making breakfast tofu

Overview

Time: 15 minutes
Dishes: large pan 

Hello, hello Dear Readers!

I want to share with you what we enjoy for breakfast on most days. Either my husband or I will make our meatless, vegetarian and vegan breakfast sandwiches, which takes about 10 minutes from fridge to table. To make these delicious English Muffin (or bagel, or breakfast burrito, or toast if you like) sandwiches fast, I prepare a package of tofu at the beginning of the week, as the base for the sandwich.

The Breakfast Tofu takes about 15 minutes to cook, hands-off most of the time, and keeps for about 7 days. It is easy to make and not fussy at all. Below is the step-by-step.

Easy Sandwich:

1) Toast the English muffin and vegan sausage patty in the air-fryer for 8 to 10 minutes, 375-degrees.

2) Heat a slice or two of tofu with a slice of vegan cheese in the microwave for 1 minute.

3) Slice onion, jalapeno, tomato (or whatever) while everything cooks.

4) Spread vegan mayo, avocado or salsa on English Muffin.

5) Assemble and season with salt and pepper.

Enjoy!

Making Breakfast Tofu

Makes 10 to 12 slices; doubles easily 

www.ZsusVeganPantry.com

1. Tofu: Rinse the tofu and slice into 10 to 12 slices. Do this while the tofu is in the package container to keep the tofu together and make it easy to transfer to the pan.

1 package tofu (any type except silken)

1. Sauté: Add oil spray to a large pan set over medium heat. Add the Tofu slices, cramming them into the pan. Cook the slices until golden on the bottom, about 5 minutes. 

Oil spray

2. Flavoring: Sprinkle the turmeric and nutritional yeast evenly over the Tofu. Add salt to taste. Pour the water over the Tofu slowly and evenly. Use a spatula to gently loosen the tofu from the bottom of the pan. If using black salt, keep in mind that the black salt will also add saltiness. Add black salt after tofu is cooked because heat dissipates the flavor of black salt. Adding the water slowly and evenly will mix the yeast and turmeric efficiently. 

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes

1/16 teaspoon (half of ⅛ teaspoon) turmeric 

Salt

1 cup water

3. Cook: Cook the Tofu in the Flavoring until the liquid evaporates, about 4 to 7 minutes. Store until needed, up to 7 days, and season with black salt after reheating, if desired,. 

© 2020 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

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holiday roast

  

Overview

Time: 3 to 4 hours, mostly hands-off ; more time-consuming than difficult
Dishes: large bowl, measuring cups, roasting pan, medium pot 

Hello, hello Dear Readers!

I have been wanting to post this meatless, vegetarian and vegan recipe for the Holiday Roast for a long time (years!), but I guess the holidays get in the way. This year, with my girls spread to different parts of California (son and his hubby are with us through the pandemic), I *really* wanted to get this recipe out there.

So, yes, it is very late - but not too late - you can still make this. The oddest ingredient is the grain coffee (or instant decaf coffee will do). The recipe is very doable.

Game Plan:

Umami Flavoring

Easy Savory Broth Mix

Roast (takes about 3 hours to cook)

Glaze (make while Roast cooks)

Gravy and other accompaniments

 

I will update with current photos and video (hopefully!). 

Helpful tip: the flavor of your gravy is in the roux, so cook it to golden brown.

I will be very available for blog questions, so don't hesitate to reach out if you have questions or issues.

Enjoy!

Umami Flavoring:

Easy Savory Broth Mix:

Roast Dry and Wet Ingredients:

Wet Ingredient in Blender and Blended. Notice how smooth the tofu is:

Kneading Roast: First stir the batter together and then start kneading.

Troubleshoot: Depending on your vital wheat gluten and on measuring, you might need to add a few tablespoons of extra gluten flour to make the mass kneadable. Don't add too much (max is around 3 tablespoons - the third photo is where I added 2 tablespoons of extra gluten because it was not holding together), but be able to knead it together. 

It should still be tacky and sticking a bit to your hand as you knead. Also, the gluten flour takes a few minutes to absorb all the liquid so don't stress if it looks like it won't be a cohesive mass.

The last photo is what the gluten looks like after 8 minutes of hand kneading. You can go longer if you want. 

Cooking Broth:

Forming and Wrapping the Roast: There are two kinds of cheesecloth - either one is fine.

Wrap like a burrito and tie as best as you can. Not tight and not loose. The gluten will expand.

Add Roast to Pan. Roll the roast in the liquid to moisten the cheesecloth. Cover with parchment and then foil. Seal tightly and bake.

Glaze: 

Glaze the Roast: Once the roast is cooked, unroll and place on baking sheet. I glazed it twice, but did not flip it. One-sided glaze for us.

This is from a reader:

"This is how we did. First time making our own Thanksgiving meal. Thanks for the detailed instructions!" 

~ K.D. A.D. and C.H.

For Best Printing, Highlight the text between the notations, right click and select Print:

Highlight from the title Complete Holiday Roast Recipe ----->

COMPLETE HOLIDAY ROAST RECIPE

The recipe, as written, is for 8 servings. For a large family, make it as Holiday Roast and double the ingredients where noted.

www.ZsusVeganPantry.com

Umami Flavoring Makes 3/4 cups

1.  Combine: Mix in a small bowl. Transfer to a mason jar and store in the refrigerator.

1 cup nutritional yeast

1/4 cup instant grain or decaf coffee

1/4 cup tomato paste

1/4 cup tamari

2 tablespoons water

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon garlic granules/powder

1 teaspoon onion granules/powder

Easy Savory Broth Mix Makes 1/2 cup; doubles easily 

1. Blend: Add the ingredients to a blender. Use the flat blade, if possible:

1/2 cup nutritional yeast

3 teaspoons onion powder

2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons dried sage

2 teaspoons paprika

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon dried oregano 

2. Blend well into a powder. Transfer to an air-tight container and store away from light.

3. Use: Add 1 teaspoon to 1 cup of water. Mix well. 

4. Optional: add an equal amount of nutritional yeast to the recipe. For instance, if making a cup of broth, add 1 teaspoon of Savory Broth Mix to 1 cup water PLUS 1 teaspoon of nutritional yeast. 

 

Glaze (double recipe for Holiday Roast) Makes 1 cup

1. Onion: Heat a medium pan over medium heat. Add and cook for 3 minutes:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 cup minced onions

4 garlic cloves, minced

 

2. Liquid: Add the rest of the ingredients to the Onion mixture. Bring to boil and reduce to simmer. Cook until it reduces to 1 cup, about 15 minutes:

1 cup apple juice or 3 tablespoons applesauce

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup tamari

1/4 cup sweet rice wine (not vinegar)

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2-inch ginger

1/8 teaspoon cayenne

3 tablespoons whiskey (optional)

3. Heat Roast: Heat oven to 350-F. If the Roast is cold, cook for 30 minutes to heat first, on a baking sheet.

4. Glaze Roast: Set oven to 350-F. Baste the Roast with the prepared glaze and bake for 15 minutes. Flip Roast and glaze and bake for another 15 minutes. Repeat if more glaze is desired.

Gravy (double recipe for Holiday Roast) Makes 8 servings

1. Base: Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the vegetables and cook for 4 minutes:

3 tablespoons olive oil or vegan butter

1/2 cup minced onions

3 garlic cloves, minced

 

2. Roux: Add the herbs and flour and cook until the flour smells nutty and is golden brown, about 3 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly:

1 teaspoon thyme

1/2 teaspoon rosemary

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1/4 teaspoon sage

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon Easy Savory Broth Mix

 

3. Broth: Add the broth slowly, while whisking the Roux to prevent lumps. When all the broth is added, bring to boil and reduce to simmer. Simmer the mixture until it is as thick as you like, about 5 to 10 minutes. Thin with vegan milk, water or broth, if desired. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper:

2 cups vegetable broth

Salt and black pepper, to taste 

Roast (double recipe for Holiday Roast)

Makes 8 servings

1. Dry Mix: Combine in a large bowl and set aside:

2 3/4 cup (350 grams) vital wheat gluten (stir gluten before measuring)

1/2 cup chickpea flour

 

2. Blender Mix: Combine in a blender. Blend well and add to the Dry Mix in the large bowl:

1 cup water

1 (14-ounce) firm tofu

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tablespoon Umami Flavoring

3 tablespoons nutritional yeast

2 tablespoons Easy Savory Broth Mix

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon onion granules/powder

1 teaspoon garlic granules/powder

3. Knead: Combine the Blender Mix and Dry Mix in the large bowl. Knead for 10 minutes. This is easier in a bread machine or stand mixer, but doable by hand. Take a break half-way through. Set aside while you prepare the broth.

4. Cooking Broth: Combine in a roasting pan and set aside:  

4 cups vegetable broth

5 garlic cloves

1 teaspoon thyme

1 teaspoon paprika

5. Form: Form the gluten into a 6-8-inch long log and roll in a cheesecloth. Tie with twine and add to the Cooking Broth. Cover tightly with parchment paper and foil and put in oven. Bake at 300-F (no need to preheat) for 3 hours. Flip the roast every hour.

 

6. Cool or Glaze. Unwrap Roast to cool or Glaze.

 

© 2020 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

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seitan picatta

Overview

Time: 30 minutes
Dishes: large skillet, 2 pie plates (or shallow dishes), measuring cup, lemon juicer

Hello, hello Dear Readers!

I've blogged about Picatta a few times before, so if you haven't given it a try, yet, it really seems I would like you to. This meatless, vegetarian and vegan version is the fastest I can come up with, while keeping the recipe as delicious. 

This is seitan in a lemon-broth sauce and is really delicious. I've mostly seen it with capers, so toss in a few teaspoons if you are a caper fan, but I like to keep it simple. No capers here. 

We always have mashed potatoes with this and garlic greens, and all told, dinner was on the table in 45 minutes. The Picatta itself took 30 minutes, so I started the potatoes and even the brussels sporuts, first. 

I used my large skillet for the greens so had to settle with a medium skillet for the seitan and, thus, had to brown the seitan in three batches. Even with this additional timing for the extra batch, the dish was ready in 30 minutes.

Because some breading falls off while cooking, you might need to wipe the pan with a towel between batches to remove the burnt breading. 

We had a diner come a little late to the table, to his woe; all the "seconds" were gone. It really is that good. 

Enjoy!

Speedy Cooking Tips:

• If making mashed potatoes, start those on the highest/strongest burner first. Then move to a lower burner when cooking the seitan (to allow the stronger heat for cooking the seitan).
• Use a cake pan for the breading and coating.
• Prepare the breading, coating and cut the seitan. 
• When breading the seitan, add the slices right from the coating and shimmy the pan back and forth to coat the pieces. This will avoid having to flip them.
• When cooking the seitan don't worry about getting everything evenly browned; it'll all go away with the sauce.
• Prepare the broth and lemon juice while the seitan browns.

 

Picatta

Makes 4 servings 

easy

Serve with mashed potatoes and greens. 

1. Seitan: Cut a loaf of Easy Simple Seitan into 1/4-inch thick slices.

14-ounces Easy Simple Seitan (1 loaf)

2. Breading: Combine the ingredients in a cake pan and stir well:

1 cup dried regular breadcrumbs

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon salt

3. Coating: Combine the ingredients in a second cake pan and stir:

6 tablespoons unsweetened nondairy milk

3 tablespoons cornstarch

4. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil. Dredge a few slices of Seitan in the Coating and then in the Breading. Add to the skillet. Repeat with as many slices as will fit. Cook until golden on both sides, about 5 minutes, and remove to a plate. Repeat until all the seitan is cooked. You might need to wipe the pan between batches to avoid burnt breading.

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

5. Sauce: Add to the empty skillet the broth and lemon juice. Cook until reduced by about a third, over medium heat, about 5 minutes.

2 cups vegetable broth

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

6. Serve: Add the Seitan to the Sauce and cook for 2 minutes to thicken the Sauce. Serve.  

 

 

© 2020 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

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back to basics - vegan sour cream

A few days ago I read a comment on another blog that vegan sour cream was hard to locate for the author. Whether you have easy access to vegan sour cream or not, this recipe, another one that didn't make it into my cookbook, Everyday Vegan Eats, is the perfect vegan sour cream recipe for any number of reasons: lack of availability or a need-to-know the ingredients in your condiment.

I did a lot of research into what makes dairy cream turn into dairy sour cream and I am here to share the delicious news.

Dairy sour cream is made by culturing cream. Dairy yogurt is made by culturing milk. The difference between cream and milk is the fat content. Cream is much higher in fat and therefore, dairy sour cream is higher in fat. Milk is lower in fat and therefore yogurt is lower in fat. 

It stands to reason that the difference between sour cream and yogurt is the fat content. This is the key to making homemade vegan sour cream taste delicious! Stirring vegan butter (homemade or store-bought) into homemade vegan yogurt adds much needed richness to the yogurt, which is easily made at home, and thus results in vegan sour cream. Add a little more tang to the yogurt and behold: homemade vegan sour cream. 

The tang is the next challenge. Yogurt has some of its own tang, but to make sour cream we need to add just a tad more. Most vegan sour cream recipes use lemon juice to achieve that tang, but adding just lemon juice is not enough - another dimension is needed since lemon juice alone leaves the typical homemade vegan sour cream flat.

This is where lime juice is useful. Lime juice is tangy, but since it is slightly different from lemon juice, it layers the tangy goodness, and thus offers another needed dimension of flavor without adding any unusual acid, such as vinegar.

You must use homemade vegan yogurt for this (link to yogurt making steps and recipe). All store-bought yogurt tested in this recipe did not taste good. In fact, your own homemade yogurt cultured with your own homemade yogurt is the very best! The only exception might be, which I haven't tried, yet, is Whole Soy, which has been off the market for a while, but is now back on the shelves.

Make sure that you drain your yogurt for four hours before making the sour cream. Use cheesecloth layered 8 times or a nut milk bag. Set the yogurt in the cheesecloth, set the cheesecloth in a strainer and set the strainer over a bowl. 

Now you can make your own creamy, dreamy, tangy vegan sour cream at home, in a few easy steps.

STEP 1: ASSEMBLE INGREDIENTS

INGREDIENTS: VEGAN YOGURT, VEGAN BUTTER, SILKEN TOFU, LEMON AND LIME JUICE, SALT

STEP 2: BLEND ALL THE INGREDIENTS AND CHILL TO THICKEN

VEGAN SOUR CREAM PRINTER-FRIENDLY RECIPE

Speaking of Everyday Vegan Eats, 

Vegan Crunk of Cookin' Crunk, reviewed Everyday Vegan Eats and I deeply appreciate it. She made this Creamy Macaroni Salad from EVE. Thank you, Bianca!

The Vegan Cookbook Aficionado by Maggie did a bang up job of reviewing the book, complete with gorgeous photos, such as this one of the Deli Reuben:

Photo by Maggie Muggins of Vegan Cookbook Aficionado

And in case you have't seen the recipe for Baked Macaroni and Cheese, Chic Vegan has posted it:

From around the web, a few other bloggers have taken precious time and energy to review Everyday Vegan Eats, such as another one of my fabulous testers, Claire of Great Vegan Expectations, who has this great photo of Flaky Buttermilk Herb Biscuits.  Thank you, Claire!

And VegBlogger, who reviewed the book and made my kids' favorite dish: Tater Tot Casserole. Thank you for your review and kind words!