Tofu BLT

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I used the technique here with a slightly different marinade to make a great sandwich filling. I think this baked tofu would be great in burritos or on salads, but I really like it on crusty bread!

First drain and press your tofu (directions in link) and preheat oven to 425. Slice tofu thinly and brush both sides with marinade and place on silpat on baking sheet. Let soak in for 10min and brush on any additional marinade. Bake for 20 min and flip slices to bake for 5 min more. Serve on bread with sliced tomato, greens, red onion and avocado as well as one of the below spreads.

Marinade:
2 TBS miso
2 TBS low sodium soy sauce
1/4 tsp liquid smoke
1/2 TBS saricha hot sauce
1/2 TBS agave syrup or honey
juice of half a lemon

Aioli:
Combine 2 TBS vegan mayonnaise and either a handful of cilantro and clove of crushed garlic OR handful of basil and 1 roasted red pepper in a blender with a squeeze of lemon.

Store tofu in a plastic container and eat every day =). This is honestly the best sandwich I've had since becoming vegan.

Crispy Chik'n Salad

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If I'm being truthful sometimes I miss salads with crispy chicken so I decided to make a really delicious salad and flavorful dressing to satisfy my craving for lunch the other day.

Apple and Almond Crispy Chicken Salad:
1 cup baby spinach
1 cup mixed greens
1/2 Green Apple sliced thin
1/2 red onion or 2 scallions sliced thin
1 TBS slivered almonds
1 TBS dried cranberries
3-4 vegan chik'n nuggets (I like Trader Joe' soy nuggets or Health is Wealth version) cooked until very crispy (cook a min or 2 longer than directions)

Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette:
1 bulb of garlic roasted
1/4 cup balsamic
1/2 cup EVOO
Combine in blender or food processor
you could also use the dressing here

Combine all ingredients with dressing and place chopped chicken nuggets on top. Enjoy! Some other good additions to this salad would be: avocado, jicama, thinly sliced bell pepper, bacos, black olives

Pancakes!

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I really should call this recipe "The fastest and most versatile pancake recipe ever" because I've started making 1/2 this recipe during the week as a yummy treat in lots of different combinations of flavors. Below is the basic recipe as well as some fun flavors.

Pancakes
Makes 10-12
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
pinch salt
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 cup soy milk (vanilla flavor is good or you can just add a tsp of vanilla extract)
2 tablespoons canola oil
*1 cup applesauce

Mix dry ingredients together and add wet. Whisk together and set aside. Warm up non stick skillet to med heat. Spray with pam and scoop approx 1/4 cup batter. Cook for 2-3 min on each side. Serve with maple syrup and vegan butter.

*Sub one of the below
1 cup mashed banana
1 cup pureed berries

Also feel free to add in blueberries, coconut, chocolate chips or cinnamon with any of the above! My favorite so far is applesauce and cinnamon or banana chocolate chip. Update: I made banana chocolate pancakes by mashing two bananas adding 1 TBS coco powder and 2 TBS of soymilk ( you can add more or less till batter it is thinned out enough to scoop easily)

Brownies

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These brownies are better than a lot of non-vegan versions and seem to be a hit. Below I've included a plain and cream cheese swirl version!
Chocolate Chip Brownies:
1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup canola oil
1 TBS vanilla extract
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
2/3 cup sugar
1 and 1/3 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup semi sweet vegan chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. In mixing bowl beat applesauce, water, oil, vanilla, cocoa and sugar. When smooth sift in four, salt and baking powder and mix until smooth. Spread in a 11x7 pan and sprinkle chocolate chips on top. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Let cool and serve!

UPDATE: Thanks to Sarah for making a gluten free version by replacing 1 cup flour with rice flour and the other 1/3 cup flour with almond meal!
Cream Cheese Brownies:
Make the above brownies and before you put it in the oven swirl in the below mixture.
Beat 4 oz tofutti cream cheese, 2 TBS sugar and a splash of vanilla extract. Spread on top of brownie mixture and swirl together. Add chocolate chips and bake as directed above.

Asian Entertaining

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Thai Fresh Rolls
Rice paper wrappers
cucumber seeded and in matchsticks
red pepper
shredded carrot
sliced jicama
mint leaves
optional or other additions
cilantro
alfalfa or bean sprouts
pea shoots
avocado
tofu

Fill a low dish or pan that a rice paper wrap will fit in with hot tap water. Place wrapper in hot water for 20 seconds until soft. Place on a clean dish towel to soak up water and fill with a little of each veggie. Wrap and place in fridge until ready to serve. I topped mine with wasabi flavored sesame seeds.
This is really more of a technique than a recipe. Thai rolls often have shrimp and lots of veggies in them and are dipped in peanut or sweet chile sauce. Use your imagination and creat lots of different kinds!
Sesame Noodles
1 red pepper sliced into matchsticks
1/2 cup sliced jicama
1 cup shredded cabbage or cole slaw mix
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1-2 scallions sliced
1 TBS fresh ginger
1/4 cup peanut sauce
2 TBS soy sauce
2 TBS rice vinegar
1 TBS toasted sesame oil
8 oz noodles (I used Thai rice noodles but whole wheat spaghetti or a vegan asian noodle would work. The rice noodles actually got a little hard the next day so I think I will use a different noodle next time)

Combine all liquids and oils in a bowl, add ginger and stir. Add vegetables and toss to coat while you cook noodles. Drain noodles and toss with veggies. Let marinate for an hour and eat cold. This recipe was adapted from cook yourself thin a tv show on lifetime. You can make the dressing with peanut butter but I had some peanut sauce already in the fridge. Here is the original recipe.
Mooshoo Vegetable Rolls
Traditional mooshoo vegetables have eggs and shredded cabbages in them but these have the addition of shitake mushrooms and no egg. Rather than making wraps with traditional pancakes I wrapped them in wonton wrappers so they are easier to eat at a party.
1-2 cups shredded cabbage white and red
1 cup shredded carrots
10-15 shitake mushrooms sliced
1 Teaspoon toasted sesame oil
2 scallions sliced
1 TBS low sodium soy sauce
clove crushed garlic
1 Teaspoon fresh ginger
1 teaspoon hoisen sauce
6-8 wonton wrappers

Pre-heat oven to 350. Saute mushrooms in oil, add ginger and garlic and cook for a minute. Add soy sauce, and hoisen sauce as well as cabbage and carrots. Cook until slightly wilted about 5 minutes. Add scallion and let mixture cool for 10-15 minutes. Wrap 2-3 TBS of mixture in wrappers and place on a spraed cookie sheet. Line up rolls and spray the tops with cooking spray so they crisp up but aren't greasy. Serve with extra hoisin sauce for dipping
Pomegranate Mojito
Muddle 4-5 mint leaves at the bottom of a tall glass. Squueze and drop in half a lime. Add one shot clear rum. Fill glass rest of the way with Trader Joe's sparkling pomegranate juice or use a combination of sparkling water and juice.

Becky's Carrot Cake Cupcakes!

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When I tell you this is the best carrot cake, you need to believe me. They have won over non vegans and even carrot cake haters alike. They hold a special place in my heart because my friend Becky took the time to make up the recipe so I would have a yummy snack at a morning meeting one day! She adapted it from Joy of Cooking and with the addition of bananas it is the moistest most delicious cake I've had since becoming vegan. I added "Cream Cheese" frosting when I made these for Becky's Birthday which was yummy!
Carrot Cake
2 ripe medium bananas
2/3 cup vegetable oil (you can do apple sauce in stead or 1/2 and 1/2)
1 cup sugar
1-1/3 cup all purpose flour (I used whole wheat for the 1/3 cup)
1 and 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp each ground cloves, nutmeg, allspice, and salt (I didn't have cloves)
1 and 1/2- 2 cups shredded carrots

preheat to 350 line muffins tins with baking cups and lightly spray. Combine bananas and oil in bowl or stand mixer with whisk attachment. Add sugar. Sift in dry ingredients and combine. Fold in carrots. Fill muffin 2/3 full and bake 20-25 min (mine were 20) Let cool before frosting. Mine were fine over night.
Cream Cheese Frosting
8 oz vegan cream cheese
3/4 confectioners sugar
2 TBS smart balance or other vegan butter
2 TBS soy milk

Combine on stand mixer. Yum! This made enough frosting or twice the cupcakes so I would cut it in half next time.

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

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Can't tell if these are muffins or cupcakes but I had 3 ripe banana I needed to use! I used THIS recipe and copied what I did below.

3 Ripe Bananas
1/4 Cup Vegetable Oil
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar, packed
1 teaspoon Salt
Replacer equal to one egg (I used Ener-G Egg Replacer)

1 teaspoon Vanilla
1 1/2 Cup Soft Whole Wheat Flour (I used 1 cup white 1/2 whole wheat)

1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 Cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Pieces

Preheat the oven to 350º.
In a large mixer, cream the bananas with the oil, sugar and vanilla.
Prepare the egg replacer as to the package directions and add it and the salt to the banana mixture.
Once well combined, add the baking powder and soda, followed by the flour, adding it in two batches, followed by the chocolate

Oil and dust a 12 muffins and bake 18 min

Check bounce at the center of the cake or insert and remove a toothpick. The cake is moist but it should come out fairly clean.

There are additional directions on making a cake or loaf if you click on the link. These were delicious and about 190 calories per muffin. You could replace the oil in the recipe with apple sauce which would make each 150 calories and low fat.