Tofu and Chickpea Vegan "Egg Salad"

After over 22 years of being plant based...I think I've tried just about every version of vegan egg salad out there but even with the good ones, the great ones, there is always something not quite right...until now! The trick to this recipe is getting your hands on some black salt (which isn’t black at all…it’s kind of pink!) and yes, I’m going to just say it now…you’re probably going to need to order it online!

Now, admittedly, there are a couple of steps to this recipe but nothing that’s going to take any longer than the time it would take to actually boil eggs!

Traditional egg salad has a couple of different textures going on, even if it might not seem so…the whites of a boiled egg are rubbery and even a bit bouncy while the yolks are crumbly and even a little chalky! In order to try and duplicate both textures we’re going to use both extra firm tofu and chickpeas for the filling.

What you are going to need to buy: Makes 2-3 servings

• Extra Firm Tofu, 8 oz, crumbled

• Drained Chickpeas, 1/2 cup, lightly mashed with a fork

• Vegan Mayo

• Yellow Mustard

• Black Salt, tiny pinch

• Minced Garlic (Optional)

• Relish

• Salt and Pepper, to taste
  

What you are going to need to do:

1. In a medium mixing bowl lightly mash the chickpeas with the tines of a fork until they become slightly creamy but there are still some lumps. Again, think of the texture of the yolks of boiled eggs.

2. Drain and lightly press your tofu to remove excess moisture. No need to press for any length of time, just between several paper towels for 30 seconds or so.

3. Crumble the tofu into the bowl. You want slightly larger pieces than you would expect to have when you dice hard boiled eggs because the tofu will crumble a bit more when you stir everything together.

4. Add a tiny pinch of the black salt. This is what is going to give you that sulfur or eggy flavor. JUST A PINCH…a little goes a long way and you can always add more.

5. Now, I’m not going to give measurements for the Mayo/Mustard/Relish situation because everyone likes their egg salad a bit different…but mix in your condiments, add salt and pepper, and taste for seasoning.

6. At this point you can add in a little more black salt if you like. Again…add sparingly.

7. Combine well and serve sandwich style with your favorite toppings. I love mine with tomato and lettuce on white bread.

And, there you have it! The search is over…perfect vegan egg salad! Remember to save your aquafaba to use in another recipe or froth it up with a splash of maple syrup and add to your morning coffee! I do hope that you’ll try this recipe! Tag me online when you at @plantbasedgingr so that I can see all of your delicious creations!

Love, Light, and Lentils, my friends!
Sarah

Spicy Buffalo Tofu Chick'n Sub

Can we say football food? Buffalo Chick'n Sub with feta, pickles, and spicy mayo! Made with crispy fried tofu, it's literally the best of a Publix Sub and a Popeyes Sandwich all rolled into one! Seriously these subs are so good that even your non plant-based friends with gobble them right up!

In all the years that I have been plant-based, I only recently started preparing tofu, using this method, to use as a chicken substitute, in dishes. This recipe turned out so good and flavorful and it’s honestly way easier than you may think!! The trick to these subs is the buffalo sauce and, of course slathering them in spicy mayo!

What you are going to need to buy:

Extra Firm Tofu

Vegan Butter - (This recipe used Earth Balance)

Flour

Corn Starch

Garlic Powder

Onion Powder

Salt and Pepper

Paprika

Buffalo Sauce, or make your own! (See below)

Dairy Free Mayo

Hot Sauce

Sub Rolls or Hot Dog Buns

Dill Pickles

Butter Lettuce

Dairy Free Feta Cheese

What you are going to need to do:

To start, crumble your extra firm tofu into 2” inch bite-sized pieces, or larger, if you like

In a bowl, mix together equal parts corn starch and flour, along with garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper (The quantities will vary based on the amount you’re making but the following should be enough for 4 portions.

1/3 cup of flower

1/3 cup of corn starch

1 teaspoon each of garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper

Dredge the tofu pieces into the dry mixture and coat well. The better you coat the pieces, the better, and more crisp they will be.

In a skillet, melt 3-4 tablespoons of vegan butter, on low heat and once the skillet is good and hot, pan fry the tofu, until a nice crust is formed.

Remove from heat and gently pour over your buffalo sauce: Be careful not to tear up your tofu while saucing

Buffalo Sauce is simply your favorite hot sauce, butter, a splash of white vinegar, and garlic! But, to be honest…I really like the Frank’s Brand Buffalo Sauce

In a small bowl, mix vegan mayo and your favorite hot sauce and paprika, to taste and slather your buns with the spicy mayo!

Top your buns with lettuce, pickles, tofu chick’n, and dairy free feta cheese and serve!

Orange Tofu Chick'n with Homemade Glaze

There’s a lot of buzz about the new partnership with Beyond Meat and Panda Express’ Orange Chicken but down here in Central Florida we don’t have it yet…and my mouth has been watering for Orange Chicken for weeks now, so I broke down and worked out an at-home version!

In all the years that I have been plant-based, I only recently started preparing tofu, using this method, to use as a chicken substitute, in dishes. This recipe turned out so good and flavorful and it’s honestly way easier than you may think!! The orange sauce is so much better than anything from a packet! It's remarkable how much better fresh, from scratch, flavors are!

What you are going to need to buy:

Extra Firm Tofu

Vegan Butter - (This recipe used Earth Balance)

Flour

Corn Starch

Garlic Powder

Onion Powder

Salt and Pepper

Orange Juice

Red Bell Pepper, julienned

Maple Syrup

Soy Sauce

Cauliflower Rice

Fresh Kale

Minced Garlic

Paprika

Ginger Powder

Vinegar

Cayenne Pepper, optional

What you are going to need to do:

To start, crumble your extra firm tofu into 1.5” inch bite-sized pieces

In a bowl, mix together equal parts corn starch and flour, along with garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper (The quantities will vary based on the amount you’re making but the following should be enough for 4 portions.

1/3 cup of flower

1/3 cup of corn starch

1 teaspoon each of garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper

Dredge the tofu pieces into the dry mixture and coat well. The better you coat the pieces, the better, and more crisp they will be.

In a skillet, melt 3 tablespoons of vegan butter, on low heat and once the skillet is good and hot, pan fry the tofu, until a nice crust is formed. Remove from heat and set aside.

Wipe out your skillet and using another tablespoon of vegan butter, saute the red pepper and 1 tablespoon of minced garlic until the pepper begins to soften.

To the pepper and garlic, add orange juice, maple syrup, soy sauce, vinegar, ginger powder, paprika, and cayenne pepper. Again, depending on how much you are making these quantities can vary.

1 cup orange juice

1/3 cup of maple syrup

2-3 tablespoons of soy sauce

2 tablespoons of vinegar

1/2 teaspoon each of ginger powder and paprika

For a spicy glaze add cayenne pepper, to taste.

Stir to combine and increase heat to reduce the sauce. Allow to boil until the sauce is thick and sticky enough to coat the back of a spoon and able to cling to the tofu pieces. If you’d like to speed up this process you can make a slurry with 1 teaspoon of cornstarch and 2-3 tablespoons of water and add that to the sauce.

Once the glaze has thickened, add the crispy tofu pieces back into the orange glaze and turn heat down to warm.

I like to serve over butter cauliflower rice with some wilted kale!