Lunch Ideas - Ginger Miso Noodle Soup

Trader Joe's has a new Ginger Miso broth I've been wanting to try.  I used it today and came up with this easy soup.  I made my own baked tofu, but you can make this recipe even easier by picking up a brick of savory baked tofu from TJ's too.

I used one full carton of TJ's Ginger Miso Broth.  I made a simple baked tofu by pressing a brick of extra firm tofu and marinating it with some soy sauce, olive oil, maple syrup, cayenne, and garlic powder.  Cut into cubes and bake at 425 degrees for about 40 minutes. 

I used used half a package of Nasoya Udon Noodles and prepared them as directed.  I sliced a handful of mushrooms and added them to the broth along with the tofu cubes, some chopped green onions, and the udon noodles.   Heat through and serve.   This made for a very filling soup for two people.

Lunch Ideas - Heros and Gyros

Here are two quick and easy lunch ideas.  

Sometimes you just want a big sandwich or a pita, right?  We recently discovered these Pretzel Rolls that Trader Joe's has and we are kind of obsessed with them.  I've had pretzel buns before at restaurants, but these rolls are longer and the perfect shape for a hero type sandwich.  And the best part?  They are only .99 cents each!  Here are two inspirations for your own creations!  (Note: The pretzel rolls contain egg and are not vegan.)

Pretzel Roll Heros

  

The pretzel rolls are very soft so i sliced the roll in half, sprayed each half lightly with cooking spray and grilled on a grill pan until toasted (or toast in toaster oven).  I smeared one half of the roll with a small amount of Vegenaise, added kale, and baked TJ's cripsy chicken less tenders tossed in buffalo sauce (of course) for a buffalo chicken kale hero.  We also tried these rolls with kale, Tofurky Peppered Deli Slices, and a smear of cashew cheese spread. Also delicious.  Try with your favorite sandwich toppings and get creative on these tasty and budget friendly rolls!

Vegan Gyros

David and I spent four never hungry months in the Mediterranean when we were working performing on a cruise ship.  We became obsessed with Gyros which are sold as street food (much like NYC) all over place, but the best ones of course were in Greece.  Gyros are one of the only meat meals that I have craved and missed in my post meat eating life and I think about them longingly and often!  Then one day I saw a vegan gyro product by a company named Viana in Hell's Kitchen's Westerley Natural Market.  I was skeptical but wanted to give it a try and they were amazing!!!!  The seasoning was dead on and the texture was perfect I was so happy

We cooked the gyros strips according to the package, trying to get the edges crispy like the real thing, and toasted pita bread on the stove.  I made a a simple vegan tzatziki the night before with some plain soy yogurt, garlic, cucumber, and dill.  Smear your pita with the tzatziki, place on the gyro strips, and top with some sliced tomatoes and red onion.  If you want a truly Greek experience, top with a few oven baked french fries or potatoes and sprinkle with paprika!

baked balsamic tofu & curry veg burrito

Make a big batch of baked tofu anytime and store it in the fridge for easy sandwiches and burritos like this all week.  The basic recipe for baked tofu is baking marinated tofu slices at 425 degrees in the oven for 20 minutes on each side.  Here I've used Balsamic salad dressing as a marinade and it's so good with the curry flavor of the veggies.

Ingredients 

Serves 4

• 4 whole wheat burritos 
• 1 package super firm tofu, drained and pressed 
• Light balsamic dressing
• Assorted veggies (pepeprs, squash, snap peas, etc.)
• Curry powder
• salt and pepper to taste
• coconut or olive oil
• Optional: tofu sour cream and vegan cheese

For the Baked Tofu

1. After draining and pressing the tofu, cut into long pieces.
2. Place in a bowl and coat with dressing evenly.  Cover and let marinate in fridge for at least 20 minutes or an hour or longer for more flavor.
3. Baked in the oven for 40 minutes turning once halfway through and brushing with more dressing.

For the Curry Veggies

1. Cook vegetables in 1 Tbs coconut oil.
2. Add Curry seasoning and a dash of salt and pepper.  I recommend the taste and adjust method when cooking with curry.  Start with a healthy dash, mix it in, taste it, and go from there adjusting up to your perfect level of curry.  

Assemble the Burritos

1. Warm the tortillas in the microwave.
2. Smear the center of the tortilla with the tofu sour cream and sprinkle a palmful of cheese on top.
3. Layer the veggies and tofu, roll up and eat!

buffalo chik'n salad

A simple way to spice your daily dose of greens.  Just a frozen chik'n patty, some supa dupa greens, and some baby bella mushrooms.  I like it without any extra dressing, cause let's face it, i'll eat pretty much anything if it's soaked in buffalo sauce, or pair it with a vegan ranch or blue cheese dressing.

Ingredients

Serves 1

• 2 large handfuls of dark leafy greens, I've used a baby kale mix here
• 1 frozen "chik'n" patty, such as Boca Burger
• 1 small handful baby bella mushrooms, sliced
• 2 Tbs buffalo sauce 
• Make a your own vegan buffalo sauce by mixing Frank's Hot Sauce with a small pad of butter substitute, like Earth Balance.

1. Cook the chik'n patty in the microwave according to package's instructions.  
2. Pour the buffalo sauce onto the patty and use your finger to coat the whole patty in sauce. 
3. Slice patty into about 8 slices.
4. Toss greens and mushrooms in a bowl and top with the chik'n strips and drizzle a little extra hot sauce if preferred or dress.