Easy Vegan Sushi

Fun and easy vegan sushi rolls, one with cucumber and avocado, the other with tofu, carrot, green onion, and a spicy sriracha mayo sauce.

Most sushi restaurants will offer these very rolls, and depending on the restaurant, they may be the only options for vegans. Now, I have been to some vegan restaurants that served sushi rolls that absolutely blew my mind, making veggies into works of art bursting with flavor. But I think I need to master the basics before I get too crazy. And these two rolls are a great place to start!

What you'll need:

• bamboo sushi rolling mat

• nori

• plastic wrap (it's not necessary but recommended - I really don't buy plastic wrap anymore but had some left to use for this)

• sushi rice

• rice vinegar

• sugar

• salt

• fillings of choice - for my rolls I made an avocado cucumber roll and a tofu, carrot, green onion roll

• sauces of choice - I used soy sauce and made a vegan sriracha mayo

The above items that you may not have on hand like a sushi rolling mat, nori, or rice vinegar, can easily be found online or at Asian markets, or even at your local grocery store. Sushi rice, or sticky rice, is short grain white rice which you should be able to find at the grocery store as well.

INGREDIENTS

serving size: 2 rolls

• 2 nori sheets

• 1 1/2 cups sushi rice

• 1 tbsp rice vinegar

• 1 tbsp sugar

• pinch of salt

Roll 1: Cucumber Avocado Roll:

• thinly sliced cucumber

• half of an avocado

Roll 2: Tofu, Carrot, Onion Roll (does this have a name? Someone tell me if so.)

• 1/4 a block firm tofu

• thinly sliced carrots

• green onion

Dipping Sauces

• soy sauce

• sriracha or any chili sauce

• vegan mayo

LET'S ROLL

1. Cook your rice according to the package instructions. (I am guestimating 1 1/2 cups because I made 1 cup and could've used just a bit more)

2. In a small bowl, mix the rice vinegar, sugar, and salt until dissolved. The sugar will balance out the rice vinegar some. Use less sugar if you want a less sweet flavor.

3. When the rice is done, remove from heat, add the rice vinegar mix, stir, and let cool.

4. Prepare the tofu by pressing it first. I only used about 1/4 of a block for one roll. Cut the tofu in stick-like strips and pan fry them in some light oil over medium heat until browned on each side.

5. Thinly slice some carrots. You can buy pre-shredded carrots or slice your own. I only had baby carrots so I steamed them just enough to make them easier to cut but still have a bit of a crunch.

6. Cut the green onion as needed to fit the length of the nori sheet, or cut into shorter strips to layer, whichever you prefer.

7. Slice your cucumbers into thin sticks.

8. Right before your ready to roll, slice your avocado pieces long ways (I only used half of the avocado).

9. Wrap your sushi mat all around in plastic wrap. This will make cleanup easier.

10. Lay a sheet of nori on the mat with the textured side facing up.

11. Wet your hands and grab a handful of rice. Begin spreading the rice on the sheet from edge to edge, leaving about a 1" space at the top. Wet your hands as needed to keep the rice from sticking to you. You don't want the rice to be stacked too thick but a decent enough layer should do.

12. At the bottom edge of your nori (not the blank space) you can start layering up the ingredients. Again, not too thick that it doesn't roll, but just enough.

13. Use the mat to start rolling the bottom of the nori towards the top, using your fingers to tuck the ingredients in tightly as you roll, and peeling the mat so that it doesn't roll in with it.

14. When you get to the top, wet your finger and glide it along that 1" space we left blank. This will help to seal the roll. Finish rolling.

15. Use a wet knife to cut the roll into 6-8 pieces.

16. For the sriracha mayo, I did equal parts vegan mayo and sriracha, which probably came to about 1 tablespoon of each. Adjust to your taste or skip and use a different sauce entirely!

Optional: I saw a vegan sushi chef wrap the finished roll in plastic wrap and twist the ends to make it really tight before unwrapping and cutting. I did this and it seemed to work really well!

And there you have it - 2 very easy vegan sushi rolls to make at home!

First timer here! If you're experienced in sushi and have any tips or tricks to share, please leave a comment - I'd love to learn ways to improve!

-Kat

Vegan Lasagna With Tofu Kale Ricotta

This super easy vegan lasagna uses tofu ricotta and is baked with a nutritional yeast cheese sauce on top.

This was my first time ever making a lasagna and I was impressed with how great it turned out! This lasagna has layers of whole wheat noodles, tomatoes and basil, and tofu ricotta with garlic and kale. I made a smaller, personal pan of it, so you can adjust quantities if you are making a larger pan. I generally don't measure when I'm cooking so I apologize in advance, but this should be fairly easy to eye and adjust as needed!

INGREDIENTS:

• vegan lasagna noodles (I used Whole Foods 365 brand)

• firm tofu (pressed) - I used half a block, use a full block for a bigger pan

• pasta sauce

• diced tomatoes (fresh or canned) - I used a full can

• chopped basil

• chopped garlic (I used 2 cloves)

• steamed chopped kale (I used about a cup)

• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast

• 2 tbsp flour

• 2 tbsp vegan butter

• non-dairy milk

LET'S COOK:

Tofu Ricotta

1. Press your tofu to remove as much water as possible. I use a tofu press, but you can also layer paper towels or a cloth in a deep pan, lay the tofu on, add more paper towels, and then place something heavy on top if you do not have a press.

2. Crumble up the tofu in a bowl until it looks like the photo.

3. Add chopped garlic and chopped, steamed kale to the tofu and stir.

4. Add spices if desired. I added some onion powder, garlic powder, pepper, and an Italian spice blend.

Lasagna

1. Prepare the noodles by boiling them until they are barely soft - do not cook all the way,

2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

3. Scoop some pasta sauce into your pan and spread it around the bottom and sides to coat.

4. Add your first layer of noodles.

5. Spread a layer of chopped tomatoes, basil, and more sauce.

6. Add another layer of noodles. Then add a layer of the tofu kale ricotta.

7. Keep repeating in whatever order you'd like until you reach near the top of the pan or desired height, leaving off with one last layer of noodles.

8. Add a generous amount of sauce to the top. This will help prevent the noodles from drying out when baking. Now prepare your cheese sauce.

Cheese Sauce

1. In a small saucepan over low-medium heat, add the vegan butter.

2. Once it starts to melt, slowly add in the flour, being sure to stir into the butter.

3. Keep stirring for about a minute. Then slowly start adding non-dairy milk, being sure to keep stirring. I added about a cup in total but it depends on how thick you want the sauce to be. It will thicken as it cooks so keep adding milk in small amounts if it gets too thick.

4. Add in nutritional yeast and any spices.

5. Once it is at a thicker consistency, you can pour it over the lasagna.

6. Cover the pan with foil and bake in the oven, checking occasionally until the cheese sauce on top starts to turn a little golden and the noodles are soft. This took about 35-40 minutes for my personal pan.

7. Remove foil and let bake for an additional 5-10 minutes, then remove from oven. Let it set for about 10 minutes, and then cut and serve!

Enjoy!

-Kat

Vegan vs. Plant-Based - What's the Difference?

If you're new to the world of veganism, there can be a lot of confusion between "plant-based" and "vegan" and I'm here to set the record straight.

Food tends to be a touchy and sensitive topic. Anyone who has gone vegan knows this. You were likely met with opposition or judgement. Vegans are usually the butt of jokes and memes. Mostly it's all in good fun! But some people are just downright rude about it. Once I engage with these people it's clear they simply just lack knowledge on the subject and believe what generations of people were taught (or dare I say, manipulated by the meat and dairy industry) to believe - you need milk and meat to grow big and strong.

Nutrition studies have been challenging that belief for years, and for good reason. The fact is we do not need meat and dairy to be healthy and strong. What we need is a balance of proper nutrients, vitamins, and minerals. All of this can be found in plants. And food companies are FINALLY starting to catch on.

These days when you are in the grocery store you may start seeing more "plant-based" labels on food. If you're trying to follow a vegan lifestyle, you may grab these items thinking they are made of plants, so obviously that means it's vegan right? Not exactly.

What is plant-based?

This term generally applies to diet only. Someone who is plant-based consumes a diet made mostly from plants (duh!) but it's important to understand that the term is fairly fluid and can include:

• Vegans - eliminates all animal products from diet and lifestyle

• Vegetarians - eliminates 1 or more animal products from the diet (eggs, dairy, fish, meat)

• Whole Foods Plant-Based (WFPB) - limits or eliminates highly processed foods, animal products, and oils, instead focusing on whole, unrefined vegetables, fruits, grains, legumes, etc.

A plant-based diet can still include small amounts of meat, eggs, or dairy. This is why as a vegan it is very important to check the ingredients of products marketed as plant-based.

Reasons for going plant-based are generally centered around health, but can also include the environment and sustainability, religion, and more. The health benefits of a whole foods plant-based diet are vast, as studies show it can be effective in disease prevention, as well as reversing disease. You also get to reduce your carbon footprint in many ways.

"Plant-based" focuses on health and wellness through diet.

What is vegan?

Vegan applies not only to food, but spills over into ethical and environmentally-conscious consumerism as well. It means:

• No meat, eggs, dairy, seafood (and no exceptions)

• No foods manufactured or processed using animal by-products in any way.

• No clothes or accessories made from animals, like leather, suede and fur.

• No products that have been tested on animals.

Reasons for going vegan may include animal welfare, environment and sustainability, health, religion, and more. Vegans tend to focus on compassion for all living beings.

Veganism is rooted in compassion.

VEGAN vs. PLANT-BASED

People have all sorts of different reasons for wanting to cut animal products out of their life. And there is no denying that more and more people are doing so. No matter your reasoning or the diet you follow, every little bit helps! Companies are seeing the demand and expanding their offerings. And with that it becomes our responsibility to make sure we are making the right choices and purchases that fit within our goals and morals.

I made this chart to make it easier to see the differences between the two terms and I hope this has helped clear up any confusion. Have more questions, comments, or critiques? Let me know! I love to see differing viewpoints and can chat about this stuff all day.

-Kat