Accidental Vegan

Nope, I’m not vegan and could probably never give up seafood or froyo, but more so lately than before, I’ve been experimenting with some vegan-friendly recipes that have successfully proven to me that Vegan food can be easy to make AND yummy!!! (not to mention wallet-friendly!)

***Ultimate busy woman’s dish***

Baked Crispy Barbecue Panko Tofu (Vegan-friendly)

Thanks to Asian Food Grocer & Foodbuzz, I was able to order some Japanese Panko breadcrumbs to make this dish! It only takes 3 ingredients, and 3 steps to make. Doesn’t get easier than that!

INGREDIENTS:

·         1 block Firm Tofu, sliced into 12 even rectangles

·         ¼ cup Korean Barbecue sauce or any other BBQ sauce of your choice

·         1 cup Panko Breadcrumbs

Instructions:

1.       Marinade sliced tofu in BBQ sauce for 1 hour in fridge

2.       Preheat oven to 420 degrees. Dip Tofu in heap of Panko breadcrumbs (I put mine in a deep tupperware), flip tofu so crumbs cover all sides. A single layer is sufficient for crispness.

3.       Arrange on baking sheet and bake in oven for 20-30 minutes until sides start to brown.

My Critque: This tofu is the perfect blend of crispness from the panko and the soft, comforting moistness from the hot ‘n steamy tofu. The marinade and panko together give the tofu a pleasantly sweet and savory taste, and does not require additional sauces or flavor whatsoever. I love that there is no chewy or rubbery surface like the tofu skin can get when baked without panko, but instead it is lightly crisp (not crunchy) on the outside, yet warm and soft on the inside. *sigh* yum. Plus, there’s hardly any work involved in making this dish! Here they are fresh out of the oven!

*** For your dessert course***

Cinnamon Pumpkin Flax Cake-Bread

I baked this for a vegan co-workers birthday and surprised myself at how delicious vegan baked goods can be – even without animal products!

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons flax seed meal
• 6 tablespoons milk (I used vanilla almond milk)
• 3/4 cups brown sugar
• 1 cup + 1 Tbs canned pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup applesauce (I used no sugar added)
• 1 cups all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• Pistachios and walnuts (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease one 9×5 inch loaf pan.
2. Whisk together flax seed meal and water. Mix in sugar, pumpkin and apple sauce.
3. In a large bowl, stir together all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, baking powder, spices. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture; stir until smooth. Pour batter into prepared pan. Top with nuts if you like!
4. Bake in preheated oven for 65 to 70 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean.

My Critique: I couldn’t believe something made without a single drop of oil, butter, or eggs could produce bread SO darn moist (It even wowed the non-vegans in the office!). Oh the power of pumpkin! I love the mild flavor of the pumpkin in this bread, and it’s a tad on the sweet side, but otherwise, this is a simple, fragrant, natural-tasting bread that’s good for you too! I would add chocolate chips, raisins, or nuts to bolster the texture and flavor to spice it up for the pickier palate.

***

LAST but not least, winners of the ZenSoy giveaway…

#71: The Skinny Plate

#77: Ellie from Inside I am Dancing

Congratulations ladies!!! 🙂

Just for Fun!, Product Reviews, Recipes

Panko, pumpkin, Pumpkin Bread, Tofu, Vegan

October 13, 2009

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