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Celine Marino
An artist, pro-science, mushroom forager, lover of muddy feet, sea salted hair and sea salted brownies
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Instagram: @celine_squared | celineeats.com
Your Latest Food Discovery?
My latest food discovery has completely overtaken my Instagram—onigirazu. A nori-wrapped vegan sushi sandwich is how I would describe it. A sheet of nori, a layer of rice, vegetables, tofu or whatever else you’re in the mood for, and then another layer of rice on top. The nori gets wrapped up around it all, similar to the way an envelope is folded. The combinations are endless and I keep coming up with new ideas and ways to make mini rainbows inside them.
Tell Us One of Your Food Secrets!
Something that is kind of like an underground vegan secret is nutritional yeast (also known as nooch). It’s a flaky, yellowish supplement that contains the almighty B12, something that vegans can miss out on since they’re not consuming animal products. If not for its ridiculously addictive cheesy flavor, I doubt it would be popular at all. I brought it up with someone who has been vegan for 10+ years and they had never even heard of it! I have an awesome handmade ceramic jar specifically to keep my nooch in. One of my favorite recipes (three ingredient mac and cheese) wouldn’t be what it is without good ol’ nooch. My kids and I love it on pasta as a grated parm substitute. It’s something you really have to try to understand why it’s bowed down to by plant-based foodies everywhere.
Maple Sesame Roasted Tofu
I have been making this recipe for almost four years and never get sick of it. Layering it inside my onigirazu (sushi sandwiches) lately has been my favorite thing.
Ingredients
1 block firm tofu (usually 16 oz)
½ tbsp olive oil
2 tsp sesame oil
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
5 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
3 tbsp maple syrup or agave
1 tbsp tomato paste or ketchup
3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
3 tbsp sesame seeds
Instructions
Heat oven to 450°F/230°C. Drain the water out of your tofu and press between layers of paper towels or a clean kitchen towel to squeeze out any excess water. Whisk together the olive oil, salt and pepper. Cut tofu into bite-sized chunks. The shape doesn’t matter; just try to make them all uniform. Gently toss the tofu in the oil mixture. Lay the tofu down on a baking sheet covered in parchment paper, making sure not to overlap pieces. Bake for 15-25 minutes, depending on your oven, or until tofu just begins to turn golden. While the tofu is baking, whisk the remaining ingredients together to make your glaze. Remove the tofu from the oven, toss in the glaze, return to the baking sheet and bake for another 10 minutes. Tofu should be crispy and firm but not dried out. Baking times vary with different sized ovens. Use any remaining glaze as a sauce for your veggies or rice. Enjoy! Note Sometimes I get distracted and forget to glaze the tofu. Don’t fret. You can always pour the glaze over it after it’s done cooking completely. Glazing during cooking just keeps the tofu from drying out too quickly.
