katsu banh mi (aquafaba recipe)

Happy Friday! Let's kick off the weekend with a larger than life sandwich! This sandwich incorporates my two new favorite things: aquafaba and air fryer. My two new favorite toys to play with. 

I present to you: Katsu Banh Mi. Katsu means "cutlet" and this is a tofu cutlet that is battered in panko crumbs and air fried to perfection.

This may seem to be a daunting recipe, but it really is more a matter of organization than anything else. In addition, the aioli, the tofu and the pickles can all be done ahead of time, leaving the cooking and assembling for the last minute.

First and foremost, you need to infuse some flavor into the tofu and the best way to do that is to cook it with the marinade and then let it marinate overnight or up to a week. This process hearkens back to the Breast of Tofu recipe, created by Bryanna Clark Grogan of Vegan Feast Kitchen.

For the pickles, it is just a matter of assembling the brine and pickling the cucumbers until you are ready to serve them.

For the aioli, again, just mix and set aside. This is tonkatsu type sauce/aioli that usually accompanies fried cutlet dishes.

Finally, it is time to bread and fry the tofu. Batter it using an aquafaba-wash (if you have it) mixed with plenty of ginger and garlic. Then use your air fryer to get them golden and crisp. If you don't have an air fryer, just pan fry them in 1/4-inch oil until golden on both sides, about 2 minutes per side.

Once you have all the components ready, it is time to assemble! Top with chiles, herbs, the aioli and the pickles.

And then you wind up with this delicious monster of a sandwich! For the banh mi rolls, using refrigerated dough, use the recipe HERE.

Katsu Banh Mi
Makes about 4 servings

Note: You can make the following up to 3 days ahead: Aioli, Pickles and Tofu.

Aioli:
1/4 cup vegan mayo, vegan sour cream or soft tofu
2 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoons vegan worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons coarse sugar (or 1 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar)

Pickles:
1/4 cup hot water
1 tablespoon coarse sugar (or 2 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded and sliced

Tofu:
1 (14-ounce) package firm tofu, pressed for 1 hour
2 cups water
3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried sage

Katsu:
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
6 tablespoons aquafaba or nondairy milk
1/4 cup all-purpose flour or cornstarch
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon finely grated ginger

Sandwich:
4 hoagie or banh mi rolls
Slices of jalapeno
Cilantro or basil

1. Aioli: Combine the mayo, ketchup, worcestershire, and sugar in a small bowl. Mix well and set aside. If using tofu, blend well in a small blender.
2. Pickles: Add the hot water to a small bowl. Stir in the sugar and salt and mix to dissolve. Add the vinegar and cucumbers and stir to mix. Press the cucumbers down into the brine. Set aside for an hour or 3 days.
3. Tofu: Cut the tofu into 1/2-inch slices the long way (so that you have long thin slices of tofu). Heat the water, yeast, parsley, salt, thyme, and sage in a medium pot over medium heat. Bring to boil and add the tofu. Simmer for 10 minutes and set aside for at least an hour or up to 3 days. 
4. Katsu: Combine the panko with salt and black pepper, to taste, in a shallow bowl and set aside. Combine the aquafaba, flour, garlic and ginger in a shallow bowl. Mix well. Dredge the tofu in the liquid mixture and then dredge in the panko. Spray with oil and add to the air fryer (or oven, preheated to 375-degrees F). Set the airfryer to 390 degrees and cook for 15 minutes or until golden and crisp. 
5. Make the sandwiches by toasting the bread, spreading with the tonkatsu aioli, adding a tofu to cover the roll, adding the cucumbers (drained), jalapenos and herbs. Serve. 


© 2016 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

PIN IT!

caesar kale chips

I know you have a favorite kale chip recipe, but I'm sure there is room for one more, right?

I also know that adding too much moisture to kale chips leads to soggy and browned kale, instead of gorgeous looking, crispy chips, so I thought I'd tackle this one for you and see if, indeed, Caesar Kale Chips is even possible.

I'm happy to report, that, yes, they are. You will need ingredients for making a good Caesar dressing, lemon juice, garlic, miso, olive oil and Worcestershire sauce.  I am adding ground sunflower seeds to the chips to add a bit more texture that is reminiscent of Parmesan cheese.

Especially because we are adding extra moisture to this recipe, it is even more important to thoroughly dry the kale.

For this recipe, you need to puree your garlic, but because the liquid amount is so low, you can't blend it using a machine.

Here is how to puree garlic without a machine:

1. Mince the garlic.

2. Using  the back of the knife, press down on the garlic and pull the knife toward you, essentially scraping the garlic against the board and knife. Add salt to increase traction.

3. In the picture below, you can see that my dominant hand is hold the hilt firmly down, while my other hand is pressing on the flat of the blade, pushing it down and pulling it toward me in one smooth motion.

4. Repeat, scraping the garlic together and repeating this process, until the garlic is pureed.

Then is is just a matter of mixing the marinade, coating the leaves and baking them.

If you have an air fryer (I didn't have one at the time of this shooting), you can use your air fryer to make this. Check out Becky's video (of Glue and Glitter), and see how she makes her Ranch Kale Chips.

Caesar Kale Chips
Makes 3 to 4 servings

1 1/2 to 2 bunches kale, stems removed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons white miso
1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
2 garlic cloves
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoons ground sunflower seeds

1. Preheat the oven to 250-degrees F. Tear the kale into large pieces and set aside in a large bowl.
2. Combine the olive oil, lemon juice, miso, and worcestershire sauce in a small bowl. Using the back of your knife, crush the garlic and keep crushing it until it is pureed. Add the salt and keep smashing the garlic; the salt helps to puree the garlic. Add the garlic to the miso mixture and stir well.
3. Add the miso mixture to the kale. Toss very well but don’t crush the kale. Add the kale in a single layer to a baking sheet and bake until crisp, 25 minutes. Stir halfway through cooking. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool for a few minutes to crispen.  


© 2016 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

PIN IT!