Vegan Tofu Chick'n Parmesan

This Vegan Tofu Chick'n Parmesan is a recipe that I developed for my friends over at Māla Girl using their vegan, gluten-free, and adaptogentic blends. If you haven’t tried any of the Māla Girl products…you totally should! They’re local to Orlando, like me, everything is hand-blended and full of super-foods! This post actually isn’t sponsored…I just really love their products and I know you will too! Check them out here!

Just like an traditional chicken parmesan, this recipe does have several steps, but trust me…it’s so, so good! It’s seriously one of the best things that I have ever put in my face! You won't believe your tastebuds! It's almost magic how Māla Girl Soulfull Classic can make tofu taste so much like chicken! Let’s make it!

What you are going to need to buy:

• Māla Girl Fireball Basil, 1 Tbsp

• Māla Girl Oat Buttermylk, 1 Tbsp

• Māla Girl Sparkle Salt, to taste

• Extra Firm Tofu

• All-Purpose Flour, 3 Tbsp

• Jarred Pasta Sauce

• Olive Oil, 1 Tbsp

• Dairy-Free Mozerella

• Dairy-Free Parmesean

• Fresh Basil, chopped

What you are going to need to do:

1. Add 1 Tbsp of Soulfull Classic to the liquid that your tofu comes packed in and marinate tofu for 1 hour, up to overnight. This is honeslty the secret to this recipe! Don’t skip it, trust me!

2. Cut tofu into 1 inch, "chicken-shaped" cutlets and dredge in a mixture of AP Flour and Māla Girl Oat Buttermilk, with a pinch of Sparkle Salt.

3. Fry tofu, in a skillet, over medium heat, with 1 Tbsp of Olive Oil until a golden crust is formed on each side. Remove and drain on a paper towel to wick away any extra oil.

4. Add 1 Tbsp of Māla Girl Fireball Basil to one jar of pasta sauce and mix until well incorporated. Is this necessary? Nope…is it just plain good? Yep! Plus, if you are interested in this brand and what to try out their products, trust me, you’re going to want the Fireball Basil!

5. Spread 3-4 tablespoons of pasta sauce in the bottom of an oven-safe baking dish.

6. Add fried tofu cutlets to a baking dish and top with chopped basil, parmesan, pasta sauce, and mozzarella.

7. Sprinkle with a pinch of Māla Girl Sparkle Salt.

8. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Uncover and broil for 5 minutes until bubbly! Watch closely...so your cheese doesn't burn!

9. Garnish with fresh basil and serve with more warm Fireball Basil pasta sauce!

And…there you have it! I honestly can’t wait for you to try this recipe and see what you think! Make sure to tag me on all the socials @plantbasedgingr so I can see when you do!

Love, Light, and Lentils!
Sarah

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Poor Man's Vegan Chicken Parmesan Casserole

Who doesn’t love a good pasta dish? It’s the kind of comfort food that you crave when life get’s crazy and you don’t have any idea what else to make for dinner. Or, if you are like me, this week, it’s because you just need to go to the grocery store! This Poor Man's Vegan Chicken Parmesan Casserole is also the perfect way to use up the pasta that you have at home because just about any kind of noodle or shell will work for this dish.

I have made several versions of a plant-based Chicken Parmesan dish over the years, but honestly, this is one of the easiest and everyone, even the meat eaters in my life, always love it. Part traditional Chicken Parmesan, part pasta casserole, it’s the best of both worlds when you’re craving some comfort food, plus because you’re not doing all the breading and frying it comes together in half the time, just about 30 minutes, total.

What you are going to need to buy:

Your favorite kind of pasta shell or small noodle. (Pictured here is cavatappi, or as my niece calls them, corkscrews!)

Red Sauce - (Make your own or use your favorite jarred brand. Trust me, either way, it’s going to be delicious.)

Vegan Parmesan - (We love the Follow Your Heart shredded Parmesan)

Vegan Mozzarella - (The Miyoko's Creamery has one that melts and browns up so nice that you’ll never know the difference)

Minced Garlic - (we like these jarred options from Spice World!)

Breaded Vegan Chicken Strips or Tenders - (Pictured here are the Gardein Crispy Tenders)  

Salt and Black Pepper

Italian Seasoning or Fresh Herbs

What you are going to need to do:

To start, take your fingers out of the freezer so they can begin to thaw. (You can even pop them into the microwave for 30 seconds, or so…)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In a stock pot, bring salted water to a rolling boil to cook your desired pasta.

Once your pasta is cooked drained, mix in your pasta sauce and parmesan cheese. Amounts will vary based on how much past you have cooked and how many portions you are making. You want the pasta nice and covered in the sauce because you’re going to bake this dish and don’t want it to dry out.

I like to also mix in a bit of minced garlic to the pasta and the shells at this point.

Layer the pasta in a casserole dish, leaving room at the top for the Chicken.

Lay the chicken strips on top of the pasta. It’s best if these are at room temperate at this point and not frozen.

Place a heaping tablespoon of red sauce on top of the tenders and top with a thick slice of mozzarella.

Cover tightly with tin foil and bake for 15 minutes.

Uncover and turn your oven to broil. Broil, uncovered for 5 minutes to really melt that cheese and get some nice browning but keep your eye on it because it can go from brown and bubbly to burned real quick!

Let sit for 3-4 minutes before serving. Top with fresh herbs and serve with your favorite garlic bread!

 Enjoy!