Buffalo style tofu bits/ sandwiches

Ingredients:  

Buffalo Style Roasted Tofu
Serves 4

1 16-ounce block of extra-firm tofu
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon paprika

Buffalo Sauce
1/4 cup Frank’s Red Hot Original Hot Cayenne Pepper Sauce
1/8 cup Earth Balance Soy-Free Butter

Ranch Dressing
Makes a little over 1/3 cup

1/4 cup soy milk
1/4 cup Vegenaise or other vegan mayonnaise
1/4 teaspoon granulated onion powder
1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon fresh parsley, minced
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. In a bowl, combine the oil, salt and paprika. Cut the tofu into cubes and gently toss to coat with the mixture. Place each tofu cube in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Roast for 15 minutes on each side.

In a pan, melt the butter. Turn off the heat and add the hot sauce. Stir to combine. Add the freshly roasted tofu and toss until coated. 

For the ranch combine all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Chill until ready to use.

Serve immediately with celery sticks and ranch or toast Kaiser rolls and make a sandwich with ranch, lettuce and tofu bits.  

White bean Rosemary Soup with Jumbo Croutons and Fresh Basil

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup chopped onions 
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 large cloves of minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons mustard 
• 1 teaspoons salt 
• Black pepper to taste
• 6 cups white kidney beans cooked
• 3 cups veggie stock 
• 1 1/2 cups of water
• 2 teaspoons fresh chopped rosemary 
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice 
• 1 batch of fresh jumbo croutons 
• fresh basil, juillian cut 

In a large pot on medium heat add oil, celery, onion, garlic, mustard, salt and pepper.  Stir to combine.  Cover and cook for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep from sticking to the bottom.

Add 4 cups of beans, veggie stock, water and 1 1/2 teaspoons of rosemary.  Increase and bring to a boil.  Once boiling reduce heat, cover and let simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Remove from heat.  Using an immersion blender blend well.  Stir in remaining 2 cups of beans, lemon juice  and remaining rosemary.  Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.

Serve in individual bowls with jumbo croutons and fresh cut basil.  Drizzle with olive oil if desired.

Baba Ghanoush

You know what I love about Mediterranean food?  Besides the fact that its part of my heritage, is so awesomely good for you and so nutritionally dense?  It's the fact that it is so easy to make.  There are so few ingredients that I always know what I'm making is going to taste amazing!  From a great hummus to a tomato and basil salad I am always satisfied.  Try this recipe on for size.

• 1 eggplant
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/4 cup tahini
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 
  
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly grease a baking sheet.
• 
  
• Cut Eggplant in half and place on baking sheet make holes in the skin with a fork. Roast it for 30 to 40 minutes, until soft. Remove from oven and let cool. Using a serving spoon scoop out the insides of the eggplant and discard skin. 
• 
  
• Place eggplant, lemon juice (please keep in mind that I like mine super tangy so if that is not your taste use less lemon juice), tahini, sesame seeds, and garlic in an electric blender, and puree. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer eggplant mixture to a medium size mixing bowl, and slowly mix in olive oil. Refrigerate for 3 hours before serving.

 Serve with pita, crackers or use as a sandwich spread.

Raw "Peanut" Noodles

For the Dressing:

• 1" ginger
• 1 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons roasted sesame oil
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1/4 cup of white miso
• 1/4 cup of maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons high quality shoyu or soy sauce
• 1/3 cup water

Blend all of the ingrediants together in a food processor or high speed blender until creamy.

For the Noodles:

• 2 small zucchinis  sliced with a veggie pealer
• 1/2 red pepper, sliced into matchsticks 
• 1/2 carrot sliced into matchsticks
• 1/2 cucumber grated or pealed into long strips 
• Scallions of green onions for garnish

To actually assemble the dish take all of the veggies and toss together in 1/4 cup of the dressing, adding more if necessary.  Sprinkling with the scallions or green onions as garnish.

I also personally really like adding mug beans to this recipe.  

Counter Culture Review

I have been dying to try a bunch of the vegan food trucks in Austin Texas since I read about them in VegNews Magazine.  Counter Culture (120 e. north loop, austin, tx, 78751) has been at the top of my "must eats" since day one.  So now finally I get to write a review about it.

Counter Culture is an all vegan raw foods trailer run by the chef Sue Davis. Davis worked in some of the top vegan resturants before coming to Austin and it reflects in her food.  She has veganized american favorates such as the Philly Cheese Steak, made with home made Setian, Cashew cheese, grilled peppers and onions on a whole wheat bun. (Which Will isn't going to be able to live without once a month now) and the Tuna Sandwich (Which I cant live without).

"Tuna" Sandwich

The food truck itself has an old school dinner feel about it, bathed in baby blues and silver with a bar stool at the front.  So where do you eat at a food truck?  Just a bit away you can walk into a small dining area with shade and matching blue picnic tables.  Some nights there will be documentary screenings there, vegan meetings and bands.

Diner Truck

Private seating area for Counter Culture Customers

All together we loved the food at Counter Culture and will be returning.

Upsides:

• Great food
• Great atmosphere

Watch out for:

• Cash only
• Does not sell drinks (But you can get them at the gas station next door.) 

Garbanzo "Tuna" Salad Sandwich

This is an idea I got from Counter Culture and I just had to try it myself.

Ingredients:
- 1 can of garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 carrot, grated
- 1 prog of celery, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup of non dairy mayo
- salt and pepper to taste

Place all of the ingredients in a food processor and pulse 10-15 times.  Place on top of hoggie roll with tomato and lettuce.

As a side just serve as is.

Enjoy!

Roasted Pepper Hummus

Hummus is oh so much more then a dip. We use it for just about everything in the circles that I travel in. Its the all purpose party food, a great spread, amazing snack ect. Not to mention that it is chalk full of protein which non vegans seem to be so concerned about for us.

Now I love hummus but lets face it, its not cheap. So whats a little vegan girl to do? What we always do! Make our own!

The beauty of it is that making it is so easy!

Ingredients:
- two red peppers
-1 can of organic unsalted chickpeas (Drained)
-1/3 cup of Tahini
-1/4 cup of lemon juice
- 2 cloves of garlic (Crushed)

If you are not a fan of red peppers you're crazy. Just kidding. You can just make regular hummus by not using the red peppers. However, if you do like red pepper roasting them is super easy. Just set your oven to broil and toss the peppers hole. Watch them and turn frequently as the skin bubbles. When it is charred on the outside take out of the oven and place in an air tight container for 10-15 minutes. When that time is up peel off the skin and deseed.

Place rest of the ingredients into your food processor. Add red pepper and blend in as well.

Chill and serve.



If you are into roasted red peppers, which I am, that is the first step.