Tofu Casserole with Green Pepper Mushroom Garlic Gravy

Customers wait all year for this 1x a year special at the café — and give gratitude for this hearty, vegan Thanksgiving deliciousness — perfect for your holidays  

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Serves 6-8

Preheat oven to 350

Ingredients:

• Serves 6-8
• 1 -12 oz. package firm tofu
• 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
• 1/4 cup tamari
• 1/4 cup hot sauce
• Olive oil
• 1/2 cup garlic chopped
• 2 cups stuffing of your choice
• 1 package of vegan cheddar cheese (I use Daiya)

TOFU

Directions:

5. Cut tofu into 4 quarters
6. Then cut each quarter into 3-4 thin slices
7. Add garlic and oil in pan over medium heat
8. Place tofu in pan then shake a bit of tamari and hot sauce on them. Sprinkle a generous amount of nutritional yeast, and brown, flip, and brown other side (I like it to crisp on the edges) 
9. Remove from pan and repeat till you brown all tofu, adding more garlic and oil to pan after each batch of tofu is finished

Note:

Be generous with the nutritional yeast, this is what gives it a hearty flavor.

The pan will start to look dark and have burnt garlic in it; leave it, this makes for a delicious gravy.

GRAVY

To begin, the secret of the gravy is using the same pan you sautéed the tofu in.

Ingredients:

• 2 large green peppers sliced
• 1 cup of button mushrooms, sliced
• 3 TBS tamari sauce
• 3 TBS hot sauce
• 1/4 cup mustard
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• Remaining garlic
• Olive oil
• 2 tsp of cornstarch, flour or arrowroot diluted with a cup of water to thicken 

Directions:

1. Add oil, sauté peppers and garlic. As they start to soften, add mushrooms
2. Add tamari and hot sauce, continue to sauté
3. Add ketchup and mustard
4. Stir together; It will seem very rich and thick, but once you add the water (below) it will dilute
5. Once it is all tender, add water with thickener of your choice (I use arrowroot or flour)
6. Continue to stir so you do not get clumps
7. Taste to ensure rich flavor; if too diluted, add more mustard and tamari

In a baking pan, grease the bottom, spread first layer of tofu, add your favorite stuffing and sprinkle with cheese, cover with another layer of tofu. Bake for 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees.

— Lea Haas, Owner, The Garden Café Woodstock