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Barbecue Tofu Sandwiches with Purple Slaw

As I work towards more plant based meals, I’m playing more with tofu [1]. This barbecue sandwich came out so good, I’ll be making it again! And it’s easy!

barbecue

Make the Slaw First –

Slice the cabbage and red onion. Mix all the ingredients together and allow to sit for at least 1 to 2 hours.

Making the Tofu –

At the same time as the slaw, Set the tofu on paper towels to dry it.

Then, slather both sides with the spices. Cover and refrigerator for an hour or two.

barbecue

(These are my favorite spices – I use both!!)  [2]

Heat the oil in a skillet. Sear the tofu for about 4 to 5 minutes on each side. This step may seem unnecessary, but it gives the tofu a little more body so it stays together when you grill it.

Add some barbecue sauce on both sides and give it another quick sear.

In the meantime, heat the grill on medium-high.

Remove the tofu from the pan and set aside.

Brush the buns with a little olive oil and sprinkle with salt.

Place the tofu over the direct heat and the buns on a shelf with indirect heat. Cook until the tofu is browned on both sides and the buns are golden.

barbecue

Building the Sandwich –

Place one piece of tofu on the bottom of a bun.

Add some more barbecue sauce, avocado and a scoop of slaw.

Serve hot! And it goes great with some baked, barbecue beans!

© Copyright 2023 The Lazy Gastronome

barbecue

5 from 7 votes
barbecue
Print [3]
Barbecue Tofu Sandwich with Purple Slaw
Course: dinner, lunch, Main Course, main dish, supper
Cuisine: American, vegan, Vegetarian
Keyword: barbecue, cabbage, sandwich, tofu
Servings: 4
Author: HelenFern
Ingredients
Purple Slaw -
  • 1/2 medium head Purple cabbage, sliced
  • 1 small purple onion, sliced
  • 1 medium carrot, grated
  • 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
  • 2 medium limes, juiced
  • 1/2 cup mayo (you can use vegan)
  • 2 Tablespoons sour cream or plain greek yogurt
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
The Star - Tofu
  • 16 oz extra firm tofu cut in half lengwise and crosswise
  • 3 Tablespoons barbecue seasoning mix
  • 1 Tablespoon lemon pepper
  • 1/2 cup your favorite barbecue sauce
The Sandwich
  • 4 hamburger bun
  • 2 large avocadoes, sliced
  • barbecue sauce for the top
Instructions
The Slaw
  1. Slice the cabbage and red onion. Mix all the ingredients together and allow to sit for at least 1 to 2 hours. 

The Tofu
  1. At the same time as the slaw, Set the tofu on paper towels to dry it. Then, slather both sides with the spices. Cover and refrigerator for an hour or two.

  2. Heat the oil in a skillet and sear the tofu for about 4 to 5 minutes on each side. Add some barbecue sauce on both sides and give it another quick sear.

  3. In the meantime, heat the grill on medium-high.

  4. Remove the tofu from the pan and set aside.

  5. Brush the buns with a little olive oil and sprinkle with salt.

  6. Place the tofu over the direct heat and the buns on a shelf with indirect heat. Cook until the tofu is browned on both sides and the buns are golden. 

Build the Sandwich
  1. Place one piece of tofu on the bottom of a bun.

  2. Add some more barbecue sauce, avocado and a scoop of slaw. Serve hot!

Recipe Notes

 

© Copyright 2023 The Lazy Gastronome

barbecue

Leave me a comment – I’d love to hear your thoughts!

4th of July Recipes!

Posted By HelenFern On In 4th of July,Collection,Holidays | 4 Comments

Can you believe it’s almost the 4th of July? This year has been fast and furious! Well here are some ideas to help your holiday run a little smoother – and delicious! So fire up that grill and lets get to cooking!

4th of July

The 4th of July List – 

Let’s start with appetizers – Just click on the picture to go to the recipe!

Raspberry lemonade [7]

[8]

The summer is grilling time – Some main course and condiments  –

4th of July [9]

lemon chcken [10]

4th of July [11]

4th of July [12]

Satisfying sides –

[13]

summer [14]

Finally – Delicious desserts –

Red, White and Blue Berries 4th of July [15]

Frozen Strawberry Pops20150714_063944_resized_1 [16]

© Copyright 2022 The Lazy Gastronome

Let’s get this Party [17] on!!

 

Here are some things that are perfect to use for this recipe!

Disclosure: The items below are affiliate links through Amazon.com. If you purchase any of these products through the links, I receive a small commission at no cost to you. Thanks for your support!


Grilled Portobello Mushrooms

Posted By HelenFern On In Fruits and Vegetables,Mushrooms | 7 Comments

I love mushrooms, especially the big, meaty portobello. These beautiful fungi can be served as a side dish or as the main dish. This recipe can be sliced on the side (like I did with some grilled chicken) or left whole and put between a kaiser roll with tomatoes and lettuce. It’s simply delicious and incredibly easy to make!

mushrooms

Here’s How to Grill some Mushrooms:

Start with some simple ingredients. Place your favorite rub [21], some used finely ground coffee grounds, 2 Tablespoons of olive oil.

Mix it all together well.

Cut the stem off of the portobello as close as possible. Drizzle the remaining olive oil over the top and gills of the mushrooms.

Add a few twists of some fresh ground pepper and a couple pinches of salt to the top and bottom. You choose how much you want.

Rub the tops and very gently rub the gills

with the rub mixture.

Let it sit for about 20 minutes – while the grill heats up.

Place them on the grill over indirect heat, gill side down. I turned on all three burners to heat the grill, then turned off the middle burner and put the two end ones on low. This creates and area in the center of the grill for indirect heat.

Cook for about 10 minutes, then carefully turn. Cook for about 10 more minutes, then remove to a plate.

Let it rest for about five minutes. You can slice it, or build your sandwich now. The mushrooms will be soft, but still slightly firm and moist all the way through.

mushrooms

Delicious!

mushrooms

© Copyright 2021 The Lazy Gastronome

5 from 2 votes
mushrooms
Print [22]
Grilled Portobello Mushrooms

Super easy, full of flavor - A meatless "burger" or a delicious side dish.

Course: main dish, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: barbecue, bbq, easy, grilled, mushrooms, portobello
Servings: 2 mushrooms
Author: HelenFern
Ingredients
  • 2 Large Portobello Mushrooms
  • 2 Tablespoons Barbecue rub (use your favorite)
  • 1 Tablespoon finely ground used coffee grounds
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • fresh ground pepper and salt to taste
Instructions
  1. Start with some simple ingredients. Place your favorite rub [21], some used finely ground coffee grounds, 2 Tablespoons of olive oil.

  2. Mix it all together well.

  3. Cut the stem off of the portobello as close as possible. Drizzle the remaining olive oil over the top and gills of the mushrooms.

  4. Add a few twists of some fresh ground pepper and a couple pinches of salt to the top and bottom. You choose how much you want.

  5. Rub the tops and very gently rub the gills with the rub mixture.

  6. Let it sit for about 20 minutes - while the grill heats up.

  7. Place them on the grill over indirect heat, gill side down.

  8. Cook for about 10 minutes, then carefully turn. Cook for about 10 more minutes, then remove to a plate.

  9. Let it rest for about five minutes. You can slice it, or build your sandwich now. The mushrooms will be soft, but still slightly firm and moist all the way through.

    Delicious!

Recipe Notes

 © Copyright 2021 The Lazy Gastronome

mushrooms

Here are some things that are perfect to use for this recipe!

Disclosure: The items below are affiliate links through Amazon.com. If you purchase any of these products through the links, I receive a small commission at no cost to you. Thanks for your support!


Root Beer Barbecued Pork Sandwiches – Easy in the Crock Pot!

Posted By HelenFern On In Main dish,Sandwich | 3 Comments

I use my crock pot a lot. On those hot days that you don’t want to turn the oven on and you just don’t feel like grilling, the old slow cooker can turn out a delicious meal. The sweetness from the root beer just brings out that smoky barbecue flavor like nothing else! This one requires you do more to it during the cooking than most “dump it in the pot” recipes, but it’s well worth the work.

root beer

And I suggest you buy a 4 to 6 pack of that really good root beer. You can drink it while it’s all cooking!

Here’s How to Do it:

Place the pork, root beer, garlic salt and lemon pepper in the crock pot. Turn the crock pot to high and cook for about 20 minutes.

Reduce the heat to low and continue to cook.

At about 2-1/2 hours after you have turned the heat to high, add 1/2 cup barbecue sauce and 1 teaspoon liquid smoke.

root beer

Cook for another five hours, then add remaining ingredients except the rest of the barbecue sauce.

Continue to cook on low for another hour, or until the pork falls apart easily.

In a small sauce pan, heat the remaining sauce with 1/2 cup of the sauce in the crock pot .

Serve on warm or toasted buns

with hot pork

root beer

and barbecue sauce.  Goes great with coleslaw [26]!

root beer

© Copyright 2021 The Lazy Gastronome

root beer

root beer

Root beer
Print [27]
Root Beer Barbecue Pork Sandwiches - Easy in the Crock Pot!

Barbecued pork in the crock pot. The root beer gives it a sweetness that nothing else can. Simply delicious!

Course: dinner, lunch, Main Course, main dish, sandwich
Cuisine: American, Barbecue
Keyword: barbecue, barbecue sauce, bbq, pork, root beer
Author: HelenFern
Ingredients
  • 6 - 8 large buns - I used potato buns
  • 2 pounds boneless pork butt, Use about a pound more if there is a bone in it.
  • 12-oz bottle root beer use a high quality soda
  • 1 teaspoon garlic salt
  • 1 teaspoon lemon pepper
  • 1 cup bottled barbecue sauce
  • 2 teaspoons liquid smoke
  • 2 Tablespoons Frank's hot sauce (Or any high vinegar hot sauce)
  • 1/2 teaspoon smoked salt
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/4 cup bacon fat (optional - but it does give it a lot of flavor)
Instructions
  1. Place the pork, root beer, garlic salt and lemon pepper in the crock pot. Turn the crock pot to high and cook for about 20 minutes.

  2. Reduce the heat to low and continue to cook.

  3. At about 2-1/2 hours after you have turned the heat to high, add 1/2 cup barbecue sauce and 1 teaspoon liquid smoke.

  4. Cook for another five hours, then add remaining ingredients except the rest of the barbecue sauce.

  5. Continue cooking on low for another hour, or until the pork falls apart easily.

  6. In a small sauce pan, heat the remaining sauce with 1/2 cup of the sauce in the crock pot .

  7. Serve on warm buns with hot pork and barbecue sauce. Perfect with a serving of coleslaw!

Recipe Notes

© Copyright 2021 The Lazy Gastronome

Root beer

Here are some things that are perfect to use for this recipe!

Disclosure: The items below are affiliate links through Amazon.com. If you purchase any of these products through the links, I receive a small commission at no cost to you. Thanks for your support!


20-Minute BBQ Tempeh

Posted By HelenFern On In Main dish,Meatless | 3 Comments

If you’re on a bit of a health kick this year, you might be wondering how you can continue eating all your favorite foods without damaging your body. Most people think that eating delicious and healthy food is impossible. But that’s not true. You just have to get good at cooking. 

This ten-minute BBQ tempeh recipe is a case in point. It mimics the experience of BBQ ribs, but without all the fat and sugar that makes it so unhealthy. And the best bit: it still tastes pretty good. 

For those of you who don’t know, tempeh is a type of unrefined tofu. It’s not as squidgy as the original, and it offers a heck of a lot more flavor. Once you’ve tried it, you’ll want more of it. 

You shouldn’t go into this recipe believing that you’re going to get something that feels exactly like pork [31] ribs. That’s just not possible with a product made of beans. Instead, see it as a new kind of dish. If you don’t like it, you can always go back to meat in the future. 

So how do you make it?

Ingredients

Making The Sauce

Making the sauce is easy if you buy store-bought. 

You can, however, make your own version without all the usual added sugar. 

Just blend the following ingredients in your food processor: 

That’s it. If you want to make a more umami sauce [32], you can add MSG instead of salt – or use miso paste instead. 

Making The Tempeh Ribs

Making the tempeh ribs is incredibly simple. 

First, take a non-stick tray or, if you need to, line it with greaseproof paper. 

Next, cut the block of tempeh into fingers, about half a centimeter wide, so that they look a bit like fish fingers. 

Carefully baste the tempeh in the BBQ sauce until you cover all sides of it. Place the tempeh on the baking dish and drizzle any remaining sauce over it. 

Then place it in the oven for 20 minutes at 420 F.

Once the tempeh cooks, it will come out crispy and golden. If you want a slightly more charred flavor, just increase the cooking time slightly. Do be warned, though, that tempeh can dry out. 

You can serve your BBQ tempeh with all the usual accouterments you’d have with ribs. Add it to fries, coleslaw, and corn on the cob. 

The best thing about this recipe is that you never feel like you’re missing out. The BBQ experience is similar to meat. And it’s a great stop-gap method if you’re craving something umami, but want to cut down on your unhealthy food consumption. 

Making your own sauce is often vastly healthier [33] than getting it from the store premade. And it tastes better too. You get a thicker, fresher, and richer experience.

So give it a try. It’s amazing!