Seasoned vegan chef Lisa Dawn Angerame, founder of Lisa’s Project: Vegan, has developed incredibly tasty, shockingly hearty and amazingly accurate vegan versions of all those meat, fish and dairy dishes you still crave. With Lisa’s savvy plant-based meals, eating vegan will never again mean giving up the flavours you love. Recipes include Carrot Lox, Baja Tacos, Crabless Cakes, Lentil Bolognese, Meatless Meatballs, Chickpea Scampi, Crispy Tempeh Bacon BLTs, Eggless Egg Salad, and The Beet Burger.

This mouthwatering collection of recipes will have you whipping up such creamy, decadent and rich meals that you’ll have to stop and ask yourself: Wait, that’s vegan?!

Wait, That’s Vegan?!: Plant-Based Meatballs, Burgers, Steaks and Other Dishes You Thought You’d Never Eat Again! is available at Amazon.com and Indigo.ca.

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Baja Tacos with Salsa Fresca and Chipotle Cream

Makes 6

Baja-style fish tacos originated in Baja California, Mexico. All along the coastline of the peninsula, there are taco stands that offer up different variations, depending on the catch of the day. But you don’t have to go fishing, you just have to open a package of tofu and season it up with Old Bay, that famous spice combo of celery salt, red pepper, black pepper and paprika that is traditionally used on seafood.

To round it out, these tacos are topped with salsa fresca and chipotle cream and served with wedges of lime. Because no matter what’s in a Baja taco, it’s mandatory to spritz fresh lime juice over the top right before eating.

 

Baja Tofu

1 tbsp (15 ml) sunflower oil

1 tbsp (15 ml) tamari

2 tsp (5 g) Old Bay seasoning

½ tsp Mexican oregano

Pinch of salt and a dash of pepper

7.5 oz (213 g) extra-firm tofu, pressed for 10 minutes and cut into strips

 

Salsa Fresca

1 big vine-ripened tomato, seeded and chopped

2 tbsp (20 g) finely diced red onion

½ small serrano, ribs and seeds removed, diced

1 tbsp (15 ml) freshly squeezed lime juice

2 tsp (scant 1 g) chopped fresh cilantro

2 tsp (4 g) chopped fresh mint

Pinch of salt

 

Chipotle Cream

¼ cup (60 ml) Cashew Cream (recipe below)

1 tsp chipotle in adobo, minced

1 tbsp (15 ml) freshly squeezed lime juice

Pinch of salt

 

To Serve

12 corn tortillas

Handful of shredded purple or green cabbage

1 radish, thinly sliced on a mandoline

1 avocado, peeled, pitted and diced

Lime wedge

 

To make the tofu, preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C, or gas mark 4). Line a half sheet pan with parchment paper.

Add the oil, tamari, Old Bay and Mexican oregano to a medium mixing bowl. Whisk together, and season with salt and pepper. Add the tofu to the bowl and toss to coat the tofu well. Arrange the tofu in a single layer on the sheet pan and bake for 30 minutes.

To make the salsa fresca, add the tomatoes, onion, serrano, lime juice, cilantro, mint and salt to a small mixing bowl. Mix together. Set aside.

To make the chipotle cream, mix the cashew cream, chipotle in adobo, lime juice and salt together.

To prepare the tortillas, char them one at a time on an open flame or heat them on a dry cast-iron skillet.

To assemble the tacos, double up the tortillas. Layer with cabbage, tofu, salsa fresca, chipotle cream, radishes and avocado. Serve with lime wedges.

 

Cashew Cream

Makes 1 cup (240 ml)

Cashew cream is an essential ingredient in my kitchen. I use it all throughout this book, in both sweet and savoury recipes. Even if you have a high-speed blender, it is a good idea to soak the cashews for at least four hours or as long as overnight, before turning them into cream. Alternatively, you can cover the nuts in boiling water and let them stand for 15 to 30 minutes. The nuts will puff up and become waterlogged, making them easier to blend. Either way, drain the soaking water, rinse the cashews and use new water to make the cream.

1 cup (146 g) raw cashews, soaked overnight, drained and rinsed

¾ cup (180 ml) water

Add the cashews and water to a blender. Blend for 1 to 2 minutes until combined. Test the texture by dipping a spoon into the mix. If it is grainy, keep blending, adding a splash or two of water, until it is the perfectly smooth texture of cream.

Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. If it has thickened up, add a splash of water and mix well.

Recipe reprinted with permission from Page Street Publishing.