speedvegan

Caesar Salad with Blackened Tofu, originally uploaded by speedvegan.

Before becoming vegetarian, Jose loved Caesar Salad with the occasional blackened bird. Recently, he mentioned he was craving it and asked if I could make something like it. I thought, surely I can make a vegetarian Caesar Salad, but I could potentially lose sleep over trying to veganize the darn thing. Fortunately, I found a post by Webly that inspired me. Here is what I came up with.

Blackened Tofu:
16 oz extra firm tofu, drained and pressed
1/2 cup water
1 tbsp bragg liquid aminos (*)
2 tsp dijon mustard
1 1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp blackening seasoning
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
dash cayenne pepper (to taste)
1/4 tsp salt (to taste)
2 tbsp peanut oil

Caesar Salad:
1 head romaine lettuce, washed and torn into bite size pieces
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp tamari sauce
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
1/2 cup soy milk
1/2 cup shredded vegan cheese
1/4 cup vegan parmesan cheese
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp dried basil
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper (or to taste)

1. Cut the tofu through the side into thin, rectangular slabs or “cutlets.”

2. Mix together the water, bragg liquid, mustard, and lemon juice in a large glass baking dish. Set aside.

3. Combine the blackening seasoning, oregano, pepper, cayenne, and salt. Spread on a plate. Set aside.

4. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Put the tofu cutlets in the stock mixture, coating completely. Bake until most of the liquid is absorbed, turning the cutlets with a spatula half-way through cooking, 20 to 25 minutes total.

5. Meanwhile, start making the salad. Combine mustard, tamari sauce, lemon juice, nutritional yeast and soy milk in a small bowl. Whisk until smooth. Set aside.

6. In separate bowl, combine shredded cheese, Parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs, garlic, dried basil and fresh ground pepper. Mix well.

7. Place lettuce in large bowl. Add dressing mixture and toss. Add cheese mixture and toss again. Chill while you prepare the tofu.

8. Using a spatula, transfer the cooked tofu to the seasoning mixture and coat all over with the seasoning. Lay the cutlets on a plate as you coat them.

9. Heat about 1 tablespoon of oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add two of the cutlets and cook until slightly firm, about 3 minutes per side. Repeat with the remaining oil and cutlets.

10. If desired, cut the cutlets into smaller pieces. Serve over salad.

(*) You can substitute tamari sauce.

This was awesome ! Jose even said we should get a lettuce spinner since we’ll be making this often ! Thanks Webly !