Vegan Salmon

Up the taste of your tofu by marinading it overnight before baking it. This vegan salmon recipe uses nori for the skin, and a marinade that includes kelp granules. To make it a meal, serve it with a grain and vegetable.

Ingredients:

• 1 block tofu, super firm
• 2 (8-inch x 7-inch) nori sheets
• 1 cup liquid coconut aminos
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons 100% pure maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon miso paste (optional)
• 1 teaspoon kelp granules
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• sea salt, to taste (optional)

Directions:

1. Drain the tofu block and use a tofu press to remove excess moisture. If you don’t have a tofu press, wrap the tofu block in a clean towel, then place it on a flat surface and rest a heavy skillet on top. For added weight, place a few canned goods inside the skillet. Allow the tofu to sit under the weight of the skillet and canned goods until much of the liquid has pressed out of it. Remove the tofu, which should be nearly dry. Slice the tofu in half, then slice the halves diagonally. The results should be 4 pieces of tofu that are a little thicker on one end than the other. Use a chef’s knife to cut slices across the top, approximately 1/8-inch apart and 1/4-inch deep. Set aside.
2. Use kitchen scissors to cut sheets of nori into 4 pieces, matching the size of each piece of tofu. Dip 1 piece of nori into a bowl of filtered water and place it on the bottom of 1 piece tofu. Repeat with the remaining pieces of tofu and nori. Set aside.
3. Make the marinade in a shallow baking dish that is large enough to hold the 4 pieces of tofu side by side. To make the marinade, add the remaining ingredients to the baking dish, except for the olive oil and sea salt. Whisk until well combined. Place the tofu pieces side by side into the baking dish, nori side down. Cover with a lid or plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
4. Sprinkle the cornstarch on a plate. Place one of the tofu pieces in the plate and flip to thinly coat each side. Repeat with the remaining pieces.
5. Transfer to a parchment paper lined baking sheet, nori side down. Bake on the top rack in a preheated 400° F oven for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and use a pastry brush to gently coat with the olive oil. Return to oven and bake an additional 10 minutes or until the slightly crispy.
6. Divided between 4 dinner plates. Serve with sea salt and black pepper, but taste the vegan salmon beforehand. You may find that the marinade provided enough seasoning without having to add any.
7. To make it a meal, serve with a cooked grain and vegetable. For the grain, you might try our recipe for Perfect Brown Rice. And for the vegetable, steamed zucchini. Simply half-moon cut the zucchini and place in a stainless steel steamer basket. Add 1-inch of water to a pot, drop in the steamer basket, and bring the water to a boil. Cover with a lid and steam for 4 minutes or until tender-crisp when tested with a fork.

Yield:
Makes 4 servings.

P R I N T