Cooking Class: Vegan Seafood – Seafood Without the Fish

Sam Turnbull, Vegan Blogger & Cookbook Author

This is vegan seafood at its finest! This “tofish” (tofu fish) looks like and tastes like salmon. How cool is that?! Sticky garlic vegan salmon is perfect when served over a bed of rice or on rice noodles. While this dish looks sophisticated, the recipe is seamless, using ingredients you can find at your local grocery store.

Sticky Garlic Vegan Salmon

Servings: 4

This is vegan seafood at its finest! This “tofish” (tofu fish) looks like and tastes like salmon. How cool is that?! Sticky garlic vegan salmon is perfect served over a bed of rice or on rice noodles. This looks fancy, but this recipe is fairly easy to make, using ingredients you can find at your local grocery store.

Ingredients

• 1block extra-firm tofu drained, pressed, and sliced (see step 1)
• 1cup vegetable broth
• 1sheet nori, torn into pieces
• 3tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1small raw beet 20g/ 0.7oz (about the size of a walnut)
• 2tablespoons white miso paste
• 1teaspoon garlic powder
• 1teaspoon salt
• ½teaspoon turmeric

For the sticky garlic sauce:

• 1/4cup agave or maple syrup
• 1/4cup water
• 3tablespoons soy sauce (gluten-free if preferred)
• 2tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1tablespoon sriracha (optional for spice)
• 6cloves garlic minced or pressed
• 2teaspoons cornstarch

To cook the vegan salmon:

• 1sheet nori (to make a skin, optional)
• ½cup cornstarch, more if needed
• 2tablespoons grapeseed oil for frying, (plus more if needed)
• chopped fresh cilantro and sesame seedsfor garnish (optional)
• cooked rice or noodlesfor serving (optional)

Instructions

1. Prepare the tofu by draining it, and then pressing it for 15 to 30 minutes. I love using my Tofuture tofu press. Pressing the tofu squeezes excess water out so that the tofu can suck up more of the marinade and become more flavourful.
2. Cut the tofu in half lengthwise, and then in half lengthwise again making 4 long skinny strips of tofu. Take one piece of tofu and place a chopstick on either side of the tofu to stop you from cutting all the way through, so the slices remain intact. Slice the tofu partway through repeatedly, about ⅛” apart to give the tofu a flaky texture. Repeat with the other tofu slices. Be careful handling them as they will be fragile. Tip:I like to cut the slices on a slight angle to be more like how fish flakes.
3. Add all the marinade ingredients together in a blender. Blend until smooth as possible. Place the tofu in a resealable bag or dish and cover it with the marinade. Let marinate sit for a minimum of 30 minutes or overnight in the fridge. For best results, I like to let it marinate for 1 – 2 days in the fridge.

For the sticky garlic sauce:

1. Add all the sticky garlic sauce ingredients to a small bowl or large measuring cup and mix well. Set aside.

To cook the vegan salmon:

1. Put the cornstarch into a wide bowl or baking dish. If using the nori, cut the nori into strips roughly the same size as the tofu pieces. Gently remove a tofu piece from the marinade (be careful as it will be fragile). Dunk a strip of the nori into the marinade, then stick it to the back of the tofu. (Covering the nori in the marinade will help it stick to the tofu). Dredge the tofu with the nori attached in the cornstarch, covering all sides of the tofu. Repeat with all the tofu pieces.
2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When hot add the cornstarch covered tofu. Fry 2 – 4 minutes per side until lightly golden all over. Remove from the pan and drain on paper towel.
3. Carefully use paper towel to wipe away access oil from the pan or use a new pan. Add the sticky garlic sauce to the pan and bring to a simmer for 1 – 2 minutes. Add the vegan salmon pieces and spoon the sauce over top. Garnish with cilantro and sesame seeds and serve over rice or noodles. Note: the vegan salmon will have a crispy skin, but the longer it sits in the sauce the softer it will get, so make sure to serve this dish right away for the best crispy texture.

Notes:

Baking: I love the pan-fried version of this recipe as it makes for beautiful crispy skin, but if you prefer to bake it, follow these steps. Omit the cornstarch dredge, and then bake the vegan salmon in a baking dish at 400F (200C) for about 10 minutes until heated through. Prepare the sauce as written in a pan and add the vegan salmon.

Air-fryer:  Omit the cornstarch dredge, and then air-fry the vegan salmon in a preheated air-fryer at 360F (182C) for about 8 minutes until heated through. Prepare the sauce as written in a pan and add the vegan salmon.

Oil-free: to make this recipe oil-free, skip the pan-frying and follow either the baking or air-fryer instructions above.

Nori: this is the same seaweed that is used to make sushi rolls. It should be easy to find in your local grocery store, or you can order it online. Nori will give the vegan salmon a fishy flavour, so if you prefer less fish flavour, then reduce or omit it in the marinade

Easy Vegan Crab Cakes

Servings: 6 large vegan crab cakes

Just 9 ingredients and super-easy to make. Can be made in a skillet or a pan but I have also included air-fryer instructions as well as baked options! Oh, and they can be made oil-free! Flaky, tender, creamy, and next-level good!

Ingredients

• 1can (2 cups cooked) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1can (14 oz) artichoke hearts drained and rinsed
• 3/4cup panko breadcrumbs (gluten-free if preferred)
• 1sheet nori, chopped into small flakes
• 1/4cup vegan mayonnaise (or sub plain vegan yogurt for oil free)
• 1tablespoon lemon juice
• 1tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4teaspoon salt
• 1/4teaspoon black pepper
• 2tablespoons grapeseed oil, for frying (optional)
• For garnish: lemon wedges, chopped parsley, chopped dill, and/or vegan tartar sauce(optional)

For the vegan tartar sauce (optional):

• ½ cup vegan mayonnaise (or sub plain vegan yogurt)
• 2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
• 1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped (or ½ teaspoon dried dill)
• Fresh cracked black pepper

Instructions

1. To a food processor, add the chickpeas, artichokes, panko bread-crumbs, chopped nori, vegan mayonnaise, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper. Pulse a few times to mix and break up the chickpeas and artichokes. Don’t over mix, you want there to be texture still. If the mixture has reached the correct texture but the ingredients aren’t mixed well, use a spoon or spatula to finish mixing. Divide the mixture into 6 and use your hands to form 6 patties.
2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When hot add the patties, and fry 3 – 5 minutes per side until golden brown. Serve hot.
3. To make the tartar sauce, add all the ingredients to a bowl and mix well. 

Notes

Air-fryer method (oil-free): Preheat your air-fryer. Lay the patties in the bottom of the air fryer in a single layer, do not overlap. You may need to do them in batches. Air-fry at 380F for about 15 minutes until they are golden brown. 

Baked method (oil-free optional): Preheat your oven to 400F. Line a large baking pan with parchment paper. Bake for about 20 minutes, flipping halfway through until they are golden brown.

Nori: If you prefer you can omit it, but your vegan crab cakes won’t taste very crab-like. It doesn’t get ground up in the food processor well so make sure to chop it into small flakes before adding. I usually use kitchen scissors to do this. 

Make ahead: these vegan crab cakes store well at almost any stage of the process. The prepared mixture, the shaped uncooked patties, or the fully cooked vegan crab cakes can be stored in an air-tight container in the fridge for 4 -5 days or it should freeze well too.

The Best Vegan Ceviche

Servings: 4

Made with hearts of palm which have a tender, flaky texture, and mild taste making it a fantastic fish substitute. Nori seaweed is added to the mix for a slight taste of the sea. Combined with avocado, cherry tomatoes, and lots of lime juice. Just 10 ingredients and 15 minutes to make, this is the perfect easy-to-make summer appetizer!

Ingredients

• 1 can (398ml/ 14 fl.oz) hearts of palm, drained and chopped into ½-inch pieces
• 1/2 sheet nori finely chopped (optional for fishy taste) see notes
• 1 1/2 – 2 limes, juiced
• 1/2 avocado, cut into small cubes
• 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 1/8 red onion, finely sliced
• 1/4 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
• 1/4 – 1/2 jalapeño, finely chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• tortilla chips for serving

Instructions

1. Add the hearts of palm, nori (if using), juice from 2 limes, avocado, cherry tomatoes, red onion, cilantro, jalapeño to taste, salt and pepper to a large bowl and gently mix. Taste, and if desired add more lime juice. Serve fresh with tortilla chips. This ceviche can also be made ahead of time, just store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.