Baby Vegan Ruebens

Main Ingredients

Pumpernickel Bread, Tempeh , Sauerkraut, Marinade and Sauce

Tempeh is a plant-based meat alternative made from soybeans- basically a fermented soybean cake. Most often found as a rectangular block or strips and can be unflavored or pre-marinated

We made marinated tempeh. You can easily serve this without a marinade allowing the sauerkraut to shine. Some say tempeh has a bitter flavor, if you agree, lightly steam or boil your tempeh to remove it.

+ Marinade

1 (8-ounce) block tempeh

2 tablespoons olive oil or neutral-flavored oil, divided

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons maple syrup

3 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce

2 1/2 teaspoons liquid smoke

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (for heat, omit if undesired)

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

Cut tempeh in thin slices, cover in marinade and let it sit for at least 30 mins and up to 24 hours.

Bake at 350 for approx 30 mins, turning half way through. Bake longer if you want it crispy or less if you would like it more soft.

Dressing (aka mayo, pickles and ketchup)

1 cup mayo (find my favorite homemade mayo in the misc section)

1/4 cup ketchup

2+ tablespoons of pickles or relish ( I like lot of pickles, hence the “+“)

Chop pickles, mix with mayo and ketchup. Add horseradish for spice.

Put it all together. Toast bread, butter if you like. Layer on baked tempeh, add sauerkraut and sauce. Enjoy!

Use this same tempeh and make a TLAT- tempeh, lettuce, avocado, tomato

Mini Potato Salad

2 lbs mini potatoes

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

3 stalks celery, diced

½ cup green onions, diced

1 red onion, diced

Handful each of fresh dill and parsley, chopped

Protein Dressing

1 cup extra firm tofu

2 tbsp dijon mustard

1/2 cup vegan yogurt, I used coconut yogurt

A full lemon, juiced

1/2 teaspoon zest of lemon

3 cloves garlic

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

Boil potatoes til soft.

Prepare a baking sheet. Place potatoes on backing sheet and with a fork smash the potatoes. Drizzle olive oil and bake at 425 for 45 mins or til crisp.

Add dressing ingredients to a high powered blender, blend til smooth. This dressing is deceiving- a bit tasteless until all the ingredients are put together and then it really works (sour of the yogurt and tart of the citrus)

I wanted to show how tofu can be used in different applications.

Creamy Cashew Caesar Dressing. Chickpea Croutons

1 cup raw cashews- soaked

1/2 cup water

2 cloves garlic (or more based on your taste)

2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoon nutritional yeast (manageable size and inexpensive at Trader Joe’s)

2 teaspoon capers

1 tablespoon dijon

1 teaspoon vegan worcestershire sauce

Black pepper to taste

Salt to taste

Blend in high speed blender, season to taste.

Chickpea Croutons

1 can drained chickpeas (keep the liquid for another use)

Drizzle with olive oil and salt and pepper (and any other spices you like)

Bake in oven approx 30 mins 400 degrees. Keep cooking if they are not crispy. Move them around every 10 mins or so.

Add more seasoning to taste. Eat as snack or add to anything that deserves a high protein crunch.

Put it all together.

Massage kale with some lemon juice a head of time. Add dressing, add croutons.

Tofu with Tamarind Peanut Sauce

Tofu

1 block extra firm tofu

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons potato or arrowroot starch (for health) or cornstarch works too

Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400.

Cut tofu into cubes and put in mixing bowl. Add olive oil, starch and salt and pepper. Use hands and make sure each piece is coated.

Add tofu to a prepared baking sheet. Back for approx 20-25 mins or until crisp. You can uses these now or save in fridge for many applications.

Tamarind Peanut Sauce

Tamarind is high in nutrients, an anti-oxidant and is anti-inflammatory . It’s a a fun ingredient to add to your pantry. Especially if you want to make a more authentic pad thai.

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

2 garlic cloves, grated or minced

1 tablespoon tamarind paste or tamarind concentrate

Just of a lime ( zest for more flavor)

1 1/2 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1/4- 1/2 cup of water

Add all ingredients to a bowl and whisk to combine. Adjust seasonings as you like.

From here you can save this in the fridge or use immediately.

For immediate use, add tofu to a pan and let it crisp. Add sauce. Warm until your desired temp. Serve over rice. Add cilantro, basil, peanuts, chopped cucumber, scallions. Add broccoli or edamame and make it a nutritious meal.

Left overs? Add to noodles for a cold salad or hot dish. Add crunchy cold vegetables (cucumber, shredded purple cabbage and carrots) to cold peanut tofu and make a wrap- add kimchi, pickled onions. You might want to make a triple batch!

Crispy Rice Salad Lettuce Wraps

2 1/2 Cups cooked basmati rice 

2 Tbsp Thai red curry paste 

3 Tsp oil

Mix and bake at 400 for about 30 mins and stir halfway through.

Dressing:

2 tbsp soy sauce

1/4 to 1/2 jalapeño minced (depending on spice level you like, omit if you do not want spice)

2 cloves garlic 

Juice of a 1/2 lime + zest for more flavor

2 Tbsp sugar 

1/4 cup water

Add all ingredients to a bowl, mix

Chop a a bunch of fresh mint and cilantro (sub parsley if you think cilantro tastes like soap (15-20% of the gen pop thinks so!) )

1 cucumber chopped 

A handful peanuts and fried shallots

Assemble everything in a bowl and combine with the dressing.

Serve in lettuce wraps.Boston bib lettuce and romaine hearts are easiest. Steamed collard greens add a step but are a beautiful green color and rich in nutrients.

Chocolate Mousse

Ingredients: Sweet Potato, Avocado, Coconut Milk, Maple Syrup, Cocoa or Cacao Powder,

1 cup baked sweet potato, peeled

1/2 cup coconut cream

1 avocado 

1/4 cup maple syrup (or more depends on how sweet you like it)

2 teaspoons vanilla

Add above ingredients to a blender. Blend til smooth. Don’t tell anyone what’s in it- they’ll never know!

https://minimalistbaker.com/easy-vegan-mayo-with-aquafaba/

Asafoetida (Hing)

Aquafaba