Wrapping lumpia

Wrapping lumpia is definitely both an art and a science. The science part is as follows.

First of all, it’s usually very tricky to remove the lumpia wrappers from the frozen stack they come in. Madeline did we (us?) noobs a favor by buying wrappers individually wrapped in plastic. Environment, 0: Helen and Dawn: 1.

Next, place some filling in the center of a lumpia wrapper, about 3/4 of the way from the bottom edge.

Fold the upper edge over.

Crease the edges in and start to roll.

Dab some egg replacer mixed with water on the edges and press to seal.

Place lumpia seal side down on a flat surface and repeat. And repeat. And repeat. And repeat…

The art part is making sure that you roll up your lumpia in perfect, plump, cylindrical little cigars, not floppy, flaccid, flat, uhhh, little cigars Then you fry them up. Try not to burn them like this person did

 

Indian Broccoli Chickpea Pakoras

The chickpea flour gives these a delicious taste and texture. 

1 cup chickpea flour (available at health food stores and Indian markets)
1 cup freshly opened plain club soda/seltzer water
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon garlic powder
2 cups medium cut broccoli florets with about an inch of the stem intact
Enough canola or vegetable oil to fill a non-stick fry pan ½ inch

Whisk together in a large bowl the chickpea flour, salt, garlic powder and club soda. Set aside.

Heat the non-stick pan with the oil in it over medium high heat for about 3 minutes. Test to see if it is ready to fry by flicking some of the batter into it. If it sizzles, it is ready.

Dip the florets into the chickpea batter and then immediately into the oil. Cook for 2 minutes, then flip broccoli and cook another 2 minutes until golden. Drain on a cookie cooling rack on top of a foil lined cookie sheet.

These can be reheated and re-crisped on the rack as well thrown into the oven for a few minutes. You can also use cauliflower for this recipe, it works wonderfully as well. 

Tofu scramble in a pocket: tofushky

Tofu scrambles in a pocket — tofu piroshky: tofushky — are a solution; Amy’s makes a good frozen version, but these get expensive.

So, make your own by placing a tofu scramble in some dough and baking it.  Sometimes I dont feel like making my own dough ill buy the frozen dough roll out and make it that way...

Ingredients:

Bread (from Cooks.com):

• 1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
• 1/4 tsp  sugar
• 3/4 c. warm water
• 1 1/2 tsp EnerG egg replacer mixed with 2 tbs water
• 1 tbs oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 1/2 cups flour

Simple scramble:

• 12 oz firm tofu
• 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
• 1/4 onion, diced
• handful of sliced mushrooms
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 2 tbs tamari
• 1/8 tsp cumin
• red pepper flakes and black pepper, to taste
• other herbs and spices, fresh or dried, to taste

Instructions:

1. Dissolve sugar and yeast in water and let sit in a large bowl for a few minutes until foamy; add egg replacer, salt and oil.
2. Beat in flour a 1/2 cup at a time until you can no longer beat it in, then knead in the remainder of the flour (add more if needed) to form a stiff dough.
3. Knead for 10 minutes on a floured surface.
4. Let dough rise in greased bowl until doubled.
5. While dough rises, make your scramble. Saute onion until softened, then add mushrooms and bell pepper and cook until mushrooms have released their moisture. Add Tofu, tamari and spices, and saute for 5 minutes or so.
6. Break dough into 8 pieces. Flatten each piece, and roll it out as flat as you can with a rolling pin. Place 1/8 of the tofu scramble mixture in the center of the dough, then carefully pinch the edges. I find it helpful to pinch the center together, then pinch from the counter to the middle on both sides. Some filling will spill out, but try to minimize this.
7. Place tofushky on a greased baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until dough turns golden; bake a few minutes longer if you are planning on eating all in one sitting. If you plan on taking them to work, take them out of the oven at 10-12 minutes, then microwave for 30 seconds and place in the toaster oven for a few minutes to reheat.

Peruvian-style vegan cilantro, seitan and potato stew

This stew is not one for the cilantro haters, since the flavor of that divisive herb permeates the whole dish.

Don’t skip the salsa criolla with which this dish is intended to be served. The onions soak in salt water and then “cook” in lime juice and vinegar, so they’re not a total make out-spoiler.

Ingredients

• 1 bunch cilantro (chop off the stems)
• 1 jalapeno, deseeded (maybe even 1/2 a jalapeno)
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)
• juice of two small limes
• 8 ounces seitan
• 1 large potato, sliced into 1/2″ thick pieces
• 1 cup frozen peas and carrots

Instructions:

1. Blend cilantro, water, garlic, jalapeno and lime juice; pour into a small saucepan with potatoes, seitan, and frozen pea/carrot mix.
2. Simmer for around 30 minutes or until potatoes are cooked.

Serve with rice and Salsa criolla.   Recipe below

What You'll Need

• 2 red onions (sliced in very thin half moons)
• 1 to 2 ají or jalapeño peppers (seeded and sliced into very thin matchsticks, to taste)
• 1 tablespoon cilantro (chopped fresh, or parsley, or a combination of both)
• 2 tablespoons lime juice (freshly squeezed)
• 1 tablespoon vinegar
• Salt and pepper to taste

How to Make It

1. Soak the thinly sliced onions in salt water for 10 minutes. Drain and let dry.
2. Mix the sliced onion with the rest of the ingredients in a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let the salsa marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.
3. Store salsa in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Jasmine Rice with Tofu and Veggies

 (make 2 servings)

2 cups cooked Jasmine Rice
1/2 block firm tofu
1/4 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup peas
1 cup broccoli
pepper
garlic powder
2 tbs cooking oil
4 tablespoons Island Soyaki (from Trader Joes) or favorite teriyaki sauce


Cut tofu into 1/2 inch cubes, and cover with pepper and garlic powder. Add any other seasonings you want as well. Place the 2 tbs of oil in pan, heat and add tofu. Grill tofu until light golden brown. Grill broccoli for 5 minutes. Mix rice, tofu, veggies and soyaki. Serve and enjoy!



These are my favorite veggies for this dish but add your own. The best part is the sauce. If you have access to Traders Joe's I suggest you pick up the Island Soyaki. You'll want to eat it on everything!

Tacu Tacu

Not only is Tacu Tacu delicious but it is also very nutritious. Like most Peruvian recipes there are a number of variations to Tacu Tacu, but the basic premise is the same. It is often used as a side dish for a meat dish such as fish or chicken. It is even common for people to serve it with salad on top. This is a great recipe to experiment and have fun with.

References:

• Servings – 2
• Prep time – 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of beans that seasoned with sofrito. (you will want to cook the beans ahead of time)
• ½ cup of white rice (prepare rice by steaming it/should be cooked ahead of time)
• 2 tablespoons of canola oil
• ¼ cup of yellow onion (prepare onion by mincing)
• ¼ teaspoon of aji amarillo paste.  found mines on amazon
• 1 garlic clove (prepare by mincing)

Preparation:

• Place the cooked beans in a bowl and mash them using a fork. Add the steamed white rice to the bowl and mix both the beans and rice using your hands.
• In a pan over medium heat sauté the minced garlic and onion along with the aji amarillo and 1 tablespoon of canola oil. Saute until the onion is translucent.
• Add the contents from the pan to the bowl that has the beans and rice in them. Mix all the contents very well together.
• Shape the mixture into two separate pancakes of equal size.
• Using a non-stick pan and 1 tablespoon of canola oil brown the pancakes, Brown on both sides (roughly 2 minutes per side)
• Serve the pancakes on a plate with just a very small amount of olive oil on top.

Mashed Potatoes and Cauliflower

3 large Russet Potatoes
1 Large head of Cauliflower
2 small heads of roasted garlic
1/4 cup non dairy butter
1 cup non dairy sour cream

Peel, cut and boil potatoes till soft. Cut and boil cauliflower in separate pot till soft. While those are cooking, cut garlic into thin slices, and roast in the oven till slightly brown. Set garlic aside.

Once potatoes and cauliflower are soft, drain out water and place in food processor. This is a large amount, so if you have a small processor, process cauliflower first then place in large mixing bowl. Then process potatoes with garlic. Add to mixing bowl and add in butter, sour cream and salt and pepper.

Spread mashed potatoes and cauliflower into a 9x13 baking dish. Top with bread crumbs optional- if you do  Bake at 350 until crumbs begin to brown (about 30 min) if not place in serving dish and enjoy!

This tastes just like mashed potatoes. You'd never know it was made with cauliflower

Boneless BUFFALO WINGS

What you need: 

1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon paprika
8 ounces seitan, cut into strips
oil, for frying
1/4 cup vegan margarine
1/4 Franks Hot Sauce

What you do: 

1 In a bowl, combine flour, chili powder, garlic powder, and paprika.
2. Dip seitan strips into bowl, covering with the flour mixture. (The seitan should be sticky enough to hold the flour mixture. If yours isn't, dip seitan into either egg replacer or nondairy milk before you place in flour.) Place them on a plate; refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
3. Heat oil in a frying pan on medium-high heat. Place seitan in hot oil and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, turning as needed to ensure all sides are cooked.
4. In a small frying pan, combine margarine and hot sauce; heat until warm.
5. Place seitan in a large bowl and cover with hot sauce. Shake or mix to cover seitan completely. I suggest not leaning over the bowl because it made my eyes water and burn just being close to the hot sauce.
Serve: This is meant to been eaten along with a vegan blue cheese dip. My dear friend who hails from Buffalo, New York says you can't eat this with anything else. The hot sauce must be Franks or its not authentic. Well, as authentic as vegan wings can be.

Peruvian Roasted Seitan

Usually made with chicken ...turned the bad boy Vegan because I love this recipe

INGREDIENTS

4 steak sized pieces of Seitan

4 tbsp white vinegar

3 tbsp white wine

3 tbsp canola oil

21/2 tbsp garlic powder

2 tbsp paprika

11/2 tbsp cumin

2 tbsp black pepper

1 tsp salt

1. Combine the seasoning ingredients. Mix well, forming a paste.  Make sure your Seitan has patted dry before you add the  paste.  Place the Seitan in a bowl.

2. Rub the spice paste over the Seitan, covering every surface so that the flavor infuses into the seaitan. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, but no more than 24.

3. Preheat the oven to 325º and remove the Seitan from the fridge. Wipe off any excess marinade and place in a oven safe pan.  

4. Arrange Seitan in a single layer on a large parchment paper-lined baking sheet bake   flipping halfway through, until golden brown and just crisp, about 40 to 60 minutes total.

For Seitan I use this recipe to make chicken flavored seitan

Ingredients

1. 1.5 cups cold chick'n or vegetable broth (or water and bouillon cube) Vegan of course
2. 2 tablespoons olive oil
3. 1.5 cups vital wheat gluten flour
4. 1/4 cup chickpea flour
5. 1/3 cup nutritional yeast
6. 1 teaspoon garlic powder
7. 1.5 teaspoons poultry or chicken seasoning
8. 1/2 teaspoon paprika
9. 1/2 teaspoon cumin
10. 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
11. 1/2 to 1 tablespoon sea salt (I used a full tablespoon, but I love salt. Some people have found it to be a bit much)
12. Aluminum foil

Instructions

1. Wisk together broth and olive oil, and set aside.
2. In a large bowl stir together all the remaining ingredients. Once they're completely combined, create a well in the center, then pour in the broth mix
3. Stir with a rubber spatula until the entire mixture pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Now it's time to knead!
4. Knead the dough for 2-3 minutes. Your hands may get tired but this step is crucial to develop the gluten. You'll actually be able to see the dough's consistency change, it's pretty cool! You can knead in the same bowl, or you can move it to a cutting board (you'll have to do that later anyway). Keep in mind as you're kneading that you're going to be cutting it into 4 loaves, so working it into a square/rectangle is better than a roundish lump.
5. Let it rest for about 10 minutes, then knead for another 30 seconds. This is your last chance to get it into a workable shape for cutting. Move to the cutting board if you haven't already, and slice into 4 equal sized loaves.
6. From your box of aluminum foil, tear off 4 pieces, each about 6 inches wide. Wrap each piece of seitan by folding the long edges, and then the short edges. You want the loaf to be completely covered, but with room to expand, so don't make it too tight.
7. Steam for 30 minutes. If you don't have a steamer, you can use my ghetto-fabulous method. I fill a pot with about an inch of water, and heat it to boiling. I put the foil-wrapped loaves into a metal colander, which I place into the pan (make sure the water level is lower than the loaves themselves, you don't want them to get wet) and cover. If you're using my method, and the loaves are at all stacked, you should switch them around about halfway through.
8. Remove from the steamer and let cool for 30 minutes or so before putting it in the fridge for at least an hour. Then you can wrap in plastic wrap or zippie bags.

Notes

1. Makes 4 loaves, each of which makes about 2 servings. Wrapped tightly, it'll last in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Freeze it, and it'll last for months.
2. Please don't try my steaming-in-the-colander method unless your colander is metal!

Yucca Fries with Peruvian Aji

Ingredients

Yucca Fries
• 1 1/2 pounds yucca root, peeled and cut into matchsticks
• Vegetable oil
• Sea salt

Peruvian Salsa Aji

---

Ingredients

• 3 Jalapeño (or Serrano) peppers, diced
  • We removed the seeds from two to calm down the kick just a bit.
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/3 to ½ cup Earth Balance mayo
• 2 tbsp oil
• 4 tbsp lime juice
• ¼ head Romaine lettuce, chopped
• 1 cup cilantro
• 3 green onions,
• 1 tsp salt

1. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil; add the yucca matchsticks and allow to simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Drain and allow to air dry thoroughly.
2. While the yucca is drying, let's make the aji. Crazy easy: just blend all the ingredients together in a blender or food processor until they’re combined. Scrape down the sides every so often. If needed, you can add a couple of tablespoons of water if you like the sauce a little thinner. 
3. In a medium saucepan, add about 1/2-inch of vegetable oil. When the oil is hot, add the yucca fries (you may have to fry these up in batches). Fry the yucca on both sides for 1 to 2 minutes each. Transfer to a bed of paper towels and place them in a warm oven, while you continue to fry up the remaining yucca. Sprinkle the yucca fries with a bit of salt and a sprinkling of cilantro. Serve alongside the Peruvian aji.

Seitan Steaks

Pan-fried seitan steaks with onions

Preparation time: 15 minutes active, 40 minutes passive. Total: about 1 hour.

Serves: 4 big steaks

Ingredients:

Seitan:

• 1 cup / 165 g vital wheat gluten flour
• (3 Tbsp nutritional yeast)
• 1 Tbsp paprika powder
• ½ tsp salt
• ¾ cup / 180 ml cold water
• 2 Tbsp soy sauce

For simmering:

• 5 cups / 1200 ml water
• 3 bay leaves

Directions:

Mix gluten flour with nutritional yeast, paprika powder and salt. Add water and soy sauce. Stir and form a dough ball. Knead for a minute to activate the gluten. Let the ball sit for a few minutes. Knead it for a tiny bit and then flatten it to a thick pancake. Cut the "pancake" into four pieces and massage each piece with your fingers to make them a bit thinner.

Mix water with bay leaves. Bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat, so then water is only simmering but not fully boiling. This is important, because that way the seitan will become thick and firm, not spongy. Now add the steaks and partially cover the pot. Let the seitan simmer for 30 - 40 minutes, until it's firmer. From time to time, check the water, so it doesn't fully boil, but only simmers. Drain the seitan. You can use the broth for making a delicious gravy. Here's how I did it: I pan-fried some onions, then added seitan broth and then a couple of tablespoons of vegan heavy cream. So good!

Heat up a pan, add plenty of oil and cook the steaks until crispy on both sides. Not put the pan-fried steaks into a bowl and add 2-3 tablespoons of soy sauce. Cover the bowl with a plate and shake the bowl, so the steaks will be covered in soy sauce. Taste and add more soy sauce, if needed. Serve and enjoy!

Nitsume or Thick, Sweet Eel Sauce for Sushi

Ingredients

1 cup dashi (cooking stock)
1/2 cup mirin (Japanese sweet cooking wine)
1/2 cup shoyu (soy sauce)
1/4 cup sugar

Directions

1. Put all ingredients into a saucepan, and heat to boiling over medium heat.
2. Simmer the sauce for about 3-4 hours to thicken. Reduce the volume to the point that it threads or webs when picked up 

 or if u can find this in asian market or on amazon~

Easy Vegan Sushi with Tomato Spicy Tuna

The BEST vegan sushi ever, no bamboo mat required. Perfectly seasoned tomato spicy tuna replaces fish in this healthy, plant-based meal. Ready in 30 minutes! 

 Course Main Course

 Cuisine Gluten-free, Sushi, Vegan

 Prep Time 15 minutes

 Cook Time 15 minutes

 Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 large roma tomatoes
• 1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce or gluten-free tamari
• 1/2 tbsp kelp powder heaping
• 1/2 tsp minced ginger
• 1/2 tbsp sriracha
• 1/2 tbsp sesame oil
• 3 nori sheets
• 1/2 small cucumber
• 1/2 avocado

Sushi Rice

• 1 cup sushi rice
• 1 cup + 2 tbsp water
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt

Instructions

1. Combine the sushi rice and water in a rice cooker and cook. When the rice is nearly finished, stir in the rice vinegar, salt, and sugar. Mash the rice with a fork just a bit to ensure it's sticky.
2. While the rice is cooking, bring a small pot of water to boil. Have a large bowl of ice water ready. Pierce the tomatoes with a knife then drop them into the water. Boil the tomatoes until the skin begins to peel off then remove them with a slotted spoon. Immediately transfer the tomatoes to the ice water to prevent them from cooking further. 
3. In a container with a lid, combine the soy sauce or tamari with the ginger, kelp powder, sriracha, and sesame oil. Stir until even. Peel the tomatoes and slice the flesh away from the watery seeds. Dice the tomato flesh into small pieces then transfer it to your marinade container. Place the lid on and shake it up so the tomato pieces are all coated. 
4. Cut the cucumber and avocado into thin match sticks then prepare your sushi rolling station. On a counter or cutting board, lay out a kitchen towel with a sheet of plastic wrap on top. 
5. Place a nori sheet on the plastic wrap. With wet fingers, spread a very thin, even layer of sushi rice on the nori. Leave an inch or so of space on either end of the sheet to wrap it. 
6. Layer your tomato spicy tuna topping on the rice along with a few match sticks of cucumber and avocado. The toppings should only cover 2 inches of the rice or you'll have trouble rolling it up. 
7. Use your fingers to carefully peel up the edge of the sushi roll. Roll the edge up and over. As soon as the veggies are covered, roll over the plastic wrap then towel, using it to shape and compress the sushi roll. Continue until it’s all the way rolled up. Make sure to seal the edges. Cut the sushi roll with a sharp knife and enjoy! 

Recipe Notes

*Brown rice may be used in place of sushi rice. Be sure to mash the rice a bit with a fork so it's sticky enough to roll up. 

* For detailed visual instructions on how to roll your sushi, check out this helpful guide by Minimalist Baker.