Category: tofu

breakfast · daiya cheese · nutritional yeast · tofu

Vegan Grilled Breakfast Sandwiches

osuadamr1 Comment


Week 1: Browns vs. Titans

And we’re back! A long offseason punctuated by a perfect fall day, a new tailgate van and a full menu

Hard at work on the new grill table

of vegan fare. A tailgate breakfast can be a welcome treat and a life saver. Often when making a big meal it can be hours before you eat and no one wants to snack on chips and salsa for breakfast. So that’s why I love to incorporate a grilled breakfast item at the tailgate.

Last year Broccoli Rob made vegan break burritos ahead of time, wrapped them in foil and then tossed them on the hot grill first thing in the morning.  They were excellent! That got me thinking about other breakfast items we could make and naturally I landed on the Egg McMuffin.

This recipe combines the best of all worlds: marinated tofu, vegan sausage breakfast patties (there are countless brands to choose from), vegan cheese, whole wheat English muffins and a special blend of sauces. After you eat this sandwich you will ask yourself, “why can’t I eat this every day?” Enjoy!

Ingredients

  • For the marinade:
    • 1/3 cup tablespoon vinegar (any kind but Balsamic)
    • 2 tablespoon Dijon mustard (or less, if using ground mustard powder)
    • 1/3 cup tablespoons nutritional yeast
    • 1 tablespoon turmeric
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
    • Sriracha Maple sauce

      1 teaspoon black salt (Kala Namak is a must!)

    • 1 teaspoon onion powder
    • dash of white pepper
    • 6 sandwich-sized slab of extra-firm tofu, cut into circles
    • Rest of sandwich:

      Directions

      1. The tofu should marinate AT LEAST overnight, then the rest of the recipe takes under 10 minutes to execute. 
      2. Marinade: Mix the marinade ingredients in a small plastic container with a lid. It will be thick! If it looks dry, cut with a bit of cold water. Once you have a paste, toss in the tofu, close the container, and shake to cover tofu completely. Refrigerate at least 8 hours, and even up to 48!
      3. Tofu butcher is in the house!

        Prepare the grill for direct heat.

      4. When grill is hot, give the tofu a final shake in the container, then place in grate along with the sausage patties. Keep most with any excess marinade. Grill the first side about 3-4 minutes. Flip tofu over, and grill another few minutes. When you flip the sausage over, place a piece of vegan cheese on top. Tofu is done when it’s a goldenrod color on both sides and has nice grill marks. When the cheese is melted, pull the sausage patties off the grill. 
      5. Meanwhile, prepare the bread to toast. Spread with a little vegan butter if you wish. Toast the bread right after the tofu and sausage is off. 
      6. Now once the bread is toasted, spread some of the sriracha maple sauce and vegan mayo on the bread. You can assemble the sandwich and then place it on the grill, or just eat right then and there! 

      Time to grill!

       

      Grilled to perfection! 

      Eat me!

      appetizer · cashews · jalapeno · nutritional yeast · spicy · tofu

      Velvety Vegan Jalapeño Popppers

      osuadamr2 Comments

      Weeks 7 & 8 Road Games in Green Bay and KC

      Yup, thats a grilled vegan jalapeño popper
      The Browns have been on the road the past two weeks and continue to ride the quarterback roller coaster.  While that means I haven’t been down at the muni lot tailgating, I have an amazing appetizer recipe to share with you that works on the grill or at home in the oven.  Jalapeño Poppers!
      For centuries, vegan’s have tried to replicate cheese.  While we have come close, nothing quite gets us there.  However, cashews are my favorite creamy substitute, and they do a pretty darn good job providing that velvety texture and flavor.  As Tal Ronnen likes to say, cashews are “vessels of creaminess.”  
      Cashews and nuts are only one third of the vegan creamy equation.  The other parts of the trifecta are beans (think hummus or tofu) and avocado (which naturally stands on its own).  Nutritional yeast is an important  ingredient in the vegan cheese quest.  So is turmeric, for those who care about the yellowish appearance.  These poppers, while they don’t have avocados, have all the makings of a creamy vegan delight. 
      This recipe comes together quickly, especially if you have a couple hands on deck.  One person can cut open the peppers while the other prepares the filling.  Then you can both stuff the peppers and top with bread crumbs.  I left a few seeds in to give it a little heat, but it wasn’t overwhelming.  Enjoy!
      Ingredients
      Jalapeño boats
      • 24 large jalapeños, cut in half, membranes and some seeds removed
      • 14 oz. firm tofu, lightly pressed
      • 1/2 cup cashews
      • 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
      • 1/4 cup lime juice
      • 2 tsp. cumin
      • 1 tsp. smoked paprika
      • 1 tsp. thyme
      • 1 tsp. garlic powder
      • 1 tsp. ground chipotle 
      • 1 tsp. turmeric
      • 1/2 cup bread crumbs
      Directions
      1. Cut and remove membranes and some seeds from peppers
      2. Paces remaining ingredients except breadcrumbs into a high speed blender.  If not using a vita-mix, soak the cashews for at least an hour and drain.
      3. Scoop the cheese mix into the jalapeño boats.  Be generous!
      4. Just before ready to cook, sprinkle on bread crumbs.
      5. Grill: place in grill pan and cover with foil.  Cook for about 15 minutes.
      6. Oven: place on baking sheet in oven at 400 degrees.  Cook for 20 minutes.  
      appetizer · daiya cheese · dip · nutritional yeast · tofu

      Onside Dip-Off: Grilled Vegan Spinach Artichoke Dip

      osuadamr1 Comment

      Week 13 Browns v. Raiders

      Going in for the kill

      A winning streak? Unheard of!  That’s right, the Browns have won 2 in a row for the first time since September of last year.  What a better way to celebrate than posting a recipe from one of my favorite vegan chefs, Cupcake Wars champion and stunning beauty Chloe Coscarelli.

      There are plenty of tailgate dips that are “vegetarian” but are often loaded with cheese, sour cream, mayo, cream cheese, yogurt and just about every dairy product under the sun.  If it looks creamy at a tailgate, then it probably isn’t vegan.  But who’s to say a great creamy dip can’t be plant based?  Chef Chloe is not one to mess around veganizing things, so her spinach artichoke dip was a must for the tailgate.

      In the standard spinach artichoke dip, the cheesey creaminess presides over the flavor of the vegetables.  The creamy texture here comes from the soft tofu and nutritional yeast, but the garlic, artichokes and spinach stand out. I added a little Daiya cheese on top and bam! It was a winner with everyone at the tailgate.  If I didn’t say anything, no one would’ve known it was plant-based and nearly fat free.  Enjoy!


      Ingredients

      A bit of olive oil
      1 medium onion, roughly chopped
      5 cloves garlic, minced
      A few hefty shakes of crushed red pepper
      5 ounces baby spinach (usually 1 bag)
      1 14-ounce package soft tofu, drained
      1/2 cup nutritional yeast flakes
      2 tablespoons lemon juice (or juice of a half lemon)
      1 teaspoon dried basil
      1 teaspoons sea salt
      1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
      14 ounces of canned artichoke hearts, drained
      1/2 cup shredded Daiya cheddar cheese, to top (optional)
      Pita chips for serving

      Directions

      Don’t lick the bowl!
      1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 
      2. Lightly grease a foil baking dish (you can use a pyrex or anything else if not taking to the tailgate)
      3. Heat the bit oil over medium-high heat and saute onion until soft. Add garlic and red pepper and let cook a few more minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add spinach.  Cook until wilted.
      4. In a food processor (I used a Cuisinart, but any blender will do), blend tofu, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, basil, salt, and pepper until smooth. Add artichokes and spinach mixture, and pulse about 15 times. Transfer to the foil baking dish.  Top with cheese (optional)
      5. Bake for 30 minutes, or until lightly browned on top. Cover with foil and keep in the fridge until the tailgate.
      6. Throw the foil pan on the grill for about 15 minutes.  When it starts to bubble you are ready to go!  Dip with pita chips.
      Gotta pre-bake in the oven
      Cover this bad boy with foil and keep in the fridge/cooler until the grill is hot
      The dip fits right in at a tailgate