Ten-Minute Breakfast Tacos

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Okay, full disclosure: the first time you make these breakfast tacos, they might take 12 or 13 minutes. But that's because you're reading the recipe and getting familiar with what to grab from the fridge and pantry. Once you've made them once or twice, it's smooth sailing. You grab your tortillas while the skillet heats, grab the tofu while the tortillas warm, then grab the spinach and slice the avocado while the tofu cooks, and before you know it, a fresh hot breakfast is helping you greet the day in style.

With that out of the way, these guys are seriously easy to love. Fluffy crumbled tofu and a little fresh spinach wilted in a mix of sesame oil and tamari make for a light but flavorful combination. Top it all with ripe avocado slices doused with hot sauce, and that lovely mess is fully ready to be hugged in a warm corn tortilla. As a bonus, it takes only a few minutes longer to feed four as it does one (because the tofu will take longer to brown in a more crowded skillet), so this recipe scales decently.

Perfect and fast enough for breakfast, you may find yourself adding a side salad and a Bloody Mary to make these guys into brunch, or a side salad and cold Pilsner for dinner in a snap. Don't say I didn't warn you.

Ten-Minute Breakfast Tacos

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serves 1

2 six-inch soft corn tortillas

1/3 block firm or extra firm tofu

1/8-1/4 tsp (to taste) fine sea or kosher salt

freshly cracked black pepper

2 tsp nutritional yeast

1/2 ripe avocado, pitted

1 tsp sesame oil

generous handful fresh baby spinach

1 tsp reduced-sodium tamari

hot sauce, to serve [see note]

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Heat oven on warm setting.

Place tortillas in skillet. Heat for a minute on each side, or until tortillas are pliable and beginning to puff in spots. Transfer tortillas to oven rack to keep warm.

Crumble tofu into hot skillet. Sprinkle salt, pepper, and nutritional yeast over top. Let cook, undisturbed, two minutes. Meanwhile, slice avocado half while still in its skin.

Reduce heat to medium-low, toss tofu, and let cook one minute, undisturbed. Toss again and let cook one last minute. Remove tortillas from oven, transfer to serving plate, toss tofu again and spread evenly over tortillas.

Return skillet to heat. Add sesame oil, then spinach. Pour tamari over spinach and cook until wilted down, stirring constantly. Divide between tacos.

Scoop avocado slices from skin with a spoon and divide between tacos. Top with hot sauce and serve at once.

[Note: these benefit from an acidic finish, so if you do not like hot sauce, squeeze a lime wedge over tacos before serving.]

BBQ Tofu-Pecan Loaf Sandwich with Pineapple and Smoky Tahini Sauce

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Technically, this recipe should be called BBQ-sauced tofu-pecan loaf sandwich. Now that that's out of the way, what you really need to know is that this sandwich is so much fun. Big and messy and savory and meaty and juicy, and so, so easy.

The tofu-pecan loaf looks fussy, but it really isn't. Process a few things in the food processor, stir it up with the dry ingredients, and the slow cooker takes care of the rest. Which means all you have to do for dinner is whisk together two quick sauces and grill a few rings of pineapple.

The BBQ sauce, by the way, is a total shortcut sauce from the pantry. It gains a little depth from being added to the slow cooker toward the end of cooking. The pineapple adds a welcome dose of fresh sweetness to the whole thing. Did I mention easy and fun?

BBQ Tofu-Pecan Loaf Sandwich with Pineapple and Smoky Tahini Sauce

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loaf adapted from The Vegan Slow Cooker

For the tofu-pecan meatloaf: 

1 cup water

1 cup TVP (textured vegetable protein) 

1 lb Twin Oaks brand extra-firm tofu [see Note]

1/2 cup pecans

3 sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, roughly chopped

1/2 tsp liquid smoke

1 cup oat bran

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried marjoram

1/2 tsp fine sea or kosher salt

For the BBQ sauce: 

1/4 cup ketchup

2 tsp turbinado (or brown sugar)

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

1 tsp reduced-sodium tamari

1 tsp molasses

For the smoky tahini sauce:

1/4 cup tahini

1/4 cup water

2 TBSP lime juice

1/2 tsp fine sea or kosher salt

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

To assemble: 

sourdough

grilled pineapple rings

Boil the cup of water in a small sauce pan, remove from heat, and stir in TVP. Let sit 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, roughly crumble tofu into the bowl of a food processor. Add pecans, sun-dried tomatoes, tamari, and liquid smoke. Process thoroughly.

In a large mixing bowl, combine oat bran, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, basil, oregano, marjoram, and salt. Stir to combine, add tofu-pecan mixture, and use your hands to thoroughly combine. Add rehydrated TVP and mix again until incorporated. Press mixture firmly into a lightly oiled slow cooker and cook on low for 6-7 hours.

Half an hour before serving, whisk together all BBQ sauce ingredients. Spread over top of the tofu-pecan loaf, replace lid, and let cook 30 minutes, undisturbed.

Meanwhile, whisk together all tahini sauce ingredients and set aside. Cut your pineapple into rings and grill until you have dark sear marks, but the pineapple is still firm—it will take only a few minutes. (A countertop electric grill is just fine, or sear rings just until golden on both sides in a skillet or griddle.)

When the loaf is ready, sandwich and serve.

Note on tofu: Twin Oaks brand is significantly denser than other brands of tofu. If it's not available to you, purchase two blocks of the firmest tofu you can, press them for 30 minutes, then weigh out a pound.

Dead Simple Smoked Tofu Salad Sandwich (for Summer)

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Granted, you don't actually have to reserve this tasty mix of smoked tofu, shallot, and cornichons for the warm months, but the salty and savory salad begs to be topped with fresh produce and served open-faced. Think sliced radishes, spicy greens, or—of course—nice big slices of tomato.

Grated smoked tofu gives great flavor and texture, and plays extremely well with finely diced shallot and briny little pickles. Dress it all up a bit further with a touch of Dijon and dill, and breezy summer lunches are no sweat at all.

Dead Simple Smoked Tofu Salad Sandwich (for Summer)

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serves 2-4

8 oz smoked tofu, such as Soy Boy brand

1 shallot, minced

5 cornichons, thinly sliced (about 2 TBSP)

2 tsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp Dijon-style mustard

1/2 tsp dried dill

1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper

Grate tofu into a mixing bowl. Add all other ingredients and stir to combine. Serve at once or chill until ready to use.

Espresso-Bourbon Tofu-Peanut Butter (Breakfast) Mousse

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Tofu mousse might not sound like a great idea to a large-ish chunk of the population—especially in the post-aquafaba world—but done with care, it's a totally fabulous idea. Especially for summer breakfasts. It's cool and creamy and fluffy, pairs well with fruit or can be eaten on its own, and can be made in batches in a total snap, so it's just sitting in the fridge waiting for you on any given morning. And it's seriously satisfying, thanks to a good dose of protein from both silken tofu and peanut butter, the latter of which also adds a satiating helping of fat.

Peanut butter, vanilla, a touch of bourbon and lemon, and instant espresso powder all team up to make a flavorful, protein-packed breakfast or snack. You can easily turn this into dessert by adding a cookie (and if your sweet tooth is on the modest side, you may find it weekday dessert-ready as-is). Feel free to thin the whole thing out with coconut milk to transform it into a decadent drizzle over brandy-warmed dates for an honest-to-goodness dessert you could even serve to guests. Yep.

Espresso-Bourbon Tofu-Peanut Butter (Breakfast) Mousse

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yields about 2 cups

12 oz silken firm tofu (from an aseptic pack)

1/2 cup smooth peanut butter (look for a brand that contains nothing but peanuts)

1/4 cup maple syrup, grade A: dark color and robust flavor strongly recommended

2 TBSP lemon juice

1 TBSP bourbon

2 tsp instant espresso powder

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp salt

Puree all ingredients until smooth.

Can be served immediately, but it benefits from chilling for at least 30 minutes to one hour before serving, in terms of both flavor (as the flavors mingle, the espresso will mellow) and texture (the mousse will firm up and become fluffy).

Party Animals No. 50: Saturday Brunch with Pals

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Just a quick Party Animals post this week to run over a recent vegan brunch. The potato-iest, herb-iest meal of the day.

I was hosted for brunch by good pals, and they provided some really tasty grits and greens for the center of the meal. To help out, I brought bubbly for Bellini (and back there in the corner is some cucumber-lemongrass syrup as a modest gift for the hosts).

These are the easiest potatoes ever. The freezer was holding a good amount of potato salad leftover from the wedding party. Threw that in a pan and roasted it up.

For protein, tofu and zucchini muffins. These are kind of a variation on this recipe (I hope to share more about a version of these muffins soon-ish). They're flavored with lemon zest and dill, which is a really great combination for brunch.

And, finally, if you're gonna rush tomato season (which I clearly am), this is how to do it: tuck some little garlic slices into roma tomato quarters, place them in a pan, douse the whole thing with herbes de Provence and some olive oil. Roast for a couple hours at 300, and done.

As ever, thanks so much for being here. See you next week.

Party Animals No. 49: The MSV Wedding Reception

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So, I got hitched in May to my boyfriend of 10 years. And yeah, I did the food for our (teeny tiny) party. There's so much credit to give out, so let's dive right in.

First, all of these seriously dreamy photos were taken by the totally fabulous Leah Moyers. She improved our wedding day in so many ways, and has made my food look better than it will ever look again. Despite knowing that we devoted a significant chunk of our wedding day's relatively modest budget to her services, I still feel like I owe her so many extra thanks. Also, hey, she's vegan.

Quickly, though this isn't something I normally talk about on MSV, my hair was done by my regular stylist, Emily, who is also vegan, and works at Geo Hair Lab (they do not use products tested on animals or containing animal products). I did my own makeup with Tarte products.

Okay, now for the food! I got tons of support from friends:

My pal Caitlin is responsible for all the stunning calligraphy you see (in addition to being on assist all evening, ferrying food up and down the staircase). Her work elevated the food presentation dramatically.

Friends Casey and Elaine ran the beverages like bosses, including hauling in lovely glassware (and so much more). Elaine—hospitality and ice cream master—also put together the table decor and basically acted as my day-of coordinator. All the great plating, arranging, and everything everything everything was directed by Elaine, and I'll never be able to repay her dedication to putting together a killer party.

This shot demonstrates just how thoughtful my friends were in providing stemware. And also what public speaking is like for me.

I can't begin to list all the credit that's due these folks and others, so just know they totally ran the show, and I had very little to do with any of it once the food was made. Even with the party as small as it was (about three dozen total), this was easily the largest crowd I'd ever cooked for, and I couldn't have done it alone. All I had to do was make the almond pâté tower, the sandwiches, the pickled green beans, and the four desserts. Got them to the church on time, so to speak, and sighed while everyone else took over. I'm a lucky lady.

Pals working while I celebrate

Additionally, we asked for volunteers among our guests to pick up food and bring it in to the party (our party was extremely intimate—only the people who love us very best in the world were there, the kind of folks you don't mind asking to stop and bring in some taro chips, if they don't mind). So anything marked store-bought in the menu was generously provided by guests so I had several less things to handle.

And now, the menu:

Hors D'oeuvres Buffet                                                                                                

• Almond pâté tower (four-tier):                                                                                               
  • top tier: red wine-fig jam marbled (app. 3")                                                                                    
  • third tier: peppercorn-crusted (app. 4")                                                                                            
  • second tier: smoked tea (6")                                                                                
  • bottom tier: lemon zest and herbes de Provence (9")
• Assorted Crackers (store-bought)                                                                                                
• Mixed nuts (store-bought)                                                                                                
• Fresh fruit (from Tomato Head catering)                                                                                         
• Dried fruit (store-bought)                                                                                                
• Mixed olives (store-bought)                                                                                                
• Spiced balsamic pickled green beans                                                                                              
• Taro chips (store-bought)                                                                                                
• Greek green salad (from Tomato Head catering)                                                                              
• Spring potato salad (from Whole Foods catering)                                                                           
• Buffalo (vegan) meatball sandwiches                                                                                               
• Smoked-tofu bánh mì                                                                                              
• Marinated veg & chickpea-salad sandwiches (a variation on this)                                                                                               

Dessert Buffet                                                                                                
                                                                                                

• Lime & thyme blueberry Bundt cake                                                                                                
• Lavender & lemon vegan cheesecake                                                                                                
• White chocolate-coconut-macadamia truffles rolled in cacao nibs                                                 
• Jumbo oatmeal cookies with currants and dark chocolate

Drinks

• Cucumber-lime agua fresca (plus another agua)
• Cocktail: 212 (gin, Aperol, grapefruit juice) topped with ginger beer (and garnished with lemongrass straws—Elaine's seriously gorgeous finishing touch)
• Coffee from K Brew (they substituted almond milk for the creamer in their catering packs for me easy peasy)
• beers, wines, cava, water

And, finally, the moment we've all been waiting for, the food photography:

Phew. And <3.

Smoked Tofu, Avocado, and Sage-Roasted Lemon Sandwich

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This sandwich relies on the convenience of store-bought tofu, the convenience of nature's perfect condiment (avocado), and takes just about 15 minutes to punch up that lovable combination with seriously dreamy roasted lemons. The result is sure to brighten up any Tuesday afternoon, but feel free to serve this to pals at any casual gathering, too.

Whole-lemon anything is never to be passed up, so when this salad recipe came into view, there was no question that the sage-roasted lemons would be put to work long before tomato season. Totally worth the light effort, these dreamy little lemon slices jazz up absolutely everything. New favorite ingredient.

Smoked Tofu, Avocado, and Sage-Roasted Lemon Sandwich

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yields three sandwiches

1 recipe sage-roasted lemon slices

8 oz smoked tofu, such as Soy Boy brand

1 ripe avocado

6 slices whole wheat bread from a small boule

flaked salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Prepare the lemon slices as directed.

While the lemon slices roast, place each tofu square on its thin side and cut into thirds, so you have a total of six thinner squares. Halve and pit the avocado, divide into eight slices, and scoop out.

To assemble, place two slices of tofu on three slices of bread. Divide the avocado as evenly as possible and place atop the tofu. Sprinkle with flaked salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Add lemon slices, sandwich, and serve at once.

Party Animals No. 46: Thanksgiving 2016

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The all-vegan MSV Thanksgiving table for 2016 went a little something like this:

To welcome our guests, a version of this spiced pear and ginger cocktail. Totally lovely. This'll definitely show up on the MSV entertaining table again. (Also, I went a little bananas and made botanical drawings to accompany all the items.) Get my (slightly simplified) version of this great cocktail here.

Tofu-pecan loaf and fluffy biscuits (same as last year).

A lackluster citrus and green bean salad that I'll replace next year. Win some, lose some.

Cranberry relish, same as ever.

A first stab at horchata cheesecake that decidedly needs more tests. Still tasted good, though.

And, finally, the pleasant surprise of the year. I tweaked my regular dressing to streamline the process. I replaced the corn bread (which I used to bake a day or two before) with store-bought prepared polenta, replaced the figs (which I used to soak and chop) with already-small currants, and took the walnuts down just a bit. The result is totally dreamy and a little more harmonious than my old dressing. This couldn't have worked better. I seriously recommend this recipe over the old one. The polenta's creaminess adds an unbeatable textural improvement that I refuse to do without from here on.

______________________________________________________________________________

If you got a long weekend, I hope it was lovely.

MSV subscribers (you can join their ranks if you haven't already) got a little note about this in their emails, but I'm taking this week off, leaving the blog quiet for now while the East Tennessee communities try to work through this week's damage in The Great Smoky Mountains National Park and nearby towns.

See you again soon.

Smoked Tofu Salad Sub

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Your lunches are totally covered. Sunny October afternoon picnics, too. And thanks to commercially prepared smoked tofu, this satisfying baguette sub couldn't be easier.

Start with your smoked tofu, grate it, add a good bit of plain nondairy yogurt (Kite Hill or Silk recommended), and season that with lemon juice, cornichons, and capers.

Technically, you can stop right there, grab the crackers, and call it good. Or you can sandwich it up with romaine and top with salt, pepper, oil, red wine vinegar, and thinly sliced red onion. Totally classic presentation with a blissfully flavorful convenience item. Meet your new favorite protein-salad sandwich.

Smoked Tofu Salad Sub

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serves 3-4

For the smoked tofu salad:

8 oz smoked tofu, grated, such as Soy Boy brand

5 oz plain nondairy yogurt, such as Kite Hill or Silk brand

1 6-inch piece celery, thinly sliced

4-6 cornichons (1 to 1 1/2 inches each), finely chopped

2 tsp drained capers

2 tsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp fine sea or kosher salt

To serve:

baguette loaf

romaine leaves

red onion, sliced into paper-thin half-moons

olive oil

red wine vinegar

fine sea or kosher salt

freshly cracked black pepper

Stir all tofu salad ingredients together.

To serve, cut off a desired length of baguette and split in half lengthwise. Line bottom slice with romaine. Spoon tofu salad on top, pressing down a little to aid cohesion. Top with onion, to taste. Drizzle oil over top, add several dashes red wine vinegar, and finish with a gentle sprinkle of salt and a generous amount of freshly cracked black pepper.

Note: for travel, toast cut sides of bread before assembling. Will keep well, wrapped, for a few hours.

Dead Simple Lemon-Pepper Tofu Spread

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Tofu on bread makes up a lot of easy dinners in the MSV house. This particular spread is a favorite for a couple of reasons, though. First, lemon and freshly cracked black pepper are a lovable combination that never gets old.

Second, there's pretty much always tofu and lemon hanging out in the kitchen, which means this mellow and simple spread can be on your plate pretty much any time you decide you feel like blending up a batch. And then you have leftovers.

This spread eats just fine on toast all alone (or crackers, if you need even more convenience), but the cool creaminess of the tofu, brightness of the lemon, and heat of the pepper are even better topped with, say, a little greens quickly sauteed with smoked paprika or smoked salt. With multigrain toast, that's a lot of satisfying flavor piled deep into a blissfully unfussy meal.

Dead Simple Lemon-Pepper Tofu Spread

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yields about one pound

1/2 cup pepitas, roasted and lightly salted

14-16 ounces firm tofu, drained

1/2 tsp fine sea or kosher salt

2 TBSP lemon juice

zest of 1 lemon

1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper

Process pepitas in a food processor to fine crumbs. Add tofu, salt, and lemon juice, and blend until very smooth, pausing to scrape the sides as needed. Stir in lemon zest and black pepper. Adjust salt, if needed (particularly if you use unsalted pepitas). Flavor is best after chilling for an hour or so, but can be used immediately.

Cherry Tart with a Dead Simple Salted Chocolate Crust

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This guy is gonna sell itself. Grab your dark cherries, season them a little on the stove, then pile them into an entirely lovable chocolate crust—with little hits of salt strewn throughout—that just happens to be the very definition of forgivable.

And because glossy fruit begs to be paired with creamy things, take a minute to whip up a combination of nondairy cream cheese and silken tofu for a dreamy effect that's stiffer than whipped cream, but fluffier than cream cheese. It's a really handy combination, and you can likely expect to see it here again in other applications.

Top the whole thing with fruit, swirl it around for a nice presentation, and you'll be one happy summer camper. And because you need to make this tart in advance, anyway, it's a seriously easy way to entertain.

Cherry Tart with a Dead Simple Salted Chocolate Crust

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serves 6-8

For the crust:

3/4 cup all-purpose flour (to measure, spoon in and level off)

1/4 cup cocoa powder, such as Equal Exchange brand

1/3 cup natural cane sugar (evaporated cane juice)

1/2 tsp fine sea or kosher salt

1/4 cup refined coconut oil

For the cherry filling:

1 lb pitted dark cherries, frozen or fresh

2 TBSP natural cane sugar (evaporated cane juice)

juice of half a lemon

2 TBSP quick-cooking tapioca

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

For the creamy filling:

6 oz firm silken tofu (half of an aseptic pack)

4 oz nondairy cream cheese, such as Tofutti brand

2 tsp natural cane sugar (evaporated cane juice)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp lemon zest

Heat oven to 375.

Begin with the crust. Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, sugar, and salt. Add coconut oil and mix until sandy and uniform. Press into a 14x4-inch nonstick rectangular tart pan. Bake 8-10 minutes. The crust will go from done to burned with speed, so watch—and smell—carefully. Transfer pan to a wire rack to let cool.

Prepare the cherry filling. Combine cherries, sugar, and lemon juice in a small pot over medium heat. Bring to a boil and let cook until cherries have released their liquid and begin to break down, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat slightly (to avoid splashing) and add tapioca. Cook, stirring frequently, five minutes. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla, and set aside to let cool a bit.

Finally, prepare the creamy filling. Puree all ingredients until very smooth.

When the crust has cooled, add all but one-half cup of cherry filling. Dollop and smooth creamy filling over the top. Dollop reserved half-cup of cherry mixture over that, and swirl with a chopstick by making infinity marks up and down the length of the tart. Chill at least a couple of hours before removing tart pan side piece and serving. During this time, the cherry filling will become more sliceable and the flavor of the creamy filling will come together. Fillings will continue to firm up over the next six to eight hours.

Tart will keep in the fridge, covered, for a few days.

Balsamic Onion Tofu-Pecan Meatball Sandwiches

Time to get out the slow cooker and satisfy your summer vegan meatball cravings.

As if tofu-pecan meatball sandwiches weren't lovable enough, today's version mixes in blissfully savory and sweet bits of onions cooked with balsamic vinegar. It's a breezy shortcut to seriously satisfying flavor. Keep those big flavors coming by topping it all with spicy mustard and tangy sauerkraut.

Balsamic Onion Tofu-Pecan Meatball Sandwiches

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see [Note] on yield , meatballs adapted from here

For the meatballs: 

1 small yellow onion, finely diced

2 TBSP olive oil

generous pinch fine sea or kosher salt

2 tsp balsamic vinegar

1 cup water

1 cup TVP (textured vegetable protein) 

1 lb Twin Oaks brand extra-firm tofu [see note on tofu]

1/2 cup unsalted pecans

3 sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, roughly chopped

2 TBSP reduced-sodium tamari

1/2 tsp liquid smoke

1 cup oat bran

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp fine sea or kosher salt

1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper

1/4 tsp celery seed

To serve: 

sandwich/burger buns

stone-ground mustard

sauerkraut

Heat oil over medium heat. When hot, add diced onion and generous pinch salt. Cook until onions have released their liquid and begin to turn translucent, about five minutes. Add balsamic vinegar and continue to cook, stirring/scraping the pan frequently, until onions are deep in color, another five to seven minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

Boil one cup water in a small sauce pan. Remove from heat, stir in TVP, and let sit 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, roughly crumble the tofu into a food processor. Add pecans, sun-dried tomatoes, tamari, and liquid smoke. Process well, until uniform with no large chunks of pecans. 

In a large mixing bowl, combine oat bran, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and celery seed. Stir to combine, add the tofu-pecan mixture, and mix thoroughly (hands are best). Add reconstituted TVP and onions when cool enough to handle and mix until incorporated.

Form meatballs, place them in a lightly oiled slow cooker and cook on low 4-5 hours (you may need 5-6 hours for golf-ball size). Alternately, bake in a 350-degree oven for 30 minutes, until warmed through and golden.

Note on yield: recipe yields 36-40 ping-pong size meatballs or 26-30 golf-ball size. Sandwiches will require 3-4 meatballs per bun, depending on bun size.

Note on tofu: Twin Oaks extra-firm is exceptionally dense. If you use a different brand, look for super-firm, or press your extra-firm tofu for 20-30 minutes, then weigh it out for the recipe.

Tofu Muffins with Sweet Corn and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

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Portable protein! And they're seriously sunny.

There may be a slight obsession with tofu pie in the MSV house. A frequent dreaming about finding a tofu pie that might make sense to everyone at the brunch table, even quiche-loving omnivores (if you've already found this, please get in touch). A day when the easiest daytime entertaining option is finally open again. But until then, there are these little guys, totally solving savory breakfast on any given weekday. And you don't even have to share.

They're easy, tasty, blissfully tofu-y, shored up with chickpea flour, and studded with sweet corn kernels and flavor-packed sun-dried tomatoes. They're quite soft and moist fresh from the oven, so be sure to let them cool before digging in for the best texture. In fact, you might be happiest if you just treat this strictly as a session of batch cooking and wait until the next morning. They eat great cold or at room temperature.

Tofu Muffins with Sweet Corn and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Print the recipe

yields six muffins, inspired by The Vegan Slow Cooker

15 oz firm tofu, drained

3/4 cup unsweetened soy (or almond) milk

1/4 cup drained oil-packed julienned sun-dried tomatoes

1/4 cup frozen sweet corn kernels

1/2 cup chickpea flour

1/4 cup cornmeal

2 TBSP nutritional yeast

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp fine sea or kosher salt

1/2 tsp garlic powder

oil, for greasing

Heat oven to 400. Generously oil a non-stick six-muffin tin.

Crumble tofu into a food processor. Add milk and process until smooth. Add sun-dried tomatoes and process until well chopped. Add corn kernels and pulse briefly to incorporate.

In a mixing bowl, combine chickpea flour, cornmeal, nutritional yeast, baking powder, salt, and garlic powder. Add tofu mixture and stir until thoroughly combined. (Do not taste-test the batter—raw chickpea batter is foul.) Distribute evenly among the six muffin molds (it will fill them each generously). Bake 30-32 minutes, until a tester comes out mostly clean—moist crumbs are okay, wet batter isn't—and the tops are puffed and golden.

Let cool 10 minutes in the pan on a wire rack. Run a knife or spatula firmly around the edges of the muffins to unmold. Let cool completely; chill until ready to eat.

Hitting the Books No. 5: Breakfasts from The Vegan Slow Cooker

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Today, a sweet, a savory, and a sweet and savory sampling from Kathy Hester's The Vegan Slow Cooker:

With an eye on moderation and the convenience of setting and forgetting, it might be one of the most practically minded cookbooks on the MSV shelf.

But it hasn't been all roses. Nearly every recipe I've made from this book required an adjustment—most minor, some major. One chance taken resulted in deep embarrassment in front of already-veg-skeptical family when the combination of silken tofu and the suggested vegan cheese produced a great deal of something roughly the consistency of mayonnaise suffocating some potatoes.

But the recipes that have worked have made weeknight meals fun to come home to. And as long as you're comfortable adjusting recipes to suit you, you'll likely find this book a good source of inspiration for low-stress dishes.

And this book is responsible for tofu-pecan meatballs, don't forget. That forgives all other sins.

There's no shortage of tempting entrees, but switching up the breakfast routine is what was needed in the MSV kitchen, so that's what's featured here.

First, let's rip off a band-aid. That hot bowl up top was an enormous waste of food. To start, it needed a batch of sausage crumbles from the book:

These are made from walnuts, brown rice, and vital wheat gluten, which sounded like a very promising ingredient list on first read. But despite high hopes and a generous dose of herbs, this was stunningly bland. (To be fair, Hester compares the flavor to a lite-sounding commercial product I'm not familiar with. I might have been warned.) Sausage is to be spicy, salty, and at least a little greasy, something used sparingly because it's so potent. There's not a whiff of that to be found here.

Things went from bummer to worse when those sausage crumbles were put to work in this sweet-and-savory dish. (The recipes get better, promise. Hang in there.) If there's a more misleadingly alluring title than "Pear and Cardamom French Toast Casserole," then friends, I do not know what it is(*). The recipe notes say it's "similar to bread pudding in texture." You know what traditional bread pudding has? Heaps of voluminous protein and fat to cut the starch. What you see here is bland, gummy bowlfuls of bread mixed with a generous serving of underseasoned "sausage," which itself is partially made of wheat, too. The admittedly delightful pears can't make up for all that gray goop. After some time has passed, the memory of what it was like to try to eat this having faded, I intend to make a pear and cardamom rice pudding, free of bread in any form.

(*NB Several titles are strange in this book. Hester doesn't go out of her way to respect the variety of culinary traditions she borrows from in naming recipes, and there's an overall emphasis on familiarity over precision. This book's tone is pretty much the network-television-newscaster flat American accent.)

Or maybe instead of rice, a nice polenta dish:

You might notice that isn't a slow cooker back there, but rather a stove-top pot. This one can't be blamed on the book: using applesauce containing ascorbic acid (despite helpful directions to check the label for just that) caused the slow cooker batch to curdle. To avoid another failure (and, frankly, another round of washing the slow cooker crock), the same ingredients—minus applesauce—went into a pot and came out rather lovely, indeed.

There are peaches in there and a little fresh thyme, plus my very own favorite secret ingredient for adding richness to savory grits: almond meal (I'll post my grits recipe someday). This one, though simple, is a keeper, and bound to be dressed up with different fruits and herbs as the seasons and moods change.

Finally, a savory breakfast: "Chile Relleno Casserole." It isn't actually advertised in the book as a breakfast at all. But since it's a recipe that cooks on high for 90 minutes instead of on low for eight hours, this one's perfect for lazy weekends. And in the MSV house, savory breakfasts beat sugary ones every time.

A generously seasoned mixture of tofu, cornmeal, and chickpea flour gets layered with roasted poblano peppers (it's like everything on MSV all at once). It's a pretty great blend, and with a tweak or two, will likely make for a nice tofu pie. And happily, the leftovers eat cold like a champ for instant breakfasts any day, which is what I was really hoping for here.

Plus, there's something that doesn't get a lot of use in the MSV kitchen: firm vegan cheese, here Field Roast's Chao Original. Its addition here made the casserole a bit richer than I might feel like digging into on any given morning, but again, not bad for a weekend. To bring this into the weekday routine, it will be worth experimenting with bringing down the seasoning a touch and substituting a layer of spicy salsa instead of the cheese and see if the texture holds (or failing that, maybe a layer of mashed pinto beans). Overall, a nice bit of comfort food.

In short, the recipes in this book could be tighter, but you might find them tough to resist even once you know that. It's great that Hester obviously and repeatedly leaves lots of room for people to adjust the recipes to their tastes, which makes folks more likely to get in the kitchen without worrying too much about nailing everything just so. (This does not excuse that bread casserole—that was tragic.) That said, it would be helpful if I felt like I could adjust the recipe if I wanted to rather than knowing I'd probably have to. But there's tons more to try, and everything's easy enough that even those not-quite-right recipes don't feel like failures, but more like something to revisit soon with a tweak. Some days you just gotta get dinner (or breakfast) on the table.

And if all else fails, there's always tofu-pecan loaf.

About Hitting the Books: You know that shelf in your house with all the great cookbooks you don't get to nearly as often as you'd like? Yeah, there's one of those over here, too. The Hitting the Books series allows for occasional opportunities to dig into that shelf and highlight some handy cookbooks.

Chimichurri Tofu-Pecan Meatball Sandwiches

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The post introducing the recipe for tofu-pecan meatballs is still one of the most popular posts ever on MSV, and for good reason. These little guys are savory, a little earthy, totally fun, and blissfully chewy. This version adds cilantro and parsley to the meatballs themselves to echo the fresh quantity pureed into an irresistible chimichurri sauce.

Strips of sweet roasted red pepper beautifully complement the rich, fragrant, garlicky and zippy green sauce. For best results, grab the freshest garlic you can find.

Chimichurri Tofu-Pecan Meatball Sandwiches

Print the recipe

see [Note] on yield , meatballs adapted from here

For the meatballs: 

1 cup water

1 cup TVP (textured vegetable protein) 

1 lb Twin Oaks brand extra-firm tofu [see note on tofu]

1/2 cup unsalted pecans

3 sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, roughly chopped

2 TBSP reduced-sodium tamari

1/2 tsp liquid smoke

1 cup oat bran

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp fine sea or kosher salt

1/4 cup loosely packed flat-leaf parsley, tough stems removed, finely chopped

1/4 cup loosely packed cilantro, tough stems removed, finely chopped

To assemble: 

sandwich/burger buns

sliced roasted red pepper

Parsley-Cilantro Chimichurri, recipe follows

Boil one cup water in a small sauce pan. Remove from heat, stir in TVP, and let sit 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, roughly crumble the tofu into a food processor. Add pecans, sun-dried tomatoes, tamari, and liquid smoke. Process well, until uniform with no large chunks of pecans. 

In a large mixing bowl, combine oat bran, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, salt, chopped parsley, and chopped cilantro. Stir to combine, add the tofu-pecan mixture, and mix thoroughly (hands are best). Add reconstituted TVP when cool enough to handle and mix until incorporated. 

Form meatballs, place them in a lightly oiled slow cooker and cook on low 4-5 hours (you may need 5-6 hours for golf-ball size). Alternately, bake in a 350-degree oven for 30 minutes, until warmed through and golden.

To assemble, place meatballs on a bun (toasted on the cut sides, if desired), spoon on a scant tablespoon of sauce, top with pepper strips, then sandwich.

Note on yield: recipe yields 36-40 ping-pong size meatballs or 26-30 golf-ball size. Sandwiches will require 3-4 meatballs per bun, depending on bun size.

Note on tofu: Twin Oaks extra-firm is exceptionally dense. If you use a different brand, look for super-firm, or press your extra-firm tofu for 20-30 minutes, then weigh it out for the recipe.

Parsley-Cilantro Chimichurri

1/2 cup loosely packed cilantro, tough stems removed

1/2 cup loosely packed parsley, tough stems removed

1 TBSP fresh oregano leaves

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

3 TBSP rice vinegar (unseasoned), (or white wine or red wine vinegar)

2 cloves garlic, peeled

1 small shallot, peeled and roughly chopped

1 small jalapeno, trimmed, seeded, and roughly chopped

1/4 tsp fine sea or kosher salt

Puree all ingredients until smooth. Adjust salt, and vinegar, if needed.

Seared Tofu and Sunny Roasted Pepper-Coconut Sauce (Make the Plate)

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Think about your favorite really simple plates. Those vegetable hashes or sautés, the veg mélange you toss in the oven to roast, or the pot of greens and beans you pull out of the slow cooker after a long day. Now think about making them even better with 10-minute tofu and a creamy sauce the color of happiness. Together, they add light, chewy protein and a shot of richness. Let's go to work.

Up top is a mix of pinto beans and sweet potatoes spiced with cumin, coriander, and smoked paprika, then roasted together in a little oil. The roasting method works well if you don't have the tofu and sauce already made. You can work on those while the base roasts without any attention from you at all. Dinner is served, and now you've got your tofu and sauce to tuck in the fridge for another day.

Because tofu is wildly forgiving. True, you'll never get that lovely sear back after you've chilled it, but mostly, tofu stores like a champ. Then again, it takes only 10 minutes from start to finish, so it can be whipped up in a snap on any given day if you want it freshly made each time. Do what works best for your schedule.

The nicest effect with this combination really might be toast:

Start with a nice loaf (that's rye in the photos).

Then quickly cook some spinach or other tender green with a little smoked salt or garam masala. (If tomatoes are in season, let them in on the action, too.)

Top with the tofu and sauce, and you're set.

Now, a couple tips. First, cooking tofu on the hot stove top is a really great fuss-free way to get satisfying tofu anytime. It isn't as forgiving as baking (you can actually burn it on the stove, whereas tofu never seems to tire of hanging out in a warm oven), but it provides a great exterior chew while preserving tenderness on the inside. Folks in the States can spend a lot of time trying to make tofu drier, which can be tasty (tofu jerky!), but if you haven't tried embracing tofu's silkier side, you may find you've been missing out. You might decide some of the softer firm varieties out there (brands vary—no two "firm" or "extra-firm" tofus are exactly alike) give great results.

Second, for the sauce, orange bell pepper produces the boldest hue, but a yellow pepper will do fine if that's what's available. It still tastes great over stewed collards (or other sturdy greens) and black eyed peas (or whatever legume you're in the mood for).

It works over waffled hash browns:

It works over green beans cooked in a little olive oil (or pesto or, as here, arugula relish) and garnished with toasted almonds:

It works on giant bagelwiches. It just plain works.

Seared Tofu

Print the recipes

serves 4

14-16 oz firm or extra-firm tofu, drained

2 TBSP nutritional yeast

1/2 tsp fine sea or kosher salt

freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

Heat a large nonstick griddle over medium-high heat (see Note below). Meanwhile, with the tofu in landscape position (long end toward you), cut into 8 even slices. When the skillet is hot, carefully add the tofu in a single layer, without touching. Whisk together nutritional yeast and salt, sprinkle over tofu, and let cook, undisturbed, five minutes. Flip tofu (the underside should now be golden) and cook another four minutes, until golden.

Note: you can also use a large nonstick skillet, but you'll likely need to work in two batches, reducing the heat to medium for the second batch to avoid burning.

Sunny Roasted Pepper-Coconut Sauce

yields app. 1 1/2 cups

1 large (or 2 small) orange (or yellow) bell pepper

1 cup full-fat canned coconut milk

1/2 tsp fine sea or kosher salt

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp hot sauce, such as Valentina or Cholula

Heat oven broiler with a rack in the top position. Trim, halve, and seed the pepper. Place cut-side down on the rack and broil until blistered and blackened, 10-15 minutes, checking frequently after 10 minutes. (If needed, prop the oven door open slightly to keep the broiler from turning off.)

Meanwhile, add all other ingredients to a wide-mouth jar. When the pepper is ready, carefully transfer to the jar. Blend with an immersion blender until smooth, about 20 seconds (see Note below). Let cool a bit before using, or let cool completely before refrigerating. To use leftovers, gently warm only the desired portion.

Note: blending with an immersion blender with the skin on will add the flavor of the slightly charred skin to the sauce, while any tough skin will be caught by the circulation notches in the blender wand. If you need to use a food processor (or your immersion blender does not have circulation notches), you may want to strain the sauce if the texture is not smooth enough for your tastes.

Party Animals No. 39: Thanksgiving 2015

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MSV's real, live, all-vegan table for 2015:

• Sangria
• Tofu-Pecan Loaf
• Biscuits
• Mashed Potatoes
• Wild Mushroom-Chickpea Gravy
• Cranberry Relish
• Spiced Walnut-Fig Cornbread Dressing
• Mixed Citrus Green Salad
• Apple Cake

The tofu loaf is a slight variation on these tofu-pecan meatballs. The cranberries never get tweaked. You've seen those biscuits and dressing before (printable recipes here and here). The sangria is a bottle of Spanish grenache poured over a sliced orange, a couple handfuls of pineapple chunks, and a small chopped pear. Chill for several hours and drink it down in a fraction of that time.

The salad is 5 oz spring mix tossed in a dressing of equal parts black cherry concentrate, apricot jam, and olive oil with a dose of finely chopped mint. That all gets topped with two oranges, two grapefruit, and a handful of toasted pistachio (serves 4-6). The apple cake is from The Joy of Vegan Baking, and is always pretty. Even when you don't line up your apple slices just so.

The new kid on the table this year actually made its first appearance last year. (In fact, last year's table was such a winner, this year ended up mirroring it almost exactly.) But it's getting shared this year. It's pretty lovable: earthy, thick, and with two kinds of pepper, it's a great addition to any spud (or tofu-pecan loaf). You'll want to whip it up all winter long, holiday or no.

Wild Mushroom-Chickpea Gravy

Print the recipe

yield will vary based on desired consistency

1/2 oz dried wild mushrooms

2 whole black peppercorns

1/4 cup chickpea flour

2 TBSP olive oil

2 cups vegetable broth

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp dried sage

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp fine sea or kosher salt

1/4 tsp ground white pepper

Use a coffee grinder to grind the mushrooms and black peppercorns into a fine powder. Heat a medium pot over medium heat. Add mushroom powder and chickpea flour. Toast, tossing very frequently, until fragrant, a couple of minutes.

Whisk together oil, broth, and all herbs and spices. Add half the liquid to the pot in a steady stream, whisking constantly. Whisk until smooth. Whisk in other half of liquid and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a steady simmer. Cook, whisking frequently, until thickened to the desired consistency. Adjust salt, if needed.

____________________________________________________

Hope anyone who gets a long weekend enjoys it. See you back here next week.

Tofu, Smoky Eggplant, and Avocado Sandwich, AKA The "Hello, Sunshine"

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Tender tofu, intensely salty strips of eggplant, and rich avocado all come together on sourdough to make a deeply satisfying vegan breakfast sandwich. Before sandwiching, you'll top the whole thing with freshly cracked black pepper for heat and lemon zest for brightness. Irresistible. You'll likely find yourself eating it for lunch and dinner, too—it's way less fussy than the recipe might make it look.

The eggplant comes from this totally great Vegetarian Times recipe from a few years back, in which thin eggplant slices stand in for cured ham. Around here, it's a go-to for anything that could use a blast of salt and paprika.

There are a few reasons this eggplant is so adored around here. Tempeh can be difficult to slice thinly and needs a long-ish marinade to really soak up flavor. (It also works best fried, which is kinda gross in a kitchen without ventilation. Like the MSV kitchen.) Coconut bacon is beyond convenient, thanks to industrially produced dried coconut flakes, but it does taste of coconut. Which is fine, until it's not.

Eggplant, on the other hand, is notoriously thirsty, which means it takes on a bunch of flavor in only minutes. And knowing your end result needn't be super-chewy or crispy (i.e. not calling it "bacon") means there's way less pressure to nail a specific texture. Letting the eggplant be eggplant and, well, seasoning the hell out of it is all you need. Especially when paired, as here, with tofu, which already gives you good texture. Oh, and while the link calls for grilling, don't worry, the oven does just fine.

So dig in, already.

The "Hello, Sunshine" Sandwich

Print the recipe

yields four large sandwiches

For the eggplant, adapted from Vegetarian Times:

1 medium eggplant (about 1 lb), trimmed and peeled

1/4 cup olive oil

2 TBSP reduced-sodium tamari

2 TBSP apple cider vinegar

2 TBSP grade B maple syrup or brown sugar

2 tsp smoked paprika

1 1/2 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp fine sea or kosher salt

For the tofu:

14 oz extra-firm tofu, drained

2 TBSP nutritional yeast

1/2 tsp fine sea or kosher salt

To serve:

8 sourdough slices, toasted

sliced avocado

freshly cracked black pepper

zest of 1 large lemon (about 1 tsp)

Whisk together all eggplant marinade ingredients in a mixing bowl and set aside. Use a vegetable peeler to slice the eggplant into long strips. When you hit the seedy center, rotate the eggplant. Continue all the way around. (Reserve the center for another use.) Add eggplant to the mixing bowl and toss thoroughly—tongs work very well for this. Let marinate 10 minutes, tossing every few minutes to ensure even coating.

Heat oven to 400. Line a baking sheet with parchment.

Meanwhile, prepare the tofu. Heat a large nonstick griddle (or skillet) over medium heat. With the tofu in landscape position (long end toward you), cut it into 8 even slices. When the griddle is hot, carefully add the tofu in a single layer, without touching. Whisk together the nutritional yeast and 1/2 tsp salt, sprinkle over the tofu, and let cook, undisturbed, 5-6 minutes. Flip the tofu and cook another 4-5 minutes, until golden brown. (If you use a skillet, you may need to work in two batches.)

Lay the eggplant strips onto the prepared baking sheet one at a time in a single layer—hands work well for this. Bake 10 minutes, flip with the tongs, and bake another 5-7 minutes, until the surface has dried out a bit and the edges are browning.

To assemble, lay a toasted slice of sourdough, untoasted side up, and layer on two slices of tofu, a few eggplant strips, and avocado. Add freshly cracked black pepper, to taste, and sprinkle on 1/4 tsp of lemon zest. Sandwich and serve.

Hitting the Books No. 4: Simple Entrees from Rick Bayless's Mexican Kitchen

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This week, a dip into (an old edition of) a non-vegan, totally classic cookbook just snagged from the second-hand bookseller's shelf: Rick Bayless's Mexican Kitchen.

Again, decidedly a cookbook for omnivores, but one that honors beans and masa and masa and beans. To wit:

Talk about a crowd-pleaser. And the book itself is pretty lovely, too.

As tempting as it is to pour a whole bunch of oil into the pot and fry up some puffy masa, that's a hot, stinky, and delectable chore for another day. In fact, much of Mexican Kitchen involves a few separate processes per recipe. They look to come together smoothly with only minimal multitasking (and the notes helpfully provide make-ahead options throughout), but right now just isn't the time for ambition on any level in the MSV kitchen.

So today, two entrees that are low-demand and high-reward. The flavor construction is elegant and the textures deeply comforting, which makes for a winning combination for the home cook.

First up, black bean chilaquiles (the full dish, slightly more appetizing in appearance, is at the top of the post). Cook your beans, toss in tortilla chips, and there you have it. The core of the dish is entirely vegan, and it's garnished with chipotle, avocado, and Mexican Thick Cream. (Bayless's instructions for Thick Cream are the precise at-home creme fraiche mock-up ones I learned in my omnivore days.) Pictured here is a vegan experiment that showed great promise but ended up a bit underwhelming. You may see it again in the future if it works out. For a mystery-free version, thinned vegan sour cream, a little extra avocado, or a drizzle of poblano coconut sauce could easily replace the called-for dairy garnish.

The revelation in these chilaquiles, however, were the beans. Chipotles en adobo are frequently used as a bold addition to condiments—they're a generously flavorful shortcut. But used sparingly in a pot of beans (cooked from dried), they provide a surprisingly subtle, yet robust depth that likely forever changes the way beans get made around here. Seems obvious, and yet.

Next:

One of the great things about this book is Bayless' candor about the inherent corruption involved introducing a dish from one culture to another, especially for the home cook. He's clear about these being translations. So if this one is a cinch for a kitchen in the U.S., why not a vegan kitchen in the U.S.?

Here we have a tofu scramble, but this mixture of tomatoes, poblanos, onions, and garlic would also be gorgeous, naturally, over white beans. It's fairly lean, so extra avocado on top along with the cilantro really rounds it out. (And to stray from the recipe and stretch the dish, this also works tucked into warm corn tortillas.) The book offers an optional shortcut using canned tomatoes, which will do in a pinch, but freshly roasted will make the plate sing.

Back next week with a new recipe. Until then, happy reading.

About Hitting the Books: You know that shelf in your house with all the great cookbooks you don't get to nearly as often as you'd like? Yeah, there's one of those over here, too. The Hitting the Books series allows for occasional opportunities to dig into that shelf and highlight some handy cookbooks.

Lemon-Poppy & Herb Smoked Tofu-Salad Sandwich

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Today, a little love note to smoked tofu. (And tarragon, but that comes in a minute.) Warm weather begs for cool, protein-packed salads that can be kept on hand for quick sandwiches that provide easy nourishment at any time of the day. For that, it's hard to beat the ease of grabbing a pre-seasoned pack of tofu.

This salad really takes advantage of three store-bought convenience items: the smoked tofu, of course, and also a big dollop of plain nondairy yogurt seasoned with dijon mustard. You'll set those off with heaps of fresh and fragrant stuff: parsley, tarragon, cucumber, lemon zest, and, finally, lightly toasted poppy seeds.

Grate, chop, toast, stir, and you have lunch for days. Grab a half-loaf of pita, a bagel, or a couple slices of your favorite wheat bread. Whatever you have on hand will work and makes for a surprisingly sophisticated, dead-simple meal.

Lemon-Poppy & Herb Smoked Tofu-Salad Sandwich

Print the recipe

serves 4, adapted from Tartine Bread

1 tsp poppy seeds

zest of 1 lemon

3 TBSP plain nondairy yogurt(*)

1 TBSP dijon mustard

12 oz smoked tofu (such as Soy Boy brand), grated

1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded, and finely chopped

1 bunch parsley, tough stems removed (about 1 cup loosely packed), chopped

4 large sprigs tarragon, stems discarded (about 1/4 cup loosely packed leaves), chopped

sandwich loaf slices, halved bagel, or pita, plus tender lettuce leaves, to serve

Add poppy seeds to a small dry skillet over medium heat. Toast, tossing constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds, being careful not to burn.

Combine poppy seeds, lemon zest, yogurt, and mustard in a small bowl. Put grated tofu, cucumber, parsley, and tarragon into a large mixing bowl. Add dressing and toss thoroughly. (Salt, if needed—this will depend on your brand of tofu.) Can be served immediately, but benefits from an hour in the fridge to allow the flavors to mingle.

When ready to serve, spoon salad onto bread, then sandwich. Press down with one hand and cut in half (compressing helps the sandwich hold together—not necessary if using pita).

(*Whole Soy Co. or So Delicious brands of plain yogurt are recommended. Because of the bitterness of the poppy and pungent nature of tarragon, the unsweetened variety is not recommended for this dish.)