1 pkg firm tofu
1 egg
3/4 cup cornstarch
vegetable oil
1 diced white onion
2 tbs minced ginger
2 tbs minced garlic
1 1/3 cup vegetable stock
4 tbs soy sauce
4 tbs sugar
red pepper flakes, to taste
2 tbs white vinegar
1 pkg mushrooms, sliced
rice and steamed broccoli to round out meal, if desired

Drain tofu and cut into pieces about 1/2 an inch cubed. Press in a thick towel under heavy books (put a plate under them to prevent them getting damp) for at least 30 minutes to remove all excess moisture. Freeze overnight for texture, if desired.

Combine vegetable stock, soy sauce, sugar, red pepper flakes, vinegar, garlic, and ginger in a reasonably large sealable container (lunch-sized glass lock is fine). Add tofu cubes, covering them as much as possible. Marinate in fridge (2 hours should be good).

Mix egg with 3 Tbs of water. Retaining marinade for later, remove tofu cubes and dip in mixture.

Sprinkle cubes with corn starch to completely cover.

Bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes.

Heat oil for frying in pan. Fry cubes in oil until golden brown and crispy. Drain oil and corn starch crumbs.

Heat 3 Tbs of vegetable oil in pan and add onions and mushrooms. Sautee until brown.

Mix 2 tbs of water and 1 tbs of cornstarch. Add mixture and marinade to pan, stirring well.

Add tofu to pan and toss to coat evenly in sauce.

Serve immediately over your choice of rice, with steamed broccoli.

1 cup quinoa, rinsed
3 cups whole strawberries, hulled then halved or quartered if large
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
1 (5-oz) container baby arugula salad blend

For the dressing:
1/3 cup seasoned rice vinegar
2 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tbsp. sesame oil
2 tbsp. water
2 tsp. ginger, minced
1 clove garlic, minced

Cook quinoa according to package directions. Transfer to a large bowl and let cool completely, about 20 minutes. Stir in strawberries cucumber and half the dressing. Combine salad blend and remaining dressing; toss to coat.

Makes 4 servings. (4pps)

Note: Not all vegans consider honey vegan, but many do.  If you’re going to serve this as a vegan dish, consult the specific vegans you plan to serve it to.  Also note that some cocoa powder contains milk solids, so you’d have to check that.

• 1 avocado
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder (swiss processed recommended)
• water to texture (I used about 3/4 cup)

Put all ingredients in blender and pulse until smooth.

Chill in the fridge.

I know it sounds weird, but it turned out really well.  It looks, acts and feels like pudding — maybe a little light for pudding but that may be because of the amount of water.  It tastes more like a good dark chocolate than most chocolate pudding (which tends to be milk chocolate).  It was also incredibly simple.

The above makes about two or three generous servings or about four yogurt-cup sized servings (and with its rich dark-chocolate taste, I found the 4-servings size more than sufficient).  You can find nutritional information (and lots of photos) here.

This is from The Curry Book by Nancie McDermott. I think that both parts could be made separately, too  — I might just make the sweet potatoes sometime, since they are so good. They are really good separately and they’re really good together, is what I’m saying. Also this makes a LOT, but I’m not really sure how to cut down on the kale thing.

Ingredients

• 3 large sweet potatoes (maybe 1.5 pounds?)
• 1 bunch of kale (I think any leafy green would work in this recipe)
• 2 cups of water

Sweet Potato Toss

• 2  TBSP minced garlic
• 2  TBSP curry powder
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper (or sriracha)
• 1/4 cup soy sauce [NOTE: use gluten-free soy sauce to make this recipe gluten free]
• 2 TBSP olive oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper

Kale Dressing

• 4 TBSP rice vinegar
• 2 TBSP honey (I might use less next time)
• 1TBSP balsamic vinegar (optional)
• 1 tsp crushed red pepper (or sriracha)

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Grease a 9×13 pan or a baking sheet.
• Mix the ingredients for the sweet potato toss in a large bowl.
• Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into 1/2-thick pieces.
• Put the sweet potatoes in the bowl of sweet potato toss and toss them until they’re coated.
• Put the sweet potatoes in the 9×13 pan and put the pan in the oven.
• Bake for 45 minutes or until they’re soft and browned on the edges.
• While the sweet potatoes are baking, wash the kale, cut it into 1/2-inch thick strips, and put it in a large bowl.
• After the sweet potatoes have come out of the oven, boil the two cups of water.
• Pour the boiling water over the kale.
• Toss the kale with tongs or two spoons until it is bright green and wilted.
• Drain the kale in a colander. Put the kale in a bowl large enough to hold the kale AND the sweetpotatoes.
• Make the dressing, pour it over the kale, and toss until the kale is coated.
• Add the sweet potatoes and toss until everything is mixed.
• Serve warm, at room temperature, or cold.

Additional note: this was pretty spicy. If you want it less spicy,use les chilis.

Serves: 4
Prep Time: 10 min
Cooking Time: 15 min

• 560 g can black beans
• 450 ml can coconut milk
• 250 ml can green peas
• 450 ml stock (I used veggie, original recipe called for chicken)
• 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
• 1/2 tbsp cumin
• 1/2 tbsp cayenne pepper
• 1 head fresh garlic, minced
• 1 white onion, chopped
• 1/2 bunch cilantro, finely chopped
• 250 g portobello mushrooms, chopped
• 1-2 tbsp oil

Reserve 1 cup of black beans for later.  Add remaining black beans, coconut milk, peas, stock, cumin, garlic and cayenne to medium-large sauce pan.  Bring to a boil, then simmer for ten minutes.

While simmering, sautee mushrooms and onions until soft, then set aside.

Place heated mixture in blender and puree until smooth.

Pour back into pot and add remaining ingredients (rest of beans, sauteed mushrooms and onions, cilantro, lime juice).  Stir until mixed.

Let stand for a few minutes, then serve.

(Goes well with buttered bread if you’re not trying to keep it gluten-free or vegan.)