Category Archives: Main dishes

Main dishes, Recipes

Easy scrambled tofu recipe, as enjoyed at National Vegetarian Week #NVW16

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Big Veggie Brunch plate
Scrambed tofu and other vegan treats on a sample plate from the Big Veggie Brunch.

We had a wonderful time running the Big Veggie Brunch last week as part of National Vegetarian Week in Todmorden, offering free vegetarian and vegan breakfast foods to all. One of the most popular dishes was Andrew’s scrambled tofu. Here is the recipe for you to try it yourself!

Ingredients

  • Large block of plain tofu (cheaper stuff, e.g. from Chinese supermarket, works better for scramble due to higher water content)
  • Sunflower oil
  • Turmeric
  • Soy Sauce
  • Seasoning

Method

  1. Scramble the tofu using a fork on a chopping board (or directly in a wok)
  2. Heat in a large wok and mix in 1 tablespoon of oil
  3. Heat on a medium flame for approximately 12 minutes, stirring often, until most of the water has evaporated and it has started to (very, very slightly) brown. The consistency should look like scrambled egg.
  4. Stir in 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1/3 teaspoon ground turmeric and other seasoning (e.g. ground salt/chilli/garlic) to taste

The yellow colour of turmeric with the salt of the soy sauce helps to make this look and taste a bit like scrambled eggs (but better, in our opinion). Feel free to change the flavours to whatever you like, perhaps Mediterranean herbs or Chinese five-spice.

Frying scrambled tofu
Cooking scrambled tofu (photograph by Estelle)
The Big Veggie Brunch images
The Big Veggie Brunch photo collage (images by Estelle and Phil)
Main dishes

Fried tempeh

Serving tempehIngredients

  • I pack of tempeh (defrosted)
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • Equivalent amount of ginger
  • Soy sauce/shoyu – around two tablespoons
  • Oil for frying

Method

  1. Slice tempeh block into two slabs & then cut into fingers
  2. Crush and chop garlic
  3. Peel and chop ginger
  4. Place tempeh fingers in a dish
  5. Spread garlic and ginger over fingers
  6. Sprinkle soy sauce/shoyu lightly over the tempeh – don’t soak it or it will be too salty.
  7. Leave for 30 minutes
  8. Shallow fry fingers both sides along with marinade bits until browned to taste.
  9. Serve with stir fried vegetables and brown rice

Or try in a sandwich

Or use in a casserole

Or try something else

Main dishes

TLT (or vegan BLT) sandwiches

Making TLT sandwichesA vegan BLT can be called a TLT – tofu, lettuce and tomato. Here, it is made with locally grown lettuce and tomatoes (Incredible Edible Todmorden), using locally baked bread (Saker) and mayo that was made just minutes before.

Ingredients

  • 4 fluffy white buns/rolls/baps/etc. per person (I’m not getting into bread name politics!)
  • 4 thick slices of  firm bean curd/tofu (1 pack of Clear Spot Naturally Smoked Tofu)
  • 2 tomatoes, sliced
  • lettuce, washed and roughly chopped, (or spinach)
  • soy sauce
  • sunflower oil
  • egg-free mayo
  • Vitalite or other non-dairy marg, for spreading on the bread

Method

  1. Prepare the bread and slice the tomatoes.
  2. In a large pan, warm some oil, add the slices of tofu with some soy sauce. Gently fry both sides of the tofu for about 10-15 minutes per side. Meanwhile, add some mayo to the bread and wash and chop the greens.
  3. Make up the BLTs on the bread, in the order Vitalite, mayo, tofu, tomato, lettuce, more mayo. Serve immediately.
Vegan BLT
Here’s one I prepared earlier

Recipe from Impressive Food blog