Grilled Watermelon and Tofu Tacos

Ok, so I know watermelon and tofu tacos may seem weird, but trust me, they are delicious!

When the weather is nice, I would way rather grill than cook in my kitchen. I love to be outside and love not having a mess to clean up inside.

I will now speak for my husband and say watermelon is maybe one of his top 3 favorite foods of all time. When watermelon is in season, we always have one sliced up in the fridge! If I am being honest, on its own, its not my fave. I don’t dislike watermelon but I don’t normally crave it, either.

In an effort to use up the piles of watermelon on my counter or in my fridge, I decided to get creative. I have seen other grilled watermelon dishes and decided what the heck….why not tacos, and why not paired with tofu! I really liked the idea of a savory marinade of the tofu paired wit the sweet watermelon, and y’all, it WORKS!! It works and I really, really love it!!

Seriously, just toss the marinated tofu on the grill with the water melon slices. So easy. You can heat the tortillas right on the grill, too. I used corn but if you prefer flour, thats fine too! The sauce is also super simple and really quick to mix up. The tangy balsamic mixed with the creamy mayo and garlic is just simple perfection!

So, don’t be weirded it out and just try these tacos. I think you will be super surprised how good grilled watermelon on a taco actually is! Change up that taco Tuesday with these grilled watermelon and tofu tacos!!

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INGREDIENTS:

• 1 package extra firm tofu

• 4-5 slices of watermelon with the rind still on

• 1/3 cup cilantro, chopped

• 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

• 1 avocado, thinly sliced

• corn or flour tortillas

• jalapeño slices (optional)

Sauce

• 3 tablespoons vegan mayo

• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

• 1 teaspoon minced garlic

• salt and pepper to taste

Tofu Marinade

• Juice from 1 lime

• 2 tablespoons balsamic vingar

• 1 teaspoon minced garlic

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

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COOKING INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Wrap tofu in a clean kitchen towel or a few paper towels, and place a few books on top for about 15 minutes. This helps remove excess liquid.

2. Cut tofu into 1 inch strips, and soak in the marinade for 15 - 20 minutes.

3. Heat your grill and place a cast iron, or an oven safe skillet on the grill to heat. If you do not own either skillet, you can cook your tofu on the stove top in whatever frying pan you have.

4. Once the grill, and pan have heated, add tofu and the marinade to the pan, and close the grill lid.

5. Check on the tofu in about 10 minutes, turning the pieces. Continue letting the tofu cook until all the marinade is absorbed, and the tofu begins to brown. You may need to turn pieces several times.

6. Spray or brush the watermelon with some cooking oil, and add the slices to the grill. Allow them to grill for several minutes on each side or until they have nice grill marks on them.

7. You can add the tortillas to the grill on the top rack for a few minutes if you have room, or heat them in your oven.

8. Once watermelon and tofu are done, carefully remove from grill, (make sure to grab the pan handle with an oven mitt,) and cut watermelon off the rind in bite size pieces.

9. Whisk together the ingredients for sauce, and build your tacos by adding a slice of tofu, some watermelon, avocado, onion, and cilantro.

10. Drizzle with creamy balsamic sauce, and top with jalapeño slices.

Tofu Bibimbap

Bibimbap is a Korean rice bowl that is normally served with beef and fried egg, but it is super easy to veganize this dish. Tofu is a great protein substitute for biminnbap, plus you can add any veggie you like or that you have on hand, making it a perfect, quick weeknight dinner.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 block extra firm tofu
• 2 carrots 
• 1 cucumber
• 4 cups spinach
• 4 scallons 
• 1 cup bean sprouts
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
• 4 cups rice 
• cilantro(optional)
• vegan kimchi (optional)

Tofu marinade

• 3  tablespoons coconut aminos
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• juice from 1 lime

Bibimbap sauce

• 4 tablespoons sweet chili sauce 
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon coconut aminos 
• 1 tablespoon water
• 2 teaspoons rice or apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds (optional)

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS: 

1. Prepare rice according to package instructions, or in a rice cooker.
2. In a medium size bowl, whisk together the ingredients for the sauce and set aside.
3. Wrap tofu in a few paper towels, or a clean kitchen towel, and stack a few books on top for about 15 minutes to remove excess liquid. Once ready, cut tofu into small cubes.
4. Whisk together the tofu marinade and let tofu marinate for about 15 minutes while you prepare the veggies.
5. Thinly cut carrots into match sticks.
6. Thinly slice the  cucumber.
7. Chop the green onions, white ends included.
8. In a large frying pan, on medium heat, add a few teaspoons of oil, tofu, and the marinade. Cook until all of the liquid is absorbed and the tofu begins and starts to crisp.
9. Once the the tofu is done, remove from pan, and add 1 tablespoon of water back to the same pan. Begin adding the spinach in batches and let it cook just until it begins to wilt.
10. Begin building your bowl by first adding rice, then arranging the veggies, and tofu around the bowl. 
11. You can sprinkle some sesame seeds and chopped cilantro on top if you like. You can also add some vegan kimchi for some spice.
12. Drizzle with sauce and serve.

serves 4-6

Vegan Pigs in a Blanket (carrot dogs)

We regularly make carrots dogs, so making vegan pigs in a blanket with tiny carrots seemed like the perfect party idea.

This recipe is quick and easy.

The best kind!

Just boil, and marinate the carrots, wrap them in some crescent dough, bake, and you are good to go.

These pigs in a blanket are perfect for parties, or just a healthy little snack!

Just add mustard and you are ready to snack

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INGREDIENTS:

• 1 package baby carrots (you need 32 baby carrots, which is about a small bag)

• 2 cans of store bought crescent dough (most brands are plant based, but read the ingredients on the back to be sure)

• 1/2 cup vegan parmesan (optional)

The carrot marinade

• 1/4 cup coconut aminos

• 1 table spoon maple syrup

• 1 teaspoon of the following: garlic powder, salt, mustard powder, smoked paprika, turmeric

• 3 teaspoons liquid smoke

• 1 tablespoon grape seed oil

• 2 tablespoons water

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COOKING INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Mix marinade ingredients in a 9x13 baking dish, or a large zip lock bag.

2. Boil baby carrots until they are just soft enough to poke a fork in. Be careful not to get the too soft though.

3. Drain carrots and add them to your marinade.

4. Let the carrots marinate at least 6 - 7 hours. You can start them in the morning and have them for dinner, or marinate them over night for the next day.

5. Remove crescent dough from package and cut each triangle of dough in half, creating 2 triangles from each crescent.

6. Place carrot on the widest end of the triangle and roll to the end.

7. Arrange pigs in a blanket on a cookie sheet. Two packs of crescents yields 32 pigs in a blanket, so you will need 2 cookies sheets. (You can easily half this recipe, and use only one can of crescents, and half the carrots)

8. Bake according to crescent package instructions, or for about 10 - 15 minutes at 350.

9. Once pigs in a blanket are done and cooled, you can roll them in some vegan parmesan for extra zip, or leave them as is!

Vegan Seitan Ribs

In college I worked at Chili’s. You know the place with the song about the ribs.

At the time I ate meat and I loved ribs, so other than the annoying song I was often asked to sing by customers, it was a pretty sweet gig. Never mind the fact that I still have nightmares to this day, 20 plus years later, about being the only person working and waiting on a full restaurant. I mean It actually happened once 5 minus before close when a convention of people came in and I was the last server there to close…..needless to say I have some PTSD about ti.

So once going vegan and learning all of the wonders of vital wheat gluten, I knew I wanted to learn to make ribs. And I did.

Once again I turned to Robin Roberson and the Veganze it cookbook (buy this book..trust me) and internet to investigate vegan ribs. What I learned is that most recipes I looked at, including the vegan queen Robin’s, were all pretty much spot on, so I married several of the recipes that seemed very much the same, and made adjustment according to what had on hand and made ribs. I was not disappointed.

I would say this is one the easiest seitan recipes I make! Mix, baked, then grill. Its not hard at all y’all and I have even watched a non vegan 9 year old boy tear a plate of these up.

Vital wheat gluten can be found in most health food stores or on line. If you have never worked with it, it’s just the gluten part stripped from the wheat. It is like making any kind of bread, as you are just making a dough out of the wheat gluten. Once you add liquid and knead it, It becomes stretchy and that texture is what give seitan its remarkable ability to mimic meat.

So fire up the grill and get ready to be wowed! And just as friendly suggestion, never ever ask me to sing that rib song. I promise it won’t end well.

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NGREDIENTS: 

• 1 cup vital wheat gluten

• 3/4 cups vegetable broth

• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

• 1 teaspoon minced garlic

• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika

• 2 teaspoons onion powder

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 2 tablespoons nut butter (I use almond butter)

• 1 tablespoon coconut aminos

• 1 - 2 cups BBQ sauce

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COOKING INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Add all ingredients except for the BBQ sauce in a food processor, and blend until a sort of dough forms. Let the dough mix for about a minute.

2. If you do not have a food processor, you can combine dry ingredients in a bowl. Mix together the wet ingredients in a separate bowl. Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry, combining until forming a dough. Kneed the dough for several minutes by hand.

3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

4. Press dough into an 8x8 baking dish. Score the dough with a sharp knife, cutting only about halfway through the dough (don't cut to far, you want then to hold together through grilling.) 8 lines down, then one through the middle making 16 ribs. This will make it easy for them to pull apart after you grill them.

5. Bake ribs for 25 minutes

6. Remove ribs from oven, and let cool enough to handle.

7. Baste ribs with BBQ sauce, then transfer to a heated grill.

8. Grill on each side for about 5 minutes, adding more sauce while grilling. You just want to get a little char on them, and some nice grill marks before taking them off of the grill.

9. Once done pull the ribs apart, and serve with extra BBQ sauce for dipping.

Serves 4.

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Seitan Lemon Piccata with Mashed Potatoes

The first seitan I ever leaned to make was a basic, simmered seitan.

If you don’t know, then seitan is basically wheat meat made from vital wheat gluten. And as long as you do not have a gluten intolerance, its an excellent source of vegan protein! It is also really inexpensive so an added bonus for sure!

Noting fussy, just make the dough, divide it, simmer it, and its ready to go.

This seitan works well for all kinds of recipes like this piccata. It is pretty versatile and we use it in fajitas, cheese steaks, fry it up to make wings, stir fry, all kinds of things.

The beauty of it is how easy it is, and how well it freezes! If you have ever made dough of any kind, you can make seitan. There are so many methods for making faux meats but this basic method is still my go to.

I often make 2 batches and toss them in the freezer. I quarter each batch so I can thaw smaller portions quickly for fast weeknight dinners.

If you are feeling like make a more traditional vegan chicken piccata you can try making my easy vegan chicken breast. It really is easy, and although you do bake it verses simmering it, it is a very convincing chicken seitan. And it is very, very simple and easy to make. It does contain soy, so if you are soy free the easy basic seitan is probably a better choice.

This piccata is so flavorful and the seitan gets so nice and crispy on the outside. The buttery, lemony, garlicky sauce is perfection and who doesn’t love a glorious creamy pile of mashed potatoes.

So if you have been looking for the perfect vegan piccata, look no further. And I can not encourage you enough to just make a double batch of the seitan so recipes like this are twice as easy and quick when you are ready to make them!

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INGREDIENTS:

• 1 batch seitan (all 4 pieces) or 4 easy vegan chicken breast cut in half length wise for 8 thin breasts.

• 2 lemons

• 3 tablespoons capers

• 2 tablespoons vegan butter, like Earth Balance

• 3 tablespoons to 1/4 cup olive or grape seed oil (this amount depends on the size of the pan you are using to fry the seitan )

• 1 cup vegetable broth

• 3 tablespoons chopped flat leaf parsley

• 2 teaspoons minced garlic

• 1/3 cup four

• 1/3 cup organic corn starch

• salt and pepper to taste

• 1/4 cup white wine (optional)

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Mashed Potatoes

• 6 medium russet potatoes

• 2 tablespoons vegan butter

• 1/4 cup vegan cream cheese or vegan sour cream

• 1/4 cup plant based milk (give or take)

• salt and pepper to taste

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COOKING INSTRUCTIONS:

1. With a very sharp knife, carefully slice all 4 pieces of seitan into cutlets. You should be able to get about 3 cutlets from each piece.

2. Mix flour and corn starch in a shallow dish, and dredge the cutlets in the mixture. Make sure you fully coat each piece.

3. Heat oil in a med/large skillet on medium heat. You may need more or less oil depending on the size of your pan. You need just enough oil in the bottom of your pan to quickly fry each side the seitan cutlets.

4. Once the pan is good and hot, add the cutlets and cook each side a few minutes, or until they begin to brown and get crispy.

5. Place finished cutlets on a paper-towel-lined plate.

Mashed Potatoes

1. Peel, dice, and boil potatoes in a large pot while preparing the piccata sauce.

2. Once potatoes and soft enough to pierce with a fork, drain the water, and return potatoes to the pot you boiled them in.

3. Mix in cream cheese or sour cream, and butter. Mash with a hand masher, or use an electric hand mixer.

4. Add enough milk to get the potatoes to the consistency you prefer using 1/4 cup of plant based milk, give or take.

5. Add salt and pepper to taste.

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Piccata sauce

1. Wipe out the pan you just used for the seitan.

2. Reheat the pan on medium heat, and add the 2 tablespoons of vegan butter.

3. Add the garlic, and wine if using. Let the alcohol cook out of the wine for a few minutes, then add the juice from 1 and 1/2 lemons, vegetable broth, capers, half of the parsley, and salt and pepper to taste.

4. Let sauce simmer for about 5 minutes on low heat.

Prepare you plates by adding mashed potatoes, topping with a few cutlets, and drizzling the piccata sauce over each plate. Garnish with the remaining parsley and a thin lemon slice (using your remaining half a lemon)

Serves 4 - 6.

Vegan Alabama White Sauce Tempeh Tacos

I have talked about this delicious sauce before, and I'll do it again! You can use this magic sauce on so much. It's not limited to its BBQ roots. In fact, it makes a super tasty tempeh marinade, and taco topping! Add some fresh crispy slaw, tangy lime, and creamy avocado, and I promise you will not be disappointed.

INGREDIENTS: 

• 2 packages of tempeh
• 1 batch Alabama white sauce
• 1/2 bag of slaw mix, or a few cups chopped cabbage
• 1 lime
• 1/4 of a red onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 - 2 avocados
• 8-12 corn tortillas 
• Fresh cilantro for garnish

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS: 

1. Cut tempeh into cubes, and place in a shallow pan or a large zip lock bag. Add half of the  Alabama white sauce to the tempeh, and marinate for at least an hour in the fridge.
2. In a large skillet, heat a few teaspoons of oil on medium/high.
3. Add the tempeh, and the marinade to the pan, and fry tempeh on each side until tempeh browns, and begins to get crispy. 
4. In a bowl, mix together slaw mix, onion,  juice from 1 lime, and 1/2 teaspoon chili powder.
5. Heat another large pan or griddle, adding a little vegan butter or oil to the pan. Use this pan to heat the tortillas on each side until they begin to crisp. I like to sprinkle a little chili powder and cumin on my tortillas while they are cooking for flavor. 
6. Add some tempeh, slaw mix, and sliced avocado to each tortilla, drizzling some of the remaining Alabama white sauce on top.
7. Top with some fresh cilantro 

Serving size 4-6 (depending on if you eat 2 or 3 tacos.) You can use one pack of tempeh, and half the amount of Alabama white sauce for a smaller serving size.

One Pot Creamy Vegan Chicken Pasta

I love one pot meals!

They are quick, easy, and don’t make a ton of dishes you have to clean up.

So yeah, I am here for it, always.

This creamy vegan chicken one pot pasta dish is no exception.

It is all the things…..quick, easy, one pot required, and most importantly it is delicious.

You can use our easy vegan chicken breast in this recipe or a can of jackfruit in brine. Both work well and both are tasty. The jackfruit is a great gluten free alternative to chicken if you can’t eat seitan and the seitan is super easy and freezes beautifully for recipes such as this. I often make a big batch of the chicken every week or 2 and freeze half for easy week night dinners like this!

If you are not a fan of mushrooms (my family is pretty evenly divided on this topic) you can replace them with a can of drained chicken peas, or any other veggie you may like! No need to complicate things, use what you have or what you like.

So if you were looking for an easy weeknight dinner you can toss together in no time, but is still healthy and tasty, here you go. I hope you love it as much as my family does!

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INGREDIENTS:

• I package spaghetti noodles (you can use gluten free as well)

• 1 can jackfruit in brine, or 2-3 easy vegan chicken breast

• 1/2 onion diced

• 1 can diced tomatoes, drained

• 2 cups chopped white button mushrooms

• 1/2 cup cashews soaked in hot water for an hour, or you can microwave them in some water for 3 minutes (you can also use sunflower seeds if you have a nut allergy or just don’t have any on hand)

• 1 cup water

• 2 tablespoon nutritional yeast

• 2 teaspoons minced garlic

• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

• 2 1/2 cups vegetable broth

• 1/2 teaspoon of salt

• A splash of white wine (optional)

• Fresh basil to garnish (optional)

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS: 

1. Start by adding your soaked and drained cashews, and 1 cup of water to a high speed blender or food processor. Blend until the mixture is completely smooth.

2. Drain the jackfruit and break up the pieces between your finders, or using a fork. If using easy vegan chicken breast just dice them up into small bite size pieces!

3. Now add a few teaspoons of oil to the bottom of a large deep skillet (a skillet that has a lid).

4. Next add noodles, then the remaining ingredients on top of the noodles, adding the broth last.

5. Turn pot on medium/low heat and let pasta cook with a lid on top for 20 - 25 minutes.

6. You will need to stir several times during the cooking process to keep the noodles from sticking to the bottom on the pot.

7. Serve topped with fresh basil and vegan parmesan.

Kale Salad with Lemon Tahini Dressing

INGREDIENTS:

Kale salad

• 2 bunches of kale

• 1 lemon

• 1/4 cup sliced almonds

• 1 avocado diced

• 1/2 cup diced cherry tomatos

Tahini dressing

• 3 tablespoons tahini

• 1/4 cup water

• 2 teaspoons olive oil

• juice from one lemon

• 1 teaspoon garlic

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Clean kale, and remove the leaves from the stems.

2. Squeeze the juice from one lemon over the leaves, and massage the kale with your hands to help soften the leaves a bit.

3. Mix up the dressing, and pour over the kale (use as much dressing as you like).

4. Add sliced avocado, tomato, and almonds and toss.

You can easily add a protein to this salad if you want. Sauted tofu, or tempeh, or even some cooked quinoa will add some protein, and make this salad a very filling meal.

Pita Bowl Falafel Salad

I know there are a ton of tasty easy to make falafel mixes out there, but making you own is actually pretty easy and super delicious.

We are never without chickpeas in our pantry, so in a pinch I pretty much have what I need on hand for homemade falafel. You can bake or fry them, but in this recipe I just bake them. They still come out perfectly crispy!

As much as I adore a falafel wrap, I mostly prefer a falafel salad, I also love to fry up some pita for a perfect little edible bowl! If you are anti-frying, you can always drape a pita over an oven safe bowl, and bake at 350 degrees until the pita gets crispy!!

Either way this is a fun and healthy way to enjoy some easy homemade falafel!

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INGREDIENTS:

• 4 - 6 pitas

• 2 heads romaine lettuce washed and chopped

• 1/2 cup diced tomatoes

• 1/2 red onion thinly sliced

• Tofu feta (optional)

• Oil for frying

Falafel

• 1 can chickpeas drained and rinsed (15 oz)

• 1 teaspoons garlic

• 1/2 onion

• juice from 1/2 lemon

• 1 teaspoon paprika

• 1 teaspoon cumin

• 2 table spoons chopped fresh parsley

• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric

• 2 tablespoons flour

• 2 teaspoons olive oil

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COOKING INSTRUCTIONS:

Falafel and Pita bowls

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Add onion to a food processor and pulse until finely chopped.

3. Next add chickpeas and remaining ingredients, and pulse until everything is blended together. You do not need to puree the mixture, just break it down well enough that you are able scoop up some and form a ball.

4. Scoop out falafel mix with a small spoon or cookie scoop and form falafel balls.

5. Place falafel balls on a greased or parchment-paper-lined cookie sheet, and bake for 20 - 25 minutes. You will need need to flip them once mid-baking to get them to brown all over.

6. Prepare pita bowls while falafel bakes.

7. Find a pot or deep bowl just slightly bigger than your pita.

8. Fill pan with enough oil to cover the pita and heat on med/high heat until oil is good and hot.

9. Prepare a cooling rack on top of a paper-towel-lined cookie sheet to place finished pitas on while you fry the rest.

10. Put one pita in at a time. With a wooden spoon or set of tongs, press down into the middle of the pita while it is frying to form a dip in the middle.

11. Fry until the pita begins to brown and gets crisp, then remove from oil.

12. Repeat with remaining pita.

13. Place lettuce, onion, tomato, and feta in finished bowls topping salad with falafel balls.

14. Top with lemon tahini dressing, oil and vinegar, or any other dressing you like.

Summer Squash Tart

I am always looking for new ways to use up the abundance of summer squash that we tend to have in the warmer months.

This savory tart recipe makes excellent use of all of that yellow squash and zucchini that summer has to offer.

It is so delicious, and perfect for a summer brunch or for taking to a bbq or get together, because it is just as good at room temperature as it is hot.

The recipe is actually really simple but turns out so impressively beautiful. It also reheats well, so Sunday dinner can easily become Monday's lunch!

Piled with layers of savory tofu ricotta and thinly sliced summer vegetables in a flakey pie crust, this is bound to become one of your new favorite summer recipes.

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INGREDIENTS:

Tart Crust

If you are pressed for time, there is no shame in buying a pre-made pie crust, and rolling it out to fit your tart pan! Most store bought crusts in the refrigerator section are actually vegan. I have found that some organic brands are not, so just be sure to read the ingredients. But if you have the time, a homemade crust is super simple!

• 1 and 1/2 cups all purpose flour

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 9 tablespoons cold vegan butter

• 3-4 tablespoons ice water

Tart Filling

• 1 batch tofu ricotta

• 2 zucchini

• 2 yellow squash

• 1 red or orange bell pepper

• 1/2 red onion

• 1 teaspoon thyme

• 1 teaspoon rosemary

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COOKING INSTRUCTIONS:

Tart Crust

1. Add flour, butter, and salt to your food processor and pulse until the butter and flour become crumbly.

2. Add a tablespoon of water at a time, and pulse just until a ball of dough forms. You will likely not need all of the water, just add enough to form a dough that you can handle and isn't too sticky.

3. Chill dough for half an hour in the fridge wrapped in some plastic wrap.

4. Roll dough out to 1/4 inch thick circle and place in a 9 inch tart pan, cutting the excess away from the rim.

5. Cover the tart crust in foil and pour some dry beans on top (this helps weigh down the crust while it bakes) bake for 20 minute at 350 degrees. Remove beans, and foil and bake for 5 more minutes.

Tart Filling

1. Mix thyme and rosemary into the tofu ricotta, then spread the mixture evenly in the bottom of the tart crust.

2. Using a mandolin, thinly slice the squash and pepper.

3. With a knife, thinly slice the onion.

4. Once all veggies are cut, begin assembling the tart by adding 2 slices of squash, then 2 slices of zucchini, one slice of pepper, then 2 slices of squash, 2 slices of zucchini, one slice of onion. Repeat this pattern going around and around in a spiral, until you reach the center of the tart. As you are assembling, use the veggies to scoop up a little of the ricotta from the bottom, and press into the veggies. It sort of acts as a glue to help them stay put.

5. Spray the tart with some cooking oil (I use olive oil), and bake the tart at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Serve hot or at room temperature.

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Alabama White Sauce Tofu Skewers

If you have never had, or even heard of Alabama white sauce, let me introduce you!  Alabama white sauce is a mayo based bbq sauce that originated in, you guessed it, Alabama!

Alabama White Sauce (AWS) is a a tangy, vinegar and mayo based bbq sauce which originated it Northern Alabama at Big Bob Gibson’s Bar-B-Q.

Its tangy and creamy and perfect slathered all over some grilled tofu skewers, grilled veggies, or honestly, just about anything! 

Whip up a batch and let me know all the ways you found to use this delicious and easy summer favorite!

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INGREDIENTS:

Alabama white sauce:

• 1 cup vegan mayo

• 1/2 cup giardiniera, just the veggies not the juice (this is and Italian condiment consisting for a variety of pickled vegetables, found in the pickle section of your grocery store)

• Juice from 1/2 lemon

• 1 teaspoon minced garlic

• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard

• 2 teaspoons vegan Worcestershire sauce

• 1 teaspoon black pepper

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/8 - 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

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INSTRUCTIONS:

1. For the Alabama White Sauce, add all ingredients to a blender or food processor, and blend until it is smooth.

2. Store in a mason jar in the fridge.

3. Fro the tofu, Wrap 1 block of extra firm organic tofu with a clean kitchen towel or some paper towels, and place a few cook books on top. Let sit for 10 - 15 minutes to press out the extra liquid.

4. Once tofu is ready, cut in half length-wise, then cut those halves in half length-wise again. Now cut 1 inch wide strips to form the pieces.

5. Place tofu strips in a 9x13 baking dish and pour half the Alabama white sauce over the top.

6. Let tofu marinate for at least an hour in the fridge.

7. Once done marinating, put 2 pieces of tofu through a wooden or metal skewer.

8. Heat your grill and spray the grates with some oil before adding the skewers. Once the skewers are on, give them as spray as well.

9. Let each side of the skewers grill for several minutes before turning. I use a metal spatula to turn them to help avoid having them stick to the grill and rip. You may need to keep turning them until they have some nice grill marks on each side. Use the marinade left in your dish to brush on each side as you turn.

10. Serve finished skewers with remaining Alabama white sauce for dipping or drizzling.

Vegan Cajun Dirty Rice

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 cups cooked rice (white or brown)

• 4 thawed Beyond Meat burgers or a bag of your favorite meatless crumbles

• 1 large white onion diced small

• 3 celery stalks diced small

• 1/2 yellow or red bell pepper diced small

• 3 - 4 teaspoons of cajun seasoning (if you do not have any cajun spice, you can add 1/2 teaspoon each of garlic, paprika, onion powder, thyme, salt, pepper, and 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon cayenne). You can add more of the above if it is not seasoned to your liking.

• 1/4 cup of water

• 2 teaspoons vegan Worcestershire sauce

• 1 teaspoon vegetable Better Than Boullion (they also make a reduced sodium version)

• 1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley (optional)

• sliced jalapeno (optional)

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Cook rice according to package instructions or in a rice cooker.

2. Heat a large skillet, or a wok works well too, with 2 teaspoons of oil on medium high heat.

3. Toss the chopped veggies into the pan, cooking until the onions are translucent and the peppers and celery have softened.

4. Add your "meat" and dry seasoning to the veggies, and continue cooking until the Beyond Meat, or crumbles are cooked through.

5. Whisk Better Than Boullion and Worcestershire sauce with the 1/4 cup of water

6. Reduce heat to med/ low and add water mixture, and the 4 cups of cooked rice to the pan.

7. Stir well and continue cooking for about 5 minutes. The rice will begin to stick to the bottom of the pan and get a little crispy. You want this! Just keep scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon while you stir.

8. Taste a little of the rice to see if it has enough spice, or seasoning for your liking. You can always add extra heat by adding some extra cayenne or black pepper.

9. Garnish with fresh parsley or jalapeño peppers.

Quinoa Black Bean Veggie Burger

If you have been on the hunt for a healthy, and hearty homemade veggie burger, I think we have what you have been looking for. This smokey, flavorful burger is packed full of veggies, with protein rich quinoa and black beans. This burger will leave you full, and satisfied with little guilt.. They also freeze really well, so this veggie burger is also great for meal prep! So fire up the grill and give this healthy and delicious burger recipe a try!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup cooked quinoa

• 1 cup bread crumbs or panko

• 1 red bell pepper

• 1/2 red onion

• 1 cup carrots

• 1/2 cup shredded beets

• 1 and 1/2 cups broccoli

• 1 can drained and rinsed black beans

• 1 8 ounce can tomato sauce

• 1 flax egg

• 1/2 - 3/4 cups whole wheat flour

• 1 teaspoon turmeric

• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika

• 1 teaspoon minced garlic

• 1 - 2 teaspoons liquid smoke (optional)

• 1 teaspoon salt

• pepper to taste

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Dice veggies and sauté in pan with preferred oil until tender. Rinse and drain beans, and add them to the veggies while sautéing.

2. Once veggies and beans are done, put them in a food processor or blender and pulse, just to break them down and mix them up a bit.

3. Mix quinoa, bread crumbs, and tomato sauce in large bowl.

4. Combine veggies with quinoa and bread crumbs.

5. Add spices and flax egg and mix until combined.

6. Add flour a little at a time, just until it has thickened up a bit and you can form burgers.

7. Form burgers and cook in skillet or grill until cooked through. About 10 minutes or so.

This recipe will make around 10 burgers. These burgers freeze nicely as well, making them a perfect recipe for meal prepping.

Carrot Corn Dogs

INGREDIENTS:

The carrots

• 6 - 8 peeled carrots, cut in half. 
• 1/4 cup coconut aminos
• 1 table spoon maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon of the following: garlic powder, salt, mustard powder, smoked paprika, turmeric
• 3 teaspoons liquid smoke
• tablespoon grape seed oil
• 2 tablespoons water

The batter

• 1 to 1 1/2  cups dairy free milk
• 2 flax eggs
• 1/3 cup pickle juice
• 3 tablespoons dijon or regular mustard 
• 1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1 cup corn meal
• 1 tablespoon sugar 
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS:

The carrots

1. Boil peeled carrots until they are soft enough to pierce with a fork, but be careful not to overcook them.
2. Remove from water and cool.
3. Mix the rest of the ingredIents in a large zip lock bag, then add the cooled carrots. 
4. Let the carrot marinate in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours. I normally prepare the carrots in the morning and they are ready by dinner. The longer they marinate, the more flavorful they will be. 

The batter

1. Mix the wet ingredients together in a small bowl starting with one cup of milk.
2. Whisk dry ingredients together in a larger bowl.
3. Add wet ingredients into the dry and mix well. If the mixture seems too thick, then add a little more milk. You the batter to be thick, but thin enough to easily dip the carrots into.
4. Once  the batter is all mixed up, pour some into a mason jar, tall glass, or pyrex measuring cup. This makes dipping the carrots easier than if you try dipping them in the bowl.
5. Remove carrots from marinade and poke a popsicle stick into the fattest end of the carrot. It helps if you first piece the end with a sharp knife. 
6. In a medium sauce pan, deep skillet, or deep frier, heat enough oil to fully cover the corn dogs. I suggest frying with grape seed oil or peanut oil. 
7. Once the oil is nice and hot, reduce the temp to medium/low.
8. Dip carrots in batter making sure they are completely covered. I dip each one right before it goes into the oil.
9. Add 1 to 2 corn dogs to the oil at a time. If you do more than one at a time they may stick together depending on the size of your pot or pan. 
10. Fry each corn dog for a few minutes, using tongs to grasp the popsicle stick so you can turn them several times until they begin to get golden brown all over (unless you are using a deep frier with a basket, in which case just fry until they are golden brown). Then place finished corn dogs on a cooling rack while you finish frying the rest.

I normally have some batter left over. I like to use the leftovers to make a batch of onion rings. Just slice a large yellow onion and dip rings in remaining batter. Fry in the already hot corn dog oil until golden brown.

Vegan crab puffs

These little “crab” puffs are so delicious and addictive that you may not be willing to share. But if you can find it within yourself to let a few go, they will make a perfect party snack, or even a wonderful topping to a light summer salad.

I love to use jackfruit to mimic crab! I use it in our crab cakes, and even vegan crab rangoons. Jackfruit is mild in flavor with a hint of sweetness, so it works perfectly to take on the flavors of the spices in these crab puffs. The texture is also pretty spot on for lump crab meat, so it is the perfect imitator when trying to recreate vegan versions of crab recipes!

These vegan crab puffs are so tasty and so cute, they will not last at a party or even at your dinner table. We also included a recipe for a horseradish aioli that is perfect for dipping these tasty little bites that is beyond delicious!

I also like the crab puffs as a topping for a salad in the summer or just a light dinner on their own, not party required!

So if you are looking for the perfect light summer time bite, give these crab puffs a try! I don’t think you will be sad you did, and you might surprise a few friends who may not ever even guess these puffs were vegan!

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INGREDIENTS:

Crab Puffs:

• 1 can of jackfruit in brine

• 3 tablespoons vegan mayo

• 1/4 finely chopped small onion

• 2 to 3 teaspoons dulse flakes

• 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

• 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning

• 2 teaspoons dijon mustard

• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Batter:

• 2 flax eggs

• 1/4 cup dairy free milk

• 1/4 cup of beer or club soda

• 1/2 cup all purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

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COOKING INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Drain jackfruit and add pieces to a food processor, pulsing a few times to break up. Be careful not to over process. Just pulse enough to break up the pieces to resemble crab meat.

2. Mix jackfruit and remaining puff ingredients into bowl until well incorporated. Make sure you can form a ball with the mix that holds together. If the mix seems too wet, add a little more panko. If it seems too dry, add a little more mayo.

3. Form balls from the mixture with a small cookie scoop or small spoon, and place on a cookie sheet.

4. Place cookie sheet in the freezer for about 30 minutes so the crab puffs firm up.

5. Mix all of the ingredients for the batter together in a medium sized bowl.

6. In a deep skillet, begin heating an inch of oil over medium heat.

7. While oil is heating, remove crab puffs from the freezer and gently dip one at a time into the batter. You don’t want them falling apart so be careful to just get them coated then remove from the batter.

8. Work in batches depending on how many will fit in your pan at one time. Coat what will fit and pop the rest back in the freezer.

9. Fry each batch for about 5 minutes until the they are golden brown all over.

10. Place cooked puffs on a cooling rack on top of a paper-towel-lined cookie sheet, and keep warm in a 200 degree oven.

11. Continue coating and frying the remaining puffs, storing finished puffs in the 200 degree oven.

12. Serve finished puffs with a side of horseradish aioli. (recipe below)

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Horseradish Aioli:

• 1/3 cup vegan mayo

• 2 teaspoons prepared horseradish

• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard

• 1 teaspoon minced garlic

• 1 scallion finely chopped

• Juice from 1/2 lemon

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Whisk all ingredients together for the aioli, and server on the side with crab puffs.

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Slow Cooker “Chicken” & Dumpling Stew with Jackfruit

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cans jackfruit in brine

• 2 carrots, chopped

• 3 stalks celery, chopped

• 1 yellow onion, chopped

• 1/2 cup cashews plus 1 1/2 cups water

• 1 tablespoon corn starch

• 7 cups water

• 2 teaspoons vegetable or no chicken Better Than Bouillon (you can use 7 cups of vegetable stock in place of water and better than bouillon )

• 1 teaspoons salt

• 1 teaspoon black pepper

• 2 teaspoons dried thyme

• 1 teaspoon dried parsley

• 1 batch fluffy southern biscuit dough (minus 1/8 - 1/4 cup milk)

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

1. Prepare fluffy southern biscuit dough minus 1/8 - 1/4 milk. You want this dough a little firmer than the biscuit dough so adding a little less milk will help the dough be more firm. You just need to be able to handle the dough without it being too sticky.

2. Once the dough is made, pat it out into a 1/2" thick oval and cut the dough into roughly 1 inch by inch dumplings.

3. Drain and shred 2 cans of jackfruit using a fork or your hands.

4. Mix 2 teaspoons of vegetable Better Than Bouillon with 7 cups of water, or you can use 7 cups of vegetable broth.

5. In a microwave safe container (I use a large glass pyrex measuring cup) microwave the cashews and 1 1/2 cups of water for 3 minutes.

6. Add the cashews, starch, and water to a high speed blender or food processor, and blend on high until the mixture is completely smooth and resembles heavy cream.

7. Set your slow cooker on medium heat and begin adding all of the ingredients except for the dumplings.

8. Once everything but the dumplings are in the pot, give it a good stir. Now add the dumplings in a single layer on the top of the stew. You may have dough left over depending on the size of your slow cooker. If you over crowd them, they will all stick together. You can always bake the extra dough into biscuits.

9. Allow the stew to cook for 7 - 9 hours. You may have to give the stew a stir in the middle of the cooking process to make sure the dumplings are getting cooked through.

10. Store leftovers in fridge for up to 5 days or freeze for up to a month.

Tofu or Seitan Marengo with Lemon Polenta

 

This recipe was adapted from a Cuisine Magazine recipe I got years ago. It is always a crowd pleaser, and tastes like you spent hours making it. In reality, its actually fairly quick! The original recipe used chicken and bacon. The liquid smoke in this recipe replaces the bacon helps give the dish that extra layer of smoke, while using either tofu or seitan works great as a protein substitute. It is common to also serve Marengo with eggs or rice.  You could easy substitute the polenta for tofu scramble or rice.

INGREDIENTS:

Marengo

• 1/2 batch of seitan or 1 block of extra firm tofu
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup organic corn starch
• 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
• 2 cups sliced yellow onions
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons of tomato paste
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
• 1 cup of water
• 1 teaspoon vegetable Better Than Bouillon
• 1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives chopped
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest

Lemon Polenta

• 2 cups almond or coconut milk (unsweetened)
• 1 cup water
• 1/2  cup corn meal
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• pepper to taste
• 2 - 3 teaspoons lemon zest

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Cube seitan or tofu into 1 inch cubes. If using tofu, wrap in some paper towels and place some books on top for 15 minutes to remove excess liquid.
2. Mix flour and starch in a bowl and toss in tofu or seitan until fully coated.
3. Heat a half inch of oil in a large deep pan or dutch oven, and fry seitan or tofu on each side until begins to brown and is super crispy.
4. Remove from pan and place on a paper-towel-lined plate to remove excess oil.
5. Add sliced onions and salt to the  same pot you just used to cook the tofu or seitan, and cook in the same oil for 2 - 3 minutes. Add garlic, thyme, parsley and wine and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
6. Whisk water and Better Than Bouillon together (you could use vegetable broth as well if you do not have better than bouillon) add it, tomatoes in the juice, liquid smoke, olives, and tomato paste to the pot.
7. Let the merango simmer for 5 minutes, stirring a few times to make sure it's not sticking to the bottom.  
8. Now add back in the seitan or tofu and let simmer for another 10 minutes, again giving it a few stirs. The starch from the seitan or tofu will help the stew thicken.
9. Serve on top of lemon polenta and garnish with lemon zest.

Lemon Polenta

1. In a medium pot add milk, water, and corn meal, salt and garlic and whisk until combined.
2. Cook on medium/low heat until the polenta begins to thicken, about 10 - 15 minutes.
3. Once it has thickened, stir in the lemon zest and serve, topping the polenta with the Marengo

Beyond Meatball Subs

Beyond meat brand burgers are truly amazing. They really are one of the closet to "meat" substitutes available in stores right now. What I love most about them, is that you can thaw the patties and use them in place of meat in a TON of recipes. Each patty is 1/4 pound so 4 will equal a pound of meat. They are not hard to find, a lot of stores carry them now.

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 thawed Beyond Beef burgers

• 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs

• 1 teaspoon minced garlic

• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (a mix of thyme, sage, basil, marjoram, rosemary, and oregano) if you do not have Italian seasoning feel free to add a combo of any of the listed spices

• 1 teaspoon tomato paste

• 1 flax egg

Sauce

• 1 onion, diced

• 1 carrot, diced

• 1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes

• 1 small 14.4 oz can diced tomatoes

• 1/3 red wine (optional)

• 2 teaspoons crushed garlic

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS:

Meatballs

1. Mix thawed burgers, panko bread crumbs, garlic, spices, and flax egg together in a bowl.

2. Once well combined, form meatballs with a small scoop, or spoon, and place them on a baking pan. You can line the pan with parchment paper for easier clean up.

3. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Sauce

1. Sauté onions and carrots in 1 teaspoon of oil, and 1 teaspoon of salt, in a large pot for 5 minutes.

2. Add the wine, and let it cook for 2 minutes.

3. Add the remaining ingredients, and let the sauce simmer for 30 minutes.

4. Add the cooked meatballs, and let simmer in the sauce for 15 minutes.

5. Use whatever bread you like to make the sandwiches. We typically buy a baguette, and cut it into sections. French bread is often plant based. Just be sure to read the label.

6. Add the meatballs to the bread, and top with any kind of plant based cheese you like. We prefer Follow Your Heart brand because it tastes good, and also melts.

7. Place sandwiches on a baking sheet in the oven on 350 until cheese melts.

8. You can also add some vegan parmesan on top before serving.

Tofu Egg Salad

i often will whip up a batch of tofu vegan egg salad sandwiches for get togethers or bbqs. It is so easy to make and often times people have no idea that it is vegan. I also like to make some on the weekends to keep in the fridge for a fast weekday lunch. I love it on crackers or even on salads. The addition of black salt will give it a more convincing egg taste but you don’t have to use it. It is a surfer salt and smells and taste of eggs. You can often find it at specialty spice shops or online.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cube extra firm organic tofu

• 1-2 teaspoons turmeric (depending on your preference, I like more, some people like less)

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1 teaspoon onion powder

• 3 tablespoon diced pickles (plus a teaspoon of pickle juice)

• 1/4 cup vegan mayo

• 1 tablespoons yellow mustard

• 1/2 teaspoon black salt (optional)

• salt and pepper to taste

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Wrap drained tofu in a clean kitchen towel, or a few paper towels, and place a few books, heavy plate, or can on top for 5 - 15 minutes to remove excess moisture.

2. Place tofu in a bowl, and crumble with hands or a fork.

3. Add in the mayo,spices, pickles, and pickle juice. Mix well.

4. Store in an airtight container in fridge for 3 - 5 days.

Crispy Fried Tofu

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 block of organic extra firm tofu

• 3 tablespoons all purpose flour

• 3 tablespoons tapioca starch, organic corn starch, or arrow root powder

• 1 teaspoon of salt

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Wrap tofu in a clean kitchen towel or some paper towels and place a few books, heavy plate, or cans on top for 5 - 15 minutes to remove excess moisture.

2. Cut the tofu into one inch cubes.

3. Mix the flour, starch, and salt in a bowl big enough to also hold the tofu.

4. Add the tofu to the bowl and toss with your hands or a large spoon until all pieces are evenly coated.

5. In a large skillet, heat a quarter inch of oil until sizzling.

6. Add the tofu pieces, being careful they don’t touch, or the starch will cause the pieces to stick together.

7. Fry on each side for several minutes or until all sides are nice and crispy.

8. Place tofu on a cooling rack with some paper towels underneath for a few minutes before serving.

SERVING IDEAS

Cover in you favorite sauce and add it to stir fry.

Add some garlic powder, and paprika (or any other spice you may like) to the flour mix before coating and serve as "chicken" nuggets.

Cover in buffalo sauce for vegan wings.

Use to top salads or add to sandwiches and wraps.