huli huli tofu

Overview

Time: 30 minutes
Dishes: cake pan (or shallow pan), grill pan, measuring cup

Hello, hello Dear Readers!

Today's meatless, vegetarian and vegan dish is from Hawaii and is technically a grilling dish. The term "huli" means to turn, as the ingredients are placed between two racks and turned to grill both sides. According to lore, this was the idea of a Honolulu businessman, and since the teriyaki-style sauce became popular, he tradmarked the recipe and sold it. 

I used a grill pan on the stove, but you can grill outdoors, if you want. Press the tofu for a few minutes, to get most of the liquid out, and then marinate it overnight (if you want) or as little as ten minutes (which is what I did). I supplemented with green beans, which is actually quite nice, so go for it. Substitute zucchini or Gardein scallopini. Grilling is another 10 minutes or so and the dish is ready.

Cook some rice and serve with a green salad and a simple dressing. Have mangoes on the side, to boost authenticity. 

Enjoy and Happy Fourth!

Speedy Cooking Tips:

• Press the tofu right away.
• Prepare rice (if using).
• Get all the ingredients out and the grill pan.
• Prepare the marinade while the tofu presses.
• Marinate the tofu before cleaning the green beans.
• Preheat the grill pan for 5 minutes.

 

Huli Huli 

Makes 4 servings 

easy

Serve with: Rice, Green Salad and mangoes

1. Tofu: Press the tofu for 5 minutes using a press or wrap in a lint-free kitchen towel (which has the same effect). Then slice the tofu into 10 slices the long way.

1 package firm or extra-firm tofu

2. Marinade: Combine the ingredients in a shallow cake pan (or another shallow dish). Mix well.

1/2 cup ketchup

6 tablespoons tamari

6 tablespoons brown sugar

1/4 cup rice or apple cider vinegar

1-inch ginger, grated

1 teaspoon minced garlic

3. Green Beans: Add to the Marinade the Tofu and trimmed green beans. Set aside overnight or 10 minutes:

2 large handfuls green beans

4. Grill: Prepare outdoor grill or preheat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Brush the pan with oil or use oil spray. Grill the Tofu 4 minutes per side, rotating the tofu 45-degrees halfway through. This leaves pretty grill marks and prevents tofu from burning. Grill the Green Beans until tender. Brush the tofu and green beans with the Marinade as they grill. 

5. Serve: Serve the Huli Huli with rice, green salad with an Italian dressing, and mangoes. 

© 2020 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

green enchiladas

Overview

Time: 45 minutes
Dishes: large skillet with lid, baking dish (9X13), oven

Hello, hello Dear Readers!

Today's meatless, vegetarian, and vegan dish is relatively easy to make, given that it is enchiladas! When I was testing my first book, I had a tester make a comment that she thought the enchiladas in that book would be fast and she wondered why she ever thought enchiladas would be fast! I sped up the time for Vegan Bowls, but I wanted to make an enchilada dish that could be quick.

Well, here it is!

I used Gardein, which gets cooked in the pan before the rest of the filling (Quick tip: cook Gardein products with the lid on, from frozen, until golden. It will stay moist and thaw quickly, while becoming golden on the outside.) You can, of course, skip the Gardein and add spinach and zucchini instead, keeping it all vegetables.

The sauce is Green Enchilada sauce from a can, but you won't notice. I used Daiya cheese for this, but again, no issues with skipping it.

Big tip! After rolling the enchiladas, spray with cooking oil to keep the tortillas soft and delicious after baking.

Enjoy!

 

Speedy Cooking Tips:

• Get all the ingredients out and the baking dish and pan prepared.
• Cook the Gardein (or sub with zucchini, chopped) while you chop the onions. Use a lid!
• Preheat the oven when you start cooking the onion, again, use a lid.
• Cook the tortillas while the filling is cooking. 
• Use a scooper to fill the enchiladas - easier and less messy.

 

Green Enchiladas

Makes 4 servings 

moderate

Serve with: Green Salad

Preheat oven to 450-F

1. Protein: Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Cook scallopini until golden, on both sides, about 8 minutes, covered with a lid. Remove to a cutting board and chop when cool enough.

4 Gardein scallopini

2. Filling: To the now empty skillet, add the onion, garlic, corn and cumin and cook until lightly browned, about 8 minutes, covered with a lid:

1 onion, minced

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup frozen corn

1 teaspoon ground cumin

3. Add to the skillet the Chopped Protein, chilies, sauce and cheese. Bring to boil and simmer for 3 minutes:

2 (4-oz) cans green chiles

1 (10-oz) can green enchilada sauce**(need 2 cans total)

1/2 cup vegan shredded cheese (optional)

4. Tortillas: cook the tortillas in the microwave (wrapped in damp towel for 1 minute) or over the stove burner and then wrap in towel to steam:

16 corn tortillas

5. Fill: Use a scooper to fill the warm Tortillas with the Filling and place, seam-side down, in a 9X13 baking dish. Spray with cooking oil and add the other can of enchilada sauce. Top with cheese, if using:

Oil spray

1 (10-oz) can green enchilada sauce

1/2 cup vegan shredded cheese (optional)

6. Bake and Serve: Cover dish with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Uncover and bake until the cheese melts, 5 minutes (optional). Serve.  

© 2020 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.