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Tofu Vegetable Pie
Let Them Eat Pie!
There are times when which tend to be most of the time that I need to make something that I don’t have to stand over. Or involved constant attention. Something that I can throw together quickly and walk away for at least thirty minutes.
All that’s needed to do is scramble some tofu with onions, garlic, ginger, bell peppers, maybe some celery if you like, and mushrooms. Enhance those natural seasoning flavors with some umph — gochujang or black pepper. A splash of soy sauce or tamari. Add some leafy greens to the mixture placed into a lovely pocket of filo. Serve with a salad of fresh goodness and you are set to have a great evening of television viewing, book reading, whatever delights your soul!
Also, you can add other vegetables like the basics of onions, celery, bell peppers, and garlic. Then add ginger, carrot, and shiitake mushrooms. If you really want to go wild once you’ve added you greens of choice, you can add some sea vegetable or some black olives. Add some turmeric not only for color yet for it’s medicinal uses. One popular way is for the treatment of arthritis.
Sweet potatoes and Korean radish can even be included in this dish. The possibilities of ingredients are endless and making this one of the most versatile meals anyone could possibly prepare. The mixture is then all bundled up in filo. Really the filo can be changed out for another vegetable like zucchini or eggplant thinly sliced.
Tofu Vegetable Pie
Ingredients
- 1 cup onions, chopped
- 1/2 cup celery, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup bell pepper, chopped
- 1 cup mushrooms, chopped
- 1 cup carrots, diced
- 2 gloves garlic, minced
- 1 package extra-firm tofu, drained and crumbled
- black pepper to taste
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce or tamari, divided
- 2 cup kale, sautéed
- 12 sheets phyllo dough
- 2 tablespoons vegan margarine melted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375.
- Wash, de-stem and chop into bite-size pieces.
- Water sauté half the onions, garlic and kale for 5 minutes or until wilted.
- Set aside.
- Heat skillet to medium-high.
- Water sauté celery, bell pepper, remainder of onions, and carrots for 3 minutes.
- Add mushrooms, garlic, tofu, and turmeric. Sauté until there isn't anymore liquid from the tofu.
- Stir in kale. Set aside.
- Lightly oil a pie plate with a touch of vegan margarine or oil to prevent phyllo from sticking.
- Overlap the 12 sheets of phyllo in pie plate.
- Spoon in tofu mixture into pie plate.
- Fold phyllo dough over tofu mixture. Lightly brush phyllo with mellted vegan margarine.
- Place into oven and bake for 30-45 minutes or until phyllo is golden brown.
- Serve with salad and roasted vegetables.
Kale
Tofu
Phyllo
Vegan Mofo #30 Korean Cabbage Soup (Baechu Doenjangguk)
BRRR! Must Get Warm! Soup!
This is one of those times where soup will hit the spot. One of the best soups that many Koreans consume is cabbage soup. It’s such a quick simple soup. You can make it in less than thirty minutes, while a pot of rice is bubbling away.
Cabbage soup isn’t served in restaurants, it’s a tried and true Korean wife’s go to soup. A great favorite of Koreans everywhere. The liquid used in this soup is traditionally the rice water from during the rice cleaning process. That water has starch so it helps to thicken it without adding flour. Some wives use anchovies or beef broth as a base. Well, because this is a vegan soup, we will not be using neither one of those ingredients.
Instead just having cabbage, garlic, and doenjang, I chose to also add carrots , gochhujang and tofu to the mix. I don’t have childhood memories of Korean cabbage soup like most Koreans do because I didn’t grow up Korean. I grew up in Louisiana where we do have our own cabbage soup as well due to the Germans and the Cajuns. We eat just as much cabbage in Louisiana as the Koreans do. As a matter of fact a lot of the ingredients used in Korean cooking are very similar to ingredients used in Louisianian cooking. That will be for another day. For now, enjoy this wonderful mama’s homemade soup.
Vegan Mofo #30 Korean Cabbage Soup (Baechu Doenjangguk)
Ingredients
- 1/2 medium napa cabbage, chopped
- 2 carrots, diced
- 4 tablespoons doenjang (soybean paste)
- 1 teaspoon gochujang (red pepper paste)
- 2 tablespoons brown rice flour
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
- 1 package of tofu, drained and cubed
- 5 cups water (or 2 1/2 cup water + 2 1/2 cup vegetable broth)
Instructions
- Cut napa cabbage in half, save the other half. Cut into bite-size pieces.
- Wash and dice carrots. Mince garlic.
- Add cabbage, carrots, garlic, brown rice flour, doenjang, and gochujang to a pot.
- Sauté on medium-high until both paste blend into vegetables.
- Drain, rinse, and cube tofu. Add to the vegetable mixture along with the green onions. Stir.
- Add water or vegetable broth.
- Bring to a gentle boil and cook for 20 minutes.
- Serve.
Vegan Mofo #17 Tofu Vegetable Stir-Fry
This is the dish that I call my signature dish only because a great picture was captured due to how well it turned out and the flavor was AMAZING!
So, I went about the business of preparing this dish for the simple reason that I was craving it and I wanted to celebrate the creation of my mini business cards with this image on the back. Why cards you say? It is my intention to reach as many people who are open and willing to be open to learning about the vegan lifestyle. what it can do for you, and how you can comfortably live it.
Now, I am not about forcing anything on anyone. I am here to do my part as other vegans are doing to educate those seeking help in learning and living the vegan lifestyle.
That is what I desired to do last year and for some time now. Yet, I am terrible at selling myself. That’s what happens when an artist has to sell oneself. I am great at motivating, inspiring, and empowering everyone else, just terrible at being that same champion for myself. When I’m near food, great food and ingredients. I can easily throw a dish together just by starting the prep process and before I know it, a dish is created. I’m intuitive in that way of how I prepare dishes. Which brings me to this dish again.
This recipe has onion, carrots, green peas, garlic and ginger, to name a few. As well as cranberry sauce or puree, tofu, and tamari. Once you get all the prep done, this dish goes really fast.
Vegan Mofo #17 Tofu Vegetable Stir-Fry
Ingredients
- 1 14 or 16 ounce package extra-firm tofu, cubed
- 1/4 cup vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon ginger, minced
- 1/2 cup onions, diced
- 2 carrots, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup red bell peppers, diced
- 1 cup frozen green peas
- 2 clove garlic, minced
- 2 green onion, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup cranberry puree
- 2 tablespoons tamari
- black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Drain, rinse, squeeze gently and cube.
- Place tofu cubes on a slightly oil baking sheet.
- Bake at 450°F for 20 mins.
- Heat skillet, wok, cast iron regular or enameled skillet to medium high.
- Add 1 Tbsp vegetable broth. Add more vegetable broth as needed to prevent sticking.
- Add onions and ginger. Stir fry for 3 min.
- Add carrots, bell peppers, frozen green peas, and garlic. Set aside 2 Tbsp green onions. Add remainder of green onions. Stir Fry for 3 more mins.
- Add cranberry sauce and tamari, along with black pepper. Cook 1 min.
- Serve with rice or noodles of choice.
Tofu
Vegetables
Vegan Mofo #11 Dubu Ssambap (Tofu w/Condiments Wrapped)
I Said a Hip Hop. The Hippie. The Hippie To The Hip Hip Hoppa Ya Don’t Stop Rockin’ To The Bang Bang Boogie Said Up Jumps The Boogie To The Rhythm Of The Boogie The Beat.
Gotta wrap? THE best wraps are those that are both healthy and tasty all at the same time. There are all sorts of wraps out there made with all kinds of ingredients. The most out there are those made with burrito shells made of different colors and flours. Yet when you add creamy fillings on top of meats mixed in, it can become heavy and unhealthy.
The Koreans have excellent wraps where you get something common like lettuce – a little veg – as well as your protein of choice. You also add different condiments or toppings, fold it up, stuff it all in your mouth and it’s culinary heaven.
I don’t eat animal proteins yet I do eat a lot of tofu which the Koreans love their dubu as well. So I chose to make this dish with an ingredient that absorbs flavors like crazy of whatever you throw at it. What did I choose? I went for a kimchi juice. Yet, gochujang with a little water added can do it.
The most work you will have to do is the prep for the condiments or toppings. The shredding of the green onions, julienne carrots and radish, marinade tofu, and make rice. Also make some ssamjang. Which is a combination of gochujang (red pepper paste) and doenjang (soybean paste) with garlic, sesame oil, and a little sweetner, if you like.
Vegan Mofo #11 Dubu Ssambap (Tofu w/Condiments Wrapped)
Ingredients
- 1 package of extra firm tofu, drained
- 2 tablespoons gochujang
- 1/2 teaspoon rice vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon sweetner (vegan sugar or agave)
- 1 bunch green leaf leuttce
- sesame leaves
- 5 green onions, shredded
- 1 teaspoon gochugaru (red pepper powder)
- 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons gochujang (red pepper paste)
- 2 tablespoons doenjang (soybean paste)
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon sweetner (vegan sugar alternative)
- radish kimchi
- julienne carrots (optional)
Scallion Salad
Ssamjang
Instructions
- Shredded green onions.
- Place shredded green onions in a bowl.
- Add gochugaru, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Mix. Set aside.
- Place gochujang, doenjang, garlic, sesame oil, and sweetner in a bowl. Mix. Set aside.
- Place gochujamg, rice vinegar, and sweetner into a bowl. Mix. Set aside.
- Drain and remove tofu from packaging, rinse and squeeze gently.
- Slice tofu into 10 pieces. Place into marinade bowl. Marinade 5 or 10 minutes.
- Grill or baked 20 minutes.
- Place a lettuce leaf on a plate or in hand.
- Place a sesame leaf on the lettuce leaf.
- Next a little rice.
- Place a piece of tofu.
- Dress the lettuce wrap with a little radish kimchi, a little julienne carrots, and a little scallion salad. Top with ssamjang.
- Wrap into a bundle and eat.
Scallion Salad
Ssamjang
Marinade
Tofu
Presentation
This is a basic recipe that can be used with any protein. It is also a great dish for a family gathering.
Happy Eating!
Vegan Mofo #10 DubuJjim (Korean Vegan “Egg” Custard)
Korean Quiche!
Did I get your attention? Yeah, I know I did.
The Koreans has a dish for just about everything. Kind of like Louisianians. Actually, the food ingredients are very similar, yet we’ll get into that another recipe.
Instead, let’s try our hands at a really great vegan alternative to the Gyeran Jjim – Korean Steamed “Egg” Custard. Gyeran Jjim is a popular Korean steamed egg casserole side dish that can be served at any meal.
I needed another side dish to go with dinner and I had long thought that I could make a vegan version. My first thought was, “We scramble tofu, why not steam it in a ramekin. So, the tofu started calling me. Really the original is just eggs and veggies or meat or seafood. Or just simply eggs and green onions. I chose this route.
Vegan Mofo #10 Dubu Jjim (Korean Vegan “Egg” Custard)
Ingredients
- 1 package of firm or extra firm tofu, not silken or soft
- 3/4 cup water
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce or tamari
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper or 1/4 teaspoon gochugaru
- 1 thin slice of red bell pepper, chopped
Instructions
- Place a pot with water and a steamer basket on stove on med high.
- Place tofu, water, and turmeric into a food processor or blender. Puree until smooth.
- Pour mixture into a bowl. Add green onions, soy sauce, and pepper.
- Divide mixture between 4 ramekins. Place 5 pieces in a decorative manner on top of each mixture.
- Steam for about 20 - 25 minutes.
- Serve warm.
Earth Day 2012: Japanese Tofu Taco Bites
Happy Earth Day!
It came by email. A very polite invitation to conduct a culinary demonstration during the central Florida Earth Day festivities at Lake Eola in Orlando, FL.
Honestly, when I read the email, I was extremely excited because I wanted to share a different view of what vegans eat. I just didn’t want to present yet another version of some kind of salad with some twist on a dressing. Nor did I want to do some other kind of bean dish with some spin on rice or something like that. It truly annoys me when people think that all vegans eat are lettuce, hummus, beans and rice. And yes, TOFU!!! I wanted to have those who might not have eaten tofu their very first taste of something wonderful.
So, I agreed to do the demo. Then it hit me in that instant that I didn’t have much time to plan anything. Classes I wanted to experience at The Center For Contemporary Dance, two different sites that I needed to take care of since they tend to have a brain of their own, recipes with pictures that needed to be pulled out of my head and uploaded into my gallery. As well as choosing recipes and creating them for another project and finally, getting myself even more involved with social media. By nature, I’m a shy person. Not very good in front of people in any capacity until I feel comfortable with the group.
So I replied with a yes! Then I was hit with “What are you going to make and not to be push and rush you however, we have signs to do. So we need to know like now, lol.” In the process of replying to yet another email I came up with the idea to make little bites of some of what I tend to eat on a daily basis – Japanese food (or at least some elements of it). The title just came to me; when that happens I say so with it. The universe is speaking just follow, always pay attention.
Then it hit me, I don’t have recipes written down for this. Now I have to get this out of my head, translate it to paper, and present this dish both to an audience and on the plate! WHAT!!! HOLY CRAP!!! How am I going to do this when I don’t write down recipes! I just jump in the kitchen with my baby (my Global knife) to began chopping and poof dinner.
I purge the recipe out of my brain and onto paper about an hour before the demonstration. Everything was gathered the day before. Why was I nervous is beyond me. I realized after it was over was how unorganized I had been. It’s a place I don’t like to visit.
Earth Day 2012: Japanese Tofu Taco Bites
These are good when you need an appetizer for a gathering or a snack. Or slice tofu into bigger pieces to have as an entree.
Ingredients
- 1 carrot, washed and grated
- 1 tablespoon ginger, peeled and grated
- 1 tablespoon dark miso or 2 teaspoon shoyu, tamari, or soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice wine or brown rice wine vinegar
- 1/2 cup vegetable broth
- 1 (14-16 ounce) block of extra firm tofu, pressed sliced into any size you choose
- Extra vegetable broth for cooking or use 2 teaspoon oil
- 3 1/2 cups cabbage, shredded (your choice of cabbage)
- 2 tablespoons flat leaf parsley
- 1 cup daikon radish
- Remainder of marinade
- 1 (16 ounce) bag frozen shelled edamame
- 2 tablespoons red onion (they look purple to me)
- 1 teaspoon umeboshi plum vinegar
- 2 teaspoons ginger
- 1 tablespoon parsley
- 2 teaspoons shoyu, tamari, or soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sriracha
- Rice Crackers (or blue corn tortilla chips)
- Furikake or nori (optional)
- Sesame (optional)
For Tofu Marinade:
For Slaw:
For Edamame Guacamole:
Instructions
- Place all ingredients into bowl once grated.
- Mix.
- Set aside.
- Rinse tofu. Pat dry. Press if desired to release excess water (if packed in water).
- Slice into 10 slices. Cut each slice into thirds or half (your choice).
- Marinade for 5-10 minutes.
- In a heated skillet, place oil (if using).
- Brown tofu lightly 30 minutes on med high. once brown, set aside.
- Place all ingredients into a bowl along with any remaining marinade.
- Stir.
- Cover.
- Set aside.
- Steam edamame for 5-7 minutes.
- Place edamame into food processor or blender along with cooking liquid to make it creamy (just eyeball for the consistency you desire).
- Add remaining ingredients until blended.
- Cover set aside.
- Place cracker onto dish.
- Tofu on cracker.
- About 1 tablespoon of slaw.
- About 1 teaspoon edamame guacamole.
- Top with Furikake or shredded nori and sesame seeds
- Serve.
For Marinade:
For Tofu:
For Slaw:
For Edamame Guacamole:
To Present: