Chow Vegan

Baked Tofu Parmesan From The Happy Herbivore

March 29, 2011 By chow 56 Comments

Vegan cookbooks nowadays are such an embarrassment of riches. There’s so many out there – the latest one that I’ve received for review is The Happy Herbivore Cookbook by Lindsay Nixon.

To be honest, when I first saw the recipe for Baked Tofu Parmesan, I thought how different can it really be from the Crispy Baked Tofu that I’ve already been making for so many years. I was surprised and delighted with the results.

It totally tasted like parmesan, with the tofu it’s more like a chicken type of parmesan (but I bet it would be just as good with eggplant). I served it up on a bed of spaghetti squash.

The secret seems to be the vegan parmesan. Early on, I must have tried a brand that was not that tasty and was a little turn off by it. But the flavor and texture of Galaxy Nutritional Foods Vegan Grated Topping “Parmesan Flavor” is quite good. The tofu just by itself seems like any other baked tofu. But combined with the marinara sauce, vegan parmesan and spaghetti squash – it’s delicious.

Flipping through the rest of the cookbook, the recipes cover many of the same types of dishes as other vegan cookbooks as well as dishes that I already make and love. But it’s always interesting to see how other people make their version of a certain food. And as with the Baked Tofu Parmesan, it’s possible to learn something new.

To see for yourself, I’m giving away a copy of The Happy Herbivore Cookbook.

To enter the giveaway:
Leave a comment in this post with the dish or food that makes you the most happy. Comment must be made by midnight PST on Monday, April 4th; one entry per person. No purchase is necessary to enter or win.

One winner will be randomly selected (using random.org) from the comments received and announced in a new post on Tuesday, April 5th. Winner will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be randomly chosen. Prize awarded is the cookbook that I received from the publisher (approximate retail value $19.95). I did not drool on it.

Official Rules:
Open only to U.S. residents age 18 and over. Odds of winning depend on the number of entries received. Void where prohibited by law. Any tax is the sole responsibility of the winner. Winner releases Chow Vegan from any liability arising out of participation in this giveaway or the acceptance, use or misuse of the prize.

Disclosure: I received the cookbook free of charge from the publisher to review. The opinions and experience with the cookbook expressed herein are my own. There was no pay to say.

This post also contains Amazon links, I get a few coins tossed my way if you click on any of the links and make a purchase of anything.

Sophie’s Kitchen Vegan Seafood

March 25, 2011 By chow 12 Comments

Too tired or too lazy to make your own Baked Mushroom Calamari? There’s now Vegan Calamari from Sophie’s Kitchen. I found it in the frozen food section at the Cupertino Whole Foods (only select locations in Northern California have it).

I thought it was yummy, kinda chewy like calamari but not really seafoodie tasting. The texture though is very similar. Of course it doesn’t compare to the baked king oyster mushrooms. But it’s pretty good for something that’s frozen and took 10 minutes to heat up. It’s best to cook it a little longer than the 6 minutes as directed on the package, it makes it a bit more crispy.

It’s main ingredient is Konjac powder, a plant native to Asia and grown in China, Japan, Korea and India. In Japanese cuisine, it’s made into noodles. It’s also used as a vegan substitute for gelatin. And it’s the same stuff used to make vegan shrimp that you see in Chinese vegetarian restaurants sometimes or at the Asian supermarket.

The Vegan Squid Rings are basically the same as the Vegan Calamari but naked (without the breading). So it’s more of an ingredient than a heat-and-serve kind of thing. I went with an antipasto type of calamari salad – combining the flavors of marinated fresh veggies and salty olives with the chewy texture of the squid.

I liked both products well enough to get them occasionally, both were $3.99 each. Besides the calamari, Sophie’s Kitchen also has Vegan Shrimp, and Vegan Breaded Fish Fillet. I figured the shrimp is probably close to what I’ve already had before but I would like to try the fish fillet sometime.

Vegan Calamari Salad
Serves 2-4

1 package Sophie’s Kitchen Vegan Squid Rings
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
Handful of kalamata olives, pitted and halved lengthwise
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tablespoon white wine vinegar
Salt and freshly grounded pepper to taste
Flat leaf parsley to taste

Thaw the vegan squid rings according to package directions, cut into bite-sized pieces. In a large bowl, combine the garlic, oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Add the squid pieces, onion, tomatoes, olives and parsley and toss well. Chill for 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to develop.

Oyster Mushroom Po’ Boy

March 8, 2011 By chow 30 Comments

What did I do with my homegrown oyster mushrooms? I made a po’ boy, of course.

I’ve wanted one ever since I heard Disneyland had a veggie po’ boy. Never got around to trying it there but after making Baked King Trumpet Mushroom Calamari, I figured I could do the same thing but with oyster mushrooms.

Baked instead of fried, it has all of the goodness of being crispy without the oily mess. It’s best on a soft bread, I went with a baguette on the first go around and it’s much too hard of a bread (everything just squished out).

I also kept it simple with a very basic aioli, just smashed garlic mixed with vegan mayo and added a little bit of lettuce. So good.

If you’re thinking about giving the oyster mushroom growing kit a try, the folks at BTTR have kindly offered a 20% discount, just enter the coupon code: Chow20.

Happy Fat Tuesday!

Oyster Mushroom Po’ Boy
Makes one sandwich

Baked Oyster Mushrooms
4 ounces oyster mushrooms, cleaned and separated (slice the bigger mushrooms)
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly squeezed juice from 1/2 small lemon
Pinch of sea salt
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon ground flax meal
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon smoked sweet paprika
1/4 teaspoon onion powder

Combine the olive oil, lemon juice and a generous pinch of salt in a mixing bowl. Add the mushrooms and toss, leave to marinate for about 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Mix together the water and flax meal in a small bowl and let stand for a few minutes until the mixture becomes slimy and somewhat sticky. In a separate plate or pan, combine the breadcrumbs, spices and salt to taste.

Dip a mushroom piece into the flax seed wash and then into the breadcrumbs, covering well. Place on the baking sheet in a single layer.

Bake for 10 minutes, flip over the mushrooms and bake another 5 minutes on the other side until crispy.

Sandwich Assembly
1 garlic clove
Vegan mayonnaise
1 soft-crusted loaf of bread
Shredded romaine lettuce

To make the aioli, mince and mash the garlic to a paste. Mix in the mayonnaise.

Slice the bread along one side, leaving the other side hinged. Spread the aioli on each side. Pile the lettuce on the bottom and top with the mushrooms. Serve immediately.