Sushi Bowl with Baked Tofu (WFPBNO)

This is a very basic sushi bowl. Feel free to add whatever veggies you want. I based this on whole food plant based sushi rolls that you can get a places like Publix. No cream cheese, no fish, just wholesome foods. The best part is there is no rolling required. I simply added all the ingredients to a bowl and make spicy mayo and soy/wasabi to top off the dish.

Sushi Rice:

• 1 cup short-grain rice
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1/2 teaspoon rice vinegar

Toppings:

• 2/3 cup edamame (I couldn't find shelled, so I shelled after cooking)
• 1 carrot, peeled and then ribboned, using the peeler
• 1 scallion, thinly sliced
• 1 small Persian cucumber, julienned
• baked ginger garlic tofu (this recipe will make more than  you need for this dish)
• kelp flakes according to taste (I used about 1/2 teaspoon per bowl)
• 2 tablespoons pickled ginger
• 1 teaspoon black sesame seeds

Spicy Mayo:

• 1/3 cup mayo
• sriracha to taste (I like it hot!)

Stir those two ingredients together and taste. Start with a small amount of Sriracha until you get it to the heat level that you enjoy.

Start your rice before you do anything else and cook according to package directions.

Soy/Wasabi:

• 1/3 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
• wasabi paste

Mix these two ingredients into a ramakin. Start with a small amount of wasabi and keep tasting as you add more until you get the heat level you enjoy. Be sure to stir it up well.

Place the rice on the bottom of your bowl. Then add half of the Toppings to each bowl. This makes two bowls. The tofu will make enough for 4 bowls. We just ate the leftover tofu as a snack later in the day and dipped it in both sauces as we popped them nuggets into our mouths. 

Enjoy!!

Chickenless Rice Bowl (WFPBNO)

This is a fairly simple dish. There are  not a lot of ingredients but the flavor was wonderful. If you don't have snow peas you could use broccoli. I came across this recipe that I had ripped out of a Cooking Light magazine back in 2012. I removed the oil, replaced the chicken with soy curls (you can buy them online) and used coconut sugar instead of white sugar. I think maple syrup would make a good substitute also. This makes 4 servings and the leftovers reheated well. One tip, be sure to string those beans before you slice them!

• 2 (3.5-ounce) bags boil-in-bag brown rice (I only used 1 and made a fresh bag for the leftovers)
• 1/4 cup lower-sodium soy sauce
• 1/4 cup mirin (sweet rice wine)
• 3 tablespoons coconut sugar
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons fat-free, low-sodium vegetable broth
• 1/2 a bag Butler Soy Curls, rehydrated in vegetable broth or chicken-less chicken broth
• 6 ounces snow peas, halved lengthwise diagonally
• 1 bunch green onions, cut into 1-inch pieces

Cook rice according to package directions. Rehydrate the soy curls in broth while you make the sauce. If any of the curls are really long snap them in half. Combine  soy sauce, mirin, sugar, vinegar and broth in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce h eat and simmer 3 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

Prepare your snow peas and green onions and add to a bowl. While the rice and sauce cook.

Drain the soy curls and squeeze them in your hand to get all the broth out of them. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the soy curls and a little black pepper. 

You want to brown them, but be careful and don't let them burn. You're just looking for some color. Once brown remove from skillet and set aside.

Add the snow peas and onions to the skillet. Saute 2 minutes, if you need to you can add 1 tablespoon water to keep them from sticking.

Add the soy curls and sauce to the skillet. 

Cook about 2 minutes until the sauce gets a little syrupy.

Add 1/2 of the bag of rice to each plate (for 2 servings) and top with about a cup (a quarter of the skillet) of the soy curl mixture.

Enjoy!!

Beefless and Broccoli Bowl

I don't use processed vegan meats very often. But, I do love them. We tend to stay away from processed food since they usually have more sodium and fat than we like to consume. But these Beyond Meat steak bites were delicious. I'm sure you could use tempeh or even an extra firm baked tofu (which I may try) as a replacement for the Beyond product. This bowl comes together super fast so be sure to get your rice cooking and all the ingredients prepped before you actually begin cooking. I served this with a couple of small vegan vegetable rolls. A cup of vegan hot and sour soup would also be a good side to the bowl. If you aren't a fan of broccoli or carrots use what you have in your frig. 

• 1 bag boil-in-bag brown rice
• 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
• 1 package Beyond Steak tips, no need to thaw
• 2 cups broccoli florets
• 1 cup vertically sliced red onion
• 1 cup sliced carrots
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/3 cup green onions, sliced
• white sesame seeds for garnish

Cook rice according to package directions. Meanwhile, prep all of your vegetables.

Combine soy sauce, cornstarch and hoisin in a medium bowl. Add the beefless tips and toss to coat. Allow to sit about 5 minutes.

Heat a non-stick skillet over medium and remove the tips from the marinade. SAVE the marinade. Cook tips stirring occasionally to keep from sticking for about 3 minutes. 

Remove tips from pan and set aside.

In the same skillet add the broccoli, red onion, carrot and water. 

Cook about 4 minutes or until broccoli is crisp-tender. Add the garlic and stir well.

Add the reserved marinade to the pan; bring to boil and add tips.

Bring to a boil and cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Don't overcook and end up with mushy broccoli!!

Plate and garnish with the green onions and sesame seeds. This should make 4 servings, especially if you add a vegetable roll, soup or a salad.

Enjoy!!!!

Roasted Vegetable Quinoa Bowls (WFPBNO)

We love having bowls for dinner and I'm not sure why I don't do it more often. All the delicious components in one bowl with a yummy dressing. I had lots of fall vegetables in the frig and decided to throw these in the oven to bake, while the quinoa cooked and made a quick lemon tahini dressing. So delicious. You should take a look in your frig and see what you have lurking in there that needs to be used. You can use whatever veggies you have on hand. If you don't have quinoa use rice, millet, farro or whatever grain is in the pantry.

For the vegetables:

• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 cups broccoli florets
• 2 cups cauliflower florets
• 1/2 red onion, chunked
• 2 tablespoons aquafaba
• 2-3 cups fresh spinach

Prepare all the vegetables while the oven preheats to 400F.

For the Lemon Tahini Dressing:

• 1/3 cup tahini
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/3 cup warm water
• salt and pepper to taste

Add all of the dressing ingredients to a small blender and blend until totally combined. Refrigerate until bowls are ready.

Cook quinoa, according to the package directions, while veggies roast. Cover baking sheets in parchment paper. Toss chopped veggies with aquafaba and sprinkle with seasoning of your choice. I used a spice blend with a little heat to it.

Cook vegetables about 35 minutes until tender. 

To assemble the bowls, add quinoa, then some of each of the roasted vegetables and fresh spinach. Drizzle with the dressing.

Enjoy!!!

Quinoa & Tofu Burrito Bowl (WFPBNO)

We went through a 'bowl' kick for a little bit. It's so easy to prep a few things that compliment each other and arrange it all in a bowl and top with a dressing. You can add what you like and substitute for the veggies you have in your kitchen. These are a great way to have company for dinner, as each person can build their own bowl. This bowl is made out of simple everyday ingredients. I'll post the recipe for the Chipotle Lime Dressing later in the week. It was really delicious. But you could use your favorite salsa to top this off or instead of cubing your avocado, make some guac to top it off.

• 1/2 red onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 cup quinoa
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 14 ounces baked tofu
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 head romaine lettuce, chopped
• 1 avocado, diced
• Chipotle Lime Dressing
• pickled jalapeno slices, garnish

Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Add a couple tablespoons water and the onion. Saute until onion is fragrant, about 5 minutes.

Add garlic and cook another minute or two.

Add quinoa and toast for a couple of minutes. Stirring often.

Add the stock, tomatoes with the liquid and oregano. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer and cover. Cook about 15 minutes until liquid has been absorbed by quinoa.

Give it a good stir.

Divide quinoa among four bowls. Top each bowl with lettuce, tomatoes, baked tofu and avocado. Drizzle with dressing and top with pickled jalapenos.

Enjoy!!!!

Mexican Bean Bowl (WFPBNO)

 Another delicious "bowl" recipe. These are some of our favorite dinners. Quick to toss together and yummy to eat. The basics are to pick a grain, green and veggies along with a sauce. I had some overnight pickled red onions in the frig and tossed some of them in this bowl. They were so tasty and added a nice crunch and tang to the dish. You can always sub black beans for pintos and what ever greens are in your frig for the spring mix. Go make a bowl!

• 1 15-ounce can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 14-ounce can fire roasted diced tomatoes
• 1/2 cup salsa (use your favorite)
• 2 cloves minced garlic (I buy pre-minced in a large jar)
• a couple of hands full of baby spinach
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• sliced pickled red onions
• cooked brown rice
• Garnish: ranch dressing, hot sauce, a squeeze of lime, avocado

Add the beans, tomatoes, salsa, nutritional yeast, cumin, red pepper flakes and garlic to a non-stick skillet. 

Simmer for a few minutes until it's nice hot.

Don't forget to get your grains cooked. I used brown rice, but you could use quinoa, farro, or whatever grain you have on hand.

Add the spinach to the pan and stir so that the spinach can wilt.

Scoop a couple of spoons full of rice in your bowl. Add bean/tomato/spinach mixture, pickled red onions, chopped avocado and a slice of lime. Drizzle with your vegan ranch dressing and a shot of hot sauce. 

Enjoy!!