As I'm sure a heap of you folks know, Winnipeg's very own Mondragon had shut their doors for good just a few days ago.
I have some solid memories of our only 100% vegan cafe. From both eons back and brand spankin' recently. I remember heading there after class back in High School and not doing homework. Or ever, anywhere, for that matter. Heading down for eats before a show at the Hemp Rock Cafe (RIP) was the cat's ass. When War on Music came around, I'd head into the Exchange extra lots and continue along my usual strip -- Hoopers, Ragpickers, Into the Music, Goodwill, Vintage Glory... and later on, Rhymes with Orange, Tiny Feast, and whatever pop up shops came 'round. Fast forward to these days, and I was still quite the frequent flyer. Just last month, I went to see Johnny Sizzle perform an acoustic set where Southern Fried Tofu was scarfed down. Mondragon's the reason I may have more rooibos in my system than blood, guts and brains combined.
I picked up this recipe from a few sources, which were Good For the Earth Good for Me and this Facebook post. So, this recipe certainly isn't mine in the least bit. Here I am retyping it, and sizing the recipe down a load. With a few photos of my own, for those of you interested, here's the recipe.
Ingredients I
1 cup milk alternative - I used almond
2 tbsp flour
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
Ingredients II
1 cup nutritional yeast
1/3 cup cornmeal
2 tsp salt
--Spices, I used:
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp rubbed tarragon
2 tsp dried dill
1 tsp basil
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp mustard powder
Extra firm/pressed tofu, cut into 16 slabs - then further cut into triangles if that's your bag
Preheat your oven to 350F.
For Ingredients I, mix together some dairy free milk and flour together, to create a loose paste. Add in the remainder of the milk, then add in the ACV. This'll thicken and smell like gym class (pre-deoderant years) and that's just fine.
Combine Ingredients II in a large Ziplock bag, shake around some, and pour into a large shallow dish.
Using one hand, dunk tofu into your wet mix, and transfer to your dry mix. With your other hand, roll it around the mix and place on your oiled baking sheet.
Bake for 10 minutes, give them a flip, and bake for 10 minutes longer.
Serve as is with a dip, or in a wrap/sandwich. I always dug the curry mayo - which is vegan mayo, curry powder and a wee shot of mustard.