We all know that a plant-based diet is much better for the environment than an animal-based one, but did you know that going vegan could save your life? Research shows that vegans are on average 25 lbs lighter than vegetarians and 40 lbs lighter than non-vegans. Why? Because when you eat a vegan diet, you consume less saturated fat which means less cholesterol circulating in your body, which in turn reduces your risk of heart disease. This can also help with other health conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure.
But going vegan doesn’t have to mean giving up on the treats you love. You can replicate the joy of freshly made chicken nuggets in the comfort of your own kitchen. All you need is to trust in the power of tofu. The secret weapons of this recipe are soy sauce and nutritional yeast. Both impart a deep umami flavour which our brains usually associate with meat.
Ingredients
- 1 lb block tofu, pressed and drained of liquid
Marinade
- ¼ cup light soy sauce
- ½ cup water
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
Batter
- ¾ cup any milk
- 1 ½ tsp vinegar
- 1 cup flour
Crumb
- 1 ¼ cup breadcrumbs
- 3 tsps smoked paprika
- 3 tsps nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp sea salt
Method
- Slice the tofu block in half and start tearing it into bite-sized chunks.
- Combine all the ingredients for the marinade in a tupperware box and throw in your tofu, make sure to stir and coat every piece.
- Marinade for at least an hour, but preferably overnight.
- When you’re ready to make your nuggets, mix the milk and vinegar, stick and let it sit.
- In another bowl add the flour and in a third bowl add the ingredients for the crumb mixture.
- One at a time, dip the marinated tofu first in the flour, then the liquid batter, then in the crumb mixture.
- You can now choose to shallow fry them, air fry them or bake them at 200C for 25 minutes.
- Serve hot with a dipping sauce of your choice.