Smoky Chipotle Maple Tofu Sandwich Food

SMOKY CHIPOTLE AND CHEDDAR MAC

Steps:

• Place a pot of water on to boil for macaroni. When it boils, salt water and cook pasta until a little under done, just shy of al dente.
• While pasta cooks, place a small nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and add a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and chorizo. Brown the chorizo then add the canned tomatoes to the pan and heat them through. Remove from heat and reserve.
• While chorizo begins to cook, heat a medium sauce pot over medium-low heat. Add 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, then add onions and chipotles and cook 3 to 5 minutes to sweat it out and turn the juices sweet. Raise heat up a bit, add the flour and whisk together until mixture bubbles up. Cook 1 minute more. Whisk in milk and stock and raise heat up a little more to bring the sauce to a quick boil. Once it bubbles, drop heat back to a rolling simmer sauce to thicken, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Drain macaroni or pasta. Add cooked pasta back to the large pot.
• Add cheese to milk sauce and stir to melt, a minute or so. Stir in chorizo and tomatoes and season sauce with salt and pepper. Pour sauce over cooked pasta in large pot and toss to combine. Transfer to a large serving platter, garnish with chives and serve.

SMOKY CHIPOTLE MAPLE TOFU SANDWICH

Steps:

• In a small bowl, mix together your marinade. Place tofu in a shallow bowl, or pie dish, along with the marinade and let soak for about 1 hour turning carefully once or twice in between.
• Once the hour is almost up, caramelize your onions using 1 tablespoon oil. Heat oil over medium heat, add onions, turn down heat to medium low, stir often and cook until they start to brown and caramelize. May take 10 to 15 minutes or so. Once done, set aside.
• In same skillet, heat remaining oil and cook tofu over medium high heat. Add a little extra chipotle powder & salt if desired. Once tofu has browned, gently flip and brown the other side. It's ok if it gets a little crispy too! If you feel it is drying out too much, add some of the juices from the bowl it marinated in for extra moisture. When done, remove from heat.
• Toast your bread. Spread one side of toast with mustard and the other with a layer of mashed avocado. Over the avocado, layer your lettuce, tomato, caramelized onions and tofu. Top with your other slice of bread. You can either eat it as is or slice in half. Serves three.
• Notes: If you don't like caramelized onions, substitute with raw.

SMOKY TOFU, LETTUCE, AND TOMATO SANDWICHES (VEGAN BLTS)

Steps:

• Set a large saute pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add the olive oil. When the olive oil is hot, add the tofu along with a pinch of salt. The tofu will hiss and jump around a bit, so watch out! Cook, flipping occasionally, until golden brown on both sides, 8-10 minutes. While the tofu cooks, mix the Tamari, pure maple syrup, and smoked paprika in a small bowl. When the tofu is done, reduce the heat to low and pour the Tamari mix over the top. Cook, flipping occasionally, until the sauce has reduced and thickened, about 1 minute. Transfer the smoky seared tofu to a plate.
• Toast the bread then smear each piece with mayonnaise, as little or as much as you like - 2 teaspoons to 2 tablespoons or so. Top four pieces of bread with tomatoes; sprinkle with a touch of salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add the tofu, then pile with the lettuce. Top with remaining slices of bread. Cut in half and serve.