Recipe for Spicy Asian Tofu Sandwich with Asian Sriracha Coleslaw

A few years ago Kerby Lane Café (Austin) offered on their summer menu an exquisite vegan sandwich. It was scrumptious. I was disappointed to see it taken off the fall menu, so I worked on copying it, and came up with a version that my husband liked even better.  So, I waited for the next round of summer offerings, sure that I would see the sandwich again at Kerby Lane Café It had been extremely popular, even with the non-vegan customers as well as the servers. Finally, this last summer, it reappeared on their seasonal menu.  They had changed the recipe, and I was devastated. The sandwich was flavorless, the bun had been changed to a boringly bland submarine sandwich bun, and the tofu and coleslaw were tasteless. I ordered it once, and that was enough! Thank goodness I had already worked up a recipe that we enjoy -- I'm tempted to offer it to the person who designs the menus, and to the chef at the restaurant. If you make your own ciabatta rolls, you can make them whole wheat, which is even better, but if you're in a hurry, you have to stick with a white flour ciabatta roll. (I'm lazy about making ciabatta -- you have to make the "sponge" a day or two before you make the bread, and I'm always in a hurry to make (and eat) this sandwich!) The preparation of the tofu is a useful recipe for baking tofu for any recipe. The recipe calls for mirin, which is available in the Oriental Foods section of your supermarket.  For Lake Chapala, you can find it at Superlake .If you don't have it at the moment, you can use a substitute (See below recipe.) Sriracha sauce is an Asian Hot Sauce sold everywhere in the U.S. and In Mexico.  Just look for the red sauce with the rooster on the clear plastic bottle in the Asian section.  It's pretty spicy, so if you've never tried it, you may want to taste it before making this recipe. I am not a fan of horribly spicy food, but I love the flavor of a little sriracha.  It really makes this dish! For ciabatta at Lake Chapala, both SuperLake and WalMart sell them.  If you are in Guadalajara, you can find them at Mega, next to Costco across from the Galerias Mall. Unfortunately I haven't found a ready-made whole wheat ciabatta ...yet!

Spicy Asian Tofu Sriracha Slaw Sandwich

Serves 4

Slaw:

·                     1/3 cup mayonnaise

·                     1 – 2 teaspoons sriracha (2 tsp. makes it very spicy, ½ tsp. makes it mild)

·                     1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

·                     fresh ginger, grated

·                     1 tablespoon rice vinegar

·                     2 cups cabbage

Sandwich:

·                     slices of pan-fried or baked soy sauce tofu

·                     4 ciabatta rolls

·                     Slaw (See recipe above.)

Tofu:     (See “Marinated Asian Tofu Recipe” below.)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1.                   In a bowl whisk together mayonnaise, 1 teaspoon sriracha, salt, ground ginger and rice vinegar. Taste. If you would like it spicier add more sriracha. Stir in cabbage slaw. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

2.                   Cook tofu – pan fry with ¼ cup soy and ¼ cup water, or bake (Preferred method: For an even tastier tofu, see Marinated Asian Tofu recipe below.)

3.                   Slice the ciabatta rolls in half and grill/toast. (I use a Panini grill.) Put tofu slices onto the bottom half of a roll, spoon sriracha slaw on top. Top with remaining half of bun. If desired, add extra sriracha sauce.

4.                   For ease of preparing, cut the buns diagonally in half before you add the tofu.  Then place tofu and cut again, matching the diagonal cuts on the ciabatta.  After placing the slaw, and top bun, gently “saw” through the sandwich so everything in the sandwich  separates easily into two pieces.  Place a toothpick or two to hold it nicely together. 

5.                   Serve immediately.

Marinated Asian Tofu

ä       1 pound extra-firm tofu, drained and pressed

ä       ½ cup mirin (see possible substitutes below)

ä       3 Tablespoons tamari/soy

ä       2 Tablespoons rice wine vinegar

ä       1 Tablespoon sesame oil

ä       1 - 2 teaspoons Asian Chili sauce (Sriracha) (2 tsp. makes it pretty spicy!)

ä       1 or 2-inch chunk of ginger, peeled and minced

ä       2 large cloves of garlic, smashed, or very finely minced

Prepare marinade.  Combine all marinade ingredients in a wide shallow bowl.

For Grilled tofu: Cut the tofu widthwise into four equal slices.  Marinate for an hour, flipping over after 30 minutes. Grease a stove-top grill pan (preferably cast-iron) with vegetable oil.  Preheat over a high flame for about 3 minutes.  Use tongs to distribute the tofu slabs evenly onto the grill.  Gently use the tongs to press the tofu into the grill ridges, to get nice dark lines.  Cook for 3 minutes on one side without lifting, then turn the slabs 90 degrees to create a crosshatched pattern on the bottom of the tofu.  Cook for 2 minutes, then flip over and cook for another 2 minutes. 

For baked tofu:  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Cut the tofu widthwise into eight equal parts.  Marinate for one hour, flipping after 30 minutes.  Place the tofu on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes.  Flip over and bake for another 10 minutes.  Place in the broiler for about 3 more minutes for extra chewiness.

In a Hurry? – If you have no time to wait for the one-hour marinade, place the tofu slices and marinade mixture in a frying pan.  Fry at  low - medium temperature until it begins to brown a little bit. (The marinade will have evaporated and carmelized/browned  the tofu a bit.)

Subsitute for mirin:

1 tbsp of vinegar and one of sugar (dissolved in the vinegar) for 2 cups of sushi rice.

OR: White grape juice mixed with lemon juice or lemon zest

OR: Try plain rice vinegar, add a bit of sugar, and a bit of apple juice to taste. It should come close to mirin.

Recipe for Carrot Soup with African Spices.

Carrot Soup with North African Spices

This carrot soup recipe from the cookbook, Field of Greens, has the aromatic spices of the East.  It’s a favorite. Use a food processor to slice the carrots and the sweet potato. It is important for the flavor of the soup to toast the cumin and coriander seeds and then grind them.

Ingredients:

5 cups               Vegetable Broth prepared with 10 thin coins of ginger root

1 TBSP              Olive oil

1                      Onion, medium sized, thinly sliced (about 1-1/2 cups)

1-1/2 tsp          Salt (divided into 1 tsp. and 1/2 tsp.)

2 cloves             Garlic

1-1/2 tsp          Cumin seed, toasted and ground

1 tsp                 Coriander seed, toasted and ground

2 tsp.                Grated fresh ginger

                        Cayenne pepper

2 lbs.                Carrots, thinly sliced, about 7 cups

1                      Sweet potato, peeled and thinly sliced, about 1 cup 

1/2 cup            Fresh orange juice

1/2 cup            Crème fraîche (Vegan) (See below.)

2 TBSP             Coarsely chopped cilantro

 

·         Make stock and keep it warm.

·         Heat the olive oil in a soup pot and add the onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Sauté over medium heat until it begins to release its juices, about 5 minutes, then add garlic cumin, coriander, ginger, and a few pinches of cayenne.  Cook until the onion is very soft, about 10 minutes, adding a little stock if it sticks to the pan.

·         Add carrots, sweet potato, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 quart stock.

·         Bring to a gentle boil., then reduce the heat, cover and simmer until the carrots are very tender, about 15 minutes. 

·         Puree the soup in a blender or food processor until smooth, using a little extra stock if needed.

·         Return to the pot, add the orange juice, and thin with stock to the desired consistency. 

·         Season with salt to taste and, for additional heat, a pinch or two of cayenne. 

·         Garnish each serving with a swirl of crème fraîche and sprinkle with cilantro.

 

Makes 9 to 10 cups

From: Field of Greens, by Annie Somerville

Crème Fraîche (Vegan)

There are two parts to making vegan crème fraîche. Make the Crème Cheeze, then liquify it a bit more to make the crème fraîche.

Incredible Almond Crème Cheeze

From Vegan Vittles

¼ cup raw (unroasted) whole almonds, blanched and peeled

1 cup water

2 TBSP. fresh lemon juice

2 TBSP. cornstarch

1-1/2 TBSP oil  (olive, avocado, etc.)

1/2 tsp. Nutritional yeast flakes

1/2 tsp. salt

Directions:

• Grind almonds to a fine powder in an electric seed mill or coffee grinder.
• Place ground almonds in a blender with ½ cup water.
• Process the mixture on medium speed to create a smooth, thick cream.
• Add remaining water along with the lemon juice, cornstarch, oil, yeast flakes, and salt, and blend on high until smooth and creamy.
• Pour the blended mixture into a 1-quart saucepan. Place saucepan over medium-high heat, and bring mixture to a boil, stirring constantly, for 1 minute longer. Remove saucepan from the heat, and let the mixture cool.
• Beat the Crème Cheeze well with a fork, wire whisk, or electric beater. Transfer it to a storage container, and chill in refrigerator. The Crème Cheeze will continue to thicken as it chills and will become very firm.  It will keep in the refrigerator for about a week.
• Important: if you are using the Crème Cheeze, as Crème Cheeze, prior to serving, mash and beat the crème cheese again with a fork, wire whisk, or electric beater until it is smooth and creamy.

Yields: about 1 cup

Note: If you are blanching the almonds, make sure they are dry before you grind them.

 

Crème Fraîche

1 cup Almond Cream Cheese

2 1/2 TBSP almond, rice or soymilk

1 tsp of lemon or lime juice

 

Directions:

• Mash and beat the crème cheese again with a fork, wire whisk, or electric beater until it is smooth and creamy.
• Mix together Almond Crème Cheeze, non-dairy milk, and lemon/lime juice. and enjoy over your favorite recipes.

 

This healthy alternative to dairy can be used for sweet and savory dishes.

 

 

Recipe for Vegetable Broth Powder

In the U.S., you can find organic vegetable soup cubes, and in the bulk department of your local health food store you can usually find vegetable soup broth powder, dried vegetables or dried vegetable flakes.  At Lake Chapala, Mexico,  it is sometimes difficult to find vegetable broth powder (or cubes) without MSG. (You can drive into Guadalajara and go to the Palacio de Hierro store, located to the side of the department store in the mall Plaza Andares, but they are a bit expensive.) So I usually bring with me a bag of dried vegetables from North Bay Trading Co.  http://www.northbaytrading.com/ and make my own vegetable soup broth powder. While you’re on their website, check out their soup mixes: 32 Bean + 8 Vegetable, Spicy Southwestern, Minnesota Grown Wild Rice Soup, Organic section, and many other products. They are a high quality, family-run business -- nice people.)

Vegetable Broth Powder

Ingredients:

• 1 part dehydrated vegetable flakes or dried vegetables       
• 3 parts nutritional yeast
• 1/2 part onion powder
• 1/4 part garlic powder
• 1/4 part italian seasoning
• 1/2 part dried parsley

Directions:

Put all ingredients in  a food processor or a blender and pulverize to a fine powder. Store in airtight container.

Use 1 tbsp of broth powder for every  cup of water.  Add salt to taste.

"What Do You Eat?" plus a Great Mayonnaise Recipe

A couple of days ago, I got the question again: “What do you eat?” This question had followed my answer to a previous one: “What do you feed your vegan Great Dane?” After I had given a breakdown of the homemade vegan cooked and raw food, and the homemade vegan kibble and vegan treats that I feed my Dane, the remark was “Your dog eats better than we do!”  I’m sure, in many cases, that is true.  My husband keeps telling me, “No one cooks the way you do any more. No one cooks from scratch anymore. No one cooks as healthy as you do. “

“No one?”

Of course, he is exaggerating a bit, but I am sure that a great deal of people eat only processed food nowadays. Processed food is any food that is heated, cooked, fried, refined, combined with at least one other ingredient, homogenized, denatured, packaged, pasteurized, etc.  If the food has been heated above about 110 degrees Fahrenheit, the precious enzymes are completely destroyed and many vitamins and other nutrients are degraded or lost.

Think about it.  Almost anything you buy at the supermarket that is from a package on the shelf, has reduced nutrient value in comparison with its fresh counterpart. If you want to eat healthy, you need to think, “Shop the perimeter of the store, where the fresh stuff is.” And, if you think about it, it’s even more limited than that. Stay away from the perimeter where the cut up animal body parts are, and the lactating fluid and chicken embryos are.

Cooking from scratch takes a lot of effort. It means that you might have to do some work in the kitchen when you’re already exhausted from a day’s work.  But the important thing to remember is that those fresh enzymes from raw foods, and the increased nutrient values from food made from scratch will inevitably add to your energy and strength. Most of all, healthy food will protect you from illnesses and strengthen your immunity. You will feel better, and you will have more energy, and you will not feel as exhausted.  Trust me, a vegan diet is sooo much more tasty.  The variety of foods and dishes in a vegan diet is vast, and it is vastly more flavorful. 

So, to answer the question of what I eat, I would have to say, “Everything! Everything except putrefying animal body parts, lactation fluid and chicken embryos.  I eat all vegetables, legumes, green leafy vegetables.  To make the meal look more appetizing to my husband who became a vegetarian in June of 2006, and a vegan in April of 2011, I serve things that look like a slab of protein, such as cutlets made of garbanzo beans, other legumes or grains, with mushroom brown gravy, so it looks more like a “standard meal”.  (For holiday dinners I serve a vegan roast, cooked and raw vegetables, mashed potatoes blended with olive oil and fresh garlic. I can make a vegan pumpkin pie that rivals any non-vegan pumpkin pie.)  We eat lots of raw vegetables. (You’d be amazed at the number of raw vegan cookbooks out there -- with the tastiest of recipes.) And then the question comes up: “Aren’t you afraid you’re not getting enough protein?” My answer now is “I’m afraid I’m getting too much protein.”  Why?  Dr. Joel Fuhrman (Eat to Live, Super Immunity) did a study, trying to put together elements in a raw vegan diet, and totaling the protein and, no matter the combination of vegan possibilities,  they could not come up with a diet that did not have sufficient protein.  The truth is, even romaine lettuce has protein! Excess protein has been shown to tax the kidneys and to age a person quickly. We all get plenty of protein.

When we are in Mexico, I don’t have as many temptations to eat processed food.  In the States, when I’m feeling lazy, I have to resist the urge to buy vegan mayonnaise, and make my own instead. It takes only a few minutes to make a jar of my own mayonnaise.  My jar of mayonnaise never sits on a shelf.  It must stay in the refrigerator because it contains no chemicals to preserve it. My favorite recipe for mayonnaise is from Vegan Vittles (1996 version), by Joanne Stepaniak. (The three books I recommend the prospective vegan to buy and use are: Vegan Vittles, Cooking with PETA, and Veganomicon.  (Easily ordered from Amazon.) The first two will give you recipes for the most basic of vegan substitutes, such as mayonnaise and sour cream (as well as other "down-home cookin' " recipes), and the third is a scrumptious vegan “Betty Crocker-like” cookbook, which will teach you how to cook from scratch easily, with joy and without fear.)

Here’s the version of Eggless Mayonnaise that I love:

LOW-FAT EGG-FREE MAYONNAISE

1-1/2 CUPS LITE SILKEN TOFU (FIRM) CRUMBLED (ORGANIC, IF POSSIBLE)

2 TBSP. OIL – I USE AVOCADO OR OLIVE OIL

2 TSP. FRESH LEMON JUICE

2 TSP. APPLE CIDER VINEGAR

1 MINI-SPOON OF STEVIA EXTRACT POWDER

HEAPING ½ TSP SALT

½ TSP PREPARED MUSTARD

 

1. Place ingredients in food processor or in blender and process several minutes (occasionally scraping sides) until very smooth and creamy.

2. Use at once, or transfer to a container and refrigerate.  Keeps for about a week or so.

 

That's all there is.  It's that easy, and it tastes exactly like regular mayonnaise. No, it tastes better!

New Vegan Pasta al Pesto Recipe

I've finally fine-tuned my pesto recipe so I'm happy with it.  This recipe makes a great deal of pesto, so if you are cooking for a few, or you're not that crazy about pesto you might want to cut the recipe in half. We love pesto, and pesto leftovers!

Kathleen’s New Vegan Pesto Recipe

 

[This first olive oil-mushroom-shallot step – marked in yellow-- is optional – BUT it gives the dish a unique, delicious, “full” flavor]. I usually make it without

the mushroom step.

·         Heat in a skillet over medium high heat:

1       TBSP          olive oil

Then add:

2 ½   cups          sliced fresh crimini mushrooms (or slice up portobellos)

¼      cup           shallots, minced

·         Saute for about 4-5 minutes. 

·         Place in food processor and blend until very smooth,:

1       cup           Silken tofu, drained (firm or extra firm)

½      cup           Pine nuts (or walnuts, or blanched almonds)

2       TBSP          Vegan Parmesan (Commercial, or Vegan Vittles
                         Recipe, or optional – can omit if you wish)

2-4    TBSP          Nutritional yeast (or if you omit vegan parmesan, can put                                
                         4 TBSP)

2       TBSP          Olive oil ( for more mouth feel, can put: ¼ or ½ cup)

2       TBSP          Fresh lemon juice

1/2    tsp.            Pepper (or less, to taste)

2       tsp.            Salt (more or less to taste)

4       cloves        Garlic (more, or less, to taste)

·         Taste to see if mixture needs more salt, then:

·         Add to tofu mixture in processor and process until in small, “pesto-size” green bits:

½      cup           Italian flat leaf parsley

1       cup           basil, (sweet Genovese)

·         Combine tofu mixture (and mushroom mixture, if you made it) and toss gently with:

Two 16      oz.    pkgs. Pasta (rotini, farfalle, fusilli, penne, etc. –something with a little “surface” to “hold” the pesto.

This makes a lot of pasta al pesto.  You may want to cut the recipe in half if you are cooking for two or four.  But make the full recipe if you like leftovers.  It’s great cold!