This sandwich has spicy, sweet, salty, savory, herby, crispy, crunchy, and fresh … so much going on! I absolutely love this combo, so I load up a lot of filling on these sandwiches. If you want, you could make smaller ones with more buns.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes

Hoisin BBQ Pulled “Duck” Shroom Sandwiches

Serves 2-4

Ingredients

• 6 King oyster mushrooms
• 1 1/2 tsp granulated garlic
• 1/2 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• Cooking oil
• 1 tsp agave syrup
• 1 large clove of garlic
• 1 1/2 tsp minced fresh ginger
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) Wicked Kitchen Sticky Teriyaki Sauce
• 1/2 seedless English cucumber
• 2 cayenne-type chiles
• 1 green onion
• 3 Tbsp chopped fresh mint
• 2 Tbsp vegan butter
• -4 large firm-ish sandwich buns, split

Instructions

1. Heat your oven to 400ºF (200ºC) with the convection fan on if you have it.
2. To shred the shrooms, run a fork along the stem of the mushroom a few times to score
   the outside. Then hold it over a bowl and shred into biggish pieces by hand. The score marks really just help to guide the pulls. Shred up the caps too.
3. Add the garlic, five-spice, salt, pepper, sesame oil, and soy sauce to the bowl. Toss
   everything together with your hands until it’s all good and coated.
4. Heat up a large cast-iron pan over medium-high heat. Swirl in a little cooking oil, then
   add the shrooms and get ‘em into a somewhat even layer. Let ‘em cook a few minutes.
   You want them to brown pretty good on the bottom. Drizzle on the agave when the
   shrooms start to soften up and brown.
5. Meanwhile, mince up the garlic and ginger together. Julienne the cucumber into thin
   strips about 3 inches (7.5 cm) long. I use a mandoline but a knife and steady hand works
   too. Chop 1 of the chiles, the green onion, and the mint. Put the cucumber strips in a
   bowl and add about half the garlic-ginger mix. Add the chiles, green onion, and mint too, along with the remaining 1 1/2 tsp sesame oil and pinch of black pepper. Hold off on salt: it’ll just draw moisture out of the cukes and make the sandwich soggy. Mix that all together, then pop it in the fridge to keep it cool.
6. Stir the mushrooms so they caramelize all over; some bits will be dark brown, some
   lighter brown. When they’re good and brown, add the rest of the ginger-garlic mix and
   the Wicked Kitchen Sticky Teriyaki Sauce. Stir it in good as it sizzles and bubbles. Then
   transfer the pan to the oven and cook for 10 to 15 minutes to crisp it up a bit.
7. Transfer the cooked mushrooms to a bowl.
8. Put the shroom pan back over medium heat and add the vegan butter. When it’s
   melted, toast the buns in the pan, swishing them around to soak up all the flavor bits in
   the pan. I like to put a lid on to help steam the buns a bit to soften them up.
9. Load the crispy “duck” shrooms on the bottom buns then top with the cucumber salad.
   Chomp down on those bad boys. You won’t be disappointed!

Note: If you can’t find Wicked Kitchen Sticky Teriyaki Sauce, use a 50-50 mix of hoisin sauce
and teriyaki sauce.

For more great recipes from our celebrity chefs, check out our Guest Chef Column. 

The post Watch: How to Make Hoisin BBQ Pulled “Duck” Mushroom Sandwiches appeared first on The Beet.

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

Vegan Crab Boil Pasta

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 12 ounces spaghetti or linguine
• 12 ounces red potatoes (about 4 medium)
• 2 ears fresh whole sweet corn
• Olive oil
• 2 plant-based sausages (about 8 oz/200 g total), such as Wicked Kitchen Chorizo
• Style Sausages or Field Roast Italian sausages
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 small tomato
• 1 tsp Old Bay crab boil seasoning
• 1/4 cup vegan butter
• 1/4 cup grated vegan Parmesan, plus some for garnish
• Handful of fresh basil leaves

Instructions

1. Add the pasta to salted boiling water, give it a stir, and put a lid on the pot to return the water to a boil.
2. Cut the potatoes into bite-sized chunks. After 2 minutes of boiling the pasta, add the potatoes to the pasta water. Return to a boil again. Shuck the corn, then after 2 minutes of boiling the potatoes, add the naked ears of corn to the pot. Return to a boil again, and boil until the pasta and potatoes are tender. Total boiling time should be about 12 minutes.
3. Remove the sausage from the casing, then slice it on an angle or crumble it into irregular chunks. Here’s a quick hack to crumble it: halve the links lengthwise, then use a biscuit/pastry cutter to cut/mash the sausages into irregular crumbled sausage pieces.
4. Heat a wok or big deep pan over medium high heat. The pan needs to be big enough to hold the cooked pasta and should have a handle. Swirl in some olive oil, then add the sausage and cook until browned a bit, about 5 minutes. Mince the garlic, add it to the pan, and cook 1 minute. Chop the tomato and add it to the pan.
5. When the pasta is almost tender, use tongs to transfer the corn to a cutting board. Cut the kernels off the cobs and set aside.
6. Drain the pasta and potatoes, saving 3 cups of pasta water. Add the drained pasta and potatoes to the sausage pan along with the Old Bay seasoning, vegan butter, and 1 cup pasta water. Simmer the pasta in the pan, stirring like mad to marry the pasta and sauce together. Shake, flip, stir, toss…do whatever it takes to create a creamy sauce that coats the pasta. Add another 1-2 cups water as necessary to keep the pan from going dry. Near the end, add the corn kernels and season everything with salt and pepper. Chop the basil, then remove the pasta from the heat and stir in the basil and vegan Parmesan.
7. Divide among plates and garnish with more Parmesan and basil.

For more great recipes from our celebrity chefs, check out our Guest Chef Column. 

The post Love Crab? Try This Vegan Crab Boil Pasta from Chefs Derek & Chad Sarno appeared first on The Beet.

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes

Tomato Phyllo Pizza

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 4 heirloom tomatoes
• 1 tsp flaky sea salt
• 1 small shallot
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 lemon
• 1 cup vegan ricotta cheese, such as Kite Hill
• 1/2 cup vegan cream cheese, such as Kite Hill or Follow Your Heart
• 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 3 Tbsp olive oil or melted vegan butter, plus some for drizzling
• 5 sheets of frozen vegan phyllo pastry
• Fresh thyme sprigs
• A handful of fresh arugula

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC).
2. Core and slice the tomatoes, and place them on a towel-lined baking tray. Sprinkle them with flaky salt and let sit for 15 minutes. Then flip them. That helps drain some water from the tomatoes so the crust stays crisp.
3. Meanwhile, thinly slice the shallot and garlic and place them in a mixing bowl. Zest the lemon and squeeze the juice (through your fingers to catch any seeds), adding those to the bowl. Stir in the ricotta, cream cheese, and nutritional yeast, along with little salt and pepper to taste. If the mix is too thick to spread, stir in a little water to thin it out.
4. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and brush it with oil or vegan butter.
5. Take a full sheet of phyllo and lightly brush with oil or butter. Then fold it over itself so the oiled sides are facing together. Oil the surface and fold the phyllo again. Oil the top side, then transfer the folded-up sheet to one side of the prepared pan.
6. Repeat with another sheet of phyllo, placing it over the first folded-up sheet. Repeat that process with 2 more sheets of phyllo, laying them on top of each other next to the ones already in the pan. This is your pizza base. Oil the last sheet of phyllo, then tear it into strips and roll and ruffle them up, placing them around the edge of the crust in the pan to create a little rim.
7. Spread the ricotta across the phyllo crust sheet, then layer the tomatoes on top, and drizzle with a little oil. Add a little fresh thyme, salt, and black pepper.
8. Bake for 30 minutes. The tomatoes should be slightly wilted and the crust slightly golden and crisp.
9. Toss the arugula with a little olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper, then scatter it over the top. Slice the pizza into squares, plate it up, and enjoy.

Nutritionals 

Calories 505 | Total Fat 26.1g | Saturated Fat 8.6g | Cholesterol 0mg | Sodium 2126mg | Total Carbohydrate 58.9g | Dietary Fiber 6.2g | Total Sugars 8.5g | Protein 12.4g | Vitamin D 0mcg | Calcium 39mg | Iron 2mg | Potassium 618mg |

For more great recipes from our celebrity chefs, check out our Guest Chef Column. 

The post Vegan Ricotta and Tomato Phyllo Pizza from Chefs Derek and Chad Sarno appeared first on The Beet.

Here, we use puff pastry to make a super simple tart with seasoned crumbled tofu, vegan cheese, spinach, and tomatoes. This dish is high in protein and great for brunch with friends. The secret ingredient? A pinch of Indian black salt (also known as kala namak). This salt is high in sulfur and really pumps up the eggy taste of the tart. If you can’t find it, just use regular salt.

The “All-Day Breakfast” Vegan Tart is created by Derek and Chad Saro, founders of Wicked Kitchen and Wicked Healthy Food.

Prep Time:15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes

All-Day Vegan Breakfast Tart

Serves 6-8 

Ingredients

• 2 blocks (14 oz each) of extra-firm tofu
• 1/2 tsp kala namak (Indian black salt)
• 1/2 tsp granulated garlic
• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• Salt
• 4 Tbsp Wicked Kitchen Bac-No-Naise Vegan Mayo or other bacon-flavored vegan mayo
• 2 Tbsp Wicked Kitchen Smokey BBQ Nooch Seasoning
• 3/4 cup shredded vegan cheddar-style cheese
• Vegetable oil
• 1 bag (about 5 oz) of baby spinach
• 1 sheet (about 8 oz) vegan puff pastry, thawed
• 10 cherry tomatoes
• A few squirts of your favorite BBQ sauce

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
2. Drain the tofu, then squeeze it gently over the sink to remove some excess moisture. Try not to press too hard or it will break. Wrap the squeeze blocks in paper towels to remove a little more moisture. Then coarsely crumble the tofu into a mixing bowl.
3. Add the black salt, garlic, turmeric, pepper, mayo, nooch seasoning, and cheese to the bowl. Season with a little salt, then mix everything together.
4. Heat a medium skillet over medium heat and swirl in 1 Tbsp vegetable oil. Add the spinach and cook just until wilted, a minute or so. Transfer it to the bowl and mix in. The tofu should break up into smaller bits as you mix. You want it the size of scrambled egg curds.
5. Unroll the thawed puff pastry in its parchment paper on a work surface. Brush some vegetable oil around the perimeter of the pastry, about 1” wide. Season with a little salt and pepper, then fold all the sides in over the oil to create a rim about 1” wide. Crimp the rim with a fork. That makes it look nice and keeps it from puffing up too much. Use the fork to poke holes all through the pastry to keep it from puffing.
6. Spoon the filling onto the pastry then spread it all the way to the rim, pressing it gently to make an even layer. Dot the top with the cherry tomatoes, pressing them in gently. If you have vine-ripened tomatoes, leave the little green tops on. They look great!
7. Pick up opposite ends of the parchment to transfer the tart and parchment to a quarter sheet pan (about 10 x 12” rectangle pan). Bake until the pastry is puffed and lightly browned around the edges, 20 to 25 minutes.
8. You can serve this tart hot or let it cool and serve it at room temperature. We like to cut into 6-8 squares. Transfer the squares to plates and squirt with a little BBQ sauce.

Notes:

• If you can’t find bacon-flavored vegan mayo, use 4 Tbsp plain vegan mayo + 1/2 tsp smoked paprika, 1/2 tsp maple syrup, and 1/4 tsp ground black pepper.
• If you can’t find Wicked Kitchen Smokey BBQ Nooch Seasoning, use 1 1/2 Tbsp nutritional yeast + 1 1/2 tsp BBQ rub of your choice.
• Garnish with some fresh thyme sprigs to go all out!

Nutritionals 

Calories 216 | Total Fat 13.5g | Saturated Fat 5.5g | Cholesterol 6mg | Sodium 436mg | Total Carbohydrate 19.8g | Dietary Fiber 3.9g | Total Sugars 6g | Protein 5.8g | Vitamin D 0mcg | Calcium 138mg | Iron 2mg | Potassium 772mg |

For more great recipes from our celebrity chefs, check out our Guest Chef Column. 

The post All-Day Vegan Breakfast Tart from Chefs Derek & Chad Sarno appeared first on The Beet.

The date fruit is one of the oldest cultivated tree crops and has been grown for thousands of years. By using whole dates, it is possible to satisfy your sweet tooth, healthfully and deliciously, without ever using sugar. Even though dates are a high sugar fruit, research shows that they are still the most favorable sweetener, and do not raise blood glucose or triglycerides. One of our favorite ways to use dates in a dessert is with these decadent peanut butter fudge truffles that are easy to make and contain only five ingredients.

Your recipe developer, Chef AJ, lost 100 pounds and kept it off by eating a plant-based diet rich in whole foods, and shares one of her famous diet-friendly desserts made with all-natural ingredients. The secret to losing weight for AJ was her low oil and high carb diet, full of potatoes and vegetable broth for sautéeing veggies, and this indulgent, yet healthier-for-you peanut butter fudge truffles!

Peanut Butter Fudge Truffles

Makes 6

Ingredients

• 1 batch Chocolate FUNdue (recipe follows)
• Chopped unsalted peanuts

Instructions

1. Prepare the FUNdue, place in a glass bowl, and chill until firm. Use a small cookie scoop to form the FUNdue into balls and roll the balls in the chopped peanuts. Freeze until firm.

Chef’s Notes:

• I like to put these in individual paper candy cups. I’ll also put these truffles inside See’s Candies boxes and fool people all the time!
• You can make a raw version of these treats by using raw almond butter, raw cashew butter, or tahini.

Chocolate Fundue

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsweetened, unsalted peanut butter
• 1 cup Date Paste (recipe follows)
• ½ cup cocoa powder or carob powder
• 1 tablespoon alcohol-free vanilla extract, or 1 teaspoon vanilla powder
• ¾ to 1 cup unsweetened nondairy milk

Instructions

1. Place all the ingredients, except the milk, in a food processor fitted with the “S” blade and process just until they are incorporated, scraping down the sides of the processor bowl if necessary.
2. Slowly add the nondairy milk, a little at a time, until the desired consistency is reached. You can eat this immediately or chill to get a firmer texture.

Chef’s Notes:

• Serve this as a dip with your favorite fruit, such as cut apples or strawberries. Or buy wooden skewers and place several different fruits on them in shish-kabob style.
• If you have leftover FUNdue, make Nutty Buddies (recipe follows) or Peanut Butter Fudge Truffles.
• You can make a raw version by using raw almond butter or tahini.
• To drastically reduce the fat, my friend Robin replaces half the nut butter with rinsed, drained cannellini beans. You could probably add even more beans and less nut butter, and it would still be delicious.
• If you prefer not to use chocolate or carob, omit them, and make a creamy peanut butter dip.

Nutty Buddies

Tastes just like the frozen bananas from Disneyland, but you won’t have to Mouse around with your health.

Ingredients

• Chocolate FUNdue
• Chopped nuts or unsweetened coconut

Ingredients

1. Place a stick in a peeled, ripe banana and coat it with the FUNdue, using your hands if necessary to coat evenly. Roll the banana in chopped nuts or unsweetened coconut, place on wax paper, and freeze until hard.

Chef’s Notes: If you don’t have sticks, slice the banana and make individual pieces

Date Paste

Make sure you always have some of this on hand to create a healthy dessert in no time.

Ingredients

• 1 pound pitted dates
• 1 cup water, unsweetened nondairy milk, or unsweetened juice

Instructions

1. Soak the dates in the liquid overnight or for several hours, until much of the liquid has been absorbed. In a food processor fitted with the “S” blade, process the dates and liquid until completely smooth. Store Date Paste in the refrigerator.

Chef’s Notes: You can add vanilla extract or vanilla powder to your Date Paste if you like.

Nutritionals 

Calories 528 | Total Fat 24.8g | Saturated Fat 6.2g | Cholesterol 0mg | Sodium 27mg | Total Carbohydrates 48.5g | Dietary Fiber 10.2g | Total Sugars 31.2g | Protein 17.2g | Calcium 105mg | Iron 4mg | Potassium 623mg |

Chef AJ is an expert in healthy plant-based eating and has been devoted to a plant-exclusive diet for over 43 years. A former self-proclaimed food addict, her approach helped her lose more than 100 pounds and keep it off. As a culinary instructor, AJ is the host of the television series Healthy Living with CHEF AJ that airs on Foody TV and the author of Unprocessed: How to Achieve Vibrant Health and Your Ideal Weight. Follow her on YouTube.

The post Chef AJ Lost 100 Pounds. Here’s Her Diet-Friendly 5-Ingredient Dessert appeared first on The Beet.

The Korean-Style Fried Rice With Radish Kimchi & Cabbage is created by Derek and Chad Saro, founders of Wicked Kitchen and Wicked Healthy Food.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes

Korean Style Fried Rice With Radish Kimchi And Cabbage

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 1 tsp canola oil or other neutral cooking oil
• 1/2 head of cabbage, diced
• 1 clove garlic, karate-chopped
• 1/2 16-oz jar cubed radish kimchi
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 red jalapeno, sliced
• 1 1/2 cups leftover brown rice
• Cilantro sprigs
• Salt and pepper
• 1 lime, quartered for squeezing

Instructions

1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. When hot, add the oil and diced cabbage and let cook until the edges char a bit.
2. Stir in the garlic and let the cabbage ends continue to char, but keep things moving so the garlic doesn’t burn. Dump in the kimchi, sesame oil, jalapeno, and leftover rice.
3. Wait for a second, then stir.
4. Once the rice is warmed through, remove it from the heat and transfer it to plates or bowls.
5. Top with cilantro, season with salt and pepper, and a squeeze of lime, and it’s good to go.

Nutritionals 

Calories 676 | Total Fat 8.7g | Saturated Fat 1.3g | Cholesterol 0mg | Sodium 2579mg | Total Carbohydrate 131.4g | Dietary Fiber 10.5g | Total Sugars 6.5g | Protein 13.4g | Calcium 134mg | Iron 4mg | Potassium 741mg |

The post Korean-Style Fried Rice With Radish Kimchi & Cabbage by Wicked Kitchen appeared first on The Beet.

Prep time: 15 minutes
Bake time: 25 minutes

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Baked PB&J Vegan Oat Bars

Makes 16 bars

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon golden flax meal
• 3 tablespoons water
• 2 cups gluten-free rolled oats (not quick-cooking)
• 1 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour
• 1 cup coconut sugar
• 1⁄4 cup tapioca flour (can substitute arrowroot flour)
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 cup natural crunchy or smooth peanut butter
• 3⁄4 cup nondairy milk
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1⁄4 cup of favorite jam

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Line an 8 by an 8-inch baking pan with parchment paper by cutting two strips both 8 inches wide and crossing them in the pan to create clean edges. Trim the excess overhang, if needed.
3. Combine the flax meal and water and set aside to thicken, for 5 to 10 minutes.
   In a large mixing bowl, combine the rolled oats, all-purpose flour, coconut sugar, tapioca flour, baking powder, and sea salt.
4. In a large liquid measuring cup or another mixing bowl, combine the peanut butter, nondairy milk, and vanilla with the thickened flax meal mixture until smooth. Add this to the mixing bowl of dry ingredients and fold together until fully combined.
5. Spread the mixture evenly into the baking pan all the way to the edges. Take a dough cutter or knife and lightly score or mark every 2 inches across in each direction, creating the indented lines for 16 square bars. Do not cut through the pan of oat bars at this stage.
6. Dollop about 1⁄2 teaspoon of jam on top of each square and gently press it with the back of the teaspoon into the top of each bar.
7. Bake for 25 minutes, until the edges are golden brown and the bars look soft and raised.
8. Cool in the baking pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes before lifting out by the parchment paper edges and placing it onto the wire rack. Slice bars where you made the scores.
9. Cool completely before storing leftovers in the fridge. You can warm it slightly in the microwave for 30 seconds before eating. Consume within 7 days.

HOT TIP: If you don’t require these to be gluten-free, then you can use rolled oats that aren’t specifically labeled as such, and you can substitute 11⁄4 cups of all-purpose flour for the gF and tapioca flours.

Nutritionals 

Calories 251 | Total Fat 9.5g | Saturated Fat 1.8g | Cholesterol 0mg | Sodium 196mg | Total Carbohydrates 36.2g | Dietary Fiber 3.2g | Total Sugars 14.4g | Protein 7g | Vitamin D 0mcg | Calcium 70mg | Iron 3mg | Potassium 201mg |

Lauren Toyota brings a new and irreverent attitude to plant-based cooking. Creator of the popular blog, Hot for Food, she has authored two plant-based cookbooks, Hot for Food Vegan Comfort Classics: 101 Recipes to Feed Your Face in 2018, compiling everything from the Best Vegan Ramen to Raspberry Funfetti Pop-Tarts. Now she just came out Hot for Food All Day: Easy Recipes to Level Up Your Vegan Meals, leaving any hungry reader drooling over the pages of recipes like Tokyo Street Fries. Check out her blog, Youtube channel, or Instagram feed for inspiration and entertainment.

Permission is for nonexclusive use of the requested content and is based on use of the following credit line: Reprinted from HOT FOR FOOD ALL DAY. Copyright © 2021 by Lauren Toyota. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Random House, a division of Penguin Random House LLC.

The post Lauren Toyota Shows You How to Make Her Baked Vegan PB&J Oat Bars appeared first on The Beet.

Feel free to add your favorite extras: Some people love pickles or capers in egg salad, some like crunchy celery, and just about everyone likes a teaspoon or two of curry powder. Have fun with it!

The Vegan Egg Salad is created by Derek and Chad Saro, founders of Wicked Kitchen and Wicked Healthy Food.

Prep time: 15 minutes

Eggless Egg Salad Pitas

Serves 2 to 4

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Wicked Kitchen Garlic Vegan Mayo with Caramelized Onion (or other vegan mayo)
• 4 green onions, finely sliced
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 3/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 package (14 ounces) firm or extra-firm tofu, drained and patted dry
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
• 2 large pitas, split
• Handful tender crunchy greens, like baby lettuces, watercress or microgreens
• Thinly sliced radishes

Instructions

1. Whisk the mayo, green onions, mustard, turmeric, salt, and pepper together in a large bowl.
2. Cut the tofu into 1/2-inch (1.25-cm) cubes and add to the bowl. Toss to combine, then use a spoon in a chopping motion to break up some chunks until the mixture looks like conventional egg salad. Mix in the dill.
3. You can refrigerate the mixture for up to 3 days. To serve, open up a pita half and line the bottom with greens and a few radish slices, then spoon the tofu salad into the pitas.

The post Vegan Egg Salad from Derek and Chad Sarno in The Wicked Kitchen appeared first on The Beet.

My mom, who was the primary — read, only — cook in the house, used it liberally, but it was us kids who “discovered” that there were few limits of mayo: We’d spread toast with it, eat it with hot sauce (revolutionary at the time), dip cold potatoes into it (deconstructed potato salad, I guess), and more.

Nowadays, most of our mayo is homemade: It takes 30 seconds and kills the store-bought stuff, whatever brand. (Yes, there’s still a jar of Hellmann’s in the fridge.) And often that homemade mayo is vegan, usually with a base of silken tofu. That’s also easy to make, though, of course, you can buy a variety of substitutes. The development of vegan mayo – something that really didn’t exist in my childhood – now allows everyone to enjoy deli-style salads, like coleslaw, macaroni, potato, and so on.

The basic elements of these – and of the non-vegan egg, chicken, tuna, and so on – salads, are well known. But if you start playing around, you can always come up with something new, and my favorite of this is a creamy salad of grated jicama (celeriac, kohlrabi, parsnips, turnips – even a combination – are also fabulous here), bound in a mustardy mayonnaise dressing with grapes and the strong, mysterious fresh tarragon.

For more great recipes from Mark Bittman, join The Bittman Project.

When you join The Bittman Project, members have access to every recipe that Mark Bittman publishes as well as community discussions, weekly Super-Cheap Dinner recipes, and some of the most stimulating food journalism in existence.

Everything-But-the-Chicken Salad

Time: 25 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 pound jicama, peeled
• Salt
• 1⁄2 cup raw sunflower seeds
• 1⁄2 cup vegan mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon
• Pepper
• 1 cup seedless red grapes, halved
• 3 celery stalks, chopped
• 1⁄2 small red onion, chopped
• 8 large, sturdy romaine leaves

Instructions

1. Use the shredding attachment on a food processor or the largest holes on a box grater to grate the jicama. Mix the vegetable with a generous pinch of salt, then let it sit in a colander in the sink or over a bowl for 20 to 30 minutes. Rinse the jicama, then wring it as dry as you can manage in a towel. Transfer to a large bowl.
2. Put the sunflower seeds in a medium skillet over medium heat. Cook, shaking the pan occasionally, until they are slightly darker and fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to the bowl with the jicama. Put the mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, oil, and 1 teaspoon of tarragon in a small bowl and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Whisk to combine, then taste and adjust the seasoning.
3. Put the grapes, celery, onion, and remaining 2 teaspoons of tarragon in the large bowl and drizzle on some of the dressing. Toss gently to coat, then taste and adjust the seasoning, adding more dressing if you like. To serve, put the lettuce leaves on a serving platter or in individual bowls and top with a heaping spoonful of salad.

— Recipe from Dinner for Everyone

Time: 10 minutes

Veganaise

Makes almost 1 cup

Ingredients

• 6 ounces extra-firm silken tofu (about 3/4 cup; half a 12-ounce package)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar or fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
• Pinch ground turmeric (optional)

Instructions

1. Put all the ingredients in a blender. Turn the machine to medium speed and let it run for a minute or 2, then turn it off.
2. Scrape the side of the container down with a rubber spatula, turn the blender back on, and let it run for 3 minutes. Stop and scrape again, then run the blender for a minute or so more. Taste and add more salt if necessary. Serve or cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

• Sweeter Vegannaise, Salad-Dressing Style: Like really good Miracle Whip, if that makes sense: Add 1 tablespoon sugar along with the other ingredients.
• Thicker Vegannaise: The consistency will be more like store-bought: Reduce the oil to 2 tablespoons and the vinegar to 1 tablespoon. You will have to stop and scrape the side down more frequently.

— From How to Cook Everything Vegetarian 10th Anniversary Edition

Nutritionals 

Calories 452 | Total Fat 20.8g | Saturated Fat 1.3g | Cholesterol 0mg | Sodium 371mg | Total Carbohydrate 62.7g | Dietary Fiber 6.9g | Total Sugars 23.3g | Protein 18g | Vitamin D 0mcg | Calcium 37mg | Iron 1mg | Potassium 3432mg |

The post Mark Bittman’s Everything-But-the-Chicken Salad appeared first on The Beet.

This smoky baked tofu is easy to make, super satisfying and packed with protein. It’s got a melty, cheesy top crust and a crispy, savory bottom crust. Serve it with garlicky green beans and chips, mashed potatoes, rice, or Asian-style noodles. We don’t call it protein. We just call it delicious.

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 35 minutes

Smokey Street Style BBQ Tofu

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 blocks of medium-firm tofu (10.5 oz/300 g each)
• 2 Tbsp veg oil
• 3 Tbsp BBQ rub, such as Wicked Kitchen (see note)
• Salt and pepper
• 1 pack (12 oz/340 g) trimmed green beans
• 1 clove garlic
• 4 Tbsp bacon-y vegan mayo, such as Wicked Kitchen Bac-No-Naise (see note)
• 4 Tbsp panko or breadcrumbs
• 4 Tbsp shredded smoked vegan cheese
• 3 green onions

Secret Creamy Spicy BBQ Condiment

• 3 parts BBQ sauce (Wicked Kitchen or your favorite)
• 1 part vegan mayo
• 1 part Sriracha

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF/200ºC. Get a kettle of water boiling.
2. Drain and press the tofu. I just press it gently by hand over the sink for a minute or so.
3. Coat the tofu all over with some of the oil (maybe 2 tsp), season it with a little salt and pepper, then coat all over with the BBQ rub. Get the sides too.
4. Heat a heavy ovenproof skillet like cast iron over medium-high heat. Drizzle some oil (maybe 1 Tbsp) into the pan to coat the bottom, then add the tofu. Be gentle so the tofu blocks don’t break. Save the tofu bowl with any leftover seasoning in it. That’ll flavor the green beans later.
5. Cook the tofu until the bottom starts to char a bit, 3 or 4 minutes. Then flip over the tofu and transfer the whole pan to the oven. Bake the tofu for 10 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, put the green beans in a medium heatproof bowl. Slice the garlic and add it to the bowl. Add enough boiling water to cover the green beans, and let sit for 5-7 minutes. This is a simple way to blanch vegetables. One less pot on the stove! When they’re done soaking, pour into a sieve to drain. Then, transfer the drained beans and garlic to your reserved tofu bowl with the BBQ seasoning in it. Drizzle in about 1 Tbsp oil and season with a little salt and pepper. Toss to coat.
7. To mix up a crust for the tofu, combine the mayo, panko, and cheese in a small bowl. Chop the green onions and add 2 of them to the bowl (reserve the rest for garnish). Season with a little salt and pepper then mix it all up real good. The panko should bind it together so it’s not runny.
8. Retrieve the tofu and flip the blocks over again. Careful – that pan will be hot! Spread the crust mixture evenly over the top of each tofu block. Pop the pan back into the oven and bake until the crust melts and browns all over the tofu, 15 to 20 minutes.
9. Use a spatula to transfer the baked tofu to a plate. Then put the hot tofu pan on the stovetop.
10. Here’s the magic: Add the seasoned green beans to the tofu pan and hit it with a splash of white wine or water (maybe 2 Tbsp). You get the seasoning from the tofu and all that flavor from the pan and use it to cook the green beans! Cook over medium-high heat for a minute or so, then shake the beans into an even layer and transfer the tofu back over the beans. Pop the whole shebang back in the oven for 5 minutes to finish cooking those green beans.
11. Plate it up, putting the tofu next to the green beans. To garnish, mix up the secret condiment and spoon it into a squeeze bottle. I keep this stuff in the fridge at all times. Cuz it’s amazing! Squirt a few stripes of mayo over the tofu, then a few stripes of the secret BBQ condiment. Top with chopped green onions and dig in!

NOTES

• Tofu tubs range in size and weight. If yours is 14 oz/400 g instead of 10 oz/300 g, use it all anyway.
• Can’t find Wicked Kitchen BBQ rub? Mix 1 Tbsp smoked paprika, 1 Tbsp ground cumin, 1 Tbsp onion granules, 1 Tbsp garlic granules, and 1 tsp cayenne pepper or chili flakes.
• You can replace the Wicked Kitchen Bac-No-Naise with vegan mayo mixed with some smoked paprika and a touch of agave syrup.
• Panko is a super light and airy type of Japanese breadcrumbs. It’s what makes tempura so crispy. You could use plain dried breadcrumbs instead.

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Nutritionals 

Calories 542 | Total Fat 32g | Saturated Fat 4.1g | Cholesterol 0mg | Sodium 2785mg | Total Carbohydrate 30.7g | Dietary Fiber 8.5g | Total Sugars 2.9g | Protein 32.7g | Calcium 574mg | Iron 7mg | Potassium 983mg |

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