Vegan BBQ sandwiches

I’m hopping on the Veganuary train and sharing a tofu recipe for a great vegan pulled pork substitute! “Great” probably isn’t a word you would think to use to describe a “meat substitute.” But I’m telling you, the barbecue flavor is spot on, and the technique I use makes the texture nearly identical to the real thing.

I think a lot of people don’t use tofu because they don’t know how to prepare it (do I need to press it?) and they think it tastes funny. But actually tofu has a pretty neutral flavor that is masked by the barbecue seasoning and barbecue sauce. Also, the preparation is truly foolproof using the box grater method. What’s that you ask? All I do is take a piece of extra firm tofu and shred it on the large holes of a box grater. Once the moisture from the tofu cooks out, the tofu shreds very closely resemble the look and texture of pulled pork.

You can pile the barbecue tofu in a bun and eat it like a pulled pork sandwich with slaw on top. Or you can use it in a taco or burrito or over nachos. It’s very versatile.

Vegan BBQ sandwiches

Yield: 4 servings

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

For the tofu

• 1 Tablespoon tamari or soy sauce
• 1 Tablespoon avocado oil
• 1 Tablespoon barbecue rub (or 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder)
• 450 grams extra firm tofu
• 1/2 cup barbecue sauce

For the slaw

• 2 Tablespoons lime juice
• 1 Tablespoon avocado oil
• 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 teaspoons maple syrup
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon salt 
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 cups red cabbage, shredded
• 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

Directions

For the tofu

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Mix tamari, olive oil, and seasonings in large bowl. Set aside.
3. Pat tofu dry. Grate tofu on large holes of box grater over bowl with seasonings.
4. Gently stir to evenly coat tofu.
5. Spread shreds evenly over baking pan. Bake 30 minutes, stirring halfway through.
6. Remove pan from oven and move tofu to medium bowl.
7. Pour barbecue sauce over shreds and gently stir to evenly coat tofu in sauce.

For the slaw

1. In large bowl, mix lime juice, avocado oil, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, garlic, salt, and black pepper.
2. Add red cabbage and cilantro to bowl and stir to evenly coat.
3. Prepare sandwiches by dividing BBQ tofu between four bottom buns. Evenly divide slaw over tofu and top with bun.

Recipe adapted from Up Beet Kitchen

Vegan Nachos with Walnut Mushroom Taco "Meat"

 

I never thought when we visited the small town of Girdwood, Alaska in 2021 that I would still be thinking about one of the meals we ate there TWO YEARS later. Jack Sprat is an American restaurant that offers a variety of unique vegan options. One of their most popular dishes is the "nacho libre," "adventurous vegan nachos." Normally I wouldn't get nachos at a restaurant just because I feel like that's something I can make at home. But all the reviews raved about the nachos, so we ordered them. I'm so glad we did. They were 10 times more flavorful than any nachos I've ever had, and it had a lot to do with the vegan walnut mushroom "meat."

I've wanted to recreate the nachos at home for a very long time, and I finally did it in honor of National Mushroom Month. The recipe starts by combining sundried tomatoes, spices, lime juice, portobello mushrooms, and walnuts in a food processor. Pulse just until the mixture resembles meat crumbles. DO NOT puree the mixture or pulse too many times. You do not want a paste! Then you brown the mixture on the stove. It's safe to eat without cooking it, but I think it resembles and tastes more like meat when you brown it. I recommend using portobello mushrooms because they are the most meat-like variety of mushroom. Make sure to remove their woody stumps and their gills before using them. The gills can have a bitter taste and trap sand and dirt. Just use a spoon to scrape them out.

After you've made the "meat," it's time to make the "cheese" sauce. It starts by blooming the spices in oil and then making a roux with flour. The gluten in the flour makes the cheese sauce stretchy, like real cheese sauce. Then add nutritional yeast to the flour--this is what gives the sauce its cheesy flavor. The mixture will be very clumpy, so slowly add the milk a little at a time, whisking until its' smooth and the consistency you want. Leftover cheese sauce will need to be thinned out.

Now it's time to assemble the nachos! I followed Jack Sprat's lead by layer pico de gallo and radishes on top of the chips and "meat" crumbles. I also like to add jalapeno slices for heat and pickled red onions for a hit of acid.

Vegan Nachos with Walnut Mushroom Taco "Meat"

Yield: 1 large platter nachos

Time: About 30 minutes

Ingredients

For walnut mushroom taco "meat"

• 2 Tablespoons sundried tomatoes
• 2 Tablespoon lime juice
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3 portobello mushrooms, woody stem and gills removed
• 2 cups walnuts
• 1 Tablespoon avocado oil

For vegan cheese sauce

• 3 Tablespoons avocado oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon curry powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne powder
• 1 Tablespoon yellow mustard
• 3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 6 Tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk 

For nacho assembly

• Tortilla chips
• Pico de gallo
• Radishes, sliced thin
• Pickle red onion
• Jalapenos, sliced thin
• Avocado, diced

Directions

For walnut mushroom taco "meat"

1. Pulse sundried tomatoes, lime juice, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, and salt in food processor until tomatoes are finely chopped.
2. Add mushroom and walnuts to food processor. Pulse until texture resembles ground beef. Don't overdo it! You don't want a paste. Alternatively, finely chop everything and mix with spices.
3. Heat 1 Tablespoon avocado oil in large skillet over medium heat. Transfer mixture to skillet and cook for about 10 minutes or until mixture releases its liquid and is browned.

For vegan cheese sauce

1. Heat oil in small saucepan on low heat.
2. Add salt, garlic powder, curry powder, paprika, and cayenne. Whisk for about 30 seconds to bloom spices.
3. Add yellow mustard and whisk to combine.
4. Add flour and whisk.
5. Add nutritional yeast, and whisk. Mixture will be very clumpy.
6. Add milk and whisk on low heat for a few minutes. If it gets too thick you can add a little bit more water and whisk again.
7. Add cold milk a little at a time while whisking until smooth after each addition. If sauce is too thick, add a little more milk.
8. Remove from heat.

For nacho assembly

1. Drizzle cheese sauce on bottom of platter and layer tortilla chips on top of cheese sauce.
2. Sprinkle taco "meat" over chips. Top with pico de gallo, radish slices, pickled red onions, jalapeno, avocado, and finish with more cheese sauce. Serve immediately.
3. Store leftover taco "meat" and cheese sauce in refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Buffalo Shrimp Chili and Vegan Chili

This is a sponsored post by Challenge butter, but the text and opinions are all mine. Thank you for supporting brands that make Kylee's Kitchen possible!

Many people have very strong opinions about chili. Some say it needs meat. Others say it’s not chili without beans.

There are many variations of the dish, and often people’s preferences are heavily influenced by region. That being said, I don’t think we need to ostracize anyone’s favorite recipe! If it's chili, it will probably be tasty no matter what's in it.

I hope you keep that in mind when reading my two recipes!

For National Chili Day on Thursday, my goal was to create tasty chili recipes without meat. I got this idea because I know many people don’t eat meat on Fridays during the Lenten season. Also, it seems to me more people are trying recipes with plant-based proteins.

The first recipe, buffalo shrimp chili, is a “white chili,” meaning it has white beans, fewer tomatoes, and white protein (in this case it’s shrimp, in other cases it’s chicken). I also added hominy to the chili because I like the contrast in texture it provides. You could add corn instead if you don’t like hominy, or you could leave it out.

I want to make sure you notice in the directions below that you should not add the shrimp until the very end. Shrimp cooks very quickly, and it will overcook if you cook it the same duration as the rest of the chili.

You should also wait to add the cream cheese until the very end. You just want to mix it in and let it melt in the chili while it’s finishing up. Important note: Even though the chili has cream cheese in it, it’s totally fine to reheat it. Just be careful to not reheat it so quickly it boils. Heat it slowly!

I used Challenge cream cheese in the buffalo shrimp chili because Challenge prides itself on its fresh products and continues that tradition by only using real ingredients.

My second recipe in this blog post tastes more like a traditional red chili except it’s vegan and it has tofu crumbles. If you aren’t familiar with tofu, please don’t turn your nose up and stop reading. This recipe for tofu crumbles is so incredibly easy (no need to press it) and delicious. Honestly, it does kind of taste like beef. Also, tofu is low in carbs, low in calories, and high in protein.

What’s great about both recipes is you will have plenty of leftovers to warm up throughout the week.

Buffalo Shrimp Chili
Ingredients

• 1 Tablespoon oil
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 1 cup celery, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 Tablespoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups vegetable stock (or chicken or seafood stock)
• 2 (15-ounce) cans white beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (15-ounce) can hominy, drained and rinsed
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can fire roasted tomatoes, not drained
• 1 (4-ounce) can green chilies
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup buffalo sauce (depending on spiciness)
• 1 pound frozen uncooked shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 4 ounces Challenge cream cheese
• Optional toppings: Blue cheese crumbles, green onions, tortilla chips

Directions for the Instant Pot

1. Add oil to Instant Pot and turn on sauté setting. Add onion and celery to pot and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes, or until they start to soften.
2. Add garlic to pot and saute 1 minute.
3. Turn off saute setting and add chili powder, pepper, and salt to pot. Mix with vegetables until combined.
4. Add seafood stock, white beans, hominy, fire roasted tomatoes, green chilies, and buffalo sauce to instant pot and stir. Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes.
5. After it is done, quick release the pressure.
6. Turn on the saute setting and add shrimp and cream cheese to the pot. Cook until shrimp are opaque and pink and cream cheese is melted, which should take about 5 minutes.
7. Serve with blue cheese and green onions.

Directions for slow cooker

1. On stove top, heat olive oil in pan and saute onion and celery for 2 to 3 minutes, or until they start to soften. Add garlic to pan and saute 1 minute.
2. Transfer veggies to large slow cooker. Add chili powder, pepper, salt, stock, beans, hominy, tomatoes, green chilies, and buffalo sauce to slow cooker. Stir to combine.
3. Cook on low for 5 hours or on high for 2.5 to 3 hours.
4. Open lid to slow cooker and add shrimp and cream cheese. Cook in slow cooker until shrimp are opaque and pink and cream cheese is melted, about 30 minutes on low and 15 minutes on high.

Vegan chili
For the chili

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 1 cup celery, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 (28-ounce) cans diced tomatoes, not drained
• 2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 (15-ounce) cans  kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 4 cups vegetable stock
• 3 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 tablespoon cumin
• 2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon cayenne powder
• 1 teaspoon salt

For the Tofu

• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 350g block extra-firm tofu

Directions for the chili

1. Add the oil to a large pot and heat over medium-high heat. Add in the onion and celery and sauté until the onion is translucent and starts to soften.
2. Add garlic and saute 1 minute or until it turns fragrant.
3. Add in the tomatoes, beans, stock, and spices. Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer and continue to simmer for 1 hour. 

Directions for the Tofu

1. While chili is cooking, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Mix nutritional yeast, soy sauce, and olive oil together in a large bowl. 
3. Open the package of tofu and drain it (but there’s no need to press it). 
4. Break off chunks of tofu and add to bowl with nutritional yeast. 
5. Once you have a large bowl of tofu crumbles, combine with nutritional yeast mix until everything is evenly coated.
6. Spread the tofu mixture on the baking sheet and bake for 40 minutes, stirring at the halfway mark. The tofu should be nice and browned.
7. When the chili is ready, stir in the tofu crumbles and cook another 5 minutes.

Recipe adapted from It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken

Two-ingredient cookies (plus mix-ins)

Sometimes the best things in life are the simple things. And these two-ingredient cookies are no exception.

I saw this recipe circulating around Pinterest, and it reminded me of the three-ingredient pancakes I like to make. After collecting enough overripe bananas I finally gave them a try this past week.

They were very easy to make – just mash bananas with oats. And the mix-in possibilities are endless. I made one batch with chocolate chips and a little vanilla extract and another batch with Craisins and chocolate chips. You can also add peanut butter, chopped nuts, coconut flakes, cinnamon, Nutella, etc.

These cookies also meet just about every dietary restriction you can think of. They’re gluten free, dairy free, nut free, vegan, vegetarian, and Paleo(ish).

I love these cookies as a snack or for breakfast. It’s easy to grab them and go. And sure they’re technically called “cookies,” but the only thing in them is bananas and oats. And you can’t feel guilty about eating bananas and oats for breakfast!

Have you made these before? What are your favorite mix-ins?

Two-Ingredient Cookies

Servings: Makes about 12 cookies

Calories: About 36 calories per cookies

Ingredients

• Two large, ripe bananas
• 1 cup quick oats

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
2. Mash bananas with the oats. Add any mix-ins you want.
3. Form mixture into one-inch balls and place on greased baking sheet
4. Bake for 15 minutes

Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days. I actually recommend storing them in the refrigerator because the cookies seem to collect a bit of moisture.