Vegan and Vegetarian Cooking

Meatless Monday Chef, flexitarian, or committed vegan, it's time to revive a place for vegetarian food in OOT. I eat about 95% vegetarian and/or vegan. While I will occasionally eat something non-veg*n, it's much better for the animals and especially the planet for most people to eat more plants--a LOT more plants.

Today's breakfast: shredded tofu and sweet potato/bell pepper hash:

I generally freeze my tofu as soon as I get it home (exception: the super firm high protein tofu, which in my experience doesn't really need it) and then thaw it in the fridge a few days before I want it.

People make such a big deal out of pressing tofu and tofu presses and wrapping it in kitchen towels and all that, but I find that process messy and kind of a pain, and I've never gotten a better result than from just 1) freezing my tofu to break down the cell walls 2) thawing it 3) cutting it in half by height to make two equal sized tofu "steaks" and 4) just wringing it out in my well washed hands. Bonus if I only use half of it the first day and the other half can sit, opened, in the fridge for 24 hours.

Hash is onions sauteed in canola or olive oil with the barest pinch of salt, then the diced bell peppers with another pinch, then the sweet potatoes seared until caramelly, pan deglazed with just a tablespoon of water, then covered and steamed until potatoes are ready, then lid removed and cooked until dry. Served with tofu seared in olive oil and shredded with my fingers into large rough pieces to absorb all the flavors of the hash. (Normally I'd scramble my tofu and veg together but the first day I had the hash with an egg because I was feeling eggy, so I just cooked the leftover tofu separately while I reheated the hash.)

Breakfast is served!