Tofu

This was inspired by one of my favorite dishes at Veggie Heaven in Teaneck, New Jersey, an all-vegan Chinese-style eatery. It’s quite unlike their signature mock meat dishes, and really, quite unlike anything I have ever eaten in an Asian restaurant.

I’ll always have a pleasant association with this classic Indonesian salad platter, as it was the first meal I had on my first trip to Paris. The tiny, cozy Indonesian restaurant was right next door to our hotel, and coming straight from an all-night flight, my friend Wendy and I were too tired to venture further before a meal and a nap. Served with plenty of rice, the salad (which always combines raw and lightly cooked vegetables) made for a filling and memorable meal. Here’s my Americanized, but still appealing interpretation.

I love this salad with mango, but since it’s not always available, pineapple is a good alternative. If you have more time, use fresh pineapple in season. Cutting it up is really not that time consuming, and the fresh fruit tastes amazing.

Pizza Margherita is a simple classic, emphasizing fresh tomatoes and basil. This version takes the concept a bit further with a few extra embellishments. It’s a wonderful pizza for late summer or for cool summer evenings when you don’t mind turning on the oven.

Here’s a lovely, light pizza that’s perfect for a springtime meal.

I’ve suggested in the box on page 141 that most of the pizza recipes in this chapter double easily if you need more servings, with the exception of this one. This is only because it would take an awfully long time to caramelize four large onions. Not that this can’t be done, but it wouldn’t be a particularly quick meal. However, if time is not an issue and you have a nice large pot for the onions, be my guest and make two of these amazingly delicious pizzas.

A pleasing composition using a minimum of exotic ingredients, this traditional Asian dish becomes somewhat offbeat through the use of fresh tomatoes and basil.

Characteristic of some Southeast Asian cuisines is the overlapping of Asian and Indian influences. This is true of this pleasantly offbeat noodle dish, which is seasoned with both soy sauce and curry.

Spicy Tofurky sausages make a bold statement in this easy lentil stew. If you can find beluga lentils, use them—they give this dish extra visual appeal.

We’ve rarely gone out for Indian food without including aloo gobi among our selections. It’s a vegetarian/vegan standard. This rendition comes together quickly, and the tofu mimics paneer, the bland, soft cheese found in some Indian dairy dishes.

In our home, we have lots of food rituals. This one we just call “Saturday Morning Burritos,” and they are a relaxing reward for my younger son, Evan, after a busy week. Though excellent as a weekend breakfast or brunch, these are also a nice option for a quick lunch or dinner. The products I like to use for these are Nasoya firm tofu, Rudi’s organic white spelt tortillas, Vegan Gourmet nacho cheese, and Muir Glen organic salsa (medium, usually cilantro-garlic). Even though Evan has had these burritos every Saturday for at least three years, he considers this meal a great gift each time I make it.

This is a nice change of pace from more common soy sauce–flavored stir-fries, but it’s just as quick and every bit as delectable. Don’t be alarmed by the ingredient list, which is relatively long compared with those in most recipes in this book. It really is a quick dish, and with such an array of healthy components, you’ll need little else to make a satisfying meal.

This recipe is based on one of my favorite Chinese take-out dishes. The problem with the restaurant version is that it is often rather oily. I’ve devised this low-fat version as a way to satisfy my craving for it.

Years ago, on a trip to the Southwest, my husband and I (then vegetarians, not yet vegans) discovered the famous breakfast dish of the region and were quickly hooked. Huevos rancheros are scrambled eggs perched atop corn tortillas and topped with an incendiary sauce. It’s easy to veganize this classic, as I’ve done here. Like the next recipe, this can be served for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner.

Offering an attractive presentation of steamed fresh veggies, this is a nice change of pace from stir-fries. It’s a fresh-tasting meal that gets its personality from a luscious sauce.

The contrast of warm, spicy tofu with cool, crisp lettuce is enticing. I use Nasoya Creamy Dill dressing, but any vegan ranch-style dressing, homemade or store-bought, will work. I use two pounds of tofu because of my ravenous teens, but if you’re serving three or four “normal” eaters, one pound may suffice. Cut the rest of the ingredients in half as well.

Serving tofu and veggies kebab-style is festive, but firing up the grill, marinating the ingredients, and soaking the bamboo skewers (so they don’t ignite) can be time-consuming. And most people don’t own a stovetop grill. Here’s a shortcut method that circumvents all those steps, made right on an ordinary griddle.

Amsterdam is host to a number of Indonesian restaurants (Indonesia was once a Dutch colony), and on a visit to this charming city with my sons, we were informed that a rijkstaffel (“rice table”) meal would be a memorable experience. A big bowl of rice is served with several tasty little dishes. My sons were especially keen on the golden sautéed tofu on skewers that was accompanied by a rich peanut sauce. Once home, I tried to reproduce the flavors of the luscious sauce to serve with triangles of sautéed tofu. Though my version is likely not truly authentic, what counts is that it tastes good, it’s easy, and my sons are still crazy about it. Each time I make it, we’re transported back to Amsterdam, if only briefly.

Common to many regional Middle Eastern cuisines, this is one of those supersimple dishes that, with the right ingredients, is amazingly tasty. Especially welcome as a fast summer dish, this is a good showcase for the abundance of delicious tomatoes in season. Shakshouka, in its original version, is made with eggs; in this vegan rendition, only one change needs to be made—silken tofu replaces the eggs.

On a visit to Israel, I came across a convenient vegan product called “mixed grill”-thin strips of tofu and seitan packaged together. Once home, I took this inspiration to create a simple, high-protein skillet dish.