Tofu Banh Mi (Vegan, gluten free)

Y'aaalllll I have had the craziest craving for banh mi today but I didn't feel like spending $6 on a sandwich, or feeling like crap after eating all that gluten. So, I came up with my own solution. I made all the stuff inside a typical banh mi, and topped some brown jasmine rice with it instead. My entire apartment smells like the marinade I used for the tofu and it's making me salivate like a nervous St. Bernard. I am SO excited to eat this in class later. Here's the recipe:

Tofu:

1 package firm sprouted tofu, or 1/2 package regular firm tofu

1/4c Bragg's or tamari

3/4" piece ginger, grated or minced very fine

Squirt of sriracha

1-2tbsp mirin, to your liking

2 tsp turbinado sugar

Juice of half a lime

Slaw:

Napa cabbage, carrot, beets, English cucumber, jalapeno, and red pepper, sliced into matchsticks and mixed to whatever proportion you like. You could also add daikon, but I didn't have any on hand at the moment. Make about 2 cups of veggies.

1/4c rice vinegar

2-3tbsp granulated sugar

1 tsp mellow white miso paste

Juice of half a lime

Other ingredients:

Brown rice

Cilantro

Mint (optional)

Portabello mushrooms (optional)

Directions:

Stir all the tofu marinade ingredients together in a microwave-safe bowl or shallow baking dish and heat for 25 seconds. This will release some of the flavor of the ginger and heat the liquid enough for the turbinado sugar to dissolve. When you take the marinade out from the microwave, stir again.

*Prepare your tofu however you like-- fresh pressed works best for this dish, I think, but you could also use it frozen and pressed. Anyway, slice the tofu into six even slabs.

Lay tofu flat in a baking dish or tupperware and pour marinade over it. Shake it around to make sure it's well-coated. Set aside for 15-30 minutes, or overnight if you're not in a hurry.

Stir the slaw marinade ingredients until miso has dissolved completely. Toss the thinly-sliced veggies with the slaw marinade. Set aside for 15-30 minutes.

Start the brown rice in your rice cooker, or on the stove top if you're brave. I made about a cup of brown rice for this dish.

Heat a non-stick pan on medium with 1tsp canola oil, or spray with canola oil cooking spray. Sautee tofu (don't bother patting it dry) 3-4 minutes on each side, or until crisp on the outside.

When the tofu is done, sautee sliced mushrooms in canola oil or water with a bit of the leftover tofu marinade.

Spread rice on one even layer in a plate or a tupperware and top with slaw, tofu, and mushrooms, and sprinkle cilantro and mint over.

Enjoy!

Vegan Breakfast Quinoa!

Gooood morning! So, y'all may not be aware of this, but I absolutely hate oatmeal. I cannot stand the stuff. Rolled oats on top of an apple crisp? Lovely! Oats in granola? Fantastic! Oats cooked in milk or water into a slimey, inedible muck? Noooo, thanks.

Because I hate oatmeal, but want desperately to enjoy it (or something very similar), I've been searching for hot cereal alternatives and have found one really, really great one: QUINOA! This recipe combines quinoa and amaranth into a whole-grain, protein-packed hot cereal base, which you can freely customize with your choice of fruits and nuts. Here's how I did mine this morning. This recipe makes kind of a lot, so you might want to split it with someone or save the leftovers!

1/4c dry quinoa

1/8c dry amaranth

~1/2c soy milk + a few tablespoons water or orange juice

1tbsp applesauce

pinch of salt

teaspoon maple syrup

1-2tbsp oat bran, wheat bran, or wheat germ (I used oat bran today)

2tbsp whole rolled oats (These really make the whole dish cohesive. Can't taste 'em though)

2tbsp organic dried dates

1tsp organic raw shelled pumpkin seeds

1tbsp organic walnuts

Cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, etc.-- your choice of spices

Half an apple, cut into manageable pieces; I've also used peaches and bananas so far with great success!

Instructions:

1. Stir the first group of ingredients together in a small pot. Heat over medium-low for about 5-8 minutes, or until the quinoa begins to soften. You'll know it's softening when you notice a transparent ring around its white center.

2. Add the second batch of ingredients after the quinoa has begun to soften. Stir to incorporate very well, reduce heat a tad, then simmer another 5 minutes until quinoa is almost totally transparent, and is no longer dry and crunchy (try a small spoonful to check this).

3. Remove from heat, stir in apples or fruit of your choosing, and serve!

I made a big batch of this ahead of time, sans fruit, so I can just heat it up quickly in the mornings with soy milk and add the fruit. Soooo glad I did! Saves me a ton of time and I get a delicious, extremely nutritious, vegan breakfast in about 2 minutes. Enjoy!!