt
1/4 cup chopped cucumber
2 tablespoons chopped red onion
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill weed or 1 teaspoon dried dill
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Burgers:

1 lb your favorite turkey substitute. I'm trying MSF California Turkey Burgers this time, but I'm looking ahead to using leftover Thanksgiving Tofurkey. So Good!!!
1 cup crumbled feta cheese (4 oz)
1/3 cup chopped red onion
1 tablespoon chopped fresh or 1 teaspoon dried dill weed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
4 whole wheat burger buns, split
1 medium tomato, thinly sliced

1. In small bowl, mix 1/2 cup yogurt and remaining sauce ingredients; refrigerate until serving.

2. Heat gas or charcoal grill. In medium bowl, mix all burger ingredients and remaining yogurt. Shape mixture into 4 patties, about 1/2 inch thick.

3. Place patties on grill over medium heat. Cover grill; cook 8 to 10 minutes, turning after 5 minutes, until thermometer inserted in center of patties reads 160°F. Place burgers in buns with tomato slices and sauce.

How-To Broil patties with tops about 6 inches from heat 4 minutes; turn patties. Cook 6 to 8 minutes longer or until meat thermometer inserted in center of patties reads 160°F.

Substitution Finely shredded Monterey Jack cheese can be substituted for the feta cheese.

Spinach Baked Ziti -- vegan

Spinach Baked Ziti:

* 1 lb whole wheat penne pasta
* 5 oz fresh spinach, roughly chopped (about half a bag)
* 1 lb firm tofu, drained
* 1 garlic clove, minced
* 2 tsps lemon juice
* 1 TBS dried basil
* 1/4 tsp salt
* ground pepper
* 2 tsp olive oil
* 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
* 1 jar of marinara sauce (or about 3 cups of your own sauce)
* 6 oz Follow Your Heart Mozzarella, grated

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large pot of boiling water, cook pasta until al dente (about 9 minutes). Add spinach to the pot during the last 1 or 2 minutes of the cooking time. Meanwhile, crumble the tofu into a bowl. With a fork, mix in the garlic, lemon juice, basil, salt, pepper, olive oil, and nutrtional yeast. Set aside. When the pasta is done, drain the pasta and spinach in a colander, and return to the pot. Add the marinara sauce, the tofu mixture, and about 2 oz of the mozzarella. Mix gently, and place into a 9x13 baking dish. Cover the top with the remaining mozzarella. Cover with foil and bake for 20-30 minutes. Turn the oven to broil (move the oven rack up if you need to), remove the foil, and place pan under broiler for about 5 minutes, just until the mozzarella is melted. Remove from the oven and let stand 5 minutes before serving.

'Meaty' Spinach Pesto Lasagna

Meaty Spinach Pesto Lasagna

A great dish to serve to friends and really impress those meat-eaters. Because the cheese mixture in this recipe was soy-based, I was pleased that the meat was based primarily veggie. Make a huge batch so that you can freeze the leftovers and enjoy another lasagna-based meal later on, without all the prep.

8-12 sheets lasagna, parboiled for 5 minutes (I used Tinkyada rice lasagna)

1 recipe tofu ricotta (recipe follows, or use this one)

about 5 cups homemade or prepared marinara sauce -no sugar

1 batch Spinach Pesto (recipe follows)

1 batch ground “meat" (recipe follows).

Preheat oven to 375F. Grease a 9 inch square pan and 8 inch loaf pan. (If you have a larger pan that equals the same area, please feel free to use it instead of two separate pans).

In a medium-sized bowl, fold the cheese and pesto together, just enough to combine (I left a few blobs of pesto visible here and there–you can mix it in completely if you wish). Set aside.

Line up the different ingredients so they’re ready to go, assembly-line style.

Cover the bottom of each pan with one layer of lasagna noodles. If necessary, overlap the noodles, but no more than 1/4 inch to fit them into the pans (I broke them into smaller pieces to accomplish this).

Measure out about 1-1/2 cups of the sauce and set aside.

Using the remainder of the sauce, spoon a thick layer of sauce over the noodles in each pan (I used about 3/4 cup for the loaf, 1 cup for the square pan). No noodles should be visible.

Divide the cheese mixture in half. Using one half of the cheese mixture, sprinkle it evenly over the sauce in each of the pans (I used about 2/3 of one half to cover the square pan, and 1/3 of one half to cover the loaf–in other words, 1/3 of the total in the square pan and 1/6 of the total in the loaf pan).

Divide the meat mixture in half. Using one half of the meat mixture, sprinkle it evenly over the cheese in each of the pans (I used about 2/3 of one half to cover the square pan, and 1/3 of one half to cover the loaf–in other words, 1/3 of the total in the square pan and 1/6 of the total in the loaf pan).

Repeat the layers one more time, using up all the cheese and meat. Cover with one more layer of noodles, then coat with the reserved sauce.

Bake in preheated oven for 45-60 minutes, until bubbly and browned on the edges. Remove from oven and allow to set for at least 15 minutes before cutting into squares. Makes 8-10 servings. May be frozen.

Spinach Pesto:

1 cup lightly packed fresh basil leaves

1/2 cup lightly toasted walnut halves and/or pine nuts (or use a combination)

2 large cloves garlic, chopped

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, preferably organic

1 bunch fresh spinach, trimmed and washed (stems included)

Combine all ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Use as is or mix with ricotta cheese. Will keep, covered, in refrigerator up to 3 days. May be frozen.

Tofu Basil Ricotta
prep time: 10 minutes | cooking time: none | makes About 2 cups
Use as a filling for stuffed shells, mixed with tomato sauce in pasta or as a topping for pizza.

Ingredients
1 pound firm tofu, pressed
2 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes
handful fresh basil leaves, chopped fine (ten leaves or so)
dash fresh black pepper

Directions
In a large bowl, mush the tofu up with your hands, till it's crumbly.

Add lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper and basil. Mush with hands again, this time you want it to get very mushy so squeeze through your fingers and mush until it reaches the consistency of ricotta cheese. May take 2-5 minutes.

Add olive oil, stir with fork. Add nutritional yeast and combine all ingredients well. Use a fork now, because the oil will make it sticky. Cover and refigerate until ready to use.

Meaty Veg-Based Ground “Meat”:

1 medium head cauliflower, trimmed and washed, broken into florets (about 1 pound after trimming)
2 cups raw walnut halves
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, preferably organic
2 cloves garlic, minced, or 1tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp dried sage
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp liquid smoke
1/2-3/4 tsp fine sea salt, to taste
2 Tbsp Bragg’s liquid aminos, soy sauce, or tamari -omit for an entirely soy-free “meat”

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a large rimmed cookie sheet or rectangular pan with parchment, or spray with nonstick spray.

In a food processor, blend the cauliflower and nuts to a fine meal. Depending on how grainy you like your “meat,” it can be more or less fine; I made mine like a coarse cornmeal.

Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and add remaining ingredients.

Using your hands, knead everything together thoroughly, until the grounds are uniformly coated.

Turn the mixture into the pan and spread out evenly. Bake for 45 minutes and up to 1 hour 15 minutes (it will depend on the size of the pan and how thick the mixture is when you first begin to bake it), stirring after 30 minutes and then every 15 minutes after that, until the meat is dry and brown (if the layer underneath comes up looking wet and white–as cauliflower tends to do–then you need to keep baking).

The grounds will begin to separate and intensify in color as they roast.

Once the meat is cooked, you can cool, package, and freeze it for later use, or use it right away. Will keep, up to 3 days, covered in the refrigerator. May be frozen.

BBQ Tofu Sandwiches

This one's definitely a keeper!


BBQ Tofu Sandwich

Makes: 4 servings
Active time: 25 minutes | Total: 25 minutes

Though vegetarian BBQ may be an oxymoron, once you take a bite of this delicious tofu sandwich topped with coleslaw and dill pickles you will love the contradiction. Serve with: Baked beans and corn on the cob.

1/4 cup thinly sliced onion
1 14-ounce package extra-firm or firm water-packed tofu, drained
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon canola oil
1/2 cup prepared barbecue sauce
1 1/2 cups coleslaw mix or finely shredded cabbage
2 tablespoons low-fat mayonnaise
2 teaspoons red-wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Freshly ground pepper to taste
4 whole-wheat hamburger buns, toasted
4 dill pickle sandwich slices

1. Place onion in a small bowl, cover with cold water and set aside. Stand tofu on its long narrow side. Cut lengthwise into 4 rectangular slabs, each about 1/2 inch thick, and pat dry. Sprinkle with salt.
2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the tofu slabs (depending on the size of your pan, the tofu may slope up the sides a little). Cook until browned on both sides, about 4 minutes per side. Reduce heat to low. Add barbecue sauce and carefully turn the tofu to coat with the sauce. Cover and cook for 3 minutes more.
3. Meanwhile, combine coleslaw (or cabbage), mayonnaise, vinegar, garlic powder and pepper in a medium bowl. Drain the onion.
4. To assemble sandwiches, place about 1/3 cup of the coleslaw (or cabbage) mixture on each bun and top with a tofu slab, a pickle slice and a few onion slices. Spread any sauce remaining in the pan on the top buns.

Tofu Cream Cheese

Tofu Cream Cheese

This vegan cream cheese recipe is perfect on bagels, sandwiches, or anything else that needs a creamy, mildly sweet spread.
Yield 1 cup
Time 5 minutes, plus refrigeration
Tools

* kitchen towel
* food processor or blender
* small container with lid

Ingredients

* 1 c soft, medium, or silken tofu
* ¼ c cashews
* 1-2 T water or soy milk
* 2 t sweetener: raw sugar, maple syrup, or brown rice syrup
* 1 t salt
* ½ t pepper

Drain the tofu, wrap in towel, and squeeze out excess moisture.

Place all ingredients in food processor and blend until smooth, 1-2 minutes. Taste and adjust: add more tofu/water for a thicker/thinner consistency; more sweetener/dash of lemon lemon for sweeter/less sweet flavor.

Transfer to container, cover, and - for best flavor - refrigerate overnight. Use within 4-7 days.

Jazz up this simple recipe with garlic, green onions, herbs, dried fruit, or sun-dried tomatoes.

Non-dairy avocado "sour cream"

Nondairy Avocado "Sour Cream"

Ingredients:
1 Ripe avocado, peeled, pitted
10 1/2 oz Extra firm silken tofu
2 tbl Nutritional yeast
2 tsp Tamari sauce
1/2 Lemon, juiced
6 tbl Water
2 tsp Chopped dill weed
1 tbl Chopped chives
1 tbl Chopped garlic chives



Directions:

In a blender combine all ingredients except dill, chives, and garlic chives, and process until smooth. Stir in herbs and serve.
"Great on top of potatoes or with raw vegetables, vegetable burritos, tacos, or scrambled tofu - anywhere you might use sour cream."

Breaded, Fried, Softly Spiced Tofu

Breaded, Fried, Softly Spiced Tofu


Ingredients:
* 1 (16 ounce) package extra-firm tofu, drained and pressed
* 2 cups vegetable broth
* 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
* 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
* 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 1 teaspoon sage
* 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper



Directions:
1. Cut pressed tofu into 1/2-inch thick slices; then cut again into 1/2-inch wide sticks. Place tofu in a bowl, and pour broth over the top. Set aside to soak.
2. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, yeast, salt, pepper, sage, and cayenne.
3. Warm oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
4. Remove tofu sticks from broth, and squeeze most (but not all) of the liquid from them. Roll sticks in breading. (You may have to roll sticks twice to end up with a fairly dry outer layer of breading.) Place tofu in hot oil; fry until crisp and browned on all sides. Add more oil if necessary.

Tofu veggie pancakes

Tofu kartoffelkuchen

tofu vegetable pancakes

Servings: makes 8 6" cakes
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes per cake
Total time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:
8 medium potatoes,grated
1/2 lb.tofu,blended
1 large onion
1/4 cup fresh parsley,chopped fine
1 tsp salt 1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
3 tbsp.unbleached white flour

Directions:
for each pancake,brush skillet with oil and heat to medium heat. spoon about 3/4 cup of potato mixture into pan and flatten to about 1/2" thick.Fry about 7 minutes on each side until golden brown.Serve with applesauce on the side.

Dessert ... Easter Style

So this weekend is the Easter potluck and so I thought I'd bring a variety of tofu pies, all in Spring color. I've already posted the strawberry pie. Here's the lemon. I might post the lime and orange later, too. It's a toss up :)

Vegan Lemon Bars
-- source: The Joy of Vegan Baking, by Colleen Goudrault

If you don't have an electric mixer, blender or food processor, a sturdy wooden spoon and a big whisk will work. It's more labor intensive and takes longer, but that's how it was done in the good old days before electric labor saving appliances!

Makes Sixteen 2 Inch Squares: These lemon bars are best eaten the same day, but they can be covered and stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Wait until you're just about to serve your lemon bars before you sprinkle them with the confectioners' sugar. Otherwise, it will soak into the bars and you'll miss out on the pretty presentation.

Crust Ingredients:

* 1/2 cup non-hydrogenated, non-dairy butter, at room temperature
* 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
* 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

Filling Ingredients:

* 1/2 cup silken tofu (soft or firm)
* 1 cup granulated sugar
* Zest from 2 lemons
* 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (2 to 3 lemons)
* 2 Tbsp unbleached all-purpose flour
* 1 tablespoon cornstarch
* Confectioners' sugar, sifted

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
2. Grease an 8 x 8 baking pan with canola oil (or use a cooking spray) and sprinkle with just a light dusting of all-purpose flour
3. To make the crust, cream the butter and confectioners' sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the flour, and beat until the dough just comes together
4. Press the crust mixture into the bottom of your prepared pan. Bake for about 20 min, or until lightly browned
5. Remove crust from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool while you make the filling
6. To make the filling, blend the tofu in a food processor or blender until creamy, about 1 minute
7. Add the granulated sugar to the tofu, and blend until nice and smooth
8. Blend in the lemon zest, lemon juice, flour, and cornstarch
9. Pour the filling over the baked shortbread crust and bake for about 20 minutes, or until the filling is set
10. Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool - if the filling isn't completely set, it will set as it cools
11. To serve, cut into squares or bars and dust with the sifted confectioners' sugar

Lemon Pepper Tempeh Bites

Lemon Pepper Tempeh Bites

Total time: 8-10 minutes

Ingredients:
1 loaf of French bread*
olive oil
1 head of romaine lettuce, shredded
1 cucumber, shaved paper thin
vegenaise (vegan mayo)
1 box of lemon pepper marinated tempeh strips (these are the kind I used: http://www.tofurky.com/tempehproducts/marinated_strips.html)
1-2 roma tomatoes, seeded and diced very small(optional)

*whole wheat French bread works wonderfully for this



Directions:
Cut the loaf of French bread into thin diagonal slices. Drizzle 1/2 teaspoon olive oil onto each slice. Toast the slices in the oven or toaster oven until lightly browned. Once the slices are toasted, spread a generous amount of vegenaise onto each slice.

Top each slice of bread with a few shreds of romaine and 1-2 shaved pieces of cucumber. Cut the tempeh strips into small, 1/2 inch pieces and arrange 2-3 pieces on top of each appetizer. If using diced tomato, arrange a few dices on top of the tempeh to add color.

Oven Roasted Tom Tofu :)

Oven Roasted Tom Tofu*


1 pound regular tofu (firm), rinsed and patted dry

Marinade:

3/4 cup water
3 tablespoon soy sauce
3 tablespoon nutritional yeast
1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon onion granules
1/2 teaspoon garlic granules

Coating Mix:
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup yellow cornmeal
1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes
1/2 teaspoon onion granules
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:

Cut the tofu into 1/2-inch-thick slices, and place them in a wide, shallow mixing bowl.

Place all the ingredients for the marinade in small mixing bowl and whisk them together.
Pour the marinade over the tofu, spooning it over each slice.
Turn the slices over so that all sides are coated well with the marinade.
Cover bowl and place in refrigerator.
Let tofu marinate for several hours or overnight, turning slices over occasionally.
When you are ready to cook the tofu, place the ingredients for coating mix in a shallow mixing bowl, and stir well.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Mist a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray, and set aside.

Remove each slice of tofu from the marinade, and dredge it in the coating mix, covering it well all over.
Place tofu on baking sheet.
Mist the tops lightly with nonstick cooking spray.
Bake the tofu until the bottoms are golden brown, about 15 minutes.
Turn slices over, and bake until other sides are golden brown.


Makes about 8 slices (4 servings).

BBQ Tofu

Posting this for Julie.... I can't find the recipe I was looking for, but maybe this will get you started :)



Ingredients

2 lbs. extra-firm tofu, pressed and diced, or skillet fried/ baked
1 1/2 cups ketchup
3 Tbsp. brown sugar
1-2 Tbsp. soy sauce -- I use the Bragg's
1 Tbsp. cider vinegar
1 Tbsp. red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
Salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste



Directions
Combine all the ingredients in a slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours.
Serve on a bed of lettuce or on a hoagie roll.



Non-crockery goodness :)

The BBQ sauce is adapted from Slashfood, this is the tweaked version...

1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 large onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp garlic salt
1 1/2 tsp fresh ground mustard seeds
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
2 tsp smoked paprika
1 cup tomato paste
1/2 cup sparkling apple cider;recipe calls for bourbon. Check here for other subs
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

In a large fry pan over medium heat, heat oil and saute onion and garlic until translucent. Add salt, mustard, parsley and paprika and simmer for 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer on low for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool, then puree in blender until smooth. Use immediately, or store in refrigerator for up to a week.