Plant Based U

Fat-Free and Low Fat Vegan Plant Based Recipes

tofu

Plant Based Tempeh Bacon and Tofu Caesar Wraps

by Leave a Comment

Fb-Button
Pin It

These tofu Caesar wraps are great for packed lunches or picnics. You can prep the ingredients the day before and combine and wrap up in the morning to take with you wherever you go.

Alternatively, you can skip the wrap and just make a big bowl of Caesar salad with the tempeh or tofu and add any other salad ingredients you like. It’s great for family dinners and barbecues too.

Even kids will enjoy the Caesar dressing to dip veggies into as an alternative to hummus!

I use a mix of nuts and seeds in the Caesar dressing to reduce some of the fat content and cashews can be expensive in some places so I only use them in small quantities. Use whatever you have if necessary. Any mild nut or seed like cashews, sunflower, sesame (or tahini paste) or pinenuts can be used.

To get some umami and fishy taste into the Caesar dressing I use a mix of miso paste and seaweed flakes/granules. The roasted garlic gives a really wonderful flavor, but in a pinch you can use raw garlic as well.

I just go these cute lunch box bentos to try out and was looking for something that could easily fit inside.

Pin It

These bento box containers come with 2 sections and a lid and elastic to hold them together. I just thought they were a cute idea to carry lunches in and wanted to share them with you. You can absolutely use plastic or glass containers or use reuseable protective wrap to cover them in.

Pin It

I make this dressing ahead of time so I can add it to salads or wraps as needed. You can use tempeh or tofu or both to fill out the wraps as well

Roasted Garlic Vegan Caesar Dressing 

  • 1/2 cup raw cashews (soak overnight and drain if you don’t have a high powered blender)
  • 1 bulb roasted garlic  (recipe here)
  • 4 tbsp lemon juice 
  • 2 small pitted dates (soak overnight and drain if you don’t have a high powered blender) 
  • 2 tsp miso paste (mild yellow or brown) 
  • 1 tsp dried dill
  • 3/4 tsp seaweed flakes or crushed nori flakes
  • Fresh ground pepper 
  • 2/3 cup filtered water 

Directions: 

  1. Place ingredients into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Add a little more water as needed. (As this is oil free it’s best that it’s thick and not too watery so it coats lettuce leaves better.)  
  2. Taste test and adjust for salt, pepper and tanginess as needed.
  3. Cover and refrigerate up to 5 days in the fridge.

Vegan Tempeh Bacon Bits

  • 1 package of plain tempeh
  • 1/3 cup soy sauce, tamari or coconut aminos
  • 2 tbsps maple syrup or sweetener of choice
  • 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 3/4 tsp liquid smoke
  • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder
  1. Slice the tempeh into strips and then cut the slices into small pieces.
  2. In a container with a lid mix the marinade ingredients and add the tempeh and seal.
  3. Toss to combine and refrigerate. It’s best marinated over night or up to 3 days. At least a few hours is required to get the best results.
  4. Preheat 400F line a baking sheet with a non stick mat.
  5. Drain out extra marinade from the container.
  6. Spread out on baking sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes.
  7. Turn and bake another 3-5 minutes being sure they don’t burn.
  8. Let cool and refrigerate up to 5 days.
Pin It

Vegan Caesar Wraps

Ingredients:

  • Package of large tortilla wraps
  • Caesar dressing recipe above
  • Tempeh Bacon recipe above
  • 1 block of tofu baked or marinated and sliced. I marinated the cubes in vegan “chicken broth powder” mixed with water overnight and baked at 400 degrees on my convection oven (or use air fryer) for 25-30 minutes until dry and “crispy” *Optional
  • Romaine lettuce, chopped or bagged salad of choice
  • Cherry tomatoes sliced, or cucumber, diced

Assembly Directions:

  1. In a bowl combine the salad ingredients, a few table spoons of dressing, tempeh and/or tofu together.
  2. Toss to combine and check if you need more dressing.
  3. Heat the tortilla wraps for 10-15 seconds in the microwave to soften.
  4. Assemble the wraps by adding the caesar salad mixture in the bottom 1/3 of the wrap and fold the bottom up and over the filling. Fold the sides in over the middle and continuing rolling the tortilla upward as tightly as you can without the filling breaking out.
  5. Slice the wraps if desired and serve.
Pin It

Let me know what you think of this recipe and what your favourite lunch wraps are that you make!

Plant Based Tzatziki Farfalle Pasta Salad With Sun-dried Tomatoes and Artichoke Hearts (Vegan and Oil-Free)

by 3 Comments

Fb-Button

Silken Tofu Tzatziki Farfalle Pasta Salad Vegan, Dairy and Oil Free
Pin It

FTC Notice: This blog post contains affiliate links which go towards supporting the blog. 

Pasta salad is such a great meal for picnics or lunches that can be made ahead of time and eaten for a few days. For today’s recipe I used farfalle (bowtie) pasta because it has a nice texture and chew when eaten cold and goes well with the size of the other chopped veggies. You might be wondering what I’ve used for the base of the plant based tzatziki sauce and instead of processed coconut/soy yogurt I’m using silken tofu.



With silken tofu it’s just soy milk that has been curdled and formed and instead of separating the soy curds from the whey they are set together so it’s softer and creamier. It also doesn’t have added fillers, binders, or sugar. Quite often you’ll find silken tofu cheaper than a tub of plant based yogurt as well. You can find it at any Asian market, most health food stores and of course on Amazon depending where you live. I like to keep a few on hand for make plant based “cream” sauces like my Fettuccini Alfredo from my cookbook Vegan Comfort Foods From Around The World.

Silken Tofu Tzatziki Farfalle Pasta Salad Vegan, Dairy and Oil Free
Pin It

Of course you can use whatever other type of pasta you like for this salad as well, just make sure that it’s bite sized and cooked to the perfect tenderness so it’s not too al dente or too soft so it doesn’t fall apart. The farfalle shape works well because it doesn’t tend to get as stuck together in the fridge or break when made ahead of time for meals later on.



This also works great for traveling. I often have people asking me what they can bring on a road trip or flight besides dried snacks. Since this pasta salad is dairy and egg free you don’t have to worry about it being food safe and it will be fine out of the refrigerator for a few hours packed in a cooler or a bag. I’ve never had an issue eating pasta salad on a plane or bringing it through security. The sauce sticks to the pasta and isn’t liquid in the bottom so it’s not a concern.

So why not give it a try? Maybe you’ll find some new lunch ideas and you’ll probably want to make the silken tofu tzatziki again and again for using as a dip, salad dressing or sauce for wraps or pitas as well!

Pin It

Silken Tofu Tzatziki Farfalle Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

1 recipe of Silken Tofu Tzatziki
1/2 English cucumber, chopped or a few dill pickles chopped/diced
1/2 cup packed sundried tomato halves, sliced (mine were dried not packed in oil)
1 can artichoke hearts packed in water, sliced (6 cooked artichoke hearts, sliced)
454g/1 lb bag of farfalle or other pasta (you can use gluten free if you like)
Fresh dill for garnishing (if you have any left from the Tzatziki recipe)



Directions:

        1. Make Silken Tofu Tzatziki and set aside
        2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add salt if desired. For cold pasta it will make it more flavourful.
        3. Prepare vegetables and set aside.
        4. Cook Farfalle for approximately 14 minutes or to desired tenderness in boiling salted water. You still want it to be a bit chewy but not tough or too soft and falling apart.
        5. Drain and rinse pasta in cold water when at desired tenderness until cool.
        6. Add farfalle pasta to a bowl and make sure it’s cooled down before adding remaining ingredients.

      Silken Tofu Tzatziki Farfalle Pasta Salad Vegan, Dairy and Oil Free
      Pin It

      1. Add vegetables and sauce and toss to combine.
      2. Taste test and add any additional salt or pepper now if desired
      3. Serve or portion out into containers. Best eaten within 3-4 days due to fresh ingredients in the tzatziki sauce.



      What are you favorite ingredients to add to pasta salad?




Silken Tofu Plant Based Tzatzki Sauce (Vegan, Oil and Dairy Free)

by Leave a Comment


Fb-Button


Silken Tofu Vegan Oil Free Tzatziki Sauce

Pin It

Looking for a deliciously cool dip or sauce for veggies, wraps, or Greek pita sandwiches? This recipe is super easy and uses silken tofu instead of yogurt for the base. Tofu actually is processed like cheese is taking a “milk” and adding coagulant and then separating the curds from the whey in most cases.



Silken tofu is set with the soy bean whey in it, so it’s a little softer and creamier. Which makes it a great substitute for dairy when you want a creamy base and because it’s less processed than soy yogurts it’s usually cheaper too.


Silken Tofu Vegan Oil Free Tzatziki Sauce

Pin It

Silken Tofu Tzatziki (Vegan and Oil Free)

Ingredients:
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 12oz pkg firm Mori-nu silken tofu, drained (make sure to use firm, soft will be too runny for dip but maybe ok for salad dressing)
2-3 large garlic cloves
2 tbsp raw unsalted cashews or pine nuts (Soaked and drained if you don’t have a high powered blender)
1/2 tsp Herbamare or sea salt, or to taste
1/8 tsp ground black or white pepper
1 English cucumber deseeded, peeled and grated
2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped (or 2 tsp dried)



Directions:

  1. Combine lemon juice, tofu, garlic, cashews, salt and pepper into food processor or blender and blend until creamy.
  2. Taste test and add more lemon juice, salt or pepper if desired.
  3. Squeeze out all of the excess water from the grated cucumber with your hands or with a spoon through a mesh strainer.
  4. Stir in the fresh dill and strained cucumber.
  5. Store in a container and refrigerate a few hours before serving.



Use within 3-4 days for best results due to the nature of fresh ingredients.

What are you going to serve with your Tzatziki?



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

by Leave a Comment


Fb-Button

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

Pin It

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.

Want more recipes? Make sure to sign up for my newsletter below

FTC Notice: This blog post contains some affiliate links which go to supporting the blog.



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

Pin It

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)

Pin It

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)

Pin It

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)

Pin It


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?


Low Fat Vegan Chocolate Banana Silken Tofu Pudding

by 3 Comments


Fb-Button


Pin It

Hey everyone!

Here is a super easy recipe for those of you looking for a plant based dairy free version of chocolate pudding, perhaps a lot healthier and cheaper than some of the store bought versions like Belsoy or Silk.



I use Mori-nu Silken tofu, I find the firm style is a bit better and save the soft version for sauces like my Alfredo sauce. You can add more or less banana if you like, just make sure it is ripe (lots of yellow spots on it) before using so that it is sweet and not starchy and sour. You can also use a frozen banana if you like.

5.0 from 2 reviews
Save Print
Low Fat Vegan Chocolate Banana Silken Tofu Pudding
Author: 
Recipe type: Dessert
Cuisine: Vegan
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 4 servings
 
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Place the ingredients into your blender or Vitamix in the order listed and blend. (If you have a low power blender you may need to add a few tablespoons of plant milk to get it to blend.)
  2. Pour into pudding cups or tupperware
  3. Place in refrigerator for 1 hour until firm.
  4. Serve with your favorite fruit!

Low Fat Herbed Tofu Ranch Dip (With Silken Tofu)

by 5 Comments


Fb-Button



Low Fat Vegan Chef's Herbed Tofu Ranch Dip

Pin It

Readers often ask if I have a secret recipe for making veggie dip – but without all the fat (and the guilt should someone eat say half or the whole recipes while snacking on veggies…) And so I wanted to share this recipe for Herbed Tofu Ranch Dip from Comfort Foods From Around The World. This recipe is incredibly easy to make and hopefully you have most of these ingredients on hand. What I like to do is actually buy parsley, cilantro and green/spring onions fairly regularly and keep them in a little water fanned out to retain moisture without the leaves getting slimy and breaking down. Having some fresh herbs on hand to add to your salads, smoothies and to use as garnishes for curries and soups is wonderful so I highly recommend it.



What I love about making homemade dips is that I can customize the recipe to MY tastes – and you can to. If you looooove lemon, add a little more, if you looove garlic add a little more etc. Learn to work within your palate and taste test your homemade salad dressings and dips and get them just right so you want to make them again and again.

Since giving up dairy my mom has craved a creamy ranch dip for her veggies, so I made this recipe for her and loved it so much it ended up in my cookbook. I hope that it becomes one of your favorite veggie dips too!

That’s all for today, still trying to take it easy on my hands and not type too much as they fatigue quite quickly still.



Low Fat Vegan Chef's Herbed Tofu Ranch Dip

Pin It

Herbed Tofu Ranch Dip

 
Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 12.3 oz. / 349 g package firm silken tofu (like mori-nu)
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 clove of garlic
1 tsp. granulated onion
1/2 tsp. nutritional yeast
2 tsp. maple syrup or liquid sweetener of choice
1/4 tsp. Herbamare or salt
Fresh ground pepper
1 Tbsp. parsley, chopped
2 Tbsp. green/spring onions, sliced (green tops only)

Directions:

1. Place ingredients (except for parsley and green onions) into blender or Vita-Mix and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust salt and pepper if desired. Add parsley and green onions and blend on medium high until the pieces are broken up a bit and distributed evenly.

2. Refrigerate if desired before serving. Serve with veggies or rice crackers.

Nutrition Facts: 4 Servings, Amount Per Serving: Calories 75.3 Total Fat 2.4 g Saturated Fat 0.4 g Sodium 202.3 mg Total Carbohydrate 7.7 g Dietary Fiber 0.2 g Sugars 5.3 g Protein 6.2 g

Additional Notes:

It is important to use SILKEN tofu, not regular tofu even if it’s soft tofu. It will not have a nice smooth “dairy like” texture. Silken tofu is as the name sounds, silky smooth without any grit which is perfect as a dairy/cream substitute in dips, sauces and salad dressings. It is readily available at most grocery stores and health food stores in the Asian section of the store. Usually it is not refrigerated as the mori nu brand are shelf stable.

20 Min To The Table: Asian Vegetable Tofu Stir Fry with Chinese Garlic Ginger Sauce

by 14 Comments


Fb-Button
Stir fry may be something many of you have made before, but I guarantee you’ve never made it with my homemade Chinese Garlic Ginger Sauce recipe. I’m going to show you how to make stir fry without any oil, but with tons of flavour. With fresh garlic, fresh ginger and a little soy sauce you can make your own delicious stir fry sauce so there’s no need to rely on store bought ones with MSG and high fructose corn syrup. You can also make it in advance to use later on and just store it in the fridge.

I’m not a fan of store bought dressings or bottled sauces because of the questionable ingredients they often contain so hopefully with my video you’ll see you can make your own and have them be just as tasty too!

To subscribe to my Youtube channel please click on the video to open it in a new browser and hit the subscribe button beside LowFatVeganChef just under the video. Likes are always appreciated as well!

What I do to save money buying pre cooked brown or white rice (for fast meals) is to cook up a big batch in my Zojirushi 5 1/2 cup rice cooker and then I have enough for that night’s meal plus extra to store in bags or tupperware in the fridge or freezer for later. Just a note, cooked rice holds a lot of moisture and must be eaten within 3 days if left in the fridge due to bacteria growth. So please use it within this time or freeze it for food safety. Also you must let it cool before placing it in the fridge or freezer to minimize the bacteria growth as well.

Additionally if you’d prefer to just buy pre cooked brown rice to always have on hand you can check out Uncle Ben’s Ready Rice Pouch or Steamed Brown Rice Bowls and microwave it shortly before your dish is ready.



AsianVegetableTofuStirFryGraphic

Pin It

20 Minutes To The Table Recipe for Episode 3

Asian Vegetable Stir Fry with Tofu

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 package firm or pressed organic tofu, sliced into cubes
1 small onion, peeled and quartered
1/2 red bell pepper, sliced
1/4 green cabbage sliced
3-4 cups broccoli, cauliflower, carrot mix (or stir fry mix)
1 bag of pre cooked brown rice or 3-4 cups fresh cooked (I used homemade)

Chinese Garlic Ginger Stir Fry Sauce

Ingredients:

1/2 cup water
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup vegetable broth low sodium
2 tbsp rice vinegar
3-4 tbsp maple syrup or sugar (as needed to balance the spice/acidity)
3 cloves of garlic
1 inch ginger, minced
1/2 tsp granulated onion powder
1/4 tsp white pepper
2-3 tbsp cornstarch (depending how thick you want it)

Directions:

1. Prepare the sauce. You have two options you can either blend it all together and gently heat it until thickened (this does produce some foam from the ginger/garlic fibre so I scooped that off) or you can just mince the ginger and garlic and put everything together in a pan and heat until thickened. Set aside.

2. Prepare the tofu and heat over medium high heat in a non stick pan. Add a little ginger garlic sauce to cook it in. Let it cook for a few minutes while you prepare your veggies.

3. Add the vegetables and stir well. Place a lid over the vegetables and cook 4-6 minutes (depending how big your vegetables are). Taste test, stopping when crisp tender. Heat your rice (if using bagged pre cooked rice) in the microwave for 60-90 seconds.

4. Drizzle in some more sauce and toss to combine.

5. Serve stir fry over rice and drizzle with more sauce as desired.

Enjoy!

What are your favorite stir fry ingredients? What sauce do you usually pair them with? 

 

(Low Fat Vegan) Easy Mini Lasagna Casserole

by 55 Comments


Fb-Button


Mini Vegan Lasagna Casserole

Pin It

Who doesn’t love lasagna right? Well what about vegan lasagna?

Unless you’ve had it at a vegetarian restaurant chances are you haven’t had much vegan lasagna in your life, so that’s why I want to share this delicious recipe with you!

This past week a friend of mine was staying with me and we were going through all my cupboards (I have a lot of them!) and were trying to see if there was something we could throw together for lunch without going to the store. I have a plethora of the basics plus a smattering of random ingredients I never got a chance to use up yet so we had a lot of possibilities.

She asked if I had a box of lasagna noodles and I admitted “No unfortunately I don’t have any” but while rummaging I did find a bag of mini lasagna noodles I got from The Gourmet Warehouse in Vancouver. I thought they looked so cute and it would be neat for a mini lasagna casserole sometime, but I just never got a chance to use them before.

We also found some jars of pasta sauce, along with some tofu and frozen spinach so we were pretty much covered to make a basic casserole. One of the things that makes preparing healthy meals at home easy is making sure you have things like canned tomatoes or pasta sauce, dried noodles, frozen veggies and a variety of seasonings to work with.

So we whipped this vegan lasagna casserole together and it didn’t take very long at all which was great because we were starving! LOL.  I have a lasagna recipe that’s coming out in my next ebook (called Comfort Foods From Around The World) that I’m trying to have ready by the end of this month and it was SO much quicker to put together than that so I was pretty impressed.

The mini lasagna noodles are not really essential for this recipe, any pasta will do, but for the photos’ sake it helps to have the pretty ruffled edges. 🙂 You can also break regular lasagna noodles into chunks, or use more common noodles such as penne if that’s all you can find. It’s pretty much going to taste the same, just have a different texture and mouth feel. Some specialty stores or gourmet kitchen supply stores might carry mini lasagna noodles so keep your eyes peeled.

I like to keep my lasagnas fairly healthy so I omit the vegan processed cheese or nut cheese and just make a homemade tangy tofu ricotta instead. (This also keeps the fat and salt content much lower too.) I have tried both regular firm and silken tofu for my vegan ricotta and I have to say that the silken tofu wins hands down. It’s just a nicer texture, creamier and melts in your mouth like real ricotta. Feel free to use whatever tofu you prefer but I really think silken tofu makes a difference especially when you’re looking for a creamier texture in your cheese-less vegan lasagna.

Scroll down for the recipe…



Pin It

(Low Fat Vegan) Easy Mini Lasagna Casserole

Serves 8-10

Ingredients:

1 454 g/1 lb. package mini lasagna (mafalda, or similar) noodles *GF if desired
2 709 g/25 oz jars pasta sauce (mushroom, garlic, basil flavored etc.)
1/4 cup chopped basil
2 packages firm silken tofu, drained (I used mori-nu)
8-10 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 cup-2/3 cup nutritional yeast
3 tbsp miso paste (Genmai brown rice)
1-2 tbsp lemon juice
1 283g/10 oz. package of frozen spinach thawed and moisture squeezed out

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F (176 C)

2. In a large 4-5 qt. pot bring water to a boil and then add 1 tbsp salt and stir. Add mini lasagna noodles (or pasta of choice) and cook for about 5-6 minutes (less for smaller pasta). Stir occasionally to prevent noodles from sticking to bottom of pot. Drain and rinse to remove excess salt if desired. Let noodles cool slightly before handling (because you’re going to be layering them in.)

3. In a mixing bowl, crumble the tofu and add the chopped basil and seasonings adjusting the nutritional yeast and lemon to your tastes. Add the spinach and mix together.

4. In a large 9×13 lasagna casserole pan (or 2 smaller pans) pour in some sauce just enough to cover the bottom of the pan. Next layer in 2-3 layers of noodles (you can make it as neat or messy as you like) and then top with the tofu/spinach mixture. Add another layer of sauce and spread it out so it covers everything.

Middle layer with sauce on the bottom, 2 layers of noodles, tofu ricotta and spinach, and sauce.

Start the next layer with 2-3 more layers of noodles and repeat twice more. Cover the top layer with the remaining sauce and make sure all the noodles are covered. Garnish with some tofu/spinach mixture or vegan cheese if desired (optional)

5. Bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes until noodles are al dente or at desired tenderness. Allow lasagna to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving so the sauce thickens.

6. Serve with your favorite salad or garlic bread.

Let the mini lasagna casserole cool slightly before serving

Variations:

Add a chopped onion and a pound of mushrooms and sauté with a little soy sauce and brown sugar or maple syrup and mix in with the spinach. Add some vegan cheese like Daiya cheese for a more decadent option (increases the fat content though). Use a different type of pasta like giant shells or rotini or fusilli. Use homemade tomato sauce seasoned with your favorite flavors like garlic, basil, oregano, mushrooms, onions etc.

 Mini lasagna casserole baked and ready to serve

Bon appétit!

Have you ever had vegan lasagna before or tried mini lasagna noodles before? What do you think?

The Best Low Fat Vegan Silken Tofu Omelette Recipe!

by 27 Comments


Fb-Button



Low Fat Vegan Chef's Silken Tofu Omelette With Spinach and Mushrooms

Pin It

I’m going to show you just how YOU can make a delicious vegan tofu omelette. I have to confess, this omelette looks WAY better than my first attempts at making vegan tofu omelettes. Making pancake-like things including crepes, omelettes, Indian dosas and Ethiopian injeera bread have all been things that were a little hard for me to get right at first. I realized the problem was my insecurity and lack of patience in making them! Once you tell yourself you can do it and just try it, it works out  much better. And hey as long as it tastes good, it’s all that matters the first time!

Making this recipe does take a little bit of practice if you are:

1.) Inexperienced at pouring and flipping pancakes, crepes or omelettes in general

2.) Impatient and paranoid about the omelette sticking and burning to the pan and want to peek and move it around (which it will not, so do not panic and don’t touch it.)

These are things you must learn by experience and you have to accept that it will take a bit of practice being able to pour it, spread it, let it cook (and not mess with it!) and then fold it in half and slide it off the pan.

It took me about 3 cracks at this recipe before I got it right and learned to just trust the process of cooking and the tofu omelette was going to be fine, and stop panicking if it seemed stuck and trying to move it around with a spatula. Don’t do this.

I’ve now got it down pat and even made some for my mom and I over the Christmas holidays (it was her first vegan omelette ever) and she enjoyed it. I think she also enjoyed having some Daiya cheese and mushrooms in it too, but also the novelty of having something omelette-like as she’s been avoiding eggs.

This is a recipe I will make occasionally for a special vegan brunch or breakfast. It’s best for 2-3 people as it can take much much longer if you are trying to use multiple pans or cook for more people.

Tofu scrambles and tofu omelettes seem to take longer to cook than eggs (as they are not raw and drastically changing structure) so they are more forgiving and don’t really overcook. As long as it’s not turning black and you’re cooking it on medium or medium low heat it will be ok.

Also the trick to this is using silken tofu. Do not use regular tofu. You will NOT enjoy the flavour.

Like I said, I’ve made this recipe many times, I have adapted it from Susan V’s recipe at FatFreeVegan.com and made it even LOWER in fat and still delicious. I think I found the perfect vegan tofu omelette recipe! This omelette is gluten free as well!

Hurray!



Low Fat Vegan Chef's Vegan Silken Tofu Omelette With Mushrooms And Spinach

Pin It

Low Fat Vegan Silken Tofu Omelette Recipe

Serves 2-3 Makes 2 giant (full pan size) or 3 medium sized omelettes

Ingredients:

1 12.3 oz/349 g package FIRM Mori-nu silken tofu (must be firm or extra firm)
3 tbsp. almond or coconut milk
3 tbsp. of nutritional yeast
3 tbsp. cornstarch or tapioca starch
1 tsp. dijon mustard (essential)
1/4 tsp. turmeric
1/2 tsp. Herbamare or salt, or to taste
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
1/8 tsp of smoked paprika (This makes it more delicious)

Filling:
fresh spinach
sauteed mushrooms
sauteed onions
any other desired toppings
vegan cheese *optional

Directions:

1. Place all of the ingredients into a Vitamix or food processor and blend together until smooth.

2. Heat a wide shallow non-stick pan or non-stick crepe pan over medium heat. Make sure it’s very hot before using. Sprinkle a little water on it to test. If it bubbles off right away it’s ready. If not, wait until it’s really hot.

3. Pour batter onto pan about the size of a large pancake. Don’t pour too much or it will be hard to pick up and fold . Spread it out a little very gently into a circle using a small spatula. It will be quite thick, this is ok as there is a lot of air in the mixture. Don’t spread it out thinly.

4. Cook for at least 5 minutes until it almost dries out on top and sets. Turn the heat down to medium low. You have the option of flipping it over if you want the tofu to be cooked firm, or you can add your filling now to the bottom half and flip the top half of it over to cover and cook until the ingredients soften and your vegan cheese (if any) melts. I usually just cook it on one side only and then fill the bottom half.

5. When the omelette is cooked and sturdy enough to move, slide it onto a plate. If your fillings aren’t warm enough you can pop it into the microwave for 15-20 seconds to warm up and set the omelette a little more if necessary. The spinach will wilt from the heat of the cooked omelette.

6. Serve. (Be careful! The tofu will be very hot! Let it cool a bit before eating, I don’t want you to burn your mouth.)

Additional Tips:

Mori-nu silken tofu is sold at almost every store. Whether it’s a health food store or just a regular grocery store. Most commonly it is in the “health nut”/gluten free/vegetarian product section of the store with other dried goods. Sometimes it’s in the refrigerated section with tofu and fake meats, but it doesn’t have to be refrigerated so it’s usually in the dry goods section.

If you need a little extra water or milk to blend your tofu add another tbsp or two. Not much it still needs to be thick enough to set.

If your pan is not very good or tends to stick you may need a spray of non-stick spray. But if it’s a good pan, you’ll be ok. Give your pan a wipe with a wet paper towel in between omelettes and let it come back up to temperature again before making the next one. Make sure your pan is clean and doesn’t have black bits on it, or it will get on your omelette.

Practice makes perfect! Even if you mess up a little it will still taste good as long as you cooked it. Give yourself the first one and then save the nicer ones for your family.

If you have any leftover “batter” you can save it in the fridge for another day. Let it sit on the counter and warm up to room temperature before making.

Variations:

You can use any favourite omelette fillings for your vegan omelette. Get creative. Spinach and mushrooms are just my favourites. Make sure your veggies (aside from spinach) are cooked first before adding them to your omelette and season them a little so they will be delicious.

———

Here was my previous attempt where I kind of ripped it while flipping the top half over. It’s ok, it still tasted great!



Pin It

Have you ever made a tofu omelette before? What are your favourite omelette fillings?

Low Fat Vegan Deluxe Dijon Tofu Scramble With Veggies

by 16 Comments


Fb-Button


Low Fat Vegan Oil Free Deluxe Dijon Tofu Scramble With Mushrooms, Onions, Broccoli, Zucchini, Red Peppers

Pin It

Deluxe Dijon Tofu Scramble With Mushrooms, Broccoli, Pepper and Zucchini

This is by far the best tofu scramble I have ever tasted, including at vegetarian restaurants. It is also the first scramble I have ever made personally. I was really going for something that would be savory and flavourful and have some colour and dynamic to it and not like a plain tofu only style scramble. I guess I wanted to go big or go home, and dove right in.

So I searched around and found great inspiration from my friend Malloreigh’s Semi Famous Tofu Scramble. She puts tons of veggies in her scramble, and I agree it works. So I have made this recipe below A LOT!!! I of course, took out the oil, switched to light coconut milk, and changed some of the seasonings to make this a low fat vegan chef (and Dr. Mcdougall) approved version. I think you will enjoy it just fine without the oil.

Every time someone wants a special breakfast, I make this. My mom and her husband even love it and they are new to tofu and not even vegan. If you’re used to eating eggs, let me tell you this tastes BETTER than eggs because it’s so flavourful, you will think salt and pepper eggs are boring next time you have them.

Some people might think ewh weird eating vegetables for breakfast, but everyone in Asia has soup and vegetables for breakfast, and even Americans have veggies for breakfast! Omelettes are often stuffed with veggies, and so are those potato egg skillet thingies at Denny’s lol. It’s not strange, it’s delicious. Try it! Potatoes do not have to be the lone breakfast veggie any longer.

Here’s my signature version of Tofu Scramble:

Low Fat Vegan Deluxe Dijon Tofu Scramble (with Broccoli, Zucchini, Pepper and Mushrooms)

Serves 4 as a side

Ingredients:

1 package firm tofu, drained (pressed firm tofu is perfect too)
5 tbsp nutritional yeast
1/4 tsp herbamare or salt, or to taste
2 tbsp dijon mustard
2 tbsp maple syrup (or liquid sweetener of choice)
1/2 cup light coconut milk (I use So Delicious SugarFree Original, use unsweetened only please)
1/2-1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups whole mushrooms, chopped (or about 1 -1/2 cups sliced)
1 small crown of broccoli, chopped into half florets
1/2 red pepper, sliced lengthwise and then in half
1/2-1 small zucchini, chopped in half moon thinly (thinner is better to cook faster)

Directions:

1. (Depending on your type of tofu you may or may not need to cut it first before pressing.) Cut tofu into 8 pieces if it’s hard to press with your hands. Squeeze out excess water with your hands or with a tea towel. Crumble tofu into a bowl. If your tofu is easy to crumble, I lay it on a clean tea towel and wrap it up and press all the water out and then crumble it into a bowl. I have used both styles of firm tofu, any firm tofu is good, just get the excess water out. Don’t use silken tofu for this.

2. Add  the nutritional yeast, herbamare or salt, dijon mustard, maple syrup and half of coconut milk. Mix until combined.

3. Next sauté the diced onion dry in a non stick pan or wok over medium heat until soft. Trust me, it will not stick if you have a good non stick pan. (If you don’t have non stick, you can use vegetable broth to cook in) Add the garlic and mushrooms; stir and cook for about 3-4 minutes. (The mushrooms should release water and keep everything from drying out and sticking)

4. Add the crumbled tofu and cook, stirring or tossing gently for about 10-15 minutes. The tofu is very forgiving. You can basically cook the rest of your breakfast while stirring occasionally in your non stick pan without worry. If your non stick pan is not so great, you can add a little vegetable broth or water and in small amounts and keep stirring. You want the tofu to absorb the flavours and cook well without burning.

5. When your other breakfast stuff is almost ready (if you have any), add the broccoli, zucchini, red pepper, and the rest of the coconut milk, mix together and cover with a pot lid. Let it steam for about 5 more minutes until the broccoli is cooked and bright green. Don’t let it burn, add a little more liquid if needed if it’s really dry. You can use extra coconut milk or a bit of water.

6. Taste test and adjust seasonings if desired.  You don’t want your tofu to be too wet, just wet enough that everything can cook and not stick to the pan. Serve right away. I like to eat mine with hash browns or my vegan banana pancakes.

Additional Tips:

Make sure your zucchini is sliced thin enough, you probably don’t want hard crunchy zucchini. If you cut it thicker you can add it right after the mushrooms and cook it with the tofu before you add the rest of the vegetables.

Cook your vegetables until they are the tenderness that you like. Try not to overcook them so the broccoli stays together and looks nice.

Variations:

You can change out any of the vegetables if you don’t like them, or don’t have them. It may sound weird having broccoli for breakfast but trust me, it is delicious and not weird! My family loves it. I think the essentials would be onions and mushrooms in this recipe. You could also throw some spinach in at the last minute to wilt if you like instead of broccoli or zucchini.

If you are feeding more people, you can just up the veggies in this recipe and spread out the scramble. I’ve done that and served 5 people a side serving before fine. If it’s just 2 of you, you can share it with some fruit, toast, pancakes etc and be stuffed!

Add some spiciness to the dish with some tobasco or chipotle chili powder if you want to heat it up.



Low Fat Vegan Oil Free Deluxe Dijon Tofu Scramble With Mushrooms, Onions, Broccoli, Zucchini, Red Peppers

Pin It

Have you ever made tofu scramble before? What do you think of this recipe?