This is my signature recipe for creating a deliciously vegan and yet easy-to-make alternative to fish. The filets are coated with a plain or seasoned dry breading of your choice and then baked. To add a seafood flavor, try incorporating some ground or flaked kelp, dulse or nori seaweed into the breading mixture. To spice things up, add Cajun or Southwestern seasonings to the breading – the possibilities of seasoning combinations are endless. For those who are gluten-free, simply use gluten-free bread crumbs. Or try coating the filets with crushed nuts. Crushed macadamia nuts or pecans make an excellent coating; or combine breadcrumbs and crushed nuts together. You can also create “mock fish sticks” which are very popular with children. After baking, the filets are finished by browning in the skillet in a small amount of cooking oil.
Canned green jackfruit provides the amazingly moist and flaky texture in these filets. It can be found in Indian and Asian markets. Look for the label “Green Jackfruit” or “Young Green Jackfruit” and be sure that it’s packed in water or brine, not syrup. You may notice cans of ripe jackfruit stocked nearby but don’t be tempted to substitute as it is very sweet when ripe and packed in sugar syrup.
Ingredients:
• ½ carton (6 oz.) firm or extra-firm silken tofu
• 2 cans (17 to 20 oz. each) green jackfruit in water or brine
• 1 T No-Eggy Mayo (from either of my cookbooks) or commercial vegan mayonnaise
• 1 T unmodified potato starch, cornstarch or arrowroot powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• ¾ tsp sea salt or kosher salt
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ¼ tsp ground white pepper
• plain or seasoned dry breadcrumbs, regular or panko; and/or finely crushed nuts (about 1 cup total)
Technique:
Slice the tofu into 2 slabs and drain on paper towels or a clean, lint-free dish towel. Gently press the tofu while draining to encourage as much liquid as possible to transfer to the towel(s).
Drain the liquid from the cans of jackfruit and rinse the fruit thoroughly (especially if it was packed in brine) and drain in a colander. With a sharp knife, remove the tough core from each chunk of jackfruit and discard. Break the chunks apart with your fingers and remove the soft seeds and discard.
Green Jackfruit pulp with core and seeds removed.
Wrap the stringy pulp in a paper towel or clean kitchen towel and squeeze to remove any excess remaining water. This will yield about 6 to 7 ounces of jackfruit pulp. Add the chunks of jackfruit to a food processor and pulse several times to shred into flakes. Do not purée the fruit. Transfer to a mixing bowl and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Add the tofu to the food processor with the remaining ingredients and process into a paste. Add the paste to the shredded jackfruit and mix well. Form filet shapes from the mixture no more than ½-inch thick (4 filets).
Add the bread crumbs or coating of your choice to a bowl or a plate. Press the filets into the crumbs/coating and place the breaded filets onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 30 minutes, gently turning the filets after 15 minutes.
To finish the filets, add just enough oil to a large skillet to cover the bottom and place over medium heat. Pan-sear the filets in the oil until golden brown on each side and transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel.
Serve immediately with a squeeze of lemon or the garnish or sauce of your choice.
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Flaky Un-Fish Filets
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Rating: 4.57
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Votes: 28
Rating: 4.57
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Fried Oyster Mushrooms is my vegan version of fried clams or oysters. I use organic cornflake cereal crumbs for the breading because the light cereal sweetness mimics the sweetness of fried clams and oysters. Regular fine breadcrumbs will work too.
Fresh oyster mushrooms are often difficult to locate and when they are available, they’re rather expensive. However, canned oyster mushrooms can be purchased from your local Asian market and are very inexpensive. They also have the perfect texture for this recipe. Canned abalone mushrooms work well too. Serve with vegan tartar sauce or cocktail sauce. Here I’ve served them with a vegan fire-roasted jalapeno and lime tartar sauce (recipe follows).
Ingredients
• 2 cans (about 7.5 oz. drained weight) oyster mushrooms or abalone mushrooms (available in Asian markets) or 1 lb. quartered fresh oyster mushrooms
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup non-dairy milk
• 2 T No-Eggy Mayo (from either of my cookbooks) or commercial vegan mayonnaise
• cornflake crumbs or fine breadcrumbs
• sea salt or kosher salt
• vegetable oil for frying
To make cornflake crumbs, place the cornflakes in a zip-lack or paper bag, seal and crush with your hands. They can also be crushed in a food processor.
Technique:
If using canned mushrooms, drain the water. Remove any tough portion of the mushroom stems and slice the mushrooms into strips.
Place the mushroom strips into a zip-lock bag and add the flour. Seal and shake well to coat the mushrooms.
In a small dish, mix together the milk and mayo until smooth and pour into the zip-lock bag. Add a few pinches of salt, seal the bag and shake until the mushrooms are coated.
Add the cornflake crumbs or the breadcrumbs to a bowl and dredge the mushroom strips in the crumbs until well-coated.
In a deep wok or skillet, heat about 1/2-inch of oil over medium-high heat until the oil begins to shimmer. Fry the mushrooms until golden – they cook quickly, about 30 to 45 seconds, so watch them carefully.
Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a plate lined with paper towels. Serve hot with the condiment of your choice for dipping.
Fire Roasted Jalapeno and Lime Tartar Sauce
Ingredients:
• 1 large jalapeno pepper
• ½ cup No-Eggy Mayo (pg. ) or commercial vegan mayonnaise
• 2 T minced fresh onion
• 1 tsp fresh grated lime zest and a squeeze of fresh lime juice
• sea salt or kosher salt to taste
Technique:
Place the jalapeno directly on the stove burner over medium heat. Turn frequently with tongs until the pepper is blistered and blackened. Place the pepper in small zip-lock or paper bag and seal to hold in the steam. Let cool. The skin should slip off easily. Cut off the stem end, split the jalapeno lengthwise and remove the seeds. Finely mince and add to a small bowl.
Add the mayo, onion, the lime zest and a squeeze of lime juice. Mix well and season with salt to taste. Refrigerate to blend flavors and until ready to serve.
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Fried Oyster Mushrooms with Fire-Roasted Jalapeno Lime Tartar Sauce
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An American classic (but now cruelty-free!)
Ingredients:
• 1 and ½ cup (7.5 oz.) whole raw cashews
• 3 cups water
• 1 and ¼ cup organic sugar
• ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa or carob powder
• 2 tsp real vanilla extract
• ½ tsp sea salt
• ½ tsp guar gum (optional; helps prevent ice crystallization)
Technique:
Soak the cashews in water for a minimum of 8 hours. Drain and discard the water and add the cashews to a high-powered blender. A the 3 cups of fresh water and process on high speed for a full 2 minutes.
Thoroughly strain the cream through a nut milk bag or through a strainer lined with 4 layers of cheesecloth. Gently massage the bag to help the cream pass through or stir the cream in the strainer with a spoon.
Add the cashew cream back to the blender with the remaining ingredients and process until smooth. Transfer the mixture to a saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens and is heated through. Do not boil.
Remove from the heat and let cool until warm (stir occasionally to prevent a “skin” from forming on the surface).
Pass the mixture through a strainer into a container with a lid and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.
Process the mixture according to your ice cream maker’s instructions. The ice cream will freeze hard when stored in the freezer.
To serve, simply thaw briefly until it reaches the desired texture for scooping.
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Chocolate Ice Cream (Cashew Base)
Votes: 17
Rating: 2.41
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Votes: 17
Rating: 2.41
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Corned Beaf Hash topped with Sunny-Side Ups
Top the Corned Beaf Hash with Sunny-Side Ups, Over-Easys or Eggless Scramble from The Non-Dairy Formulary.
Ingredients:
• 3 T Better Butter (from either of my cookbooks) or vegan margarine
• 1 small onion, finely diced (about ⅔ cup)
• 2 tsp minced garlic (2 cloves)
• 8 to 10 oz. Corned Beaf (from The Gentle Chef Cookbook)
• 1 can (14.5 oz.) whole new potatoes or
1 lb. potatoes of choice, peeled, cut into chunks and boiled until tender
• sea salt or kosher salt and coarse ground black pepper to taste
• 2 T finely chopped fresh parsley
Technique:
Finely dice the potatoes and set aside. Dice the corned beaf or pulse in a food processor until minced. Set aside.
Melt the butter or margarine in a large non-stick or cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until translucent. Add the garlic and sauté an additional minute.
Mix in the corned beaf, potatoes and parsley. Spread out evenly over the pan. Increase the heat to medium-high and press down on the mixture with a spatula.
Do not stir the mixture. The goal is to achieve browning. After a few minutes, use the spatula to flip sections over in the skillet to brown the opposite side. Press down again with the spatula. If the mixture is sticking, add a little more butter or margarine to the pan. Continue to cook in this manner until the potatoes and the corned beaf are nicely browned.
Remove from heat and salt and pepper to taste.
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Corned Beaf Hash
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Rating: 3
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Votes: 1
Rating: 3
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Just about any filling can be used for Spring rolls. Raw, steamed or lightly sautéed vegetables should be coarsely chopped or sliced into thin slivers. Fresh herbs are wonderful to use in Spring rolls as well. Try my Soy Ginger Dipping Sauce (recipe follows) for dipping your rolls.
Ingredients:
• your choice of tofu, seitan, tempeh, and/or raw or lightly steamed or sautéed vegetables and sprouts
• Bánh Tráng – spring roll skins/wrappers
Technique:
Prepare your filling and set aside.
Fill a dinner plate with hot water and set next to your work surface.
Submerge a wrapper in the water on the plate. Count to ten and remove the wrapper. It may not feel totally pliable at this point but it will be by the time you wrap your filling. Hold the wrapper by the edge over the plate so the excess water can drain. Gently place the wrapper on your work surface.
Place a few tablespoons of filling in the center of the wrapper, avoiding about 2-inches on each side. Fold the wrapper in half over the filling. With your fingers, press down to compress the filling. Fold the sides in (like a burrito) and then roll up as tightly as you can. This technique takes a little practice so be patient.
Repeat until the filling is used up. If you have a hard time wrapping, try doubling the wrappers. Slice the rolls with a sharp knife on the diagonal. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.
Soy Ginger Dipping Sauce
Ingredients:
• 2 T organic sugar
• ¼ cup soy sauce, tamari or Bragg Liquid Aminos™
• ¾ cup water
• 2 tsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tsp water
• 1 T fresh lime juice
• 2 tsp fresh grated ginger root
• 1 clove garlic, minced (1 tsp)
• 2 T chopped green onions
Technique:
Combine the sugar, soy sauce, and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil. Stir in the cornstarch/water paste. Reduce heat to a simmer and add the garlic, ginger, lime juice and green onions. Continue to simmer, stirring frequently, for about 2 minutes to blend the flavors. Chill until ready to serve.
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Spring Rolls
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