~ living vegan 03 ~

If you've had a conversation with me in the past week, chances are my love for a good tofu bahn mi was mentioned one or nine times.  I'm serious when I say that if I could marry a sandwich this one would be it.  

Now, because this is a very very messy sandwich, I suggest that you don't take it work, or eat it while wearing white pants, or try to eat it in the car.  But then again, white pants can be washed, a car can be vacuumed, and your coworkers would probably appreciate this amazing sandwich gracing their break room. So screw it.  Take this sandwich everywhere.  Here's the recipe!

Adapted from Marin Mama Cooks

Pickled veggies:

1/2 cup rice vinegar

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup sugar

1 large carrot,

1/4 to 1/2 of a red onion

Boil vinegar, water, and sugar on a medium heat until sugar dissolves.  Set the mixture in a bowl and in the fridge to cool while slicing vegetables.  Grate the carrot, and thinly slice the red onion and add to the mixture.  Set aside for a minimum of thirty minutes for very strong flavor, but if you're in a time crunch (or just impatient, like me) ten minutes will do just fine.

Sriracha Mayo:

(sounds gross but is SO GOOD)

6 tablespoons mayonnaise (or veganaise for a completely vegan version) 

2 tablespoons sriracha 

2 teaspoons lime juice

1/2 teaspoon soy sauce

Mix together in a bowl and set aside.  You can add more sriracha is you're braver than me.

Tofu:

1 package extra firm tofu

1 clove garlic,

1/4 cup lemon juice

You won't use all of the package on one bahn mi, but if you become a bahn mi addict you'll want to keep your fridge stocked with tofu.  Start by draining the tofu, cutting about four thin slivers, cutting them into triangles, pressing them with a paper towel to get rid of all the tofu juice (ew), then marinate them in a little lemon juice and some garlic.  Get a frying pan hot and then fry the tofu in a little light olive oil until each piece is crispy, brown, and appears edible.

Now, take out a loaf of French bread (softer is better in this case) and slice an extra large piece.  Cut the piece all most in half, but leave it not cut all the way (like a Publix sub).  Spread your sriracha mayonnaise on both sides, then put in half of the tofu, then I like to add a little straight sriracha to make myself feel daring, then add the pickled veggies (after draining off the vinegar), drizzle some more sriracha mayo, and finally, add some fresh cucumber slices.  

You can also add jalapeños and cilantro but I hate both of those food items and choose to leave them off.  

*cilantro added only for the purpose of creating a pretty photo*

Now grab several napkins, a glass of ice water, inform your loved ones not to disturb you for fifteen minutes, and dig in! 

xoxo,

Eliza

~ living vegan 02 ~

So here it is!  The first recipe in my Living Vegan series...

Tofu, Peas, and Roasted Vegetables

This simple recipe could be a lunch or dinner and it's my favorite quick meal.  Got vegetables?  Got tofu?  Got an oven?  You're pretty much set!

Some vegan cooking basics:

Tofu is one of those things that soaks up any flavor that you marinate it in.  I like to use low sodium soy sauce, garlic, and black pepper, but try anything you like!  Tofu is a good experimental food.

01. Start by preparing the roasted vegetables and preheating the oven to 350 or 375, depending on how hot your oven gets.  I used potatoes, sweet potatoes, and carrots, but you can really use any vegetable that doesn't fall apart when roasted.  Beets, carrots, any kind of potato, brussel sprouts, and asparagus work really well.  

02. cut the vegetables into equally sized chunks, throw them into a good sized roasting pan (large enough so that the veggies aren't crowded), drizzle some extra virgin olive oil on them, add some black pepper, and toss until they're well coated.  

03.  While the oven is preheating, open up a package of firm tofu, drain out the liquid, and slice it into as many pieces as you like (for one person, I usually use two pieces).  Fold a few paper towels over the pieces of tofu and gently press down to squeeze the liquid out.  Now, get a bowl or plate and mix the marinade (no measurements here - just use common sense.  I always accidentally use too much, but save the excess for drizzling over the peas before you eat!), and place the pieces of tofu into it.  Once a few minutes have passed, flip the tofu over to coat the other side and then let them be until you're ready to cook them.

04.  If you are cooking beans or peas to go along with the meal, go ahead and get started on them now!  It's a general rule that store bought beans/peas take a shorter amount of time to cook than if they're homegrown or purchased from a farmer's market.  

05.  When the oven is preheated (and it most likely will be by now) go ahead and stick the roasting pan and veggies in.  I like to let them cook for 10-15 minutes, then toss them with a spatula so they can roast on the other side.

06.  When the roasted veggies are done or close to being done, heat up a pan on the stove (I like to start out on high heat and then turn it down to medium high), and add a bit of light olive oil (too much oil = slippery tofu).  When the pan is heated, place the tofu in it, let the pieces brown on one side and then flip them over.  

Et voila!  When you've fixed your place, take some of that tofu marinade and drizzle it over the peas/bean, and you have a perfect meal!

Try it out and let me know what you think!  And I'd love to hear how you marinate your tofu.

xoxo,

Eliza