crossfit fuel – The Vegan Love Project

Simple “Tastes Like Chicken” Tofu Slices

This taste is SO my childhood!!! My mother used to make roasted chicken wings with this salt and it was one of my favorite meals. Hot or cold, this shit tastes like chicken!!! Hot, it has an awesome, satisfying, crunch…cold, the texture gets even more toothsome. . I imagine coarsely chopping it into small pieces and making an amazing “chicken“ salad from the cold pieces- if they even make it to the fridge in the first place….not kidding…amazing.

Simple “Tastes Like Chicken” Tofu Slices

1 Pound tofu, thinly sliced in rectangles, about ¼” thick

2-4T Olive oil

Jane’s Mixed Up Krazy Salt to taste

1T nutritional yeast

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Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees.

In a roasting pan or dish, drizzle about 3T of olive oil on the bottom of the pan.

Place a slice down in the oil, sprinkle the herbed salt on the side facing up, then flip it over and salt the other side. Continue to do this until all of the tofu is covered in both oil and salt. Sprinkle nutritional yeast over the top of all of the slices.

Roast in the oven/ convection oven for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

This tofu is absolutely delicious, hot OR cold.

THIS SHIT TASTES LIKE CHICKEN

White Girl Gingered Cabbage & Corn Congee

This is an incredibly comforting and healing food. It is reminiscent of a Chinese egg drop soup, the broken rice lends a rich, starchy consistency to the soup that just feels amazing going down. I had squirreled away the most gorgeous corn this past summer and in lieu of BEING DONE WITH THIS WINTER and getting ready for the spring….I pulled it out of the freezer. Of course the ingredients can change but the combination was so satisfying plus the addition of the Beyond the Meat vegan chicken…it just a bowl of yum. I love this as a breakfast too!

White Girl Gingered Cabbage & Corn Congee

6 strips of Beyond Meat Vegan No Chicken, thawed, cut into small pieces

3/4c white broken rice or short-grain white rice

1 vegetable bouillon

1/2c yellow or red split dal

2-inch piece of ginger, minced or grated

2 stalks celery, medium dice or cut on the bias

1/4 small head of green cabbage, chopped

2 teaspoon salt + more to taste (I add ½ smoked salt, ½ pink)

½ large onion, minced

2 clove garlic, minced

1c corn niblets

2T coconut oil

1/2t smoked chipotle powder

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6 to 8 cups boiling water

In a large pot, heat up 2t of coconut oil. Add in a pinch of the minced ginger, a pinch of minced garlic and about 1T of the minced onion. Sauté the vegetables over medium high heat just until golden. Add in the chopped cabbage and continue to sauté over medium high heat, just until tender, about 3-5 minutes. Remove from the pot and set aside.

In the same pot, add the remaining coconut oil. Add the onions, ginger, garlic and celery and sauté over medium heat just until golden. Add in rice and the split peas and the vegetable bouillon. Cover with about 4-5 cups of boiling water and mix well. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to low. Allow the mixture to cook partially covered for at least 45 minutes, stirring frequently, adding water if necessary- there should be plenty of water for the porridge to ‘grow’ into. After about 30 minutes, add in some of the salt and chipotle and check for seasonings. It should be thickening as the rice and the dal start to break down. Add water in as necessary to achieve the desired consistency- I prefer mine on the thicker side, but still very much soup like. Overall, it should be ready after about an hour of cooking but will only get softer over time.

In the last minutes of cooking, add in the corn, the vegan chicken, and the sautéed cabbage.

I like to also add in some fresh ginger at the end to give it a fresh kick.

Salt and pepper to taste…this IS comfort food.

Baked Tofu Marinara Steaks

Baked Tofu Marinara Steaks

1-Pound tofu, rinsed, pressed, and drained- cut into thick, even slices

1c prepared Marinara (see recipe)

1T olive oil

1T shoyu or Tamari

2T maple syrup OR coconut sugar

Pink salt and pepper to taste

Pinch cayenne pepper *optional

2T nutritional yeast

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Preheat the oven to 400 degrees

In a small bowl, mix all of the ingredients except the tofu.

In a shallow baking dish, spoon most of the marinara mixture over the bottom of the dish. In one layer, place the tofu on top of the sauce, then spoon the remaining sauce over the tofu. I turn the tofu over in the pan several times to get a good marinara covering prior to baking. Then spoon some over the top.

Top with additional nutritional yeast or Vegan cheese your choice.

Bake for 45 minutes.

Serve hot or cold. Delicious with gluten free pasta, Sprouted brown rice or quinoa.

Simple Lemon Pepper Baked Tofu

This is a great way to serve tofu to the skeptic. Hot, it is best served with a side of white basmati rice and a simple salad. Cold, it is great in a sandwich or atop a bed of baby greens with a simple gorgeous vinaigrette. This is delicious both hot and cold, today I made it in cubes to have quick bite sized protein snacks on hand in the fridge for a busy weekend.

Lemon Pepper Baked Tofu

Wheat-free, Gluten-free

16oz tofu, (one package) – drained and pressed, sliced, cubed or cut into triangles

Juice of 2 lemons (1/4c)

1t ground black pepper- fresh is best

1 clove garlic, smashed and minced

Pinch to 1/4t chipotle powder

3T Extra Virgin Olive oil

2T nutritional yeast

1t pink salt or to taste

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Preheat oven to 400 degrees

In a bowl, mix the oil, lemon juice, pepper, and salt.

Add the tofu and toss until well coated. Pour into a baking dish.

Sprinkle with the nutritional yeast.

Bake for 35 minutes or until golden.

Chickpea Chana Masala

Chana Masala

You can make this as spicy hot or mild as you prefer, I LOVE a good kick so I put a whole hot pepper into it- whole, so I can fish it out after cooking so as not to mistake it for a cooked tomato. You can use canned or jar tomatoes with this but with local tomatoes still abundant, I made this using fresh. If you do use canned or jarred, you may need to add a little bit of sugar (maple syrup, sucanat, agave) to offset the bitterness.

3T coconut oil

2c-cooked chickpeas

1 onion, small dice

2 clove garlic, smashed and minced

1T ground cumin

2” fresh ginger, grated

1 hot pepper, sliced or chopped

2t mustard seeds

2t turmeric OR 1T Fresh grated

2t curry powder

2-3c fresh tomatoes, diced

2t pink salt

1t black pepper

2c water

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4c fresh baby spinach- reserve until serving.

1c fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped- reserve until serving.

In a large pot over medium high heat, add the coconut oil, onions, garlic and spices and sauté until the onions are translucent. Add the chopped tomatoes and the chickpeas. Cover with about 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and the let the mixture cook and mingle until the water has reduced and it looks more like a stew. Just before serving, add the spinach and the cilantro. Serve with Basmati or Jasmine rice.

Roasted Hot & Sweet Sweet Potatoes

Roasted Hot & Sweet Potatoes

2-3 small sweet Japanese potatoes, sliced on a diagonal or cubed

1/2 onion, thinly sliced

1/4″ fresh turmeric, grated *opt

1 clove garlic, minced or sliced

3T local grade B maple syrup

3-4T extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil

1t cinnamon

1 hot red pepper, sliced

1/2t pink salt

1/4t fresh black pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees

Toss all ingredients in a large bowl; making sure everything is well coated. Place in a shallow baking dish or roasting pan and put in the oven for 30 minutes, then toss and baste the vegetables with the roasting juices and continue to roast for an additional 20-30 minutes. Delicious warm or cold.

Cream of Heirloom Tomato Soup

Cream of Heirloom Tomato Soup

This soup is so simple and so delicious. Simple ingredients = amazingness. For a delicious, delicate, light soup, keep it to just the tomatoes- for a more substantial protein fortified option, the addition of white beans fills it out perfectly.

Wheat-Free, Gluten-Free

1 large onion, coarsely chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

3c fresh chopped heirloom tomatoes

1/4c fresh basil

1/2 fresh jalapeño, diced

2T olive

1T coconut oil

6c boiling water

1 veggie bouillon

1t salt or to taste

1c cooked white beans; baby limas, cannelini, or great northern beans *optional

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Cashew heavy cream

1/4c cashews

1c water

Bring 6c of water to a boil.

For the cream:

In a blender, grind the cashews to a powder. Add the water and blend at first at low speed and finally walking it up to full power. Let run for about 30 seconds. This should create a thick nut milk, likened to heavy crème.

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In a large soup pot, add the oil and sauté the onions until golden and soft. Add the tomatoes, salt, jalapeño and black pepper. Continue to sauté until the tomatoes soften and begin to break down and the pepper turns bright green. Add in the beans if using. Add the boiling water, the bouillon cube (or powder). Bring to a boil and reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

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In batches, in a blender or vitamix*, puree the tomato soup. At this point, the soup is delicious as is or the crème can be added to create a wonderfully elegant soup. Add the crème into the soup and stir with a ladle to incorporate. Adjust the seasonings again after adding the crème.

*Caution: blending hot liquids can be extremely dangerous. Fill the blender only half way and proceed in batches if necessary.

Chocolate Almond Power Smoothie

Chocolate Almond Power Smoothie

1c nut milk

1T hemp seed

2 Medjoul dates

2T Raw Almond Butter

1T Chia Seeds

2t maca powder

1T gold flax seeds

2T raw cacao powder

1T coconut sugar

1t vanilla

1 scoop protein powder

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1c ice

Blend all ingredients together except the ice and process until smooth- taste and adjust if needed

Add the ice and blend just until smooth.

Cream of Zucchini Soup

Cream of Zucchini Soup

This is the perfect way to use them, showcasing their sweet summer flavor. Roasting the zucchini first enhances the entire flavor of the soup but it is also an additional step in the preparation and is not necessary for a delicious soup.

Wheat-Free, Gluten-Free

1 large onion, coarsely chopped

1 large zucchini, chopped

1/4t chipotle powder *optional

3T coconut oil

6c boiling water

1 veg bouillon

1t salt or to taste

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1/4c cashews

1/2-1 whole fresh jalapeño

large handful fresh parsley or basil *optional

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Bring 6c of water to a boil.

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In a large soup pot, add the oil and sauté the onions until golden and soft. Add the zucchini, salt, and black pepper. Continue to sauté until the zucchini softens and turns bright green. Add the boiling water, the bouillon cube (or powder). Bring to a boil and reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

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In a blender or vitamix, add the zucchini mix, the cashews, and the jalapeño. Blend first at low speed and finally walking it up to full power. Let run for about 30 seconds.

Adjust the seasonings again after blending.

*Caution: blending hot liquids can be extremely dangerous. Fill the blender only half way and proceed in batches if necessary.

Amazing Chickpea Salad

Chickpea Salad

This is BOMB served in a wrap with fresh veggies and lettuce or in between your favorite sprouted whole grain or gluten free bread slices-

LOVE THIS! The celery really makes it taste like a mock tuna fish salad so don’t skimp! Feel free to choose other add-ins, like olives, herbs, fresh sweet peppers etc….

1 1/2c cooked chickpeas

2 stalks celery, minced

¼ red onion, super minced *opt

1/3c vegan mayonnaise

1t ume vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

2t dulse *opt (more like a tuna fish taste)

pinch cayenne pepper *opt

Place the drained chickpeas in a bowl and mash slightly with a fork or the backside of a large spoon. Add the remaining ingredients and stir until combined and well incorporated.

If you have a food processor, you can do all of the grunt work in it- start by processing the celery, then the onions- remove to the work bowl, then process the chickpeas by pulsing- not over processing, but letting the chickpeas stay somewhat intact- then add all other ingredients intot he work bowl and mix.