Vegan Meal Planner for the Masses!

by Chef Kendall Huff

Native Foods Cafe

Here is a 3-day-planner with suggestions and recipes for those of you that don’t have the time and/or energy to get your healthy creative juices flowing…  Try it Monday thru Wednesday next week!

Quick heads-up…give yourself 30 minutes or so on dinner! Drink a glass of wine and relax with some of your favorite tunes

 

The Recipes

 

Scrambling Scramble

Prep Time: 10 minutes

• 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1/2 lb. sausage seitan
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 lb. firm tofu, drained and crumbled
• 1 zucchini, diced
• 1 tsp. turmeric
• 1/2 tsp. garlic salt
• 2 green onions, minced

 

• Heat oil in a skillet. 
• Add the sausage seitan, onion, and garlic and fry until browned. 
• Add the tofu, zucchini, turmeric, and garlic salt and sauté for 5 minutes. 
• Add green onions during last minute of cooking. Yummy…

 

Citrus Vinaigrette

Prep Time: 5 minutes

• 1 TBSP white balsamic vinegar
• 1 TBSP orange juice
• 1 TBSP grapefruit juice
• 1 TBSP fresh lime juice
• 1 TBSP fresh lemon juice
• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons chopped toasted walnuts
• Sea Salt and Black Pepper to taste

 

• Mix together the vinegar, orange juice, grapefruit juice, lime juice, and lemon juice. Slowly add the olive oil while whisking vigorously. Add the walnuts and stir. Season with salt and pepper.

 

Broiled Tofu

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 20 to 25 minutes

• 1 container pressed firm tofu
• 1/3 cup miso
• 3 TBSP rice vinegar
• 3 TBSP sugar
• 2 TBSP soy milk
• 1 tsp ginger, minced
• 1 tsp granulated garlic
• 3 TBSP water
• 2 TBSP soy sauce
• 2 TBSP oil (olive or sesame)
• sesame seeds (optional)

 

• Pre-heat oven to broil or highest setting. Cover a cookie sheet with tin foil.
• Combine all ingredients except tofu and oil using blender or mixer. Slowly add oil and mix until smooth and creamy.—Pour mixture into wide bowl or pan. Cut tofu into 1/2 inch thick pieces and dip into mixture of miso until coated with a thin layer, reserving some of the mixture.
• Gently lay tofu pieces on covered cookie sheet. Broil 8-10 minutes until golden brown and slightly crisp.
• Remove from oven. Turn the pieces over and “baste” another layer of miso mixture over the pieces with a spoon.
• Broil 8-10 more minutes until browned and crisp. Sprinkle with sesame seeds if desired and devour!

 

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Kalamata Olive Dressing

 Prep Time: 7 minutes

• 1 small shallot chopped (or use 2 T chopped red onion)
• 1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves (or use 1/2 tsp. dried thyme)
• 1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives
• 1/4 cup White Balsamic vinegar
• 1 T Dijon mustard
• 1 cup extra virgin olive oil

 

•  In the blender, blend shallot and thyme with White Balsamic Vinegar.  Add olives, vinegar, and mustard and pulse until pureed. (There can still be some small pieces of olive but be careful of pits).
• With machine going on low speed, slowly add olive oil through tube and continue to process until dressing is well emulsified.
• This dressing last for a week, but it should be at room temperature for full deliciousness.

 

What is this olive you ask? Well….

The Kalamata olive is a large, black olive with a smooth, meaty texture named after the city of Kalamata in the southern Peloponnese, Greece. They are an almond-shaped, plump, dark purple olive, from a tree distinguished from the common olive by the size of its leaves, which grow to twice the size of other olive varieties.

 

Native Foods Cafe, vegan food, vegan restaurant, vegan recipes

 

Roasted Mediterranean Veggies

Prep Time: 7 minutes

Cook Time: 60 to 75 minutes (Drink another glass of vino or watch a show!!)

 

• 3 red or green sweet large bell peppers
• 3 each eggplants
• 4 medium-sized tomatoes
• 2 each Sweet onions
• Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling **Catalan arbequina olive oil is best, but a mild Greek or Italian variety will do too
• Sea Salt
• 1 clove minced garlic 
• Some black olives – Optional

 

 

• Pierce the eggplants on two opposite sides with a fork to prevent bursting. Preheat the oven at about 375 ºF.
• Arrange the whole and unpeeled vegetables on a baking tray. Remember not to cut off the stems.
• Put the baking tray with the vegetables to be roasted on the lower rack. Roast the vegetables in the oven. After 35 minutes turn them over with tongs. You should begin to see blackened skins.
• Roast the vegetables for 15 more minutes. Now the tomatoes should be ready. Remove them from the oven. Turn the remaining vegetables over.
• Roast them for about 15 more minutes. Remove the eggplants. Turn the peppers and the onions over.
• Continue roasting the peppers and onions for 10 more minutes. Remove the peppers from the oven. They should have blackened on all sides.
• Turn the onions over and roast them 10 to 15 more minutes depending on the size. Remove the onions from the oven.
• Peel the roasted vegetables. Seed the peppers.
• Now cut peppers and eggplants into strips lengthwise or serve them in bigger pieces. Cut the onions in half or in 4 pieces. Leave tomatoes whole or cut them in half.
• Place vegetables in a serving plate. Drizzle the roasted vegetables with olive oil, and salt to taste.
• Optionally, you can scatter minced garlic and add some black olives.

 

Native Foods Cafe, vegan food, vegan restaurant, vegan recipes

Chorizo Chili

Prep Time: 12 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

• 1 cup peeled and finely diced onion
• 1/2 cup finely diced celery
• 1/2 cup finely diced green bell pepper
• 3 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon olive oil or sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 4 cups fresh tomatoes (blanched, seeded, and chopped)
• 1 1/2 tablespoon barley malt syrup
• 1 cup (or one 15-ounce can) red kidney beans or pinto beans
• 1 cup chopped chorizo seitan***

 

• In a heavy pot, sauté the onion, celery, bell pepper, and garlic in the oil, along with the seasonings, over medium heat. Sauté for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning.
• Add the tomato paste in the chopped tomatoes to the pot. Add the barley malt syrup and stir well. Finally, stir in the cooked beans and chopped seitan. Cook for about 10 minutes over medium heat.

**Chorizo Seitan that I LOVE, obviously Native Foods, but it’s not for sale, so….  UPTONS!! This is a local ChicagoLand company that was established in 2006 and has great seitan products to purchase for the chef at home either at local supermarkets or online!!

 

 

Native Foods Cafe, vegan food, vegan restaurant, vegan recipes