As people become more environmentally conscious, vegan food is becoming more popular. Recently, this has been combined with another popular cooking trend, sous vide. In this method of cooking, you’ll place the food into a container, then put it into boiling water to cook. This is a great way to extract more flavor and retain nutrients. Let’s check out some of the best recipes that you can use to try this style of cooking for yourself.
1. Chili-Garlic Tofu
If you’re looking for something that will deliver a lot of flavors, this could be the perfect recipe for you. It’s also very simple to cook, making it the perfect meal to whip up quickly on a school night.
To cook this meal, you’ll need to cut one block of firm tofu and cut it into slices. How large or small you make the slices will depend on your preferences. Next, you’ll need to start pan-frying the tofu. It will need to stay in the pan until it’s golden brown. This will often be less than ten minutes.
As your cooking the tofu, you can start combining all the other elements. You’ll need to mix a quarter cup of soy sauce, half a cup of brown sugar, a quarter of a cup of sesame oil, and two tablespoons of garlic. Once all these ingredients are combined, put the tofu into the mixture, coating it with the sauce. After this, you’ll need to seal the tofu in a sous vide container. Put it into the water, at a temperature of 180 Fahrenheit (82 degrees Celsius). Leave the tofu to cook for four hours. Then remove from the container and serve, drizzling any excess sauce over the top.
2. Glazed Carrots
Carrots can make a great accompaniment to any meal. By glazing them, you’ll be able to get even more flavor. You’ll also be able to keep them soft, without turning mushy.
To create glazed carrots, you’ll first need to prepare the carrots. First, you’ll need to wash them thoroughly. Then, peel off the skin and chop off the top. As you’re doing this, you can turn the water on. You’ll want it to be 180 degrees Fahrenheit (82 degrees Celsius).
The next step is to prepare the carrots to be sous vided. To do this, you’ll need to combine 30 grams of unsalted vegan butter, then add 12 grams of sugar, and a pinch of salt. Stir these ingredients until they are thoroughly mixed, then add them to the sous vide container with the carrots. You’ll need to cook the carrots for around one hour.
After they have finished cooking, remove them from the water and take them out of the sous vide container. To form the glaze, pour the mixture into a pan and cook over high heat. After two to three minutes, you should start to see the glaze forming on the carrots. As you cook, season with salt and pepper. You might also want to add some herbs, like parsley. Then, you’ll be able to remove the carrots from the heat and serve.
3. French Fries
One of the most popular side dishes in the world is French fries. These thin slices of potato are adored by children and make an excellent accompaniment to meals. By using a sous vide machine, you’ll be able to get a lot more flavor, while keeping the chips crunchy.
To make this recipe the first thing that you have to do is create a brine. This is very simple. You’ll need to combine half a cup of water, half a tablespoon of salt, a quarter of a teaspoon of sugar, and a quarter of a spoon of baking soda. Place these into a bowl and mix them well. Then, add them to the sous vide bag. Next, you’ll want to prepare your French fries. To do this, you’ll need to wash and peel the potatoes. Then, cut them into slices. How thick is slice is will depend on personal preference, though thinner ones cook faster. As you’re doing this, you might want to start preheating the water. You’ll need it to be 194 degrees Fahrenheit (90 degrees Celsius).
Once the potatoes are ready add them to the sous vide bag and make sure that it is sealed tightly. Then, place it into the water. You’ll need to leave the fries for around 15 minutes. When they are ready, remove them from the bag and air fry them. Once they are dry, fry them in a pan at 226 degrees Fahrenheit (130 degrees Celsius) for around seven minutes. They should start to look crispy. Finally, give them a brief rest, then fry for another minute to finish them off. Now, they should be ready to serve.
4. Balsamic Onions
Balsamic onions can be a great side dish, bringing a ton of flavor to any meal. By using sous vide, you’ll be able to get the most flavor from the onions. It’s also really simple to prepare.
To cook balsamic onions, you’ll need to prepare the onions. Peel off the skin and cut them finely. Place them into the sous vide container. Next, you’ll need to add two teaspoons of olive oil. Add one teaspoon of balsamic vinegar and two tablespoons of brown sugar. Then, mix everything in the sous vide container. Place the container into the sous vide machine at 185 degrees Fahrenheit (85 degrees Celsius). You’ll need to leave it for around two hours. At this point, the onions should be soft and brown.
Finally, you’ll need to transfer the onions and the mixture to a glass bottle. Then, you’ll need to refrigerate this for at least three hours. If possible, try to leave it overnight. This will collect the juices, creating delicious onions, which will accompany a lot of meals.
5. Tomato And Basil Pasta Sauce
Pasta dishes are some of the easiest foods to make. In just a few minutes, you’ll be able to create a delicious meal. Sous vide can make it even easier for you to prepare a delicious and flavorful sauce.
To cook this meal, you’ll need to start by preheating your sous vide machine to 185 degrees Fahrenheit (85 degrees Celsius). Then, you can start working on preparing the ingredients for the sauce. You’ll need 28 ounces of crushed tomatoes, two cups of basil leaves, a finely diced onion, a finely diced carrot, a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, a tablespoon of garlic salt, three bay leaves, and one teaspoon of red pepper flakes. Combine all of these in a sous vide bag.
When the sous vide machine is up to temperature, place the bag into the water and leave it for an hour. When it’s ready, remove the bag. Next, you’ll need to open the bag and remove the bay leaves. Once they are out, pour the rest of the bag into the blender and puree it. Keep going until the mixture is smooth. Transfer the sauce to a bottle.
In some cases, you might want to use the sauce immediately, cooking up some vegan pasta and pouring the sauce over the top. If not, keep the sauce in the fridge. If you do this, it should stay fresh for around a month, as long as you keep it in a sealed bottle.
6. Strawberry and Rhubarb Jam
Sous vide can also be used to create some delicious vegan desserts. This jam can be delicious on its own or sprinkled over some vegan ice cream.
This jam is very easy to make. You’ll need to add one cup of diced rhubarb, one cup of diced strawberries, one cup of granulated sugar, two teaspoons of pectin, and two teaspoons of lemon juice to the sous vide container. Then, place it into a sous vide machine set at 180 degrees Fahrenheit (82 degrees Celsius). You’ll need to leave it in the machine for around one and a half hours.
Once it’s ready transfer the mixture to an airtight glass bottle and place it in the fridge. When it’s cool, you’ll be ready to start enjoying it. If you keep storing it in the refrigerator, it should last for around a month. If you want to store it for a long time, make sure that you’re choosing an airtight container.
Conclusion
Sous vide is one of the best ways to prepare food. It seals in the nutrients while amplifying the flavors. As we’ve seen, there are many ways that you’ll be able to use this device to cook healthy vegan meals. Before you start cooking, you’ll need to get the right equipment. Aside from a sous vide machine, you’ll need to get the right containers. As this method of cooking is so popular, there are dozens of options to choose from. However, they weren’t all created equal. To help you find the right one for you, check out these useful containers for sous vide analysis. So, get your kitchen set-up to try some of these mouthwatering meals today.
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