Basic Sandwich Recipe and Orange Tofu Stir Fry Rice

Last Friday I went to the Farmer's Market just to scope out a few things. I haven't cooked in a while, as dormlife would not have allowed me to. Being back in Long Beack allowed me to experience fresh foods and true vegan cuisine. I made a vow to stay away from non-vegan restaurants and non-vegan prepackaged foods.

So, the other day I bought a loaf of vegan sheppard's bread, caponata (vegan), basil garlic spread (vegan), mutabel (vegan) and some tabouleh. I made some hummus earlier in the week and it a bit plain for my liking, but my mom loved it. I toned the garlic down a bit. Sometimes when I make sandwiches, I like to toast the bread. It depends on how I feel about making the sandwich, what I'm making and the ingredients going into it. If I made a vegan "cicken" sandwich, I would not toast the bread. If it's a hummus sandwich, I prefer the bread toasted with oil or vegan margarine.

Basic Hummus Sandwich

2 Tbsp Basil Garlic Spread

4 Tbsp Hummus (preferrably from scratch)

1 Tbsp vegan Margarine

1-2 pieces Vegan Sheppard Bread (if the piece is large like mine it can be cut in half before putting the sanwich together)

Romaine Lettuce, Tomato and other trimmings for typical sanwiches.

Method

1.In a skillet, spread the slice of bread with margarine on both sides. Toast the bread until it is golden brown on both sides. You want the bread to have a crunchy bite.

2. Allow the bread to cool for about five minutes. If the bread is one large piece, cut it in half. Spread the garlic spread on both pieces, then the hummus on one of the pieces. Add the trimmings such as lettuce, tomato and onion (I just used lettuce). Place both pieces together and serve with a side or on its own.

*I would not recommend adding anything like avocado to this sandwich as it will take away from the flavor of the spread and hummus. I couldn't find the tomatoes or the onions for this recipe, so I think it would be a good idea to purchase some trimmings for sandwiches next time I go to the market. Since it's so hot this summer, sandwiches are perfect for brunch, lunch and dinner.

Orange Tofu Stir-fry Rice

This recipe cuts the time in half for the stirfry portion, but it's still a bit time consuming and pricey. I got found a fresh premixed stirfry vegetable medly that was perfect for this dish. At Albertson's I purchased a vegan orange sauce (Simply Asia).

Ingredients

Tempura tofu to taste (refer to my tempura tofu recipe)

1 pkg fresh stirfry vegetables

1/2 small onion sliced

2 cups brown rice (cooked)

1 Tbsp applecider vinegar (or rice vinegar)

Soy sauce to taste

Method

1. It is best to prepare the tempura tofu while preparing the brown rice, as both take a while to cook. After both are prepared, set the rice in a cold place (refrigerator) and drain the tempura tofu on a paper towel and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, with tablespoons oil in wok, cook onions until they are barely brown. Stir in vegetables until they are slightly soft, but still crunchy.

3. Add the chilled brown rice and stir in the applecider vinegar and soy sauce. Continue to stir until the rice is toasted. Add the orange sauce to the veggie stirfry rice. Stir enough to incorporate the sauces into the mix. Once the sauce is mixed into the veggies and rice, add the tempura tofu. Carefully fold the veggies and rice into the tempura tofu until the orange sauce coats them. The key is to have crunchy tofu that is lightly coated with orange sauce. Serve hot or warm.

*This dish is so amazing that I ate the whole wok pan. I think this is a way better alternative to take-out and it's much healthier and more guaranteed to be vegan. Some vegans do not like the taste of tofu, especially firm tofu. Other meat alternatives such as tempeh, seitan or even the packaged meat substitutes may go well with this dish. A homemade orange sauce can be used as an alternative to the prepackaged sauce. A recipe (homemade or linked) or an alternative brand will be posted. I plan on trying other sauces with the tofu and tempeh. I want to cut back on packaged meat substitutes due to expense and high salt content. A tip for a more "chicken-y" texture, it's best to freeze the tofu and then thaw it when ready. Marinating the frozen tofu in a vegan chcken broth before adding batter to it may also work with the taste and texture.

*I found an alternative to tempura batter for the fried tofu. It's faster than making it from scratch. In a bowl, add 1 cup soda water to 3/4 cup flour and/or cornstarch. To season as a dry mixture, add sea salt and any spice such as garlic powder and onion. I' not sure if this will make the batter as fluffy as tempura, leaving a light, flaky coat, but it's faster for those who want to speed the cooking process.