salted pepper tofu

one of my favorite chinese restaurants in sd is royal manderin in national city.  they make the best salted pepper chicken wings (when i used to eat chicken that is).  since being vegetarian, it's ironic that they came up with a salted pepper tofu dish!!!  my mom always orders it for me when we have family parties.   here is my play on their dish.  all i can say is once i was done cooking it, i couldn't keep my hands off of it while i was taking this photo! soooooo delicious!

1 package of fried tofu cubes ( i made it easier on myself but if you want, go ahead and buy a package of tofu and fry it yourself).

2 bunches of finely chopped green onions
salt and pepper
5-8 cloves of minced garlic
garlic salt
red pepper
1-2tbs red chili oil
2-3 tbs canola oil



directions:
1)  heat both oils on medium heat.
2)  saute garlic and red pepper together.  make sure you keep stirring to avoid burning the garlic.
3)  add tofu and constantly stir making sure all the tofu is coated with garlic and chili oil. cook until tofu is heated through. season with salt, pepper and garlic salt.
4)  add green onions and cook for about 2-3 more minutes.

tofu lettuce wrap

ingredients:
1 carrot, diced
1/4 white onion. diced
1 celery stalk, diced
1/2 block of firm tofu
1-2 tbsp thai chili sauce
1 tbsp hoison sauce
salt and pepper to taste
5-6 butter lettuce leafs for wrap
1-2 tsp olive oil

directions:
1)  in a pan, heat olive oil on medium heat
2)  saute onions, celery, and carrots
3)  when the onions are tranlucent, crumble in the tofu.  add salt and pepper and mix.  cook for about 5-7 minutes.
4)  add chili and hoison sauce and mix in.  cook for another 2-3 minutes.
5)  spoon in mixture into lettuce leafs and wrap.  enjoy!

tofu teriyaki

the other day, i popped in some ready made chicken terryaki  trader joe meal in the oven for my hubby.  when i pulled out the chicken i felt sick to the stomach from the smell of meat.  although the teriyaki sauce heating up in a seperate pan smelled pretty darn good. i was inspired to cook up some tofu teriyaki during the week.

running short of time during the week to prepare my dinners ( i'm currently taking 2 night classes on tues/wed/thurs this spring) i decided to make the terryaki sauce last night and marinate the tofu overnight to save time before i head to class.  all i had to do when i got home from work today was fry up the tofu.  i even garnished it with onions from my garden!  yummmm.

teriyaki sauce marinade ingredients:
1/4 cup of soy sauce
1 cup of water
2 tbsp of ginger
4 tbsp of brown sugar
3 cloves minced garlic
1/4 cup of cold water

directions:
1) combine 1 cup water, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic and ginger in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
2) in a bowl, dissolve cornstarch in 1/4 cup of cold water and add to sauce.
3) stir constantly to allow the sauce to thicken on medium low heat. if the sauce is too thick add a little water or soy to thin.
4)  set sauce aside to cool.

teriyaki tofu ingredients:
a block of tofu
1/2-1cup of cornstarch
teriyaki sauce
vegetable or canola oil
sliced chives or green onions

tofu preparation:
1)  cube a block of tofu.  http://www.cookthink.com/reference/309/How_to_cube_tofu
2)  place in a container or large ziplock bag.
3)  pour teriyaki sauce over tofu making sure that all the tofu is completely covered.  marinate  a minimum of 1 hour or overnight.  do not use all the teriyaki sauce.  make sure you reserve at least 1/2-1cup for the finished dish.
4) in a frying pan, heat oil on medium heat.  put enough oil in the pan brown the tofu cubes.  you are not deep frying them!
5) on a flat surface or plate sprinkle a 1/2 cup of cornstarch evenly coating surface.  take tofu cubes out of the marinade (make sure you shake off any extra marinade) and lightly coat all sides of the tofu cube with the cornstarch.

6)  fry tofu cubes until all sides are brown.  about 2-3 minutes on each side.
7)  in a bowl, toss fried tofu and the remainder of the teriyaki sauce.  garnish with chives and enjoy!

fried tofu with sweet chili sauce and chilled peanut soba noodles

there's a thai restaurant close that me and my husband love!  besides the delicious authentic thai food, they have a separate menu for vegetarians!  my husband usually gets a crispy fried sweet chili fish dish topped with mushrooms and bell peppers.  when they deliver the dish to our table the smell of the of the chili sauce is unbelievable.  although i wouldn't eat the fish, i would sneak a dip of the sauce with some of my tofu.

today for dinner, as i made a peanut soba noodle dish  i was trying to figure out what type of tofu dish would go with it.  as i was preparing the soba dish and adding the rice vinegar to the mixture, i thought to myself if thai dishes used rice vinegar.  i then realized that the secret ingredient to the chilli sauce from the thai restaurant was rice vinegar!!!  so i tried adding rice vinegar to sweet chili sauce and that was it!!! i've been trying to figure out what was in that sauce for sooooo long!

**fried tofu with sweet chili sauce recipe**

ingredients
4 oz of tofu, thinly sliced
2/3 cup of sweet chili sauce
1/4 cup of rice vinegar
4-5 tbs saracha hot sauce
1/4 cup of red and green pepper
salt and pepper to taste

directions:
1) fry tofu until golden brown and set aside.
2) while your frying the tofu get started on making the chili sauce. whisk rice vinegar, hot sauce, sweet chili sauce, salt and pepper in a bowl.  add peppers after about 5 minutes into cooking the sauce.
3) add sauce into a small pot and heat on medium low.  once the sauce starts to boil, set temperature to low.
4)  arrange fried tofu on a platter and spoon sauce over tofu.

chilled peanut soba noodles
*adapted from food network*
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/claire-robinson/chilled-peanut-soba-noodles-recipe/index.html
ingredients:
kosher salt
8 ounces soba (buckwheat) noodles
1/4 cup natural crunchy peanut butter
1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 to 3 teaspoons chili sauce (recommended: Sriracha)
chopped cilantro for garnish (my twist)

directions:
1)  Bring a large pot of water to a boil; overt high heat. Add a generous amount of salt and stir in the noodles. Cook according to package instructions; drain and rinse well under cold running water.

2)  Meanwhile, whisk the peanut butter, vinegar, soy sauce and chili sauce in a large bowl until smooth. Add the drained noodles, and with tongs, toss until coated with the dressing.  Garnish with cilantro.  Serve immediately or chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

Note: If chilling noodles, toss with 1 to 2 tablespoons water to loosen them before serving.

korean kalbi tofu & korean mung bean sprout side dish

when i used to eat meat, i LOVED LOVED LOVED korean bbq and all the different side dishes (banchan) the meal would come with. korean grilled dishes is known as kalbi and is usually marinated beef ribs that are grilled on an open fire. for dinner tonight, i had my version of kalbi. the only thing this dish is missing is kimchee of course!

kalbi ingredients
8 oz of tofu
2 tbs brown sugar
3 tbs shoya soy sauce
2 tbs toasted sesame seeds
1tbs sesame oil
2 tsp minced garlic
1 tbs rice vinegar
2 tbs chopped green onions
2 tbs chopped ginger
1 tsp pineapple juice

Directions:

• cut tofu into 1/4 inch slices and place in a large mixing bowl or large zip lock bag
• Prepare the marinade in a separate bowl. mix together all of the ingredients.
• pour marinade and evenly cover tofu. leave in refrigerator and marinade for 2-5 hours.
  
• cook on a skillet, grill, or pan fry. i usually cook the tofu for about 2-3 mins on each side.

korean mung bean sprout ingredients
4 cups of bean spouts
5 cups of water
2 tbs chopped green onions
1 tbs minced garlic
1 tsp sesame seeds
1 tbs sesame oil
1 tsp kosher salt

directions

• boil water in a pot. add bean sprouts and cook for 4-5 mins.
• strain bean sprouts and run through cold water 5 times
• squeeze out excess water and place in a mixing bowl.
• add all the ingredients and mix well. i like to use my hands to mix everything all up.
• chill and serve as a side dish.
  

afritada with tofu strips (filipino stew)

** photo taken with my iphone...please excuse the blurriness.**

afritada is a filipino dish that reminds me of a stew. it's usually made with chicken or beef. after taking a bite out of this dish, you can definitely taste the spanish influence on philippine cuisine.

this is my version of a vegan afritada. instead of using chicken or beef, i used tofu instead. you can incorporate the tofu into the dish or on the side as i did...OR not at all!

"fish" tacos

fish tacos are bomb in san diego! the crunchiness of the beer battered fish and the crispiness of the shredded cabbage folded in a soft corn tortilla...yummmmm.

playing with leftovers is a creative, fast, and easy way to crank out a meal when you just don't have the time to cook. yesterday, i made tofu katsu for dinner. with the left over panko breaded tofu, i decided to make some san diego "fish" tacos for dinner.



fried panko breaded tofu
corn tortillas
pico de gallo
cilantro
lime

vegan tartar sauce- mix the following ingredients together
1 tbls vegan mayo
1 tbls relish
1/2 tsp mustard
salt and peper to taste
1/2 tsp lime juice

1) Place friedtofu pieces on warmed corn tortillas, add tartar sauce, a little shredded cabbage, pico de gallo, lime juice, and salt and pepper to taste. garnish with chopped cilantro

**shown in photo**
trader joes vegetarian refried beans topped with shredded soy chedder and jack cheese.

tofu katsu

tonkatsu is a breaded deep fried pork cutlet popular in japanese cuisine. here's my vegan take on this deep fried goodness...

1 package of firm silken tofu
1-2 cups of corn starch for coating
3 tbls of egg replacer
2 cups breadcrumbs (panko)
canola oil for deep frying
shredded white cabbage, for garnish
Lemon wedges, for garnish
Tonkatsu sauce

1) slice tofu 1/4 of an inch thick. you should be able to get about 10 slices from a 14oz package. lightly coat each individual tofu slice with cornstarch on both sides. dip each tofu slice into egg replacer mixture making sure that the tofu is coated thoroughly but not dripping. finally, roll each tofu slice in the panko bread crumbs.

2) heat canola oil in a large frying pan to about 350 degrees. fry the tofu pieces until they turn crisp and golden brown on both sides.


3) serve with lemon, cabbage, and tonkatsu sauce.

* *shown in photo** cabbage is shown with a creamy ginger sesame vinaigrette sauce. to make this i simply mixed 1tsp of ginger sesame vinaigrette with a 1tsp of vegan mayo (veganaise).