Ok, first tofu attempt last night went…ok, lol.
It was not crispy. I think I used too much oil maybe and then when I added it back into the sauce I lost any crunch I had achieved. Mr. Road was a trooper and still ate it, but I will have to keep trying on the crispy tofu front.
If I want things to stay crispier I serve the tofu as one dish, just seasoned with a bit of salt and chilli.
I serve a separate dipping sauce to dip them in (japanese mayo + japanese soy sauce + sweet and sour sauce + creme fraice, maybe a bit of lemon or lime juice. Or what sounds good to you) I’ll serve with a side of rice plus a side of roasted veggies.
Or you could deconstruct the dish you have and just top it with fried tofu just before serving. Tofu cooked in any sauce will not stay crispy.
Yes, I think this is absolutely what I will have to do next time - keep it separate!
We follow my mom’s method of preparing tofu…take it out, put it on a plate…put another plate on top, add a can or two on top…she did this on the dish drainer so that the water would go into the sink…once pressed, the tofu is the perfect density to be cut and fried crispy. To get crispy anything, use cornstarch or potato starch, not flour. If you have time, double fry…fry, let cool, fry again…it takes very little oil to fry, or you can use a deep fryer or the bottom of a wok…
I have to eat extra protein prior and after my surgery…I was sure the nutritionist was going to recommend meat, but she actually recommended a lot of seafood, lentils, almonds, cottage cheese, eggs, pumpkin seeds, quinoa, and Greek yogurt! That makes me happy as I don’t like to eat a lot of red meats.
This was pretty much the method I followed - press for at least 30 minutes (I used my cast iron skillet and a can of whole peeled tomatoes). I used cornstarch. Fried in 1/4 c oil per recipe, but I think it was too much and probably should have been hotter. Recipe did not specify temp. I DID NOT double fry…I will have to try that. It definitely makes a difference with french fries!
I’m also thinking about how I can rig up a grate over my sink for tofu pressing…
I realized I hadn’t suggested Fried Rice as a good vegetarian dinner. I tend to fill mine with veggies so it’s not all starch, using anything and everything in the house. Shallot or onion, carrots, peas, corn, spinach, bok choy, broccoli, zucchini, celery, ginger, garlic… I also like my scrambled egg to be larger, fluffier chunks, so I cook the eggs separately, and stir it in at the last moment, just as I’m about to plate the rice. I top it with the green tops of the scallions, and either chopped cashews or peanuts for a little crunch. If I’m feeling up for the extra step, then I cook up some tofu too, and stir that in with the eggs. Then I serve it with a bottle of Sriracha for Jim, and usually a more mild ‘spicy’ mayo for myself. Because it’s so versatile, you could easily avoid whichever veggie the kids currently despise.
We really love this hibatchi fried rice recipe.
Oh my kids (and Mr. Road is not far behind) despise all of those veggies. I have long given up on trying to feed everyone in my house one dinner. It’s a challenge… 
Jennie - you never get the question - “oh good, what else are we having with that?”
I love fried rice. Thanks for the suggestion!
Back when I was in my late teens but still lived at home both me and my sister ate vegetarian food. My parents just ate the veggie dish and added some cold cut meat (like sliced sandwich ham or something) if they felt like it. I guess they were just happy the kids cooked
At least your husband should be able to add in some animal protein himself if he’s not happy with dinner. I know it can be trickier with kids…
I’m not 100% vegetarian but I still really like vegetarian meals so if I cook I often make veggie dishes. My husband had a gastric sleeve done this spring and needs quite a lot of protein compared to the rest of the meal, but if what’s served isn’t for his protein needs he’ll solve the problem himself.
If your husband isn’t capable in the kitchen you could maybe both add some easy proteins to the shopping list. Canned tuna or other canned seafood maybe? Smoked cured ham was my mothers favourite to add since it doesn’t require additional cooking.
For my husband we sometimes keep a few unpeeled boiled eggs in the fridge for an easy protein supplement since it covers his protein needs for one meal.
We eat it with a fried egg on top! And sometimes a vegetarian satay with peanut sauce or veggie prawn crackers (made from cassava) but I’m not sure if that’s available everywhere around the world.
Yeah, the veggie issue with Mr. Road is not new. I’ve been able to make them more palatable for him with spice. Spicy green beans are one of his faves now!
I do like the idea of using eggs more for meals…I made a frittata this week and it got me wanting to try making huevos rancheros!
A boyfriend uses to holler about where were the barnyard animals if he didn’t see meat on the plate. He was the animal, ugh.
It would be a whole lot of extra work at first but auditioning new foods as a small side will give you a preview of family reaction before committing to something as the whole meal. Then building on the things that were liked or tolerated would keep people’s resistance low kwim? If a few meals are served that are universally disliked, the attitude around it may devolve into trepidation so there’s negative perception even before the first mouthful. But if the change is slow, with little side samples each meal then gradually increase in frequency & size, eventually half or more of the plate could be that new food and be accepted by all.
The cbc has published some good articles with interesting ingredients & recipe suggestions, mostly vegetarian, here and here. I particularly like their pairing of meat with nuts and other ingredients to stretch the proteins so each serving feels satisfying but is only a small amount of actual flesh foods. It’s a good trick for cutting down without cutting out.
Eggs are the one thing I will never cut out. When researching veganism, the utter lack of B12 was a deal breaker for me. Having experienced low levels & knowing how incredibly damaging that can get, irreparably, I am mindful. It’s a nutrient that’s not available in non-animal sources which informs my beliefs about what the body is meant to eat. Eggs have it all, B12, cysteine, methionine. Essential nutrients not found in plants. I don’t ordinarily hold with nutritionism but had to learn about what was missing in my diet when I made myself sick. Eggs are awesome in my opinion, and there are a variety of them too, like duck eggs!
Eggs were on the top of the list for me to eat prior and after my surgery! I like them cooked in so many ways, but, unfortunately, I don’t feel safe eating them raw in the USA because of our production practices. I would eat them raw if I got them direct from the farm (my mom would beat them with soy sauce, sesame oil, sesame seeds, and green onions and pour the mixture over hot rice for breakfast!)…I did not know that eggs had B12, which is one of the vitamins I am deficient in…
@Abbeeroad…I think you are doing great trying to find things that family can eat…I think that might be the reason my parents took us to eat at buffets when we were little…my mom didn’t have to make a 100 different things! lol…Maybe you could take turns in your family…each person have a favorite and put it into rotation? Pancakes have eggs…that was a favorite meal when I was a kid! lol
Nope, sorry. I got lucky. Jim just eats whatever is put in front of him without comment. He says if someone else cooked it for him, he can’t complain. That being said, he does have a strong dislike of mushrooms and asparagus, so I just never cook those into dinner. I occasionally make them for myself. But he also doesn’t freak out if he finds them in his food. He just carefully picks them out and puts them on my plate.
And as to AIMR’s comment on pancakes, in addition to regular breakfast style pancakes, I make a lot of veggie pancakes. Usually zucchini pancakes, topped with a fried egg. But sometimes potato or corn pancakes. Last night’s dinner wasn’t vegetarian, but easily could have been. I made cornmeal pancakes with corn kernels stirred into the batter, then topped them with sautéed zucchini, shallot, cherry tomatoes, more corn, and andouille sausage, with a splash of white wine and a little butter. You could easily swap out the real andouille for faux, or half faux. Imperfect Foods has an andouille sausage that is half chicken, half sweet potato. They’re tasty and lighter feeling than traditional all pork andouille.
If you are low in B12, take care to avoid foods that contain analogues (basically fake B12 that takes up the space “real” B12 should occupy & prevents it being absorbed). It’s in foods like Spirulina, Nori, Miso & Wakame some of which I suspect you might be eating. They are safe to consume after you recover from deficiency but maybe only sporadically if you are prone to getting low.
Abbie, apparently I just won a book from the craft website Cut Out + Keep. Storecupboard Vegan. I’ll be sure to pass on any recipes that look kid & husband friendly!
Also, have you looked at the cookbook Vegan Cooking for Carnivores? It was written by Ellen Degeneres’ chef, who was not a vegan chef before coming to work for her. I had a copy once, but don’t know where it went to. Maybe worth checking your library?
Believe it or not, I eat those foods very rarely. I am mostly low in Vit D.
Do your kids like rice, @abbeeroad? If they do, you can sneak in veggies by making green rice. A sprinkle of cheese on it might also make it more kid friendly. You are basically pureeing the green veggies with coconut milk so it is like a creamy rice. I know the kids in our family eat it like it is mac and cheese. The recipe calls for kale, but I use spinach, green peppers, jalapenos, etc. It is really versatile and you can add different spice according to what the kids and you like.
