Chapter 13: Sides and Lighter Meals 3 Cover the tofu with a clean kitchen towel or cheesecloth, place in a sealable container, and set in the refrigerator for at least hours and up to days The longer the tofu sits, the stronger the miso flavor will become 4 When the tofu is ready, scrape off the miso The tofu cheese can be crumbled on salads or vegan pizza, or sliced and eaten on crackers or toast You can save the leftover miso for another use, such as for soup or dressings 5 Gently rinse the tofu in cold water Store any unused cheese in an airtight container for up to days Per serving: Calories 180 (From Fat 82); Fat 9g (Saturated 1g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 1,265mg; Carbohydrate 12g; Dietary Fiber 2g; Protein 16g Tofu Sour Cream This sour cream substitute is excellent for dipping chips and carrots or drizzling over burritos and chili — and the best part is that it’s guilt free! Preparation time: 10 minutes Chilling time: hour Yield: 11⁄2 cups One 12.3-ounce package of silken tofu, drained teaspoon agave syrup tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice clove garlic, minced ⁄2 teaspoon miso paste teaspoons ume vinegar or apple cider vinegar 1 Place all the ingredients in a blender or food processor and process several minutes, or until very smooth and creamy You can serve the sour cream immediately, but it tastes best when refrigerated for at least hour before serving The sour cream keeps for days if refrigerated in a well-sealed glass container Per serving: Calories 17 (From Fat 10); Fat 2g (Saturated 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 6mg; Carbohydrate 1g; Dietary Fiber 0g; Protein 1g 169 170 Part IV: Tasting Is Believing: Vegan Recipes Homemade Pickled Vegetables Naturally fermented foods, including pickles, can help the body to digest heavy, fatty meals — and they’re delicious! Used in most ethnic cuisines, pickles add zest and texture variety to your menus Preparation time: 15 minutes Chilling time: 12 hours or overnight Yield: cups cups water clove garlic, minced tablespoons umeboshi vinegar cups mixed vegetables (choose from red cabbage, radishes, red onion, string beans, cucumber, cauliflower, carrots, or celery) tablespoon brown rice vinegar tablespoon salt 1 Combine the water, vinegars, salt, and garlic in a large saucepan Bring to a boil over high heat and then remove from the heat 2 Place the vegetables in a glass jar just large enough to hold them 3 Cool the liquid mixture, or “brine,” and then pour it into the jar with the vegetables Cover with a tight-fitting lid or plastic wrap held on tightly with a rubber band around the mouth of the jar Refrigerate overnight, or for at least 12 hours 4 These pickles will keep for up to weeks in the refrigerator Per serving: Calories 25 (From Fat 1); Fat 0g (Saturated 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 1,163mg; Carbohydrate 6g; Dietary Fiber 2g; Protein 1g Chapter 13: Sides and Lighter Meals Carrot Ginger Dressing This dressing has a spicy kick paired with the natural sweetness of fresh carrots Drizzle it on a simple green salad, or dress up your steamed veggies or cooked grains with a nice dollop The dressing will keep fresh in your refrigerator for up to a week Preparation time: 10 minutes Yield: servings ⁄2 pound carrots (about medium carrots), grated tablespoon toasted sesame oil ⁄4 cup water shallot, chopped ⁄4 cup white rice vinegar tablespoon mirin (rice wine) tablespoons peeled and minced fresh ginger 1 ⁄2 cup extra-virgin olive oil tablespoon naturally brewed soy sauce (tamari, shoyu, or Bragg’s Liquid Aminos) 1 In a blender, combine the carrot, water, vinegar, ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, shallot, and mirin, and then puree 2 While the blender is running, drizzle in the oil until incorporated Store in the refrigerator until ready to use Per serving: Calories 156 (From Fat 137); Fat 15g (Saturated 2g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 131mg; Carbohydrate 4g; Dietary Fiber 1g; Protein 1g Filling Up with Some Sensational Sides The side dishes in this section are so good that you may just want to make a meal of several of them They’re versatile and pair well with countless main dishes The seitan is an incredible base for numerous recipes, but it also can stand alone as a simple protein for making sandwiches or reheating for a quick snack The rice balls can be eaten alone for a midday snack or laid on the table alongside homemade soups and casseroles Kale chips serve as a lovely and healthy stand-in for the deep-fried potato version found in stores Keep in mind that because you cook all these side dishes yourself, you can control the quality of the ingredients and the cooking techniques 171 172 Part IV: Tasting Is Believing: Vegan Recipes Homemade “Wheat Meat” Seitan is a protein-rich, easy-to-flavor ingredient used in many vegan dishes Making seitan at home saves you money and reduces plastic packaging waste This useful ingredient can be bought at the store, but once you start making it at home, you’ll feel empowered and prepared for many different dishes like soup, stew, sauces, and stir-fry The kneading process can be fun and satisfying It hearkens back to the days when our great-great-grandparents churned butter and made their bread from scratch You can easily double this recipe — just use a really big bowl and pot! Preparation time: 30 minutes Cooking time: 11⁄2 to 21⁄2 hours Yield: servings Seitan cups vital wheat gluten flour ⁄2 cup nutritional yeast flakes cups cold water ⁄2 cup naturally brewed soy sauce (tamari, shoyu, or Bragg’s Liquid Aminos) 1 Place the vital wheat gluten flour and nutritional yeast flakes in a large mixing bowl and stir well with a whisk to combine 2 While stirring with a wooden spoon, gradually pour the cold water and soy sauce into the flour to form a stiff, but not too sticky, dough that can be kneaded 3 Knead the dough for about minutes to develop the gluten The dough will become elastic (See Figure 13-1 for instructions on kneading dough.) 4 When the dough is finished, set it aside and prepare the simmering stock (as shown in the following recipe) Simmering stock cups water garlic cloves, roughly chopped cup naturally brewed soy sauce (tamari, shoyu, or Bragg’s Liquid Aminos) bay leaf quarter-sized slices of ginger inches kombu 1 In a large pot, combine the water, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, bay leaf, and kombu 2 Pull pieces of the seitan dough (see preceding recipe) into small billiard-size balls Drop the pieces into the cold liquid, one at a time, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking 3 Bring the stock to a boil, lower to a simmer, and then cover and cook for to 11⁄2 hours, depending on the size of the pieces 4 Allow the seitan to cool to room temperature in the broth and store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container, submerged in the broth Chapter 13: Sides and Lighter Meals 173 Tip: You can buy your own seitan at most health food stores in the refrigerator section near the tofu Some are teriyaki flavored or cut into strips for immediate stir-fry use Vary It! Seitan can be flavored to your liking Instead of the traditional ginger and garlic marinade, try premade, vegan “no-chicken” broth An Italian blend of herbs can include garlic, red wine, onion flakes, rosemary, marjoram, fennel seeds, and red pepper flakes Per serving: Calories 804 (From Fat 28); Fat 3g (Saturated 1g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 3,705mg; Carbohydrate 162g; Dietary Fiber 16g; Protein 34g Kale Chips Crunchy, salty, and satisfying, these chips replace the deep-fried potato version in many vegan homes Eating a leafy green vegetable while getting your chip fix is a pretty amazing feat Kids and adults alike love these little crunchy morsels, so you may need to buy a few heads of kale each week Never thought you’d that, did you? Preparation time: 10 minutes Cooking time: to 11 minutes Yield: servings tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil teaspoons apple cider vinegar teaspoon kosher salt bunch of curly kale, washed, dried, destemmed, and torn into 2-inch pieces teaspoons nutritional yeast flakes 1 Preheat the oven to 425 degrees 2 Mix the olive oil, vinegar, and salt together in a large mixing bowl Toss the kale in the liquid mixture 3 Put the kale on a baking sheet, sprinkle with nutritional yeast Bake for to minutes, or until the kale starts to brown Keep an eye on the kale, because it can burn quickly 4 After the one side starts to brown, toss the kale with tongs on the baking sheet and bake with the other side up for another to minutes Remove the chips from the baking sheet and enjoy! Tip: Nutritional yeast adds a rich, cheesy taste and protein to dishes Enriched flakes also add vitamin B12 and zinc! Find it in shakers in the condiment aisle or in the bulk bins at your health food store Per serving: Calories 99 (From Fat 66); Fat 7g (Saturated 1g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 606mg; Carbohydrate 8g; Dietary Fiber 2g; Protein 3g ... an incredible base for numerous recipes, but it also can stand alone as a simple protein for making sandwiches or reheating for a quick snack The rice balls can be eaten alone for a midday snack... the flour to form a stiff, but not too sticky, dough that can be kneaded 3 Knead the dough for about minutes to develop the gluten The dough will become elastic (See Figure 13-1 for instructions... techniques 171 172 Part IV: Tasting Is Believing: Vegan Recipes Homemade “Wheat Meat” Seitan is a protein-rich, easy-to-flavor ingredient used in many vegan dishes Making seitan at home saves you