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Fat-Free and Low Fat Vegan Plant Based Recipes

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Oil-Free Vegan Tofu Eggless “Egg” Salad Recipe (Plant Based)

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Vegan Tofu Egg Salad Recipe (Oil Free and Plant Based)

Sometimes I get asked what do oil free plant based eaters do  for lunches or healthy sandwiches now when giving up lunch meat, mayo and other processed ingredients. Of course you could always make a vegetable sandwich or wrap, but sometimes you want something that can look a little more covert or are craving an old comfort food.

These tofu eggless “egg salad” sandwiches look and taste great and are really easy to make so you have enough for sandwiches or snacks for the week. Not looking for a sandwich? You can eat it with a spoon for a high protein snack, or serve with veggies on top of crackers too.



Many vegans and plant based eaters will use store bought mayo but I just can’t bring myself to buy it. It’s literally all oil, and just there to moisten the bread and add a little flavour. So that’s why I’ve made my own mayo as well with white beans, cashews and seasonings. It works awesome with this recipe and can be used for other sandwiches or wraps as well when you’re looking for something different than hummus or avocado. It is creamy and a really good substitute as well and not as dry and thick as hummus if you miss having a spread that will melt into the bread.

You can add whatever veggies or additional add ons to your tofu eggless “egg salad” that you want, but I really wanted to pump up the flavour and crunch so I added chopped red onion, celery, pickles and green onions. I find the texture just more appealing when I have a mix of soft and crunchy together so it’s not too wet or mushy.

I would dare anyone who says they don’t find tofu appealing to try this sandwich, because honestly it is very similar  in texture to hardboiled eggs and with seasonings it looks really convincing  as well. I would never eat just plain slabs of tofu in a sandwich, but served like this with veggies  and homemade mayo is  really delicious and refreshing.

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Vegan Tofu Egg Salad Recipe (Oil Free and Plant Based)

Oil-Free Vegan Tofu Eggless “Egg” Salad  (Plant Based)

1 350 g/12 oz package of Organic non-gmo firm or extra firm tofu, pressed
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder 
1/4 tsp kala namak (black salt) or Herbamare or Sea Salt
2 celery ribs, sliced into small  pieces
6 sweet gherkin or other mini pickles of choice, sliced
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 green onion, sliced 
1 cup of oil free vegan white bean cashew mayo or other homemade mayo

Directions:

1.Press the tofu in a tofu press or place in towels or paper towel in a baking dish with heavy weights on top of it to squeeze out excess water. I use the EZ tofu press. This helps disperse  the water inside the tofu so it can become more sponge like and absorb marinades instead of being bland and watery. Stick the drained tofu into the tofu press and crank down the springs until it’s really squished and let it drain excess water out for a few minutes in the sink or a large bowl while you prep your veggies.

2. When tofu is pressed slice it in half on a cutting board. Slice one half of the tofu into small cubes, and crumble the other half of the tofu with your hands and place into a dry non stick frying pan.

3. Turn on the heat to medium and sprinkle on the turmeric, garlic powder, and kala namak or salt. Stir with a wood spoon to combine well  so the colour is evenly yellow. If necessary add a splash of water to get seasonings dispersed. Cook just until tofu is a little dry and not soggy.Vegan Tofu Egg Salad Recipe (Oil Free and Plant Based)

4. Scrape tofu into a medium sized mixing bowl. Add celery, pickles, and onions to the bowl. Spoon in at least 1 cup of vegan bean cashew mayo or other mayo of choice and stir to combine.

Vegan Tofu Egg Salad Recipe (Oil Free and Plant Based)

5. Taste test and add any extra seasonings like salt, mayo, mustard etc. if desired. Since my vegan bean cashew mayo already has mustard in it I didn’t add any extra.

Vegan Tofu Egg Salad Recipe (Oil Free and Plant Based)


Use to make sandwiches, wraps or lettuce wraps for lunch or as a dip for a quick veggie snack. This recipe makes enough for about 8-10 sandwiches depending on the size of your bread slices.  I spread some additional vegan white bean cashew mayo onto the bread, spoon on the tofu mixture and top with fresh lettuce.

Have you ever had homemade vegan mayo before? Or tried making tofu eggless egg salad before?


Fat Free Vegan Whole Wheat Banana Blueberry Muffins

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Oh my… these banana blueberry muffins are delicious. I don’t know about you but I just love the little pop of the blueberries when you bite into them! Mashed bananas (make sure they are very ripe so they mash well) are a great substitute for oil and fat in baked goods.  So I often use them for this purpose. Plus they add a nice natural sweetness as well which is nice.

I use stone ground whole wheat flour in this recipe, but you can use any whole grain flour that you like.  If you want a lighter muffin you can look for whole wheat pastry flour, it’s not as dense as regular whole wheat flour.  For gluten free versions you can use gluten free oat flour or an all purpose gluten free flour.  I still like to use whole grain flour as most gluten free flours are highly processed and more like white flour.

These muffins also freeze well so you can portion them out and save them for later. I love adding blueberries to baked goods and smoothies, but feel free to use any other berries you like instead.

For truly oil free muffins you can use silicone non stick muffin trays, or paper muffin cups. But I like to use the silicone trays so there is no paper waste (and they also get stuck and tear off the muffins.)

Free Vegan Whole Wheat Banana Blueberry Muffins

12 muffins

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups overripe (fully brown) mashed bananas (about 3 large, 4 medium)
1/3 cup almond milk (original unsweetened)
1/2 cup maple syrup (or 1/4-1/3 cup honey or agave as they are sweeter)
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups whole wheat flour (or ww pastry flour or GF flour)
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp ceylon cinnamon (or reg cinnamon)
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 cup frozen blueberries

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F/ 204 C.

2. Combine wet ingredients in a large size bowl and mix together.

3. Combine dry ingredients (except for blueberries) into a medium size bowl and whisk together.

4. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir just until combined. Gently fold in the blueberries.

5. Spoon batter into non-stick silicone muffin trays or a lightly oil spritzed muffin tin.

6. Bake for 25-30 minutes until a knife or toothpick in the middle comes out clean.

7. Allow to cool for 10 minutes and then turn out onto a cookie rack to completely.

8. Serve.

Additional Tips:

For a truly sugar free version you can try using more banana and omit the maple syrup/sweetener. For a whole food sweetener you can blend pitted dates with some water to make your own date syrup.

What’s your favorite way to use blueberries?

 

Fat Free Whole Wheat Vegan Banana Bread

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Banana bread is one of my favorite childhood treats. I remember baking it many times and trying to pack as much banana flavor into it as possible. But traditional banana bread isn’t very healthy. It’s made with white flour, oil, eggs and sugar. It’s also not usually vegan.

So I wanted to make a fat free oil free vegan version of banana bread and this one uses stone ground whole wheat flour. Even though it’s oil free, it’s actually very moist and a very similar texture to regular banana bread. I was really impressed with this recipe.

Instead of sugar I’ve used maple syrup, but you can also use another liquid sweetener such as honey or agave if desired, but since they are sweeter than maple syrup you should use a little less.

The best banana bread is made with VERY ripe bananas, who’s skins have turned black and are very soft. If you use regular yellow or spotted bananas they won’t be sweet enough for this bread. When bananas ripen the natural starch inside is turned into sugar by enzymes, so it’s important to let your bananas ripen a lot before using them.

The key to slicing fresh banana bread is making sure you let it cool completely before slicing it. It makes it easier to cut and you have less chance of tearing it.

Then you can wrap it up or store it in air tight containers.

Scroll down for the recipe.

Fat Free Whole Wheat Vegan Banana Bread

 
1 loaf (12 slices)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups overripe mashed bananas (about 3 large, 4 medium)
1/3 cup almond milk
1/2 cup maple syrup (or 1/4-1/3 cup honey or agave because it’s sweeter)
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups whole wheat flour (or other whole grain, or gluten free)
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp ceylon cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg

Note: for a sweeter (more traditional) loaf you can add an additional 1/4 cup brown sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F/177 C.

2. Combine wet ingredients in a large size bowl and mix together.

3. Combine dry ingredients into a medium size bowl and whisk together.

4. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir just until combined. If you want to add some dry ingredients such as fruit or nuts gently fold them in now.

5. Pour batter into a non stick silicone loaf pan or a lightly oil spritzed metal loaf pan. Use a spatula to smooth out the top. Sprinkle additional cinnamon on top if desired.

6. Bake for 50-60 minutes until a knife in the middle comes out clean.

7. Allow to cool for 10 minutes and then turn out onto a cookie rack to completely before slicing.

8. Serve.

Additional Tips:

If you tend to have bananas that ripen and then turn black before you can use them, you can peel them and place them in a bag or in a plastic container in the freezer. Then take them out and thaw them for this recipe. It’s nice to have overripe bananas whenever you have an incling to make banana bread.

What’s your favorite addition to bake into banana bread? Walnuts? Raisins? Berries?