Ginger Tofu & Broccoli Recipe

My theme for 2014 is Get Uncomfortable. I'm looking forward to doing and saying things that I've never done. Going new places and meeting new people.  I'm going to be more open about who I am and my food and life journey. It's time to stop making excuses and go after the life that I truly want. Maybe you can to relate to this.

I'll talk more about this in the coming weeks, but for now, let's have dinner.

I love putting together a quick stir-fry. Fresh vegetables, amazing flavor and quick eats always make me smile.

The whole family loved this simple and delicious recipe.

What ingredients do you like in your stir-fry?

Ginger Tofu & Broccoli

by Brown Vegan

Prep Time: 20

Keywords: fry entree

Ingredients (Serves 4)

• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup vegetable broth
• 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 8 oz firm tofu, drained, and cut into cubes
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 cups broccoli florets
• 3 cups cooked rice

Instructions

Drain tofu, wrap in paper towels (or a clean kitchen towel), stack heavy books on top and press the water out for 20 minutes. Cut the tofu into cubes.

Heat a large skillet on medium heat and fry tofu for 3 minutes on each side. Set aside.

For the sauce, in a small bowl, whisk together the broth, soy sauce, ginger and cornstarch. Set aside.

Add oil and garlic to the same tofu skillet and cook for 30 seconds. Add in broccoli and cook for 6 minutes on medium heat. Add in tofu and sauce and cook for 3 more minutes or until warm.

Enjoy with rice.

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What We Ate Today #4 | Vegan Family Meals

It's been too long since I've shared some of our meals, so I'm back on YouTube to show you the goods.  

Breakfast: 

So Delicious yogurt, granola & apple slices, bagel with Earth Balance

Lunch:

Vegan Tuna Sandwich, Way Better chips & carrots

Vegan Tuna Sandwich

by Brown Vegan

Ingredients

• (2) 15 oz chickpeas, drained & rinsed
• 1 cup red onion, chopped
• 1 teaspoon relish
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• ½ cup vegan mayo
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon paprika
• 6 Hamburger buns

Instructions

Grind chickpeas in a food processor for a few seconds. Transfer to a bowl and mix in all the remaining ingredients. Serve on a bun with lettuce and tomato. Enjoy!

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Dinner:

Lentils & rice, simple salad

Lentils & Rice

by Brown Vegan

Prep Time: 5

Ingredients (Serves 5)

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 onion, roughly chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• ½ teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon All-purpose seasoning blend (I used Flax Seasoning)
• 2 cups dry lentils, rinsed (I usually soak mine in water for about 30 minutes)
• 4 cups of vegetable broth
• ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes
• 3 cups of fresh greens
• Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Sauté onion and garlic on medium heat for about 4 mins.

2. Add in chili powder and all-purpose seasoning blend.

3. Continue cooking for another minute, then add in lentils and vegetable broth.

4. Bring to a boil.

5. Reduce heat, cover and continue cooking for 15-20, or until lentils are soft.

6. During the last 5 minutes, add in the greens and sun-dried tomatoes.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve with rice or quinoa.

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Watch the full video here and subscribe to my YouTube channel to get more cooking videos and vlogs.

Check out all the previous "What We Ate Today" posts here

My Sister's Summer Pasta Salad-Veganize It!

My sister is usually in charge of making both the pasta & fruit salads at every family event. Since her pasta salad contains cheese and ham/turkey, I haven't enjoyed it since becoming a vegan. The other day, I figured what the heck?  Let me just veganize this recipe and make it just as delicious without the animal products.

This recipe is super simple and delicious! I made a video about it below.

Update: You can add any other vegetable you choose. These days, I also add in a cucumber. 

Print and share the full recipe at the end of this post. 

Subscribe to my YouTube channel for weekly videos....

What do you like in your pasta salad? Leave a comment below?

Simple Pasta Salad

by Brown Vegan

Ingredients (Feeds 7)

• 1 lb rotini pasta
• 1/2 cup red onion, chopped
• 2 Roma tomatoes, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1/3 cup black olives
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 1/2 cup Italian dressing

Instructions

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta according to the directions on the label. Drain and rinse the pasta and place to the side.

In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients , mixing everything until pasta is evenly coated.

Chill in the fridge for at least an hour.

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Jalapeno & Mushroom Quesadilla Recipe-Veganize It

Even after three years, I still get nervous sometimes when I offer the boys a new recipe.

Kids can be picky when it comes to food, so when I saw jalapeno & mushrooms in this recipe, I wasn't sure they would like it.

I got this recipe from The Pioneer Woman's blog.

Even though there aren't any vegan recipes on her blog, it wasn't hard to make a few changes to make this one vegan-friendly.

I used Daiya vegan cheese....a little vegan cheese goes a long way. Also, instead of conventional butter I used Earth Balance vegan margarine.

I removed the seeds from the jalapenos for the kids so it wouldn't be spicy

I skipped the salt & pepper and seasoned my mushrooms with cumin instead.

Dinner was served without any complaints! 

Make this recipe vegan today! Use vegan cheese, vegan margarine (or oil) instead of conventional butter and cheese.

Let me know if you try this recipe. :-) 

You can follow me on these sites.... 

3 Simple & Affordable Vegan Dinners

I mentioned before that I'm working on showing more vegan meals with accessible ingredients.  I recorded a video featuring 3 vegan dinners using simple & affordable ingredients that can be found in any grocery store.

Here's the YouTube video :-) 

Dinner #1

*****Be sure to check the ingredient list on the bread to ensure it doesn't contain dairy and/or eggs.*****

Full recipe from Chloe Coscarelli (the ingredients and method are listed in the description box of Chloe's video) 

*Click here for the recipe video*

Dinner #2

Vegan Red Beans & Rice

by Brown Vegan

Prep Time: 8 hours

Cook Time: 1 1/2 hours

Ingredients (Serves 5)

• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon all-purpose seasoning
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 lb dried red beans, soaked overnight
• 8 cups vegetable broth or water
• 2 teaspoons liquid smoke (typically found in the same aisle as the BBQ sauce)
• 1 bay leaf
• To garnish: green onion, chopped
• 4 cups of cooked rice

Instructions

In a large stockpot, sauté onion, garlic and celery for 5 minutes on medium-high heat with oil. Add in cayenne pepper, all-purpose seasoning and salt.

Add in beans, vegetable broth (or water), liquid smoke and bay leaf

Reduce heat to med-lo, cover and simmer for 1 ½ hours, or until the liquid is thick or beans split open. If the water absorbs too quickly, add more ½ cup more at a time.

Remove bay leaf.

Adjust seasoning, if necessary.

Serve with rice.

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Dinner #3

Vegan Stuffed Shells

by Brown Vegan

Ingredients (Serves 4)

• 8 oz jumbo shells
• 3 garlic cloves
• 8 basil leaves
• 1 small onion, roughly chopped
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• 14 oz firm tofu, drained
• Jar of spaghetti sauce

Instructions

Preheat oven at 400º

Boil jumbo shells in water until al dente.

In a food processor, blend together garlic, basil, onion, salt, pepper and oregano. Scrap down the sides of the food processor with a fork.

Crumble tofu with your hands and blend until smooth in the food processor.

Fill each shell with the tofu filling.

Line the bottom of a casserole dish with ½ cup of spaghetti sauce.

Cover with the shells and spoon on additional spaghetti sauce.

Cover with foil and bake for about 20 minutes.

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