Baked Herbed Tofu Cutlets (vegan, gluten free, low fat)

These quick and easy tofu cutlets can be eaten as is, added to your favorite salad, a sandwich, a wrap or even dipped in your favorite dipping sauce. Lately I've been eating them in salad—a bed of romaine lettuce with onion, tomato and drizzling a vegan honey mustard-style dressing.


BAKED HERBED TOFU CUTLETS

Yield: 8 cutlets / 4 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25-30 minutes

Ingredients

juice of 1 lemon
1 lb. block organic tofu, drained and sliced into 8 cutlets

6 Tbsp fine gluten free breadcrumbs (recipe here or use store bought)
2 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/8 tsp finely ground black pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder

Preheat oven to 425˚ F. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Place juice of 1 lemon into a shallow dish, large enough to fit the tofu cutlets. In a separate shallow dish, mix breadcrumbs with parsley, salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder.

Dredge tofu cutlets in lemon juice, then in the herbed bredcrumb mixture. Place cutlets onto the parchment covered baking sheet and bake at 425˚ F for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.

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NOTES: These cutlets refrigerate well, great for take along lunches.

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*gluten free, soy free, and low fat

Herbed Scalloped Potatoes (vegan, gluten free, low fat option)

Sometimes I hesitate to share recipes if I don't yet have a photo of the dish and the process. But for the most part, that just holds me back from sharing. So from here on out, I'm going to share sooner, even if it means coming back at a later date with photos. This is one of those recipes. Each time I've made it, there isn't enough light in the late evening to get good photos. I'll be back with those as soon as I can, but for now, enjoy this new recipe. It's perfect for greeting autumn—also known as comfort food season.

HERBED SCALLOPED POTATOES

Yield: 9x13 inch pan / 12 servings
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 90 minutes

Ingredients

6 cups thinly sliced golden potatoes
2 Tbsp vegan butter, plus additional for dish (optional, see notes)
4 Tbsp garbanzo bean flour
3 cups organic soy milk, divided
2 slices vegan smoky gouda cheese (optional, skip if going low fat)
1 1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 Tbsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp ground sage

Preheat oven to 350˚ F. Grease a 9x13" casserole dish with vegan butter.

Place sliced potatoes in the greased casserole dish in a staggered manner so the sauce can reach all the potatoes.

For the sauce, place the vegan butter into a medium saucepan over medium low heat. Add about 1/4 cup of the total 3 cups of soy milk, and whisk in the garbanzo flour one tablespoon at a time, incorporating the flour completely. Add the remaining soy milk, and heat to just below boiling. Just before the mix boils, add the gouda cheese. Once the cheese is melted, add the remaining ingredients (salt through sage). Bring sauce to a low boil, reduce heat and simmer 1 minute. Remove the sauce from heat, and pour over the potatoes. Gently shake the pan to encourage the sauce to reach all the potatoes.

Cover the pan with foil and bake at 350˚ F for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 60 minutes. Remove from oven and allow the potatoes to rest 10 minutes prior to serving.

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NOTES: For low fat option, 1) use parchment to line the pan instead if you're following a low-fat vegan diet, omit the vegan butter by using a little more soy milk when incorporating the garbanzo flour, and 3) omit the cheese.

For a soy free option, substitute almond milk or a similar plant milk.

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*gluten free, can be soy free, can be low fat

Garlic "Parmesan" Croutons (gluten free, vegan)

I'm not much of a salad eater. Which is ironic since most people who learn I'm a vegan usually respond with the comment, "What do you eat, salad?"

Rarely.

But these croutons have rocked my not-so-into-salad world. I tossed them into my tofu BLT salad and slathered it in ranch dressing...and suddenly I'm seeing a lot more salad in my future.

A quick hint, I start my croutons a few days ahead, since I bake my own bread. I cut the bread and let it "stale" in the refrigerator a day or two, as stale bread seems to make a better crouton. You can sub any stale bread in place of the Sweet Potato Flat Bread, just be sure you have about 4 cups of cubed bread to start.


GLUTEN FREE CROUTONS

Yield: About 4 cups of croutons
Prep Time: 10 minutes + time for preparing 1 recipe Sweet Potato Flat Bread
Cook Time: 50 minutes

You will need a very large (or two small) cookie sheet and parchment paper for this recipe.

Ingredients

1 recipe Sweet Potato Flat Bread, cut into bite size cubes
2 Tbsp vegan butter, melted
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 heaping tsp dried parsley
2 heaping Tbsp nutritional yeast

Preheat oven to 325˚ F. Line cookie sheet(s) with parchment paper.

Cubed bread.

Combine herbs and salt in a small bowl. Place bread cubes in a separate, large mixing bowl.  Drizzle about 1/4 of the melted vegan butter and 1/4 of the herb mixture, tossing to coat the bread cubes. Repeat this process until you've used all the butter and herb mixture to coat the bread cubes.

Place bread cubes in a single layer on lined cookie sheet(s).

Pre baking.

Bake bread cubes at 325˚ F in for 10 minutes, then stir and return to oven for another 10 minutes. Continue baking and stirring, shortening time between stirring as the cubes darken. Bake until the cubes have thoroughly dried out and become crouton crunchy. Keep a close eye on your first batch, all ovens bake a bit differently and it's easy to burn these within a few minutes.

Post baking.

You can serve these immediately, warm or cooled. Cool completely before storing and eat within a day or two for best flavor and texture.

Chomp. Yum. Mmmmmmm!

*gluten free, can be soy free if using non-soy vegan butter

© 2016 Ahimsa Kitchen and Marty Tribble | Reproduction of this post without written permission is unlawful.