Feeling jealous of meat eaters?

I subscribe to a bunch of food magazines which can be quite frustrating when every recipe, it seems, features either meat or cheese. It’s no wonder that heart disease is the number one killer of Americans.

Jeez, I also admit that I was feeling sort of jealous of the meat and cheese eaters until I started reading recipes with substitutions in mind. Substitutions with real foods and not look alike foods.

As I’ve said, “I don’t usually like highly processed fake foods like meat substitutes and cheeses.”

So how can you remake a non-vegan recipe?

The obvious solution is to focus on the vegetable side dishes around the featured meats. They look like an after thought in the magazines but that’s where you’ll find the vegan options. There are many vegan  nut cheese sauces and creamy puréed beans to replace cream sauces. Tofu is a good stand in for many chicken and fish recipes. Tofu can be used in place of cheese; as dairy free ricotta and feta for example in baked pasta dishes or casseroles.

Here I have replaced goat cheese with lemon and chili marinated firm tofu. It is tangy and creamy and takes on a smoky flavor from grilling.

Grilled Chili Tofu in Corn Husks

Marinate tofu. Slice tofu block into 4 planks. Place in a flat glass dish and coat with chili oil or Trader Joe’s Chili Onion Crunch (love, love, love this condiment) and the juice of one lemon. Let set for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat grill to 400 degrees. Prepare 1 corn cob and husk for each person.  Remove outer ratty corn husk layers. Cut stem away from the cob. Carefully peel away corn husks and remove corn silks, reserve husks.

Grill 2 ears of corn on direct medium heat until nicely charred. Prepare corn salsa. Chop 1/2 cup of zucchini, 1/2 cup red onion, 1/2 cup of red bell pepper into small dice. Cut grilled corn from the cobs. Toss vegetables with 1/4 cup of chopped cilantro, 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 2 tablespoon of lemon juice. Salt to taste about 1/4 teaspoon.

Lay out 2 layers of corn husks on a flat surface and place a plank of tofu on top. Spoon 1/4 cup of corn salsa over the tofu. Layer more corn husks to envelop the tofu and tie the ends with a reserved strip of husk. Making a tofu package.

See the video at Food & Wine.  

Grill corn husk packets on medium heat for 30 minutes, turn after 15 minutes. Carefully open corn husk packets and serve with more chili oil and the remaining fresh corn salsa.

My inspirations came from Food & Wine.  Corn-Husk Grilled Goat Cheese

I plan to try more tofu and vegetable packets on the grill or in the oven taking my inspiration from chicken and fish recipes. I would prefer not to use aluminum foil so corn husks look like a viable alternation. Parchment paper will work fine in the oven.

I was so happy with this smoky corn and tofu recipe. I hope you like it too.

This is my little old dog, Biscuit. He is often under my feet while I cook so it’s seems fitting to list him as my co-chef in spirit.