Vegan Yum Yum (28 page)

step 4
Line up your tofu slices on a baking sheet that is covered with parchment paper or a Silpat baking mat. Brush both sides of the tofu with the marinade.

Ingredients

1 block extra-super-firm tofu, drained and pressed

3 tablespoons red miso

3 tablespoons lemon juice

3 tablespoons sugar

3 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce

1 tablespoon nutritional yeast

¼ teaspoon Liquid Smoke flavoring

step 5
Let the slices absorb the marinade for 10 minutes or so, then brush just the tops again. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let the slices cool on the sheet. The tofu should be darkened around the edges, but not burned.

step 6
To make a sandwich using the tofu slices, use whatever sandwich ingredients you love. I'm a simple girl, so some vegan mayo, baby spinach, and sourdough toast were all I needed to make a delicious sandwich. Most likely, whatever your favorite sandwich fixings are, they will go great with this tofu. This also makes a great vegan BLT! You can refrigerate the remaining slices to use later.

Three-Spice Potatoes

O
ven-roasted potatoes need little embellishment. These potatoes are roasted with three spices—cumin, coriander, and mustard seeds—giving them a flavor that doesn't overwhelm. A little bit of lemon finishes them; I guarantee you'll want seconds!

Three-Spice Potatoes

Makes 2 servings

step 1
Preheat the oven to 400 ºF.

step 2
Scrub potatoes and leave the skins on. Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise, then in half lengthwise again to form four long wedges. Cut each wedge in half to form thin, wedgelike “oven fries.”

step 3
Heat the oil in a large oven-proof skillet with a tight-fitting lid. Add the cumin seeds, mustard seeds, coriander powder, and salt to the skillet and mix well, until the seeds begin to pop, and then add the lemon juice. When the bubbling subsides, add the potatoes and toss well to coat with the oil and spices. Make sure the potatoes are resting on their cut sides (as opposed to their skins). Cover and place in the oven for 20 minutes.

step 4
Remove the pan from the oven and use a spatula to loosen the potatoes from the bottom of the pan. Turn them so the browned sides are up and place them back in the oven for another 10 to 15 minutes, uncovered, or until potatoes are tender but still hold their shape.

step 5
Finish the potatoes under the broiler to give a perfect oven-roasted color to the potatoes if needed. When finished baking, squeeze a bit of extra lemon juice and a dash of salt over the top. Serve immediately.

Ingredients

3 medium-size Yukon Gold potatoes
(about 15 ounces)

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon black or brown mustard seeds

½ teaspoon coriander powder

¼ teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, plus extra for seasoning

Salt, to taste for seasoning

Pepper, to taste for seasoning

chapter
six
Soups

African Yam Stew

T
his soup is hot, spicy, and sort of sweet. Fresh, whole spices really give this soup a lot of kick, so if you don't have any on hand, consider buying some. They'll stay fresh for one to two years if tightly covered, and your cooking will be even more awesome when you use them. If you know you don't like spicy-hot, ease up on the pepper flakes and ginger. That being said, this soup isn't crazy hot, so give it a whirl as is! I love the textures in this—the creamy yams (well, they're technically sweet potatoes, but whatever), the plump, juicy raisins, the tender kale. I used a mortar and pestle to grind my spices, but feel free to use a spice grinder.

African Yam Stew

Makes 4 to 5 servings

step 1
Grind the cumin, peppercorns, coriander seeds, red pepper flakes, mustard seeds, and whole cloves in a spice grinder (or crush in a mortar and pestle) and set aside.

step 2
Heat the vegetable oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot with a tight-fitting lid. Add the onions and cook on medium-low until they begin to caramelize.

step 3
Meanwhile, prepare the yam, kale, and carrots. Once the veggies are prepped, dump your spice mixture into the oil and cook for 1 minute, being careful not to burn. Stop the cooking by dumping in the tomatoes and their juices, yams, kale and carrots. Then add the water, raisins, peanut butter, ginger, and salt and bring to a rolling boil. Turn down the heat and cover. Cook for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the yams and carrots are tender and the raisins are nice and plump. Serve.

Ingredients

½ teaspoon cumin seeds

½ teaspoon peppercorns

½ teaspoon coriander seeds

½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

½ teaspoon mustard seeds

2 whole cloves

1 to 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 garnet yam, softball-size, peeled and cut into ½-inch chunks
(may substitute jewel yams)

1 bunch kale, deveined and shredded

3 small carrots, peeled and sliced into coins

1 13.5-ounce can stewed tomatoes, blended smooth if you like

4 cups water

½ cup raisins

½ cup peanut butter
(optional; pictured without)

Fresh ginger, 1-to 2-inch piece, peeled and grated
*

½ teaspoon kosher salt

*
Note: Peel the ginger with a vegetable peeler and grate it, using a circular motion, on the second-to-smallest holes on your grater. You should end up with nice, juicy pulp on the inside of the grater and a mass of fibers in your hand. Discard the fibers and use the pulp in the soup.

Basic Vegetable Soup

T
his is a great basic minestrone-style soup. You can play with the ingredients to use what you have on hand, making it a good “clean out the fridge” soup, too.

Basic Vegetable Soup

Makes 6 servings

step 1
Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large pot with a lid. Add the onion and sauté until soft and beginning to color. Add the garlic and sauté for another few seconds, until fragrant. Add the potatoes, carrots, celery salt, sage, oregano, and rosemary and cook until very fragrant, for another 2 to 3 minutes.

step 2
Add the water, bouillon cubes, tomato paste, and pasta and stir well. Bring to a boil and stir until the tomato paste is dissolved. Cook, covered, gently boiling, for 10 minutes.

step 3
Add the greens, corn, lemon juice, salt, and black pepper. Adjust the seasonings to taste and cook until the pasta is done and the carrots and potatoes are cooked through but not overly mushy. Serve.

Ingredients

1 to 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, your choice

1 medium sweet onion, minced

4 cloves garlic, minced
(optional)

3 cups red potato, cut into small chunks

1½ cups carrot, sliced into coins and then roughly chopped

¼ teaspoon celery salt

½ teaspoon sage

½ teaspoon oregano

½ teaspoon rosemary