Sam Turnbull's Blog, page 45

It Doesn’t Taste Like Chicken is hiring!

Hi friends! I’m so excited about today. In less than 5 years I have been able to grow It Doesn’t Taste Like Chicken from absolutely nothing (like literally, it didn’t exist), to my full-time business. And now has come the time that my business has gotten bigger than just lil’ old me can handle all on my lonesome. I need help!

Although it may just seem like a spend all day cooking up vegan deliciousness (and I definitely do some of that), there is actually a HUGE amount of work behind the scenes to run a blog business. I won’t bore you with the details, but I think it’s finally time that I get some help around here.

This isn’t actually the first time I have hired someone for help, but my first attempt was a mistake as I hired a random person off the internet that did not particularly have interest in my blog and they really lacked the passion and excitement that I seek. This blog is my baby, so it’s important to me to have the perfect person join my team. So after that failed attempt, it occurred to me- why am I looking elsewhere, I bet there is the worlds most perfect person has been right here all along. Hi perfect person! 

Vegan Fried Egg!?

Yes, you read that right. Vegan Fried Egg. No, Sam has not turned into a mad scientist this week, but she has turned into a craving stomper.

When I posted my recipe for Vegan Toast Dipping Sauce (which is basically a vegan egg yolk), 2 things happened.

I got flooded with messages from people raving about how dippy eggs were the only thing they missed since going vegan and now I have fulfilled their cravings. (Woot!)
I got flooded with messages from people raving about the vegan egg sauce but also asking if I could make a fried egg version.

Craving stomper Sam, here to the rescue!

For my vegan friends who crave a fried egg, for anyone who wants to try an easy, fun, and playful recipe, or for a great April fools day breakfast, I bring you my vegan fried egg. And guess what, it’s actually pretty darn eggy tasting!

To make a Vegan Fried Egg: Turn the block of tofu on its side and cut into 4 thin slices. Use the tip of your knife to cut off the corners of the tofu making it a rough circle. You could alternatively use a round cookie cutter, or just leave it as a rectangle.

Melt the vegan butter in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the tofu slices in a single layer (you may have to work in batches). Fry the tofu a couple of minutes per side until lightly browned around the edges, flip and repeat on the other side.

Once the tofu slices are cooked, remove from pan and place directly onto plates or serving dishes. Use a small round cookie cutter, a shot glass, or the tip of your knife to cut a small circle in the middle of the fried tofu slices. Serve the slices on a plate and fill the holes with the Vegan Toast Dipping Sauce. Garnish with salt and pepper as desired. You can serve any leftover dipping sauce in a small dish on the side.

Vegan Fried Egg!?

Easy to make with a runny vegan egg yolk! Great for anyone who is egg-free but misses this breakfast treat, or perfect for April fools day! 

1 454g block medium-firm or firm tofu, (drained)
1 tablespoon vegan butter
1 recipe Vegan Toast Dipping Sauce
salt and pepper to taste

Turn the block of tofu on its side and cut into 4 thin slices. Use the tip of your knife to cut off the corners of the tofu making it a rough circle. You could alternatively use a round cookie cutter, or just leave it as a rectangle.

Melt the vegan butter in a frying pan over medium heat. Add in the tofu slices in a single layer (you may have to work in batches). Fry the tofu a couple of minutes per side until lightly browned around the edges, flip and repeat on the other side.

Once the tofu slices are cooked, remove from pan and place directly onto plates or serving dishes. Use a small round cookie cutter, a shot glass, or the tip of your knife to cut a small circle in the middle of the fried tofu slices. Serve the slices on a plate and fill the holes with the Vegan Toast Dipping Sauce. Garnish with salt and pepper as desired. You can serve any leftover dipping sauce in a small dish on the side. 

Bon appetegan!

Sam.

 

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Fast and Easy Vegan Carbonara

A traditional carbonara is made with eggs, bacon or pancetta, and cheese (hello cholesterol bomb). So it’s basically just about the least vegan dish there could be… which is why I had so much fun playing around in the kitchen and veganizing it! Not only did I figure out a way to get the creamy blissful sauce and the chewy delicious bites, but this turned out to be a super fast and easy vegan carbonara recipe. Just the way this girl likes it!

For the bacon, I really wanted that salty, smoky, chewy bite. So I marinated some sun-dried tomatoes in soy sauce and liquid smoke.

For the sauce, I wanted that creamy, slightly sticky, rich tasting sauce. So I sautéd up some onions and garlic and then made a super easy creamy sauce using non-dairy milk which I seasoned it with black salt to get that signature eggy flavour.

Then I just boiled up some pasta (I opted for bucantini this time) and tossed it all together in a hot pan.

The result? A 20 minute, easy vegan carbonara with the most glorious, creamy coated pasta noodles, and salty, smoky bites of scrumptiousness throughout. Perfect for a busy weeknight meal, made from ingredients you probably already have in the pantry. Oh my, oh my, I have found a new favourite.

To make Fast and Easy Vegan Carbonara: mix together the sun-dried tomatoes, soy sauce, and liquid smoke in a small bowl and set aside to absorb the flavours while you prepare the rest of the dish.

You want to make sure that you pick up the dry sun-dried tomatoes and not the kind in oil so they can absorb the flavours. If you only have the kind in oil on hand, then shake off the excess oil as much as possible.

The sun-dried tomatoes will be super salty when you taste them as they are, but when you toss them with the creamy vegan carbonara, they chill out and add gorgeous salty pops of flavour throughout, just like bacon.

 Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. When hot add the onions and garlic and sauté until the onion turns translucent and begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle over the flour and stir to coat the onions, let cook for about 60 seconds.

Whisk in all of the remaining ingredients. Cook the sauce for about 5 minutes until thickened, whisking as needed.

If the sauce gets too thick, add a splash more non-dairy milk, and if the sauce is too thin, simply cook it longer.

Add the cooked pasta and the marinated sun-dried tomatoes to the sauce and toss well to combine. Serve hot. Garnish with parsley and parmegan if desired.

Fast and Easy Vegan Carbonara

This 20-minute pasta recipe is so easy to whip together. A simple creamy sauce coats the noodles with chewy, salty, smoky, bites of sun-dried tomato. Perfect for a busy weeknight meal, made from ingredients you probably already have in the pantry. 

400 g pasta of choice ((spaghetti, fettucini, bucantini, or gluten-free if preferred))

For the smoky sun-dried tomato bites:

1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes (the dry kind, not in oil), (sliced )
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke

For the carbonara:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 yellow onion, (chopped)
3 cloves garlic, (minced)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour ((gluten-free if preferred))
2 1/2 cups non-dairy milk ((such as soy or almond))
1 tablespoons nutritional yeast
3/4 teaspoon black salt ((also called kala namak), use regular salt if preferred)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the package directions.

Mix together the sun-dried tomatoes, soy sauce, and liquid smoke in a small bowl and set aside to absorb the flavours while you prepare the rest of the dish. 

Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. When hot add the onions and garlic and sauté until the onion turns translucent and begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle over the flour and stir to coat the onions, let cook for about 60 seconds, then whisk in all of the remaining ingredients. Cook the sauce for about 5 minutes until thickened, whisking as needed. If the sauce gets too thick, add a splash more non-dairy milk, and if the sauce is too thin, simply cook it longer.

Add the cooked pasta and the marinated sun-dried tomatoes to the sauce and toss well to combine. Serve hot. Garnish with parsley and parmegan if desired.

Bon appetegan!

Sam.

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Vegan Hashbrown Potatoes

I’ve been all about the breakfast this month as I’ve made Vegan Toast Dipping Sauce (which is like a vegan egg yolk), The Ultimate Vegan Breakfast Sandwich, and Vegan Cashew Cream Cheese. The breakfast trend continues today with Vegan Hashbrown Potatoes, woot woot!

It’s not difficult to veganize hashbrown potatoes because generally, the only thing that’s not vegan about them is the fat they are cooked in. But the reason why I’m excited to share this recipe with you is that I have a few tricks up my sleeve.

You see, hashbrowns can be fidgety to make as you have to spend all of this time grating the potatoes, washing them and then drying them off. That’s not very fuss-free is it? So what are my tricks you ask…

Trick number 1:

Use the grater attachment of a food processor to grate your potatoes in seconds. My food processor grated these potatoes in about 3 seconds flat.

Trick number 2:

Use a salad spinner!!! This genius trick makes washing and drying the potatoes so easy peasy.  Fill the spinner with water and wash the starch off of the potatoes right in there. The salad spinner I have has a build in drain making it so super easy to wash and drain. Now that you’ve rinsed the potatoes, give them a spin in that spinner to dry them off. No mucking about with bowls of water and towels. So EASY! Love, love, love it.

To make Vegan Hashbrown Potatoes:  grate the potatoes. I like to leave the skins on, but if you prefer you can peel them first.

Wash the potatoes using the salad spinner method: put the grated potatoes in the salad spinner basket and fill the whole thing with cold water. Spin the potatoes a few times to help release the excess starch. Drain, and repeat.

Drain a last time and spin the potatoes to remove as much excess water as possible.
*If you do not have a salad spinner, see the recipe instructions for washing the potatoes in a bowl instead.

In a large skillet or non-stick pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the potatoes. Sprinkle the salt and pepper across the top of the potatoes.

Let sit cooking for about 5 minutes until the bottom has formed a golden crust. Stir the crust back into the potatoes, then continue to cook again until a new crust layer has formed.

Repeat stirring the potatoes back into themselves, as many times as needed until the potatoes are cooked through and you have reached your desired crispiness, 20 to 30 minutes.

Lastly, I like to pat the potatoes down into a compressed layer and do one final crust layer. Cut the potatoes into 4 sections and serve hot.

Vegan Hashbrown Potatoes

There are two tricks in this recipe to make these hashbrowns super quick and easy to make!

2 russet potatoes, (grated (If you have a food processor grating attachment, I recommend using that as it makes it so much quicker))
1 tablespoon coconut oil ((or other light oil))
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper


Wash the potatoes using one of the two methods:

The salad spinner method: put the grated potatoes in the salad spinner basket and fill the whole thing with cold water. Spin the potatoes a few times to help release the excess starch. Drain, and repeat. Drain a last time and spin the potatoes to remove as much excess water as possible.

The large bowl method: add the grated potatoes to a large bowl of cold water.  Stir them around so the water becomes foggy. Drain and fill the water with clean cold water again. Repeat and drain again. Use a clean dish town to squeeze out as much excess water as possible.

To cook the hashbrown potatoes:

In a large skillet or non-stick pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the potatoes. Sprinkle the salt and pepper across the top of the potatoes.  Let sit cooking for about 5 minutes until the bottom has formed a golden crust. Stir the crust back into the potatoes, then continue to cook again until a new crust layer has formed. Repeat stirring the potatoes back into themselves, as many times as needed until the potatoes are cooked through and you have reached your desired crispiness, 20 to 30 minutes.

Lastly, I like to pat the potatoes down into a compressed layer and do one final crust layer. Cut the potatoes into 4 sections and serve hot.

Bon appetegan!

Sam.

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HUROM Slow Juicer Giveaway!

 

Happy Valentine’s Day!!! To make this Valentine’s Day a happy day for all I wanted to do a little giveaway for a gorgeous HUROM Slow Juicer ($299 value).

What I love about this juicer:

It’s surprisingly very quiet for a juicer- it won’t wake anyone up if you are an early morning juicer.
The pulp is much dryer than my old cheap juicer, meaning less waste.
You can make nut milk with it, meaning no messy nut milk bags to squeeze! (I have a hate for messy nut milk bags which is why I made this strain-free cashew milk recipe).
THE COLOUR! ~Swoon~

Isn’t it just the cutest colour ever!? It is, I declare it. I clearly love it because if you have ever seen a picture of my kitchen, or spent time with me there in one of my YouTube videos, you might have noticed that this juicer is the exact same colour as my fridge and stove. So it was instant love for me of course. Or slow love? (Prince song shout out)!

Of course, if the mint colour isn’t for you (I’ll try not to hold a grudge), the HUROM HP juicer also comes in this super cute pink, or in crisp white.

Enter the giveaway below. 1 winner will win a HUROM HP Slow Juicer. This contest is open to US and Canadian residents. Every method of entry below gets you a ticket into the virtual bucket. So the more ways you enter, the more tickets! I will randomly select a winner when this contest closes and will contact you via the email address you use to login to this giveaway, so make sure it is one that you check regularly. (You wouldn’t believe how many winners I have had to disqualify in the past due to not responding to my winning email)!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway



Bon appetegan!

Sam.

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Vegan Cashew Cream Cheese – 3 ways

Just a few weeks ago, I received two emails back to back, both requesting the exact same thing: a vegan cream cheese recipe. It’s fairly easy to buy vegan cream cheese these days so I hadn’t thought of making my own, but both of these ladies said they would prefer to make it from scratch. Well, wish granted ladies, I bring you Vegan Cashew Cream Cheese. Boy am I glad this recipe was requested because oooo eee is this yummy!

When designing this recipe I knew I wanted to make it as easy as possible (in true fuss-free vegan style). No days spent culturing and no hard to find ingredients. My Vegan Cashew Cream Cheese takes 25m minutes or less to make (plus 1 hour of setting time) and only requires 6 ingredients. Easy peasy.

Cashews are used as the creamy base. For flavour, a combination of apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, and white miso paste are added, which when combined together add the perfect amount of tang and umami. Coconut oil is also added to both help the cheese firm up when setting in the fridge, and so the cheese will get a bit melty when spreading on a hot bagel.

The result is the perfect creamy, slightly tangy, spreadable, vegan cream cheese. Oh la la!

But it get’s better! Not only did I give you a recipe for a plain vegan cashew cream cheese, but I have also included additional instructions so that you can make your very own fruit cream cheese. I made this super cute vegan strawberry cream cheese. You could also try pineapple, raspberry, blueberry, any flavour you like!

AND I even included additional instructions so that you could make your very own garlic & herb vegan cream cheese. How fun is that? You can have all the vegan cream cheese you want and customize it as you please. Now let’s get spreadin’!

To make Vegan Cashew Cream Cheese: add the softened cashews, coconut oil, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, white miso paste, and salt to a food processor.

If you are making one of the flavoured cream cheese recipes then add the additional ingredients here too.

Blend to get the mixture as smooth as possible, stopping to scrape the sides as needed.

Pour the cream cheese into a small dish, and smooth the top with a spatula. Cover, then let set in the fridge for 1 hour, or until ready to serve.

The vegan cream cheese will firm up and become nice and spreadable. Store leftovers covered in the fridge for up to two weeks.

Vegan Cashew Cream Cheese

6 ingredient, easy to make, cream cheese. Perfect creamy, slightly tangy, spreadable, vegan cream cheese. Enjoy this plain as is, or use one of the additional recipes to make a fruit-flavoured spread or a garlic and herb spread.

1 cup raw cashews, (softened (see below))
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons white miso paste
1/4 teaspoons salt (or to taste)


To soften the cashews:

You can either boil or soak the cashews. To boil the cashews (the fast method): add the cashews to a small pot, cover with water, and boil for about 10 minutes until the cashews are very tender. To soak the cashews: add the cashews to a bowl, and cover with water. Let soak for 4 hours or overnight until tender. Drain and rinse cashews before using.

To make the vegan cashew cream cheese:

Add the softened cashews, coconut oil, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, white miso paste, and salt to a food processor. Blend to get the mixture as smooth as possible, stopping to scrape the sides as needed.

Pour the cream cheese into a small dish, and smooth the top with a spatula. Cover, then let set in the fridge for 1 hour, or until ready to serve. The vegan cream cheese will firm up and become nice and spreadable. Store leftovers covered in the fridge for up to two weeks.

Fruit Flavoured Vegan Cashew Cream Cheese

Add these additional ingredients to make a fruit cream cheese, such as strawberry, pineapple,  raspberry, blueberry or any flavour you like! Perfect creamy, slightly tangy, spreadable, vegan cream cheese with the sweetness of fruit.

1 recipe Vegan Cashew Cream Cheese ((above))
2 – 6 tablespoons jam, jelly, or preserve of choice ((strawberry, raspberry, pineapple, blueberry, etc))
1 tablespoon coconut oil
vegan food colouring ((optional))

When making the Vegan Cashew Cream Cheese add in the jam, additional coconut oil, and food colouring (if using) to a food processor and blend until as smooth as possible, stopping to scrape the sides as needed.

Pour the cream cheese into a small dish. Cover, then let set in the fridge for 1 hour, or until ready to serve. The vegan cream cheese will firm up and become nice and spreadable. Store leftovers covered in the fridge for up to two weeks.

Mixing in the jam will soften the texture quite a bit, so in this version, I add an additional tablespoon of coconut oil to help it firm up when chilled.

Some jams and jellies don’t provide much colour so if you want it bright, add food colouring of choice for a fun colour.

Garlic & Herb Vegan Cashew Cream Cheese

Add these additional ingredients to the basic recipe for Vegan Cashew Cream Cheese to make your very own Garlic & Herb cream cheese. Perfect creamy, slightly tangy, spreadable, vegan cream cheese with a kick!

1 recipe Vegan Cashew Cream Cheese ((above))
1 clove garlic
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon dired parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried dill

When making the Vegan Cashew Cream Cheese add in clove of garlic, oregano, parsley, basil, and dill to a food processor and blend until as smooth as possible, stopping to scrape the sides as needed.

Pour the cream cheese into a small dish. Cover, then let set in the fridge for 1 hour, or until ready to serve. The vegan cream cheese will firm up and become nice and spreadable. Store leftovers covered in the fridge for up to two weeks.

Bon appetegan!

Sam.

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Vegan Linzer Heart Cookies

There are those who love Valentine’s day, and there are those who hate it and wish it would just go away. I’m a lover of Valentine’s day, but not so much for the grand romantic gestures that happen (don’t get me wrong, I love a good grand romantic gesture, they just don’t happen to me very often). No, I love Valentine’s day because at this point in the year, it starts to feel like it has been winter for way too long, and I need an excuse to dive into fancy desserts. Bring on the chocolates, cakes, and cookies… Vegan Linzer Heart Cookies to be precise.

How cute are these vegan linzer heart cookies!? They are the cutest, I declare it. The buttery soft sugar cookie, sprinkled with powdered sugar, filled with sweet raspberry jam. They are every bit as tasty as they are adorable. Perfect for a gift for a loved one or just for you because you deserve it.

These are admittedly not my most fuss-free recipe as there are several steps, but if you are making this for your Valentine, well, we know love isn’t fuss-free either. Dating tips from Sam. (Keep in mind Sam is single so all dating tips from Sam should be ignored).

To make Vegan Heart Linzer Cookies: In a large bowl mix together all the dry ingredients.

In a small bowl, mix together the flax or chia with the water and set aside to thicken. In a third bowl beat the vegan butter and sugar together until creamy, about 3 minutes. Add the remaining wet ingredients including the flax or chia mixture, and mix well. Add the wet mixture into dry and combine until a dough is formed. I have found that sometimes the moisture levels in vegan butters are different, so if your dough does not come together, add up to 1 tablespoon of water until the dough just comes together.

Put the dough between two sheets of parchment paper and roll it out to about 1/4 inch thick. Now pop it onto a baking tray and chill the rolled dough in the freezer for 15 minutes or in the fridge for 30 minutes. Once chilled, use a heart cookie cutter (or another shape) to make as many heart cookies as possible. Leave half of the heart cookies whole, and use a tiny heart cookie cutter (or another shape) to cut out the center of the remaining half.

Lay them on the parchment lined cookie sheet. Re-roll remaining dough until it’s all used up, chilling in between if needed. Bake 7 – 11 minutes. until they are just a little bit golden on the bottom.

Let the cookies cool completely before assembling. Place all of the cut-out heart cookies on a piece of parchment paper. Use a fine mesh strainer of a sifter to sprinkle the powdered sugar over top.

For the bottom layer of the cookie, take a whole cookie and spread about 1 teaspoon of the jam on the cookie keeping most of the jam in the center. Top with a powdered sugar coated cut-out cookie. Repeat with all the remaining cookies. If any cookies look a bit empty you can spoon a bit more jam in the middle of the cookies.

Vegan linzer heart cookies will keep for about a week when stored at room temperature in an airtight container.

Vegan Linzer Heart Cookies

The buttery soft sugar cookie, sprinkled with powdered sugar, filled with sweet raspberry jam. They are every bit as tasty as they are adorable. Perfect for a gift for a loved one on Valentine’s day or other special occasions.

Dry ingredients:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Wet ingredients:

1 tablespoons ground chia or ground flax ( (use ground white chia for lightest colour))
3 tablespoons water
3/4 cup vegan butter
3/4 cups white sugar
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

For the linzer cookies:

2 tablespoons powdered sugar
6 tablespoons jam ((raspberry, strawberry, or other flavour))


To make the cookie dough:

Preheat oven to 350F (180C).

In a large bowl mix together all the dry ingredients. 

In a small bowl, mix together the flax or chia with the water and set aside to thicken. In a third bowl beat the vegan butter and sugar together until creamy, about 3 minutes. Add the remaining wet ingredients including the flax or chia mixture, and mix well. Add the wet mixture into dry and combine until a dough is formed. I have found that sometimes the moisture levels in vegan butters are different, so if your dough does not come together, add up to 1 tablespoon of water until the dough just comes together.

To make the hearts:

Put the dough between two sheets of parchment paper and roll it out to about 1/4 inch thick. Now pop it onto a baking tray and chill the rolled dough in the freezer for 15 minutes or in the fridge for 30 minutes. Once chilled, use a heart cookie cutter (or another shape) to make as many heart cookies as possible. Leave half of the heart cookies whole, and use a tiny heart cookie cutter (or another shape) to cut out the center of the remaining half.

Lay them on the parchment lined cookie sheet. Re-roll remaining dough until it’s all used up, chilling in between if needed. Bake 7 – 11 minutes. until they are just a little bit golden on the bottom.

To assemble the cookies:

Let the cookies cool completely before assembling. Place all of the cut-out heart cookies on a piece of parchment paper. Use a fine mesh strainer of a sifter to sprinkle the powdered sugar over top.

For the bottom layer of the cookie, take a whole cookie and spread about 1 teaspoon of the jam on the cookie keeping most of the jam in the center. Top with a powdered sugar coated cut-out cookie. Repeat with all the remaining cookies.

The cookies will keep for about a week when stored at room temperature in an air tight container.

Bon appetegan!

Sam.

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The Ultimate Vegan Breakfast Sandwich

If you have laid your hands on a copy of Fuss-Free Vegan cookbook, then you will know that I have dedicated an entire chapter to vegan breakfasts. Sometimes, as a vegan, a really hearty and satisfying breakfast can be hard to come by. Smoothies and granola just ain’t gonna cut it some days. Good thing we can now make The Ultimate Vegan Breakfast Sandwich right in the comfort of our own homes. No need for brunch restaurant line-ups anymore!

…which is a good thing, because boy do you need multiple napkins for this one… and I’m not sure your waiter would bring you enough napkins. You might even want to take a shower after, as this epic vegan breakfast sandwich is so drip down your arms good, you’re going to want to dive right on in.

Thick slices of smoky, marinated tofu on an English muffin with mashed avocado, a slice of ripe tomato, and a homemade 5-minute vegan egg yolk inspired sauce. The breakfast angels are singing!

Not only is this sandwich as epic as a vegan breakfast sandwich can get, but I love that the tofu gets more flavourful the longer it marinates. I just keep my tofu marinating in the fridge, so when morning hunger strikes, it’s game on!

To make The Ultimate Vegan Breakfast Sandwich: mix the nutritional yeast, olive oil, soy sauce, water, liquid smoke, Sriracha, and garlic powder together in a large resealable bag or a small casserole dish. Add the tofu pieces and turn them to coat evenly. Let marinate for a minimum of 30 minutes but the longer the better.

I like to store my tofu covered the fridge so that I have marinated slices ready to go in the morning. They should keep for about 1 week.

When you are ready to cook the tofu, heat a large skillet or frying pan over medium-high heat. When hot add the tofu slices and any remaining marinade.

Cook for about 5 minutes on each side until golden brown. The marinade will get sticky and brown, so just push it onto the tofu with a spatula as this will add even more flavour.

Make the Vegan Toast Dipping Sauce according to the directions.

To assemble the vegan breakfast sandwich, take 1/4 of the mashed avocado and spread it on the bottom layer of an English muffin. Top the avocado with a slice of tofu, add 1 – 2 tomato slices, drizzle as much or as little Vegan Toast Dipping Sauce as you like, and then add the English muffin top. Repeat with the remaining ingredients to make 4 sandwiches. Enjoy hot. I like serving the remaining Vegan Toast Dipping Sauce on the side for dipping (if there is any left).

The Ultimate Vegan Breakfast Sandwich

Thick slices of smoky, marinated tofu on an English muffin with mashed avocado, a slice of ripe tomato, and a homemade 5-minute vegan egg yolk inspired sauce. The tofu gets more flavourful the longer it marinates. I just keep it marinating in the fridge, so when morning hunger strikes, it’s game on! 

For the tofu:

1 12 oz block extra-firm tofu, (*pressed for a minimum of 30 minutes, then cut into 4 slices)
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
1 teaspoon Sriracha, (or other hot sauce (optional))
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

For the vegan breakfast sandwich:

4 English muffins, (sliced in half and toasted (gluten-free if preferred))
1 avocado, (mashed)
1 large tomato, (sliced)
1 recipe Vegan Toast Dipping Sauce, (hot)

To prepare the tofu: mix the nutritional yeast, olive oil, soy sauce, water, liquid smoke, Sriracha, and garlic powder together in a large resealable bag or a small casserole dish. Add the tofu pieces and turn them to coat evenly. Let marinate for a minimum of 30 minutes but the longer the better. I like to store my tofu covered the fridge so that I have marinated slices ready to go in the morning. They should keep for about 1 week.

When you are ready to cook the tofu, heat a large skillet or frying pan over medium-high heat. When hot add the tofu slices and any remaining marinade. Cook for about 5 minutes on each side until golden brown. The marinade will get sticky and brown, so just push it onto the tofu with a spatula as this will add even more flavour.

To prepare the vegan breakfast sandwich: take 1/4 of the mashed avocado and spread it on the bottom layer of an English muffin. Top the avocado with a slice of tofu, add 1 – 2 tomato slices, drizzle as much or as little Vegan Toast Dipping Sauce as you like, and then add the English muffin top. Repeat with the remaining ingredients to make 4 sandwiches. Enjoy hot. I like serving the remaining Vegan Toast Dipping Sauce on the side for dipping (if there is any left).

*For tips on pressing tofu, see The Ultimate Guide to Pressing Tofu.

Bon appetegan!

Sam.

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Vegan Toast Dipping Sauce

Every now and then I have a random spark of a crazy idea. I was perusing Pinterest, looking for some inspiration for a new recipe when I stumbled upon a photo of a soft boiled egg with toast being dipped into the center. I knew I wanted it immediately! Not a real egg yolk, of course, but just the idea of a savoury, rich, smooth breakfast sauce that you can dip strips of toast into. And so I made Vegan Toast Dipping Sauce. Oh yeah I did, I really, really did.

It’s not unusual that I get inspired by a non-vegan recipes because that’s how I get most of my inspiration for this blog and end up creating recipes such as my Quick & Easy Cottage Cheese, Vegan Tofu Taco Crumbles, Heart of Palm Calamari, Vegan Mushroom & Walnut Pate, and Crispy & Chewy Sesame Shiitake.

The key flavour in this recipe is black salt (also called kala namak). If you are new to black salt, the first thing you will notice is that it isn’t black at all, it’s pink. But don’t confuse it with Himalayan salt which is a totally different thing. The coolest thing about black salt is that it tastes exactly like eggs. So weird! I ordered mine from Amazon.

Now does this vegan toast dipping sauce taste exactly like egg yolk? To be honest, I don’t really know. I haven’t eaten an egg yolk in well over 5 years, so I was drumming up the old memory bank trying to guess at the flavours. But what I can tell you is that this sauce takes just 5 minutes to make, uses only 6 ingredients, is completely cholesterol free (unlike the cholesterol bombs of an egg yolk), and is incredibly, super delicious with toast dipped into it. Rich, creamy, savoury, umami, with a crack of pepper on top, oh yeah, I am loving my breakfast today!

To make Vegan Toast Dipping Sauce: In a small pot, whisk together the water and cornstarch. Now stir in all of the remaining ingredients.

Put over medium-high heat and whisk while it cooks. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes until the dipping sauce thickens. Serve hot with strips of buttered toast and a crack of pepper.

Vegan Toast Dipping Sauce

It’s a vegan egg yolk! Just 5 minutes to make, only 6 ingredients, is completely cholesterol free (unlike the cholesterol bombs of an egg yolk), and is incredibly, super delicious with toast dipped into it. Rich, creamy, savoury, umami, with a crack of pepper on top, oh yeah, I am loving my breakfast today! 

1 cup water
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons light oil ((such as canola or vegetable))
2 teaspoon nutritional yeast
3/4 teaspoon black salt
1/4 teaspoon turmeric

In a small pot, whisk together the water and cornstarch. Now stir in all of the remaining ingredients. Put over medium-high heat and whisk while it cooks. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes until the dipping sauce thickens. Serve hot with strips of buttered toast and a crack of pepper.

Bon appetegan!

Sam.

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30 Vegan Candy and Chocolate Bar Recipes

It’s not always easy to find a lot of vegan-friendly candies and chocolate bars. I do have a list of 40+ Gummy Candies That Are Actually Vegan, which you should definitely check out. But some of the classic treats are not (yet) vegan, and sometimes it’s just way more fun to make your own anyway. So today I’m bringing you 30 Vegan Candy and Chocolate Bar Recipes so you can have all the goodies you want, and have them vegan too. Woohoo!

Perfect for a gift or just for yourself to enjoy. Whip up some sweet treats to celebrate a holiday such as Valentine’s Day, Easter, Christmas, Halloween, or for any day of the week so you have them on hand when sugar cravings strike.

Click on the photo or recipe name to take you directly to the full recipe.

It Doesn’t Taste Like Chicken: Vegan Peanut Butter Cups

A Virtual Vegan: Vegan Chocolate Caramels

Fork & Beans: Healthy Gummy Fruit Snacks

Strength & Sunshine: 3-Ingredient Sesame Seed Crunch Candy

Veg Annie: Healthy Vegan Chocolates

Sunnyside Hanne: Rose Turkish Delight

It Doesn’t Taste Like Chicken: Vegan Peppermint Patties

Beaming Banana: Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Date Truffles

The Road to Honey: Boozy Homemade Lollipops with Swirls

May I Have That Recipe?: Homemade Vegan Twix Bars

Desserts for Two: Strawberry Pate de Fruit

Fragrant Vanilla Cake: Raw Blackberry Jam and Hazelnut Butter Cups

It Doesn’t Taste Like Chicken: Easy Vegan Coconut Mounds

Blissful Basil: Vegan Strawberry (Heart) Beet Gummies

What She Ate: (Almost) Raw O’Henry Bars

Unconventional Baker: Chocolate Orange Hazelnut Truffles

It Doesn’t Taste Like Chicken: Vegan Watermelon Jellies

Beaming Baker: 3 Ingredient Homemade Crunch Bars

Veggie Desserts: Mint and Rose Lollipops

The Muffin Myth: Salted Coconut Caramels

It Doesn’t Taste Like Chicken: Vegan Chocolate Creme Eggs

Fork and Beans: Homemade Candy Buttons

Live Eat Learn: Orange Creamsicle Vegan Gummies

Avocado Pesto: 5 Ingredient Vegan Caramel Chocolate Turtles

Loving It Vegan: Vegan Snickers Bars

Blissful Basil: Vegan Vanilla Buttercream Chocolates

Karissa’s Vegan Kitchen: Berry Delicious Vegan Gummies

Veggie Desserts: Salted Chocolate Honeycomb (vegan)

It Doesn’t Taste Like Chicken: Easy Fruit & Nut Vegan Chocolates

Fork and Beans: Seedless Watermelon Hard Candies

 

 

 

 

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