Dry Herb Mix Ingredients:
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin powder
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 teaspoon Mexican oregano (or other oregano)
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Directions:
Mix all of this in a jar. Store and use as needed, being sure to shake or mix before using. Makes enough for 3 meals, use 2 to 2 1/2 tablespoons to season shredded tofu, lentils and rice or soy curls. Can also divide recipe by 3 for just one serving.
Vegetable Broth Dry Herb Mix
Dry Herb Mix Ingredients:
1 cup nutritional yeast
2 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon celery seed
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1 tablespoon dehydrated carrot (optional)
Directions:
Mix all of this in a jar. Can also use a spice grinder if you want it to be a finer powder. Store and use as needed, being sure to shake or mix before using. Use 1 tablespoon per cup of water.
Chick'n Broth Dry Herb Mix
Dry Herb Mix Ingredients:
1 cup nutritional yeast
2 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon dried parsley leaves
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 teaspoon dried sage leaves
1 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1 tablespoon dehydrated carrot (optional)
Directions:
Mix all of this in a jar. Can also use a spice grinder if you want it to be a finer powder. Store and use as needed, being sure to shake or mix before using. Use 1 tablespoon per cup of water.
Everything Bagel Seasoning
Dry Herb Mix Ingredients:
3 tablespoons poppy seeds
3 tablespoons white sesame seeds
3 tablespoons black sesame seeds
3 tablespoons dried minced onion
3 tablespoons dried minced garlic
1 tablespoon sea salt
Directions:
Mix all of this in a jar. Store and use as needed, being sure to shake or mix before using. Use to make homemade crackers, sprinkle on focaccia before baking or on avocado toast. I love Penny’s spices and buy my dried minced onion and garlic from them. Very high quality!
Mexican Corn Popcorn Seasoning
Dry Herb Mix Ingredients:
4 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
1/2 teaspoon dried cilantro
1/2 teaspoon lime zest
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
Directions:
Mix all of this in a jar. Can also use a spice grinder if you want it to be a finer powder. Store and use as needed, being sure to shake or mix before using. This is enough seasoning for about 16 cups of popped popcorn.
Everything Bagel Popcorn Seasoning
Dry Herb Mix Ingredients:
2 teaspoons toasted caraway seeds
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon toasted black sesame seeds
1 teaspoon toasted white sesame seeds
2 teaspoons granulated garlic
2 teaspoons granulated onion powder
Directions:
Mix all of this in a jar. Store and use as needed, being sure to shake or mix before using. This is enough seasoning for about 16 cups of popped popcorn.
Bloody Mary Popcorn Seasoning
Dry Herb Mix Ingredients:
4 tablespoons tomato powder
Big pinch of saffron
4 teaspoons oregano
2 teaspoons celery seed
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
Directions:
Mix all of this in a jar. Can also use a spice grinder if you want it to be a finer powder. Store and use as needed, being sure to shake or mix before using. This is enough seasoning for about 16 cups of popped popcorn.
Nacho Popcorn Seasoning
Dry Herb Mix Ingredients:
4 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
Directions:
Mix all of this in a jar. Can also use a spice grinder if you want it to be a finer powder. Store and use as needed, being sure to shake or mix before using. This is enough seasoning for about 16 cups of popped popcorn.
Ranch Popcorn Seasoning
Dry Herb Mix Ingredients:
1 teaspoon dried dill
1 teaspoon dried chives
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Directions:
Mix all of this in a jar. Can also use a spice grinder if you want it to be a finer powder. Store and use as needed, being sure to shake or mix before using. This is enough seasoning for about 16 cups of popped popcorn.
Ranch Dressing Mix
Dry Herb Mix Ingredients (makes enough for 4 batches of Ranch Dressing):
6 tablespoons nutritional yeast
2 tablespoons onion powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
6 tablespoons dried dill
2 tablespoons dried parsley
1 teaspoon ground pepper
3 teaspoons salt
Directions:
Mix all of this in a jar. Can also use a spice grinder if you want it to be a finer powder. Store and use as needed, being sure to shake or mix before using.
Ranch Dressing
Ingredients:
1/4 cup dry herb mix
1 cup vegan mayo (I prefer Follow Your Heart)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 small lemon, juiced
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
Directions:
Mix all ingredients together. Add a tablespoon of water at time to thin out, if desired.
Vegan Breakfast Sammy
Ingredients:
3 thin slices of tofu that has been pressed
1 tablespoon Vegan Eggy Mix
1 tablespoon canola oil
1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard (if ground mustard was not included in the eggy mix)
1/4 teaspoon kala namak black salt
2 thin slices of sourdough bread
1 slice of vegan cheese—we like Chao Creamy Original
Vegan bacon bits
Directions:
Mix vegan eggy mix with canola oil. If you did not include the ground mustard in the vegan eggy mix, add the Dijon mustard and combine. Place the tofu slices in the mix and coat.
Heat a cast iron pan over medium to high heat. When the pan is hot, place the tofu slices and cook until crisp, flipping every few minutes. Just before the tofu is finished, sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon kala namak black salt on the tofu.
While the tofu is cooking, toast the sourdough bread.
Place a piece of tofu on the toasted bread, then half of the cheese slice, sprinkle with bacon bits, place the next piece of tofu, the other half of the cheese, some more bacon bits and then finally the last piece of tofu and the sourdough bread.
Enjoy!
Vegan Eggy Mix
Ingredients
1 cup nutritional yeast
2 tablespoons ground pepper
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons turmeric
2 tablespoons ground mustard (or leave this out and use 1 teaspoon fresh Dijon in prep)
4 tablespoons granulated garlic
4 tablespoons granulated onion
Mix all of this in a jar, store and use as needed.
Uses
Use 4 tablespoons with a 14-16 ounce block of tofu for tofu scramble. If you did not use ground mustard in the mix, you will add 1 teaspoon fresh Dijon. You will also add 1 teaspoon of kala namak black salt, just before the dish is complete.
OR
Use 1 tablespoon per eggy sandwich. If you did not use ground mustard in the mix, you will add 1/4 teaspoon fresh Dijon. You will also add 1/4 teaspoon of kala namak black salt, just before the dish is complete.
Celery Soup
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, diced
8 garlic cloves, minced
1 large head of celery, sliced thin
2 medium russet potatoes, sliced into 1/2 inch cubes
5 cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup raw cashews
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Dash cayenne pepper
1/4 cup fresh dill
1/2 cup fresh parsley
Directions
Heat the oil in a big pot over medium heat, add onion and sauté until golden. Add the garlic and stir for a minute until fragrant. Add celery, potatoes, broth, cashews, bay leaf, salt, pepper and cayenne. Cover and bring to a rolling boil, then turn down heat and simmer gently for about 10 minutes and the potatoes are tender.
Turn off heat, remove bay leaf, add the fresh herbs. Use an immersion blender to blend until smooth.
Salsa
Ingredients
2 pounds of fresh tomatoes, stems removed
2-4 jalapeno peppers
2 serrano peppers
1 whole white onion, quartered
1 lime, juiced
1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon salt
Directions
Heat a cast iron pan over medium high heat. Place the tomatoes and peppers in the skillet. Rotate the vegetables occasionally as you see each side blister. This can take 15-20 minutes.
Remove from heat, cool, then remove the stems from the peppers. Remove the seeds if you would like, we keep them in because we like our salsa with a lot of heat.
Place the tomatoes, peppers, onions, and lime in a food processor and pulse quickly just until it is the texture you like. Add the garlic, cilantro and salt. Pulse again until the mixture is blended and chunky.
Enjoy with chips or any other way you would like. My husband loves this on top of hash browns or tater tots.
Pasta sauce with garlic, oil, and pepper flakes
Dry Herb Mix
Ingredients:
10 tablespoons Penzeys minced garlic
14 tablespoons Penzeys crushed medium red pepper flakes
1/2 cup tablespoons dried parsley
1/2 cup tablespoons dried oregano
Directions:
Mix together and store in a jar until ready to use. Be sure to shake or mix before measuring out.
Pasta sauce
Ingredients:
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
10 tablespoons of dry herb mix
2 28 ounce cans of crushed tomatoes or 4 cups of fresh crushed tomatoes
salt
Directions:
Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the spices to the pan and cook over medium until they start to release their flavor, being careful not to burn the garlic.
Add the crushed tomatoes and cook at low heat for at least 30 minutes. The sauce will reduce a bit. Add the salt a little as you go, tasting each time. Start with a few teaspoons.
Serve over your favorite pasta!
Orange Cauliflower or Tofu
Ingredients
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 orange, juiced
1/4 cup tamari or soy sauce
2 tablespoons of turbinado sugar
2 tablespoons sriracha
1 14-ounce package of extra firm tofu, pressed and cut into 1-inch cubes or 1 medium head of cauliflower, cut into bite size pieces
3 tablespoons of cornstarch (or potato starch)
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
2 tablespoons sesame oil
3 scallions, cut into 1-inch pieces
Sesame seeds for garnish
Directions
Mix garlic, orange juice, tamari/soy sauce, turbinado sugar and sriracha together in a small bowl.
Add tofu or cauliflower to a bowl with the cornstarch and sesame seeds, a pinch of salt and pepper and toss to coat the pieces. Heat sesame oil in a cast iron pan over medium high heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the tofu or cauliflower and cook, tossing occasionally until crispy and browned.
Add scallion to the pan and cook for a minute or two. Turn off the heat and add the orange sauce, toss to coat and the sauce will thicken.
Serve over white rice and sprinkle sesame seeds on top for garnish.
Salt and Pepper Curry Tofu
Ingredients
1 14-ounce package of extra firm tofu, pressed
1/2 cup corn starch
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon mirin
2 teaspoons caster sugar
2 teaspoons Chinese rice wine
2 tablespoons vegan butter
1 shallot, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup fresh or dry curry leaves (stalk removed)
2 teaspoons white miso
3 Thai bird chilies, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon coarse ground black pepper
Directions
Cut the tofu into 1/2 inch cubes.
Mix the corn starch, salt and garlic in a medium bowl. Place the tofu cubes into the bowl and shake well to coat.
Heat a thin layer (1 to 2 tablespoons) of neutral oil in a cast iron skillet over medium heat until hot. Add the tofu, ensuring that the pieces don’t touch. Cook until golden on all sides, turning over as needed. Once golden, transfer to a plate that is lined with a paper towel.
While the tofu is cooking, mix together the 1 teaspoon salt, mirin, caster sugar and Chinese rice wine to form a sauce. Set aside.
Wipe out the pan and then add the butter. Once melted, add the shallots, garlic and curry leaves and fry for a few minutes. Add the miso and Thai bird chilies and cook until combined. Add the black pepper and mix. Add the sauce mixture and cook for 1 minute. Toss in the fried tofu, mixing to coat the tofu and cook for 1 minute.
Serve over rice.
Note
This sounds like a lot of curry leaves but they mellow out a bit when cooked.
Tomato Tofu Chow Mein
Ingredients
Marinade
1 14-ounce package of extra firm tofu, pressed
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon caster sugar
2 tablespoons minced ginger
1 minced garlic clove
1 tablespoon cooking sherry
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons cornstarch
Sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon caster sugar
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons cooking sherry
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 cup beef flavored vegetable broth
Chow Mein
1 pound of chow mein noodles
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 green and 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
4 medium tomatoes, cut into 1/2 inch wedges
1 tablespoon oil
Directions
Cut the tofu into thin square shaped pieces. I did this by taking the block and slicing into 1/4 inch slices (10-12 slices in a block of tofu) and then cutting those pieces into 3 parts. Mix marinade ingredients with the tofu and set aside.
Mix the sauce ingredients and set aside.
Cook the chow mein noodles according to the direction on the package. Rinse well with cold water and drain. Toss with a tablespoon of oil so they don’t stick together.
If you have an air fryer, I recommend cooking the tofu this way for 12 minutes at 375 degrees. If you don’t have an air fryer, you can pan fry the tofu in a wok with a small amount of oil until crisp. In either case, drain off the marinade first, saving it. Once cooked, set tofu aside.
Heat a wok on medium high and add 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the onions and peppers and stir fry for a few minutes. Add the tomatoes with the left over marinade and cook for a few minutes. Add the sauce to the wok and cook, stirring until it boils and thickens. You will see the sauce turn from cloudy to glossy as the cornstarch thickens.
Place a portion of noodles in a bowl and spoon sauce and veggies on top. Place cooked tofu on top and enjoy!
Note
I had never had this but my husband missed tomato beef chow mein from his childhood. From what I have read, this is considered a classic recipe from Chinatown in San Francisco from the 1960s and 1970s.
Lemongrass Chili Tofu
Ingredients
1 14-ounce package of extra firm tofu, pressed
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
4 green onions, both white and green parts, cut into one inch pieces
1 jalapeno, stem removed, thinly sliced (leave the seeds in)
4 Thai bird chilies, stems removed, thinly sliced
3 lemongrass stalks, woody outside removed, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 -2 tablespoons rice wine or white wine
3-4 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon chili oil
Directions
Cut the tofu into thin square shaped pieces. I did this by taking the block and slicing into 1/4 inch slices (10-12 slices in a block of tofu) and then cutting those pieces into 3 parts. Cook in the air fryer in one layer, with a spritz of oil at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. You can also pan fry. The key is to have the pieces a little crispy on the outside.
Heat the oil in a skillet (I used cast iron) over medium and add the yellow onion, green onion, jalapeno, Thai bird chilies, and lemongrass and cook for 5-7 minutes until the onion is soft. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the wine to deglaze the pan and cook for about a minute. Add the soy sauce and chili oil and cook for a minute. Turn off the heat, add the tofu and stir to coat the tofu.
Serve over Jasmine rice and garnish with cilantro if you would like.
Note
I love the version of this dish from Slanted Door at the Ferry Building in San Francisco. What is nice about this dish in our house is that we typically have all of the items on hand since we have a beautiful lemongrass plant in our backyard, which survives year round. We grow Thai bird chilies in the summer and freeze what we don’t use. They are easy to pull out of the freezer and use immediately. The other items are staples that we always have on hand.
Falafel
Ingredients
1 pound bag dry chick peas, soaked in water overnight
1 bunch parsley—washed and roughly chopped
1 bunch cilantro – washed and roughly chopped
1 entire head of garlic, peeled and cleaned
1 whole white onion
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon cumin
2 teaspoons seven spices (found in Middle Eastern grocery stores)
Salt/pepper to taste
½ cup all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
Oil for frying
Directions
Put all ingredients except flour, baking powder and oil in a large food processor and pulse to grind. You may have to do this in batches. Don’t process too long, as it will form into a paste.
Whisk flour and 2/3 cup water in a bowl until no lumps remain. Microwave, whisking every 10 seconds, until mixture thickens to a stiff, smooth, pudding-like consistency that forms mound when dropped from end of whisk into the bowl (40 to 80 seconds total). Stir baking powder into flour paste.
Add flour paste to chickpea mixture and using rubber spatula, mix until fully incorporated.
Heat oil over medium heat until shimmering. I like to use cast iron. Shape into small patties using a 3 tablespoon cookie scoop and pan fry.
Note
A dear friend provided this recipe to me and I modified it to use the Cook’s Illustrated trick of adding the flour/water/baking soda mixture. This makes a large quantity. You can freeze portions of this at the step before adding the flour/water/baking soda mixture.