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Cold Soba Noodle Salad

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Cold Soba Noodle Salad | Chow Vegan

Once upon a time, there was a Japanese restaurant in downtown Palo Alto, California. It was one of my favorite restaurants and I think one of the first East-West fusion restaurants around. They were very innovative yet the food was very simple. They had some of the best vegan dishes. So sad when they closed down. This recipe is inspired by their Asian salad. Now if I could just remember what was in their vegetable roll, I’ll be golden.

Cold Soba Noodle Salad
Serves 2

6 ounces buckwheat soba noodles
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 hearts of palm
2 small ripe tomatoes

In a large bowl, mix the rice vinegar, soy sauce and olive oil; set aside.

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add the noodles and cook for about one minute or according to the package directions. Drain the noodles and rinse briefly under cold water. Add the noodles to the dressing and mix to coat well. Cover and chill for an hour or until cold.

Divide the noodles between two shallow bowls, drizzle a little bit of the dressing on top of the noodles. Quarter the hearts of palm lengthwise and slice the tomatoes, place on top of the noodles and serve.

Crispy Baked Tofu

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Crispy Baked Tofu | Chow Vegan

Could you eat a whole pound of tofu in one day?

I can!

Well, I almost did. When it comes to Crispy Baked Tofu, I actually have to stop myself from pigging out on it. The story is – I have a few when they first come out of the oven, because they’re so nice and crispy. Yum. Later on, I need a snack and have a few more. Yum again. Over half is gone already, I could have some more for dinner but probably best to save the rest for tomorrow. Future yum. See? I could if I really wanted to, eat a whole pound of tofu in one day.

Crispy Baked Tofu
Makes 10 to 12 slices

1 pound firm or extra firm tofu, drained and water pressed out
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Olive oil

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut the tofu into 1/4″ thick slices. In a shallow bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, nutritional yeast, onion powder, garlic powder and salt, mix well.

Brush a baking sheet with olive oil. Take one tofu slice and brush the sides and edges with olive oil, place in the breadcrumbs and coat well. Then place onto the baking sheet. Repeat until all the slices are coated.

Bake tofu slices for about 20 – 30 minutes until light golden brown and crispy, turning them over halfway through. Serve with your dipping sauce of choice – ketchup, bbq sauce, or ranch dressing.

Leek and Mushroom Quiche

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Leek and Mushroom Quiche | Chow Vegan

After my fun-filled trip to the French bistro Bouchon, I feel like a quiche. I couldn’t have their quiche but I sure can make one myself. It’s actually a fairly easy recipe. For one thing, I used a pre-made crust. Because let’s face it, I’m not a baker. I can’t bake to save my life. I think it’s the exact measurement thing that gets me every time. But I do have a secret ingredient that makes up for it – fresh tofu.

Fresh tofu is nothing like the store bought variety. Besides great taste, it hardly has any water in it. You know how you have to press and squeeze out a ton of water from tofu before using it? You do that to fresh tofu and all it does is make the paper towel damp. No excess water means no runny quiche, instead it’ll set up nicely when it bakes and hold its shape the next day and the day after that. Excellent for a make-ahead dish for breakfast or an Easter brunch or even dinner.

Leek and Mushroom Quiche
Makes one pie

1 pre-made whole wheat pie crust
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium-sized leek, white and pale green parts only, coarsely chopped
5 ounces crimini mushrooms, thinly sliced
1/2 pound Bloomsdale spinach, or other fresh small leaf spinach
1 pound firm fresh tofu, water pressed out
1/2 cup soy milk
Salt and pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 tablespoon dried thyme
1/2 tablespoon dried parsley
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
Olive oil

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Precook the pie crust according to the package directions if necessary.

Heat a skillet until hot, lightly drizzle with olive oil and saute garlic and leeks until done, season with salt to taste while cooking. Transfer to a dish and set aside. Heat skillet again and saute and season the mushrooms until cooked, drain any water and set aside. Saute and season the spinach until just wilted. Set aside until cool enough to handle. Squeeze out any water and coarsely chop.

In a food processor or blender, combine the tofu, soy milk, salt and pepper to taste, nutmeg, thyme, parsley and nutritional yeast, process until smooth. Transfer to a large bowl, add the vegetables, mix well and scoop into the pie crust, spreading the filling evenly. Bake for about 35 minutes, let the quiche cool for 10 minutes before slicing.

Slice of Leek and Mushroom Quiche | Chow Vegan