Wintertime BBQ Tacos

Back to school! That means simple, hearty recipes that will keep us going all day long, and tacos are among our favourites. This recipe may look a bit complicated, but don’t be fooled! It’s actually really simple to put together and it makes lots, so you can enjoy it for a few days after the initial work. Each of the elements in these tacos are also delicious on their own. The coleslaw makes an excellent side dish that travels well to picnics and potlucks, and the bbq peppers and tofu are great as a main dish served over rice or couscous. They are extra delicious in these tacos, though, where the tang of the coleslaw stands out against the subtle sweetness of the BBQ sauce, and the yogurt provides a creaminess that makes it all come together.

Wintertime BBQ Tacos
10 small corn or flour tortillas
1 cup plain yogurt
1 cup prepared salsa
1 recipe bbq peppers and tofu (below)
1 recipe cilantro-lime coleslaw (below)

1. Prepare the BBQ Peppers and Tofu. While they are cooking, prepare the coleslaw.
2. Fill each tortilla with some of the peppers, tofu, coleslaw, yogurt, and salsa. Fold and enjoy!

BBQ Peppers and Tofu
1 lb. tofu, cubed (about 2 cups)
2 bell peppers, sliced (about 2 cups)
1 large onion, sliced (about 2 cups)
1 cup BBQ sauce

1. Preheat the oven to 425F. Lightly oil a 9×13 baking dish.
2. Slice the peppers and onion and cube the tofu.
3. In the baking dish, toss the veggies and tofu with the BBQ sauce.
4. Bake for 15 minutes, then stir and bake for an additional 10 minutes.

Cilantro-Lime Coleslaw
4 cups cabbage, thinly sliced (or 1 bag of shredded cabbage)
1½ cups cooked or canned black beans
1½ cups cooked or canned corn
½ cup lime juice (about 2 limes)
¼ cup olive oil
1½ cups cilantro leaves (1 bunch of cilantro)
1 teaspoon honey or agave nectar
¼ teaspoon cumin
salt and pepper to taste

1. In a blender (or using a hand blender), combine the lime juice, oil, cilantro, honey, cumin, salt, and pepper and blend until smooth.
2. In a large bowl, toss the cabbage, corn, and beans together with the dressing.

BBQ Peppers and Tofu recipe borrowed from The Vegetarian 5-Ingredient Gourmet by Nava Atlas.

Parmesan-Tarragon Crusted Tofu

This recipe is one of my favourites for simple, healthy comfort food. It’s based on my mom’s recipe for “breadcrumb chicken,” which my whole family loves. When I asked her for the recipe so that I could make a vegetarian version, I couldn’t believe how simple it was!

The tofu comes out a little bit drier than chicken, so I like to marinate it before breading and I usually serve this dish with some kind of sauce. In fact, one of the things I like best about the recipe is that it can be made really sophisticated with one sauce (say, a romesco sauce or even a good-quality pasta sauce) or really low-key and fun with a something else (we use honey mustard dressing to bring out the potential “vegetarian chicken fingers” flavour of the dish). If you are serving this to kids (or fun-loving adults), you can cut the tofu with cookie cutters before breading to make it into fun shapes – like stars or hearts or even dinosaurs.

Parmesan-Tarragon Crusted Tofu
Serves 4 – 6

1 lb. firm or extra-firm tofu
2 cups vegetable broth or water
¼ cup soy sauce
½ cup whole wheat breadcrumbs
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
1 Tablespoon dried tarragon, crumbled
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1. Cut tofu into 16  pieces. (I usually cut the whole block lengthwise to make the slices thinner. Then I cut each of those blocks in half, and use diagonal cuts to make each of the halves into 4 triangles. If you use cookie cutters, you may not get as many pieces out of a single block of tofu, but the fun is still worth it).
2. Mix broth (or water) and soy sauce in a resealable container and add tofu. Add more water to cover if necessary. Marinate for 2 hours, or overnight (whatever you have time for).
3. After the tofu has marinated, preheat the oven to 425F. Lightly oil a cookie sheet and set it aside.
4. Mix the breadcrumbs, parmesan, tarragon, and pepper in a shallow bowl.
5. Drain the tofu. Drag each piece through the breadcrumb mixture, making sure it is well coated on all sides.
6. Place breaded tofu on the cookie sheet, and bake for 10 minutes on each side (or until it is golden-brown).
7. Serve with desired sauce. (We usually eat this dish with a green salad and sweet potato fries or mashed potatoes).

Avocado and Fried Tofu Sandwich

When I was twelve years old, my family moved back to Edmonton after a brief hiatus and my parents’ friends came over to help us get settled. I’m sure that they moved furniture, and helped unpack and so forth, but what I remember are the sandwiches.

They brought ice cream pails full of different sandwiches for us to eat until we had unpacked our kitchen implements and stocked up on groceries. At first, I dug into the old stand-bys like PB&J, but then I discovered the avocado and bacon and I never turned back. The salty, crispy bacon mixed with the creamy avocado in what I can only describe as a culinary revelation. This recipe is my vegetarian version, which I think is just as good. Better even, because you can pile on the fried tofu (which can be made entirely without oil if you have a good non-stick pan) in amounts that would be inadvisable (at best) with bacon.

If you don’t want to make all four sandwiches at once, you can still prepare all of the tofu ahead of time and then store it for later. Cut up as much of the avocado as you want, and then spread lemon juice over the rest and wrap it tightly in tin foil or plastic wrap. Leave the remaining avocado in its skin with the pit to help preserve its freshness, and it should keep in the fridge for a day or two. Don’t worry if the surface has turned a little bit brown, as long as the rest of the avocado is still green underneath. If you are making these sandwiches to eat later, toss the avocado in a little lemon juice before spreading it on the sandwich. These keep for a few hours, but not much longer.

Avocado and Fried Tofu Sandwich
Makes 4 Sandwiches

8 slices of multigrain bread
1 ripe avocado
½ teaspoon salt or to taste, preferably coarse or kosher salt
½ teaspoon black pepper or to taste, preferably freshly ground
1 lb. tofu, cut into slices

Smoky Tofu Marinade
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
1 teaspoon adobo sauce from can of chipotles
½ cup soy sauce
¼ cup hoisin sauce (or additional soy sauce)
½ cup water
1 teaspoon black pepper, preferably freshly ground

1. Combine marinade ingredients in a blender and pulse to combine.
2. Place sliced tofu in a long, shallow food storage container or a large resealable bag.
3. Pour marinade over the tofu and add additional water to cover if necessary.
4. Marinate overnight.
5. Remove tofu from marinade and heat it in a non-stick pan on medium-high heat until it is browned on both sides.
6. Meanwhile, toast the bread. When it is finished toasting, spread ¼ of the avocado on each of four slices of the bread. Top with salt and pepper to taste.
7. Place ¼ of the tofu over the avocado, and top with an unadorned slice of bread. Enjoy!

Curried Tofu Mac & Cheese

Inspired by a scrumptious trip to S’MAC in New York, Sean and I decided to try out our own mac & cheese creation with the motley crew of leftovers hanging around our fridge. The result was delicious, and successful in quelling our desire to go back to S’MAC immediately. The list of ingredients is long. So long, in fact, that I considered leaving this recipe unposted. The preparation is really simple, though, and you can play around with spices and ingredients to suit your pantry’s capacities. The serving size for this recipe is relatively small, because we found the dish particularly filling – and because we wanted to eat it with giant piles of steamed asparagus, which is highly recommended.

Curried Tofu Mac & Cheese
Makes 4 smallish servings

1 cup uncooked macaroni pasta
1 tsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ tsp. ginger, finely grated
¼ cup onion, finely chopped
1 cup tofu, cut into ½-inch cubes
½ cup cornmeal (plus additional 2 tsp. for variation)
1 cup tomato, chopped
½ tsp. mustard seeds, optional
½ tsp. fenugreek seeds, optional
½ tsp. cumin
1½ tsp. garam masala or curry powder
½ cup vegetable broth or water
2 Tbsp. coconut milk
¼ cup nutritional yeast
¼ cup cilantro, chopped
1  cup aged cheddar cheese, shredded (plus additional 1 cup for variation)
1 tsp. sriracha or other hot sauce, plus additional for garnish

1. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add macaroni and cook until al dente. Drain and set aside.
2. In the same pot, heat the olive oil. Saute the garlic, ginger and onion until onion is translucent. Add tofu and saute until browned on both sides. Add cornmeal with seeds and spices, stirring to coat. Sautee until the tofu is well-coated and the spices begin to release their fragrances.
3. Add cooked macaroni to the pot, with the coconut milk, broth, nutritional yeast, cilantro and sriracha. Add 1 cup cheese gradually, stirring constantly.
4. Optional: Preheat oven to  400F. Spoon mac & cheese into four oven proof bowls. Sprinkle an additional ¼ cup cheese plus ½ tsp cornmeal for each bowl and bake 15 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly.

Curry Tofu Sandwiches with Cilantro Bean Spread

A friend emailed me awhile ago asking for recipes that she could take to work. I’ve been on the lookout for such recipes myself and the result has generally been hearty salads (like this or this or this) and sandwiches. To make your searching easier, I’ve added “Lunchbox” as a tag on this site. This category includes hearty, one-dish meals that are easily transportable, (usually) don’t need to be reheated, and make enough to last at least most of the week.

For me, the perfect sandwich is one that tastes great, won’t get soggy, and packs a lot of make ahead ingredients that I can slap together in a hurry before heading out the door. This sandwich meets all criteria. Placing the tomatoes between the tofu and cheese will prevent them from making your bread soggy (and thickly spread beans and chutney help, too, even if you omit the cheese). Plus, the bean spread and tofu can be made ahead of time so that you have quick lunches all week.

This recipe pulls together a few recipes from elsewhere, including a bean spread modified from an old edition of Vegetarian Times. I also used the Curried Tofu recipe from Veganomicon but you can use any premade baked tofu if you prefer (Pete’s “Thai Tango” would be especially good), or just chase 16 slices of extra firm tofu around a pan with a tablespoon of olive oil, a couple cloves of garlic and a few tablespoons of curry powder. I’d love to hear about your variations.

Curry Tofu Sandwiches with Cilantro Bean Spread
Makes 8 Sandwiches

1 recipe cilantro bean spread, below (3 Tbsp. per sandwich)
2 – 8oz. packages baked tofu, cut into 16 slices (2 slices per sandwich)
4 Roma tomatoes, sliced (½ tomato per sandwich)
1 cup mango chutney (2 Tbsp. per sandwich)
8 slices sharp cheddar cheese, optional
16 slices good quality, whole grain bread

1. Spread one slice of bread with bean spread and one slice with chutney.
2. Layer cheese (if using), tomatoes, and tofu on the beany side and then close the bread with the chutney side. (The bean spread offers the best sogginess protection if you are omitting the cheese).
3. Enjoy!

Cilantro Bean Dip
Makes 1¾ cups

1 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. olive oil, divided
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
2 scallions (green onions), white, light green and dark green parts, chopped (about ½ cup)
½ cup cilantro, chopped
1 cup white cannellini beans or other white beans
1½ Tbsp. lime juice
½ tsp. cumin

1. In a small pan, heat 1 tsp. of olive oil and saute garlic and jalapeno until garlic is translucent. Add scallions and saute until bright green and browning on the edges, being careful not to burn them.
2. Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.

P.S. This recipe produces a thick consistency best suited to a spread. If you want a dip instead, add 1 cup of plain yogurt (soy if you prefer) and eat it with crackers, chips and/or veggies.

Tofu Ranchero

Here’s a vegan take on huevos rancheros, one of my favourite brunch items. Using salsa here saves a lot of prep time versus other tofu scramble recipes, because you don’t have many vegetables to chop up, but the recipe still has a nice fresh taste. Enjoy!

Tofu Ranchero
Makes 2 – 4 Servings

½ cup black beans
¼ cup corn
2 – 3 cloves garlic
½ tsp. olive oil
½ lb. tofu (about 1½ cups)
¾ cup salsa
½ tsp. chili powder
¼ tsp. turmeric
salt and pepper to taste

1. In a small non-stick frying pan, heat oil. Add garlic, corn and beans. Cook until garlic is cooked and corn and beans are thawed (if using frozen).
2. Add tofu, mashing it between your thumb and forefinger to reach desired consistency.
3. Add salsa, chili powder, turmeric, salt and pepper. Mix well and cook until heated through.
4. Serve with toast, or in a tortilla for a vegan breakfast burrito

Big, Easy Stirfry

Sean and I went camping in Banff last week and just for fun, we went into the Château Lake Louise to window shop and gawk at things. We looked at the menu for the hotel restaurant and found that there were two vegetarian options, including Garlic-Ginger Hoisin Stir-Fry for $25. “What?!” I said. Stir-fry is one of the easiest vegan meals to make. When we got home, I made my own Garlic-Ginger Hoisin Stir-Fry, but I couldn’t convince Sean to pay me $25 per serving. This makes a lot, so that you can enjoy it all week. And if you have richer, more gullible friends, you could make up to $150.

Garlic-Ginger Hoisin Stir-Fry
Makes about 6 servings

1½ cups brown rice, uncooked
1 Tbsp. sesame oil
1 Tbsp. olive oil
¼ cup fresh ginger, grated
8 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. tofu, cut into small cubes
4 cups mixed vegetables (I used 1 cup each broccoli, carrots, snow peas and red bell pepper)
¼ cup water
8 oz. can sliced water chestnuts, drained
6 oz. can cut baby corn, drained
⅓ cup soy sauce
2 Tbsp. hoisin sauce
½ tsp. Sriracha, or other hot sauce
2 Tbsp. sesame seeds

1. In a pot or steamer or whatever you use to cook rice, cook the rice according to package directions or in your normal way.
2. In a large non-stick pan or wok, heat the oils over medium high heat. Add the ginger and garlic and heat until fragrant.
3. Add the tofu, and heat for about 10 minutes or until a crispy crust forms on the outside, flipping a few times.
4. Add the vegetables and ¼ cup water. Cover the pan and steam the vegetables until bright.
5. Add the baby corn and water chestnuts.
6. In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, hoisin sauce and Sriracha. Pour it onto the stir fry and stir until well mixed. Cook for about 10 more minutes, or until sauce is absorbed.
7. Garnish with sesame seeds and serve.

Vegetable and Tofu Kebabs

This weekend, my extended family came up from Calgary to go see Body Worlds and instead of tagging along, I made the food for an evening BBQ. Catering the non-meat dishes for 8 meat-eaters (plus Sean and me) at a BBQ was a super fun challenge, and the next four posts will be a sampling of what I came up with: Kebabs, Potato and Green Bean Salad and Greek Salad for Company.

And what are those things on the end, you ask? My aunt thought that they were wooden knobs to keep the veggies from slipping, Sean thought they were olives, and my dad thought they were mushrooms. They’re actually black zebra tomatoes, an heirloom variety that is firmer than regular varieties and so stands up better on the grill. Of course, you can use regular cherry tomatoes – but why not look for black zebras at your local farmer’s market? They can definitely be found at the Old Strathcona Farmer’s Market in Edmonton, which operates in the old bus barns on 104 St. and 83 Ave. every Saturday from 8am to 3pm.

The marinade for the Kebabs was heavily modified from 1000 Vegetarian Recipes by Carol Gelles. Enjoy!

Vegetable and Tofu Kebabs
Makes 15 Kebabs

½ cup soy sauce
¼ cup orange juice
2 Tbsp. honey
2 Tbsp. hoisin sauce
2 tsp. sesame oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. ginger, grated

1 – 1 lb. package extra firm tofu
2 bell peppers (I used ½ each yellow, orange, red and green peppers for colour)
½ red onion
1 pint (2 cups) cherry tomatoes
10 button mushrooms

1. Mix together the ingredients for the marinade. Set aside.
2. Cut the tofu into 1-inch cubes. Cut the bell peppers and onion into large chunks (remember that you’ll have to get a skewer through them without splitting them).
3. Layer the vegetables in one container, with mushrooms on the bottom, then peppers and onions, then cherry tomatoes. Place tofu in another container. (This will maximize flavour absorption).
4. Pour half of the marinade into each of the containers. Marinate for at least 2 hours, or overnight.
5. If you are using bamboo or wood skewers, soak them for about 20 minutes before using them so that they don’t burn.
6. Skewer the tofu and the vegetables, making pretty patterns if you like. I did it like this:

Tofu Kebabs:

Tofu-Tofu-Onion-Tofu-Tofu-Tomato-Tofu-Tofu-Pepper-Tofu-Tofu

Vegetable Kebabs:

Tomato-Onion-Pepper-Onion-Pepper-Onion-Mushroom-Pepper-Onion-Pepper-Onion-Pepper-Tomato

Tofu Jerky

This is a healthy, savoury vegetarian snack that is perfect for road trips or camping because it takes a long time to go bad. (I once drove to Vancouver with a friend, left half the tofu jerky in her car for a week and then happily ate it on the way back home. I’m not sure that I can recommend this course of action specifically, but should it keep through a weekend camping trip or road trip). I mentioned to my partner that I was planning to make tofu jerky for an upcoming camping trip and he said, “Would you be mad if I pretended I was going camping and got you to make some tofu jerky, but then I didn’t actually go camping?” I laughed and told him that I would make it this weekend. And I did.

Don’t be scared by the long list of ingredients. The main things are the tofu and soy sauce. If you don’t like or don’t have some of the spices, just omit them or replace them with ones that suit you better. Pressed tofu works best for this recipe, but you can use regular firm or extra firm tofu as well. Medium, soft and silken tofus will all fall apart.

Tofu Jerky

1 package (400g) pressed tofu
3/4 cup dark soy sauce
1 Tbsp. vegan Worcestershire sauce (or 1/4 cup additional soy sauce)
1/4 cup water
2 tsp. cumin
2 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. nutritional yeast
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. curry powder
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. dried dill
1/4 tsp. ground coriander
1/4 tsp. Sriracha or other hot sauce
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1. Cut tofu into slices, as thinly as possible. Arrange in a reusable plastic container that fits them snugly (about a 4 cup container).
2. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, water and spices.
3. Pour the sauce over the tofu, and then fill the container up with water until the tofu is fully covered. Put the lid on the container and shake until the tofu is well coated.
4. Marinate the tofu 8 hours or overnight (it can be left for a few days if you don’t get around to it).
5. Preheat the oven to 200F.
6. Arrange the marinated tofu on a lightly greased baking sheet, making sure that they are in a single layer. (This may take more than one baking sheet).
7. Bake the tofu for 3-5 hours, or until desired toughness is reached. Turn the tofu every 20 minutes at first, and then every half hour. (If desired, you can baste tofu with some of the sauce for the first few turns to up the flavour, but this will increase baking time since the tofu won’t dry out as quickly).
8. Store in an airtight container. Enjoy!

Fried Tofu with Wasabi Mayonnaise

I used to live in a house with five other people and we would compete with each other for the ultimate fried tofu recipe. This is mine, although I have to admit that it’s a little different every time. Play around with the spices until you find what suits you. If you can’t find nutritional yeast, substitute flour and increase the spices.

Fried Tofu

1 lb. tofu, cut into thin strips
1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
3 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 tsp. vegetarian Worcestershire sauce (or additional soy sauce)
1/4 tsp. Sriracha or other hot sauce
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. freshly ground peppers
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 cup nutritional yeast

1. Heat the olive oil in a good large non-stick pan. Add the tofu in a single layer in the bottom of the pan. If it won’t fit, cook the tofu in batches because it needs to be touching the bottom of the pan to absorb all of the flavour.
2. When the tofu starts sizzling, add the soy sauce, Worcestershire (if using) and hot sauce. Flip the tofu several times to let it absorb the liquid on each side.
3. When the liquid is absorbed, add the spices and flip the tofu until the spices stick.
4. Serve immediately. This recipe is good as a side dish, a snack, or on salad. (If you are using it for salad, cut the tofu into cubes instead of slices).

Wasabi Mayonnaise
So good. So easy to make.

1/4 cup mayonnaise or vegenaise
1/2 tsp. prepared wasabi

1. Mix the mayonnaise with the wasabi. It’s just that simple. Reduce the wasabi if you are going to let the mayo sit for awhile since the flavour will grow.