We can thank my Aunt Treva for this delicious curry recipe and for turning me on to cooking Thai food. Makes 4 servings.
4 cups cooked brown rice
1 14-ounce can coconut milk
1 tablespoon palm sugar (or brown sugar)
1 to 2 tablespoons Thai yellow curry paste
1/4 cup chopped mint
1/2 lime
2 cups broccoli florets
1/2 cup sliced carrots
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 12-ounce package firm or extra firm tofu
2 to 3 kaffir lime leaves chopped (optional)
Stir-fry the broccoli and carrots in oil for 3 to 4 minutes, but make sure they stay firm, since they will continue to cook in the sauce later. Set aside.
Combine coconut milk, sugar, yellow curry paste and lime leaves in a wok or large skillet over medium heat. Cook for 5 minutes or until the coconut milk begins to thicken.
Add chopped mint, juice of 1/2 lime, broccoli, carrots and tofu. Cook at a low simmer for 5 to 10 minutes to let the flavors blend together.
Serve with brown rice and additional lime wedges.
Buy the What Dawn Eats: Vegan food that isn’t weird cookbook for more recipes like this one.
Variations
- Add 1/2 cup chopped pineapple when you add the tofu. If you use pineapple, you might want to reduce or eliminate the sugar.
- Experiment with other vegetables.
- Pre-bake the tofu if you want it to be a little more firm.
- Can easily be made gluten-free.
More information for Yellow Curried Tofu recipe:
- Prep time: 20 min
- Cook time: 20 min
- Total time: 40 min
These can be made fresh for dinner as a variation on the
Grilled Vegetables and Tofu meal, or you can make the sandwich the next day using leftover grilled vegetables and tofu. Be prepared for a huge sandwich that will barely fit in your mouth!
Makes 1 sandwich.
1 hearty sandwich sized ciabatta roll sliced in half (or any other thick, hearty bread)
1 slice grilled tofu (about the size of the roll or 2 small slices)
1 slice grilled eggplant
2 slices grilled zucchini
1 slice grilled bell pepper
3 – 4 sun-dried tomato slices (reconstituted)
4 – 5 whole basil leaves
olive oil for brushing the bread
salt and pepper to taste
Brush the cut side of the bread with olive oil and briefly grill or place it under the broiler for a couple of minutes to lightly toast the bread.
If you aren’t making this with freshly grilled vegetables, heat the grilled tofu, eggplant, bell pepper and sun-dried tomato in the microwave or oven until warm.
Pile all of the ingredients in layers in between the roll for a huge Dagwood sandwich.
Buy the What Dawn Eats: Vegan food that isn’t weird cookbook for more recipes like this one.
Variations
- For a regular sandwich that can be consumed by mere mortals without unhinging your jaw to bite into it, limit the sandwich to tofu, 1 grilled vegetable, sun-dried tomato and basil.
- Experiment with any variety of grilled vegetables or tempeh instead of tofu.
- If your grilled vegetables seem a little dry, you might want to brush the bread with a little extra olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
- Make a low-sodium or gluten-free version by choosing an appropriate type of bread.
More information for Grilled Vegetable and Tofu Dagwood recipe (reduce total time to 5 minutes if using leftover grilled vegetables):
- Prep time: 30 min
- Cook time: 15 min
- Total time: 45 min
This is one of those all day meals that you can serve as easily for breakfast as you can for dinner. It also gets bonus points for being quick and easy to make. Makes 4 servings.
1 pound tofu (pre-packaged baked tofu or baked firm tofu)
1 15-ounce can black beans (rinsed and drained)
1 15-ounce can vegetarian chili
1 cup salsa
2 cups lettuce
1 cup tomato
1/4 cup vegan sour cream
1/4 cup Mango Guacamole recipe
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
Chop the tofu into 1-inch cubes. Put the chili in a pan on the stove. Add tofu and cook for about 5 minutes or until heated through.
Warm the beans and salsa in separate containers in the microwave or on the stove.
On each plate, spoon the beans into a small pile on one half of the plate and top with chili and salsa. On the other side, add lettuce, tomato, sour cream and guacamole.
Sprinkle the whole thing with chopped cilantro. Serve with tortilla shells or tortilla chips.
Pictured with Cilantro Lime Black Beans and avocado.
Buy the What Dawn Eats: Vegan food that isn’t weird cookbook for more recipes like this one.
Variations
- Use a can of refried beans or the Cilantro Lime Black Beans in place of the black beans.
- Add grilled vegetables.
- Replace the guacamole with sliced avocado.
- Serve over a bed of Spanish rice.
- Use 1 recipe of Baked Mexican Marinated Tofu and serve separately, instead of cooking in the chili.
- You could make a low-sodium version with low salt chili and beans and going light on the sour cream.
- Can be easily made gluten-free.
More information for Tofu Rancheros recipe:
- Prep time: 10 min
- Cook time: 5 min
- Total time: 15 min
Grilling is a great way to spend a warm summer evening, since you move the cooking outside and get to enjoy some great summer weather. If you have a big enough grill, make a few extra veggies and keep them around for lunches or to add to other meals. Makes 4 servings.
1 14-ounce package of firm or extra firm tofu
2 batches of Italian Marinade
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 sliced medium eggplant
1 sliced red bell pepper
2 small sliced zucchini
1 onion cut into wedges
8 white button or crimini mushrooms
To make the tofu, follow the instructions for the Soy Marinated Tofu to press the tofu. Instead of the Soy Marinade, you will be marinating it in one of the 2 batches of Italian Marinade. Also eliminate the baking step, since you will be grilling the tofu in a later step instead of baking it.
Turn the grill on over medium high heat.
Put the mushrooms and onion onto skewers to keep pieces of them from falling through the grate. Place all of the vegetables on a tray and brush with olive oil and some Italian Marinade.
If your grill doesn’t have a warming grate above the main grate, you might want to place a plate in the oven and turn it on to 125 degrees to keep any veggies warm that cook more quickly than the others.
Place all of the veggies on the grill or cook in batches. Cook for about 10 to 15 minutes turning the vegetables over after 5 to 7 minutes. Keep a close eye on the vegetables, since they can burn quickly and different grills vary widely in temperatures and cooking times.
Buy the What Dawn Eats: Vegan food that isn’t weird cookbook for more recipes like this one.
Variations
- Experiment with all kinds of different vegetables.
- Simple Dipping Sauce: Instead of using the marinade, brush the vegetables with olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Serve with Vietnamese Peanut Sauce, Thai Peanut Sauce, Tahini Sauce or Soy Ginger Dipping Sauce.
- Balsamic: Instead of using the marinade, brush the vegetables with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.
- Citrus: Instead of using the marinade, brush the vegetables with olive oil. Add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Squeeze some fresh lemon or lime juice on the veggies.
- Replace the Italian Marinade with Asian Soy Marinade.
- Can be easily made low-sodium and gluten-free.
More information for Grilled Vegetables and Tofu recipe:
- Prep time: 30 min
- Cook time: 15 min
- Total time: 45 min
Mexican Marinade
Warning! This Mexican marinade is spicy, but it has a delicious chipotle, lime and cilantro flavor. See the Mexican Marinated tofu recipe below for details about using the marinade.
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
juice of 1 lime
juice of 1 orange
1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro
3 cloves minced garlic
1 teaspoon dried minced onions
1 teaspoon cumin
3 chopped chipotle chili peppers in adobo sauce
1 teaspoon adobo sauce
Combine all ingredients and stir or whisk to combine.
Variations
- Dial back on the chipotle peppers if you want something a little less spicy.
- You could also substitute your favorite spicy chipotle hot sauce to taste in place of the chili peppers and adobo.
- Use this marinade to brush on vegetables before you grill them for a Mexican grilled vegetable meal.
- Can easily be made gluten-free and low-sodium.
More information for Mexican Marinade recipe:
- Prep time: 15 min
- Total time: 15 min
Baked Mexican Marinated Tofu
I use this tofu in tacos, burritos, nacho salads or any other Mexican meal. The Enchilada Casserole is one of my recipes that uses this Baked Mexican Marinated Tofu. Makes 2 to 4 servings.
1 14 ounce package of firm or extra firm tofu
1 batch Mexican Marinade recipe (see above)
vegetable oil
Slice the tofu into 4 or 5 even pieces. Press the tofu to reduce excess moisture by placing a towel on the counter and wrapping the tofu in the towel*. Place a cutting board on top of the tofu and place something heavy on top (cast iron skillet, a couple of cans of tomatoes, etc.) Let sit for 5 minutes. Rearrange the tofu to a dry part of the towel or on a new towel, and press again for about 5 minutes.
Place the tofu in a plastic zipper bag or shallow container. Pour the Mexican Marinade over the tofu and make sure all of the tofu is covered. Marinade for 1 to 3 hours turning the tofu a few times to make sure that all sides are evenly marinated.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Spray or brush a little oil on a cookie sheet. Place the tofu on the oiled cookie sheet. Bake for 20 minutes turning once after the first 10 minutes.
Variations
- Experiment with other marinades.
- If you like your tofu less soft in the middle, bake it at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes, again turning them over at the halfway mark.
- This is also excellent when cooked on the grill.
- Pan Fried Tofu: spray or brush a large, heavy skillet with a small amount of oil. Over medium heat, add the tofu and cook for 5 to 10 minutes on each side.
- Can be easily made low-sodium and gluten-free.
More information for Baked Mexican Marinated Tofu recipe:
- Prep time: 10 min
- Cook time: 20 min
- Total time: 30 min
* Note: If you have fuzzy kitchen towels, you’ll probably want to wrap it in a paper towel first to avoid getting fuzzy lint on your tofu.
For when you just want a big plate of Thai noodles. Vegan Black Metal Chef techniques are optional, but encouraged. 🙂 Makes 4 servings.
1 ounce tamarind paste
3/4 cup boiling water
2 tablespoons tamari
2 tablespoons palm sugar or brown sugar
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
4 ounces rice stick noodles (may be called Pad Thai noodles)
2 cups chopped veggies (broccoli, carrots, etc.)
1 recipe Baked Soy Marinated Tofu
1 to 2 tablespoons peanut oil
1 chopped shallot
2-3 cloves minced garlic
1/2 cup roasted salted peanuts, chopped and divided
1 teaspoon chili paste
1 lime, cut into wedges
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
Place the tamarind paste in the boiling water and set aside while preparing the other ingredients.
Combine the tamari, palm sugar, chili paste and rice vinegar in a small bowl and set aside.
Place the rice stick noodles in a mixing bowl and cover with hot water. Set aside while you prepare the remaining ingredients. Once the other ingredients are measured out into separate bowls, drain the water from the noodles and set them aside. The noodles should be soft and ready to eat. If not, cover with more hot water or boil on top of the stove for a minute or two like you would any other pasta. Drizzle the noodles with an extra tablespoon of tamari if you want to give the noodles a little more flavor.
Cut the tofu into 1/2-inch wide strips, similar to French fries.
Press the tamarind paste and hot water through a fine mesh strainer, pushing as much of the pulp through the strainer as possible and add to the sauce. Discard any remaining pulp or bits that were too big to strain.
Add peanut oil to the pan and heat over high. Add shallots and cook for about a minute. Add the garlic and cook for 10 to 15 seconds.
Add veggies and stir-fry with 1/4 of the sauce for 2 to 3 minutes or until almost done. Add the noodles and stir-fry for another 2 to 3 minutes until the noodles taste done.
Add the tofu and half the peanuts. Add the sauce slowly as needed (you might not want all of the sauce). Toss everything until heated through, but no longer than 1 to 2 minutes total.
Sprinkle with the cilantro and remaining peanuts. Toss to coat. Serve immediately with lime wedges.
Variations
- Replace rice noodles with 2 zucchinis (spiral sliced) for a slightly healthier veggie noodle version. Dunk the zucchini strings in hot water for a minute or until warmed.
- Can be easily made gluten-free.
More information for Tofu Veggie Pad Thai recipe:
- Prep time: 20 min
- Cook time: 5 min
- Total time: 25 min
A delicious way to use an Asian eggplant, and it’s a nice change from the various Thai curries that we usually make for dinner. Makes 4 servings.
Sauce Ingredients
1/4 cup tamari or soy sauce
1-2 tablespoons agave nectar
1-2 teaspoons Thai red curry paste
Other Ingredients
4 cups cooked brown rice
1 tablespoon oil
4 Kaffir lime leaves – thinly sliced into threads
3 cloves garlic
1 shallot
1 large or 2 small sliced Asian eggplants (long and thin)
1 recipe Baked Soy Marinated Tofu
1 sliced red bell pepper
1 cup broccoli florets
1 cup baby corn
10 sprigs of Thai basil with stems on (tear any very large sprigs in a couple pieces)
Combine sauce ingredients and set aside.
Heat oil in a wok or large pan over medium heat. Sauté shallots for 2 to 4 minutes or until they turn translucent.
Increase heat to high and add veggies, garlic and kaffir lime leaves. Stir-fry veggies for 1 to 2 minutes.
Add basil, tofu and sauce. Stir-fry another 2 to 4 minutes until done.
Serve with cooked brown rice.
Variations
- If you can’t find Thai Basil, use 10 sprigs of regular basil, but remove the stems and use the whole leaves.
- Experiment with some other vegetables, like cauliflower and zucchini.
- Can be easily made gluten-free.
More information for Pad Phet – Thai Eggplant recipe:
- Prep time: 15 min
- Cook time: 30 min
- Total time: 45 min
This is a simple Chinese dinner inspired by a meal at Fujin, our local Portland Hawthorne neighborhood Chinese restaurant. Serves 4 people.
Ingredients
2 cups cooked brown rice
1 recipe Soy Marinated Tofu sliced into cubes
4 cups green beans
2 cups sliced carrots
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Sauce Ingredients
1/4 cup tamari
1/4 cup cold water
6 cloves minced garlic
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons agave nectar
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon chili paste
1 teaspoon dark mushroom soy sauce
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
Combine all of the sauce ingredients in a glass measuring cup or small mixing bowl. Stir to combine and set aside. Note that the cornstarch will tend to settle in the bottom, so you’ll want to stir again before you add to the stir-fry.
Heat oil over high heat in a wok or large pan. Add green beans and carrots with about half of the sauce. Stir-fry for 4 to 7 minutes or until the vegetables are tender, but still crisp. Add the remaining sauce and tofu. Cook for another 1-2 minutes.
Serve over rice.
Variations
- Experiment with other vegetables. Onions or red bell pepper would be good additions in place of or in addition to the carrots.
- Can be easily made gluten-free.
More information for Green Beans and Tofu in a Tangy Garlic Sauce recipe:
- Prep time: 30 min
- Cook time: 10 min
- Total time: 40 min
Soy Marinade
This is my standard marinade for tofu that will be baked or grilled and is probably the one that I use most often. Makes 1/3 cup or enough for 14 ounces of tofu
1/4 cup tamari
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
dash of chili flakes to taste
1 clove minced garlic
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
Combine all ingredients and stir or whisk to combine.
Variations
- Experiment with some different spices.
- You can also make a very simple version with just tamari and a little chili paste.
- This marinade can be a little strong for some people. If so, you can add 1/8 cup of water or vegetable broth to tone it down a bit.
- Can be easily made gluten-free.
More information for Soy Marinade recipe:
- Prep time: 5 min
- Total time: 5 min
Baked Soy Marinated Tofu
Perfect for most Asian meals. Makes 2 to 4 servings
1 14 ounce package of firm or extra firm tofu
1 batch Soy Marinade recipe (see above)
vegetable oil
Slice the tofu into 4 or 5 even pieces. Press the tofu to reduce excess moisture by placing a towel on the counter and wrapping the tofu in the towel*. Place a cutting board on top of the tofu and place something heavy on top (cast iron skillet, a couple of cans of beans, etc.) Let sit for 5 minutes. Rearrange the tofu to a dry part of the towel or on a new towel, and press again for about 5 minutes.
Place the tofu in a plastic zipper bag or shallow container. Pour the Soy Marinade over the tofu and make sure all of the tofu is covered. Marinade for 1 to 3 hours turning the tofu a few times to make sure that all sides are evenly marinated.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Spray or brush a little oil on a cookie sheet. Place the tofu on the oiled cookie sheet. Bake for 20 minutes turning once after the first 10 minutes.
Variations
- Experiment with other marinades.
- If you like your tofu less soft in the middle, bake it at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes, again turning them over at the halfway mark.
- This is also excellent when cooked on the grill.
- Pan Fried Tofu: spray or brush a large, heavy skillet with a small amount of oil. Over medium heat, add the tofu and cook for 5 to 10 minutes on each side.
- Can be easily made gluten-free.
More information for Baked Soy Marinated Tofu recipe:
- Prep time: 10 min
- Cook time: 20 min
- Total time: 30 min
* Note: If you have fuzzy kitchen towels, you’ll probably want to wrap it in a paper towel first to avoid getting fuzzy lint all over your tofu.
Vegan Food That Isn't Weird
