Mrs. Plant's version of Jamie Oliver's Stuffed Curried Eggplant

1 onion, chopped into chunks
4 cloves garlic
1 T crushed ginger
Handful of fresh cilantro leaves (save a few pieces for garnish)
1-2 fresh red chillies, seeded (I used a red Fresno pepper)
1 tsp each of cumin seeds, mustard seeds, ground turmeric, garam masala
2 heaping T natural peanut butter (crunchy or smooth)
1 T mango chutney (you can just buy a jar in the Indian section of your grocery store)
2 T tamarind paste
salt to taste
Approx. 800 grams of Asian or Indian eggplant - I used FOUR 8-9" long Asian eggplants and sliced them Hasselback-style
1  can of lite coconut milk
8 oz ripe mixed-colour cherry or grape tomatoes
2 T chopped dry-roasted peanuts (for garnish)

Preheat the oven to 400ºF. 

Place onion, garlic and ginger in a food processor along with the cilantro and pepper. Whiz into a fine paste. Set aside.

In a large skillet, add the spices on a low heat and dry-fry for 1 minute, or until is smelling fantastic, stirring constantly. Add in the paste and cook for another 5-8 minutes, or until softened, stirring regularly. Stir in the peanut butter, mango chutney, tamarind paste, and season with sea salt. Add a small amount of water so the paste isn't too thick. Turn off heat and set aside.

Leaving them intact at the stalk, cut the eggplants into quarters lengthways (if using small Indian eggplants) or slice them like you would Hasselback potatoes along the width from end to end, with about 1/4 inch of space between each slice (for the longer Asian eggplants). Only slice down about 3/4 into the eggplants. Arrange the sliced eggplants in a casserole dish. Top with the spiced paste (spread evenly) and the cherry/grape tomatoes. Bake UNCOVERED for 15-20 minutes, until the tomatoes have roasted down. Reduce temperature to 375 degrees. Remove the casserole from the oven and pour the can of lite coconut milk over the top of the casserole. Sprinkle with a few more pinches of salt. Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes, or until thickened and reduced, removing the foil halfway. 

Serve with cooked Basmati or brown rice and garnish with chopped peanuts and cilantro. Reheats beautifully in microwave.

Inspired by: https://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/aubergine-recipes/stuffed-curried-aubergines/

Vegan Momo [Napalese Street Dumplings]

Momo Dipping Sauce - Can be made a day in advance

2 cups of water
4 ripe organic vine tomatoes
1-4 dried Kashmiri chilli peppers (depending on your spiciness desire)*
4 cloves garlic
1 inch ginger, peeled
3 T blanched almonds (white, no peel)
1 T tahini
1 t sugar
1 t white vinegar
¼ t salt
1 t soy sauce

* NOTE: This dipping sauce can be made with no chilis or as many as you like. We prefer ours not spicy, but it is traditionally made as a spicy sauce. You can sub Kashmiri chilli powder or cayenne. Not as authentic, but you do what you gotta do!

In a saucepan, add water, tomatoes (whole), chilis (if using) garlic, ginger, and almonds. Boil for about 5 minutes until the peel in the tomatoes cracks. Drain off all of the water. Let tomatoes cool enough to remove peels. Toss everything into high speed blender with tahini, sugar, salt, vinegar, and soy sauce, and blend until very smooth. Do NOT add any additional liquid. Store in fridge. Can be served cold or room temp. Serve as a dipping sauce for Momo.

Inspired by recipe from Hebbar's Kitchen
https://hebbarskitchen.com/momos-chutney-recipe-momo-sauce/

Momo (Like Potstickers or Dumplings)

NOTE: 45 minutes before you are ready to make up the momos, take the gyoza wrappers out of the freezer and let them sit in the closed package at room temperature. They should be ready to work with after that amount of time. You can also make these from scratch, but I'm too lazy!

1 package of frozen wheat gyoza wrappers (from Asian store)
1 bag of shredded green cabbage (plain-- not with carrots or red cabbage)
1 cup carrots
2 green onions, white part only)
4 cloves of garlic
1 T fresh ginger
1/4 cup cilantro
Salt and black pepper to taste
4 oz firm tofu crumbed into tiny pieces
1 T low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 t liquid smoke

In a food processor, process carrots, cabbage, green onions (white part), garlic and ginger into tiny pieces. Place mixture into a skillet over medium heat. Cook until moisture is released and evaporated, leaving a dry-ish veggie mixture.

While veggies are cooking, mix crumbled tofu with soy sauce and liquid smoke. Spread out on parchment paper and bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes, stirring inches halfway. Add tofu to the veggie mixture. Cover (leaving it open just slightly) and refrigerate until ready to make up the momos.

Ready to make the momos! Work with only ONE Momo at a time.

Have a very small bowl of water ready. Hold the wrapper in the palm of your hand. Brush water all the way around the edge of the wrapper with your finger so it will seal well.  Place a small amount of the filling in the center of the wrapper. Pinch the dough around in a circle until you have completely closed the wrapper. Press the Momo gently down on a wooden board to flatten the bottom a little. Make up all of the Momo before steaming them. You can set them on a piece of parchment paper until you are ready to steam them.

Add 1 cup of water into your instant pot. Place the metal stand in the bottom. Place a steamer basket (I love our Instant Pot silicone one. It worked great for this!!!) On the stand. Cut a piece of parchment paper, into the shape of your steamer basket bottom and create 5 to 6 holes around the perimeter, about 1/2 inch in and 1 hole near the center. This is so that the steam can come up through. Place that parchment paper down at the bottom of your steamer basket. Set momos on the parchment paper but not over the he's and not touching watching other. You should be able to steam 6 to 7 at a time. Close the lid. Press your Instant Pot STEAM button and set for 2 minutes (valve on SEALING). When the 2 minutes is up, let the lid stay in for 5 more minutes, then release the steam. For each batch add 2-3 T of water into the pot to replenish what steamed out. SERVE IMMEDIATELY.

Tropical Plantain Buddha Bowl [gluten-free, vegan]

Waiting on plantains to ripen is kind of a downer, but when you finish and they taste amazing, it's worth the wait! This recipe makes two large portions or three slightly smaller.

Ingredients you will need for this recipe:
1 cup brown rice
1 bunch of fresh cilantro
2 plantains
1 package organic firm tofu
3 T lime juice (split between the peanut sauce and pepper-mango salsa)
1/3 cup Naked PB peanut powder
2 small cloves of garlic
2 T low-sodium gluten-free tamari or soy sauce (if not GF)
1 T date syrup (or maple syrup)
1 t crushed sesame seeds (or 1 t dark sesame oil for flavor)
1/2 red bell pepper
1/2 yellow bell pepper
1 jalapeno pepper
2 ripe mangoes
3-4 cups of broccoli florets, steamed
2 cups slaw mix (green cabbage with some purple cabbage and carrots)
1 cup shredded purple cabbage
Green onions, to garnish if desired
Chopped peanuts, to garnish if desired

To make the cilantro rice in the Instant Pot:
1 cup brown rice
1 1/2 cups water
1 handful of cilantro, chopped finely
1/4 t salt

Place all ingredients in your Instant Pot. Set the HIGH PRESSURE for 22 minutes, then click cancel and wait until the lid can be opened. Keep the lid on until plating up.

To make the baked tofu and plantains:
2 plantains, ripened to half yellow, half black, then peeled and sliced into angled 1/4" slices
1 block of tofu, pressed, drained, chopped into cubes, and marinated in teriyaki sauce (my recipe or store-bought) for 30 minutes

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place tofu and plantain slices on a parchment paper-lined pan. Bake for about 30 minutes.

To make the pepper-mango salsa: (This can be made ahead!)
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, remove seed pod, and dice finely (do not touch your eyes!)
2 sweet mangoes, peeled and diced
handful of cilantro, chopped finely
1/4 t salt
1 T fresh lime juice

Mix all ingredients in a bowl, cover, and chill in fridge.

To make the peanut-lime sauce:
1/3 cup Naked PB peanut powder
2 small cloves of garlic
2 T low-sodium tamari or soy sauce
1-2 T date syrup (or maple syrup)
2 T fresh lime juice
1 t crushed sesame seeds (or 1 t dark sesame oil for flavor)

Laying the bowls in this order (from the bottom up):
Brown Cilantro Rice
Slaw Mix
Purple cabbage
Steamed Broccoli
Tofu
Plantains
Pepper-Mango Salsa
Peanut-Lime Sauce

Disclosure: Mrs. Plant makes use of Amazon.com affiliate links when they are available. These are products I have personally purchased and recommend based on my experience with them. Your use of these links for product purchases provides me with a commission which pays for the food and supplies I use to keep this website alive. However, your use of these links as a reader is not required.

Instant Pot Loaded Miso Soup for Two

I love Miso soup SO much, but more often than not, it's hard to find a vegan version in a restaurant. I decided to add several healthy ingredients to create a nutrient-rich soup that will warm your soul.

Serves 2!

4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1 piece of roasted nori, ripped into smaller pieces
1 small piece of kombu (optional, use if you have it)
1/2 - 1 cup water
4 T white miso paste (this is a very mild miso and perfect for this soup!)
5 green onions
4 oz. firm tofu, cut into very small cubes
3 oz. fresh shitake mushrooms or dried then rehydrated, remove stems (discard), then slice caps thinly
5 large chard leaves, stems removed, sliced into strips
4 oz. of cooked Asian noodles (We love the Explore Cuisine brand of brown rice ramen) -- Udon, Ramen, etc.

Cut off the root ends of the green onions, cut them in half--separating the green halves and white halves. Chop the green ends into tiny pieces and set aside for garnish. The white halves will go into the soup when it's cooking, so just set them aside until called for.
Pour the broth, roasted nori pieces, and kombu (if using) into your pressure cooker pot. Press the SAUTE button until it says LESS. As the broth is warming up, you may need to add a little more water if the Instant Pot gives you a "hot" signal.
In a small bowl, add the miso paste and 3 T of hot tap water. Stir until smooth and creamy. Add to the pot. Stir well to combine.
Add in the white halves of the green onions. These are for flavor and can be removed when serving because you will garnish with chopped green onions.
Add in the mushrooms and tofu and stir well.
Finally, add in the chopped chard.
Cook for about 5 minutes, then cover with the lid, set to SEALING, and press CANCEL then WARM. Let the soup simmer on the warm setting for about 15 minutes (or more) until ready to serve. Serve over cooked noodles and garnish with chopped green onion.

Veggie Coconut Curry

I prefer to make this veggie curry on the stove top and not in the pressure cooker to avoid getting that "burn" message. 😕 At first, it will seem like there is not enough liquid, but as the veggies cook, it comes out perfectly!

1 onion, chopped into small pieces
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
1/2 t cumin powder
a few dashes of cayenne pepper (or more if you like it spicy)
1 carrot, sliced thinly
about 10-12 broccoli florets
2 small zucchini, chopped (but not too small or they will get mushy)
1 red bell pepper, chopped into chunks
1 15-oz can of baby corn, rinsed and drained
1 15-oz can of lite coconut milk
1 15-oz can of organic diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cups (or 1 can) cooked chickpeas (garbanzo beans)*
1-1 1/2 T yellow curry powder
1/2 t coriander powder
1 T coconut sugar (brown sugar if you don't have it)
salt to taste
Cooked Jasmine or Basmati rice

* I think chickpeas cooked from dry have a MUCH better texture. If you can, cook them in your pressure cooked first, let them cool, then add them to this soup. Otherwise, just use a can from the store.

Cook the onions in a large pot with a little water over medium-high heat until translucent and tender. Add crushed garlic and spices. Reduce heat to medium, and cook for another minute or so. Add all of the rest of the ingredients except the salt and coconut sugar and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low and cook for about 15 minutes--until veggies are fork-tender but not mushy. Remove from heat and add the coconut sugar and salt. You may want to start with 3/4-1 t of salt, and keep adding more a little at a time until your desired saltiness. Serve warm over cooked rice.

Chinese New Year Dumplings

After meeting a new online friend, Frank (Join his Sane for Life group on Facebook!), I was encouraged to make dumplings in celebration of the Chinese New Year. They were absolutely delightful! Several people asked me to post the recipe/directions, so here goes...

1 package (40 count) of frozen gyoza wrappers, defrosted on the counter for 1 hour before making the dumplings
NOTE: You can find these at most Asian stores. Make sure they are vegan.

Filling Ingredients:
4 oz. Shiitake mushrooms (either fresh or dry and re-hydrated), chopped finely
8 oz. Cremini mushrooms, chopped finely
1 green onion, white only, chopped
1 can water chestnuts, chopped finely
1 handful of mung bean sprouts, chopped finely
1/5 package of firm tofu, dried well and chopped finely
2 t crushed garlic
1 t crushed ginger
1 T reduced-sodium soy sauce or tamari
1 T vegan mushroom powder (can be bought at an Asian store)
1 t dark sesame oil (for flavor) - OPTIONAL


Dipping Sauce:
1 T pomegranate vinegar (or other fruity vinegar)
2 T reduced-sodium soy sauce or tamari
1 t maple syrup or agave
1 T toasted sesame seeds, crushed with a mortar and pestle or spice grinder

In a non-stick skillet, cook the chopped mushrooms until most all moisture is released and evaporated. Add cooked mushrooms to a bowl with all of the other ingredients. Refrigerate for a couple of hours. The dumplings are easier to make when the mixture is cool. Prepare the dumplings by placing 1-2 t of the chilled mixture in the center of a dumpling wrapper. Place a tiny bowl of water near your work surface and "paint" half of the inner wrapper's edge with a wet finger. Fold half the wrapper over the filling to cover it, and pleat the back side of the wrapper, pressing the two edges together VERY WELL as you go. It is EXTREMELY important that there are no openings in the edge, or the dumplings will fill with water when you boil them.

Fill a large pot 3/4 high with water and bring it to a rolling boil. Gently drop up to 6 dumplings in at one time. Boil for about 2 minutes. Remove from boiling water with a large, mesh spoon. If a dumpling sinks to the bottom, it has a hole in it. Still let it cook and try to drain all the water out of it if you can. Most of these can still be eaten. Place all dumplings on a plate and serve with dipping sauce.

NOTE: You can freeze pre-made dumplings and boil at a future date. Just make sure to freeze them first on a baking tray for about an hour before placing in a sealed container. You will need to cook these for 3 to 4 minutes in boiling water because they are frozen.

Peanut Soba Noodle Salad [oil-free, vegan]

NOTE: It is best to make the dressing at least an hour ahead of time, so it is chilled before serving. You can also prepare all of the veggies beforehand and store in airtight containers in the refrigerator.

1 head of Napa cabbage, sliced into thin ribbons
1/4 of a red cabbage, sliced into thin ribbons
1 red bell pepper, sliced into thin strips, then cut into thirds
1 yellow or orange bell pepper, sliced into thin strips, then cut into thirds
2 spiralized or shredded carrots
2 green onions, chopped (both white and green portion)
1 cup of cilantro, stems removed and roughly chopped
8 oz. of Soba noodles, cook according to package directions, rinse with cold water and set aside
Sriracha sauce (optional)
Toasted sesame seeds and more cilantro to garnish

Dressing:
4 T of peanut butter powder (Naked PB is my favorite brand because it is salt, oil, and sugar-free)
3-4 T maple syrup (start with 3 and make sure it's sweet enough for you)
1-2 T cold water
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce or tamari
2 large cloves of garlic, crushed
1 t dark sesame oil (optional, but used for flavor)

Mix and chill the dressing in the fridge.
Prepare all of the veggies. These can be done in advance and stored in containers.
Fifteen minutes before you are ready to eat, cook Soba noodles according to package directions, then rinse with cold water and set aside.
In each bowl, add Napa as a base. Then, place a serving of cool Soba noodles on top of the Napa Cabbage. Add the bell peppers, carrots, red cabbage, green onions, and cilantro on top of the noodles. Drizzle dressing and Sriracha sauce (if desired) over the salad and garnish with toasted sesame seeds and more cilantro.

Disclosure: Mrs. Plant makes use of Amazon.com affiliate links when they are available. These are products I have personally purchased and recommend based on my experience with them. Your use of these links for product purchases provides me with a commission. However, your use of these links as a reader is not required. 

Gobi Manchurian [oil-free vegan]

1 small head of cauliflower, washed, dried well, and cut into small florets

Seasoning for the Cauliflower:
1/2 t ginger paste
1/4 t salt
a few grinds of crushed black pepper
1 T cornstarch or arrowroot powder

For the Batter:
1/2 cup of whole wheat flour
1/4 cup of cornstarch or arrowroot powder
3/4 cup of water (more if needed)

For the Manchurian Sauce: 
1 1/2 T chopped garlic
1 T chopped ginger
1 t red chilli flakes or finely chopped green chillies (ONLY add if you love extremely spicy food!)
1/2 cup of finely chopped onion
2 T of chopped spring onion (the white portion)

Sauce Mixture
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1 T  Sriracha sauce
6 T ketchup
1/4 cup coconut sugar
2 t white vinegar

Finely chopped cilantro leaves and chopped green onion for garnish
Serve with steamed Jasmine or Basmati rice

DIRECTIONS:
In a bowl, add the seasoning for the cauliflower to a bowl and mix well to combine. Add the cauliflower and toss gently to coat.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees and line a large baking pan with parchment paper.
In a small bowl, combine the batter ingredients, slowly adding water until you get the consistency of thick pancake batter (pourable, but will stick to the cauliflower).
Dip individual pieces of the seasoned cauliflower into the batter, tap off on the side of the bowl, then place on the parchment paper in a single layer; do not allow the pieces to touch one another. Bake until crispy on the outside and fork tender on the inside--about 20 minutes. Turn oven off and let the cauliflower bites stay warm until you coat them with the sauce--right before serving.

In a large skillet, steamfry the onions in 2 T of water. Cook until tender and lightly browned--about 5-8 minutes, adding more water if needed. Add in the ginger, garlic, chilli (if using), and white part of the green onions. Cook for another 1-2 minutes. While the onions are cooking, mix the sauce ingredients in a bowl. Stir ingredients together well to combine. Add the sauce to the skillet with the onion-garlic-ginger-chilli mixture. Bring the sauce to a soft boil then lower heat to a simmer and cook for another 4-5 minutes. Turn off the heat, and let the sauce cool for another 5 minutes. Add a little water if the sauce has gotten too thick to coat the cauliflower bites.

When cauliflower is done, add pieces into the skillet with the sauce and coat them well. Garnish with chopped cilantro and chopped green onions. Serve with warm, cooked rice.

Vegan Baked Teriyaki Tofu Sushi Bowls

Making vegan sushi may seem daunting, so to take the stress out of it, you can simply make a sushi BOWL! We make these at least once a month because we just LOVE them!

NOTE: If you don't want to make homemade oil-free teriyaki marinade or sauce, I recommend Trader Joe's Island Soyaki Sauce for the baked tofu marinade and Sky Valley Teriyaki Sauce for drizzling on top of the bowl.

Ingredients you will need:
1 block of firm organic tofu
teriyaki marinade
Shredded carrots
1 medium to large cucumber
1 mango (optional)
2 green onions
1 jalapeno
1-2 avocados
2 cups dry white Jasmine rice (or previously cooked white or brown rice if you have it frozen)
sheets of organic nori
teriyaki sauce (thickened version)
Sriracha sauce

I generally chop the veggies in the morning for the evening we will be having the sushi bowls. I shred 3 large peeled carrots, but you can buy pre-shredded from the store. I peel and dice a cucumber. I chop a couple of green onions and a jalapeno (after removing the seed pod). If I can find a nice, ripe mango, I will chop one of those, too. I just keep these chilled in containers in the fridge.

About  the moisture out of a block of firm, organic tofu. I like Trader Joe's brand best. I use this awesome tofu press that allows me to press out a block of tofu in about 10 minutes. It is essential to press the tofu to release extra moisture so the marinade is not diluted. Then, I  cut the block into 1/2" cubes and marinate them in my Oil-Free Teriyaki Marinade. After marinating for at least 30 minutes (tor for as long as all day), I bake the cubes in my Breville Smart Oven Air using the airfry feature on 375 degrees for about 15-20 minutes. You can also bake them in the oven at the same temperature. You just want to make sure they are just barely firm on the outside and not jiggly on the inside.

While I am baking the tofu, I make Jasmine rice in my Instant Pot. I just add 2 cups of rinsed and drained Jasmine rice and 3 cups of water. I set the Instant Pot for 4 minutes with NATURAL RELEASE. Then, I click cancel and just let the rice sit until we are ready to assemble the bowls. NOTE: You can always warm up some previously cooked and frozen or stored rice instead of making it fresh. I've done it both ways!

JUST BEFORE we assemble the bowls, I chop up some ripe avocados and rip some organic nori sheets into squares. We like to mix up everything in our bowls and place some of the mixture into a nori square, then pop them into our mouth! You can also just crush up a half piece of nori and sprinkle it over the bowl instead.

The last step is to assemble everything in a bowl. Big pasta or salad bowls work best.
I like to add:
1 cup cooked Jasmine rice
About 10-12 cubes of the Teriyaki Baked Tofu
1/2 cup of shredded carrots
1/2-3/4 cup cucumber cubes
1/4 cup chopped mango
1/2 small cubed avocado
some chopped green onions and jalapeno
and top with a drizzle of the Teriyaki and Sriracha Sauces

LITERALLY SCRUMPTIOUS!

 Disclosure: Mrs. Plant makes use of Amazon.com affiliate links when they are available. These are products I have personally purchased and recommend based on my experience with them. Your use of these links for product purchases provides me with a commission which pays for the food and supplies I use to keep this website alive. However, your use of these links as a reader is not required.

Homemade Sweet and Sour Sauce [No Sugar Added]

This sweet and sour sauce is ideal to dip baked egg rolls into!

Makes about 1 cup of sauce.
2 T rice wine vinegar
1 T Mirin or Japanese rice wine
juice from a 15-oz can of unsweetened pineapple, reserve the fruit
1/4 cup date syrup (optional: use brown sugar)
2 t low-sodium soy sauce
2 T finely chopped red bell pepper
2 T finely chopped pineapple (from the can you drained)
a pinch of red chili flakes (or more if desired)
1 T of non-GMO cornstarch or arrowroot powder

In a small saucepan, bring the vinegar, rice wine, pineapple juice, date syrup, soy sauce, chopped red bell pepper, and chopped pineapple to a low rolling boil. Cook until the peppers are tender. Add in the chili flakes. Then, in a very small bowl, mix the cornstarch with 1 T. of cold water and stir to create a thickening slurry. Add to the sauce mixture to thicken. Taste for sweetness. Add more date syrup if it's not sweet enough for you.

Asian Cruciferous Salad

Dr. Greger from NutritionFacts.org always recommends eating your daily dose of cruciferous veggies, and this salad makes it EASY! Super delicious!

1 bag of coleslaw mix
1/2 bunch of Lacinato kale, chopped finely
1 large pear, chopped
chopped dry-roasted peanuts  or lightly-toasted almonds
green onions, chopped
sesame seeds, optional

Dressing (will last for several salads):
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 T golden balsamic vinegar (or other vinegar you like)*
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
2-3 T of date syrup (or blend all of the dressing ingredients in a cup blender with dates to sweeten)


Mix slaw mix, kale, pears, and peanuts in a large bowl.
Whisk together the lemon juice, vinegar, soy sauce, and date syrup for the dressing.
Drizzle some dressing on the salad, tossing it well as you do. There should be plenty of extra dressing for one or two more salads.


* This is the one I used:

http://www.napavalleynaturals.com/Organic-Golden-Balsamic-Vinegar/p/NVN-GOLD&c=NapaValleyNaturals@BalsamicVinegars

Mrs. Plant's Review of Jill McKeever's New SOY CURLS Cookbooks

Tried out my first recipe from Jill McKeever's new Soy Curls cookbook - Volume I. OK, Admittedly I am a little biased because I had the blessing of getting to edit this tremendous cookbook for Jill in advance, but I made myself wait to cook anything from the books until they were published.

PEOPLE...our first meal tonight was AMAZING! My guys have always loved orange chicken, so naturally, Orange Soy Curls was the recipe they asked for first.  ALL were WOWED by the texture of the "curls" and the dynamically flavored sauce! This one is a KEEPER!

Yes, this is the FIRST soy curls cookbook in the UNIVERSE? Jill McKeever (Simple Daily Recipes) teaches us how to take these delicious, 100% natural alternatives to meat made from the whole, non-GMO soy beans, and transform them into high-fiber, vegan dishes that will delight our taste buds. From jerky to tetrazzini, enjoy over 125 recipes (if you purchase all 3 volumes!) made from these high protein, grown-and-made-in-the-U.S. beauties!

Would love for you to buy this book through my Amazon affiliate link:
http://amzn.to/2BPrbVw
When you purchase through my affiliate link, it helps me with no additional cost to you.

Spicy Orange Stirfry Sauce

Juice of 2 fresh oranges
2 T. low-sodium soy sauce or coconut aminos
2 T coconut sugar (or other low-glycemic sweetener)
1 T. mirin or rice wine
1/4 t garlic powder
1/8 t ginger powder
2 t corn starch
red chili flakes, to taste

Oil-Free Teriyaki Sauce

Made this delicious OIL-FREE Teriyaki Sauce tonight with The Ginger People's Organic Ginger Juice. It was just the right mellow flavor for this sauce. The whole family loved it!

Check out my video on how I made it!

Disclosure: Mrs. Plant makes use of Amazon.com affiliate links when they are available. These are products I have personally purchased and recommend based on my experience with them. Your use of these links for product purchases provides me with a commission which pays for the food and supplies I use to keep this website alive. However, your use of these links as a reader is not required.

Oil-Free Teriyaki Marinade/Sauce

Oil-Free Teriyaki MARINADE for Baked Tofu:

1/2 cup water
3 T. low-sodium soy sauce
½ t. grated fresh ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
2 T. date syrup or raw sugar

Combine all ingredients and marinade drained, pressed tofu cubes in it for at least 30 minutes. Then, bake the marinated tofu on a  baking sheet covered with Reynolds Non-Stick Foil at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes, depending on the size of your tofu cubes. You want them to be a little crispy on the outside and not jiggly on the inside--but you don't want to totally try them out. 20-25 minutes is usually plenty of time to accomplish this.

Oil-Free Teriyaki SAUCE:
(Double recipe if making more than 2 servings)

1/2 cup water
3 T. low-sodium soy sauce
½ t. grated fresh ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
2 T. date syrup or raw sugar
1 T. non-GMO cornstarch or arrowroot powder

NOTE: If using in a stir-fry, don't cook the sauce first. Just add it at the end to your stir-fried veggies and thicken in your skillet/wok.

Whisk all ingredients together in a small saucepan. Bring to a low boil just to thicken. Can store in the refrigerator for future use.

QUICK Cucumber Kimchi Salad inspired by MommyTang​!

NOTE...you need kitchen gloves for this recipe!

8-10 Kirby cucumbers
Kosher salt
2-3 garlic cloves, crushed
low-sodium soy sauce
gochugaru (Korean chili flakes) - do NOT use other types of chili flakes for this
coconut sugar
black pepper
toasted sesame seeds

Stripe-peel your cucumbers and slice them into rounds about 1/2-inch thick. Place them in a stain-resistant bowl and sprinkle some kosher salt on them. Don't worry, you will rinse them after they brine the cucumbers. Using kitchen gloves, massage the salt into the cucumber slices. Set aside for 10-15 minutes.
After brining, rinse the cucumbers with cold water one time to remove excess salt. Drain well.
Add crushed garlic, a small amount of soy sauce, gochugaru to taste, coconut sugar to taste, a few grinds of black pepper, and some toasted sesame seeds, Mix well with GLOVED hand. Chill before serving!

Inspired by Mommy Tang

Thai Kale and Carrot Salad with Curry Maple Cashews

Serves 6 for a meal and 8 for a side salad

1 bunch of Lacinato (dinosaur) kale, washed, spun dry, and chopped into bite-sized pieces
2 t. fresh lime juice
6-8 carrots, peeled and finely shredded
1/2 small purple cabbage, finely shredded
1 pear or Asian pear, chopped
Toasted sesame seeds (optional)

An hour before serving, add 2 t. of lime juice to the kale and massage it in with clean hands.
Right before serving, toss together the kale, cabbage, carrots, and pear in a large bowl. Add the dressing and toss well. Top with maple curry cashews and toasted sesame seeds. Serve!

Thai Peanut-Lime Dressing:
1/2 cup DRY-roasted unsalted peanuts (no oil added!)
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
2 T low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup coconut sugar (or more to taste) or 3-4 pitted Medjool dates
4 cloves of garlic
1/4 t. red chili flakes

Blend in a high-speed blender or Nutribullet until smooth and creamy. Chill in the refrigerator until ready to use.


Maple Curry Cashews:
1 cup raw whole cashews
1 T. maple syrup
1 t. curry powder

Preheat oven or toaster oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, combine the maple syrup and curry powder. Add the cashews and coat them well. Place coated cashews on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake for 6-10 minutes, until golden brown but now burned. Watch them carefully! Cool before chopping and serving.

Adapted from Minimalist Baker

Deconstructed Egg-Less Roll Bowl

1 head of green cabbage, shredded
2 carrots, shredded
1 zucchini, shredded
8 oz. of mushrooms, shredded
 1/4 cup oil-free vegan stir-fry sauce
1 block of tofu, marinated and baked
Cook and warmed brown rice
Mango, chopped
Sriracha sauce
Sweet chili sauce (any kind you like)

Marinate and bake tofu. While the tofu is baking...cook the cabbage, carrots, zucchini, and mushrooms in a large skillet until just wilted and some of the liquid has evaporated. Add the stir-fry sauce. Turn the heat to low. Create a bowl with the veggies, brown rice, tofu, mangoes, and sauces. Serve!

Deconstructed Sushi Bowl

I LOVE veggie sushi, but sometimes, I don't have time to make it. An easier way to enjoy the flavors and textures of sushi is to create a "deconstructed" sushi bowl!

This one has marinated baked tofu, avocado, mango, shredded carrots, cucumbers, nori, brown rice, homemade teriyaki sauce, sriracha, and toasted sesame seeds (gomasio). DELISH!

Gomasio (Sesame Salt)

My precious friends (shout out to Sarah and Dean!) shared this fabulous brown rice topping with me at their home one day. But, I have to start with a disclaimer because I dropped the pestle (yes, this is made with a good 'ol mortar and pestle!) and broke it in half mid-grinding. So, my gomasio is not as crushed as it should be.

So, what *is* Gomasio (also written Gomashio) you may ask?!? Gomasio is a dry condiment, made from toasted sesame seeds and salt. It is often used in Japanese cuisine, and it is also sometimes sprinkled over plain rice. It is oftentimes part of a macrobiotic diet, used to reduce the amount of salt in a dish.

I made a very small batch (which will last me a while!), so you can always scale this up if you like.

For this recipe, you will need:

A mortar and pestle or a small coffee grinder
2 T. white sesame seeds
1/4 t. Himalayan pink or sea salt
1/4 t. dried kelp granules (optional)

In a nonstick skillet over medium heat, add the salt. Toast the salt few a few minutes, moving it around constantly in the pan. Remove it to a small bowl.

Add the sesame seeds to the warm skillet and toast the for several minutes until they are golden brown, moving them around constantly with a small silicone spatula.

Depending on the size of your mortar and pestle, you may need to crush the sesame seeds in batches. You will hear them pop as you crush them. Try to crush them 95% of the way. Add the crushed sesame seeds to the toasted salt in the bowl. Add the kelp granules if desired. Mix together thoroughly and store in an airtight container. This is AMAZING on brown rice!!!