Smoked Vegan Lox and Gluten-Free Bagels

 

This recipe comes from Mackenzie Feldman, a Bay Area–based environmental activist who we profiled in our Summer 2019 issue. 

When we asked how her Herbicide-Free Campus initiative is doing a year after our article came out, Mackenzie says, “It’s going great! We are now in 15 schools across nine states!”

Mackenzie, who is also now working for Data For Progress as a Food and Sustainability Fellow, says she is helping write food and agriculture policy for the Green New Deal. She helped with this just-released brief on Land Access for Disadvantaged Farmers and was the lead author on this Regenerative Agriculture brief.

Smoked Vegan Lox 

Today, nearly one in three “wild” Alaska salmon begins its life in a hatchery. Additionally, Pacific salmon are now extinct in 40% of the rivers of Washington, California, Oregon, and Idaho, where they once thrived. The rates at which fish like salmon are being caught cannot keep up with the growing population of humans who want to consume them. That fact, combined with the likelihood that PCBs (a by-product of flame retardants and computer chips) are found as present in the majority of farmed fish and the fact that more and more species are being harmed by the fishing industry, makes the appeal of a product like lox (smoked salmon) complicated. This recipe gives you something equally delicious, and there is no negative impact on any species at all!

6 large Roma tomatoes
2 teaspoons liquid aminos or tamari
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 teaspoon liquid smoke*
1 teaspoon water
1½ teaspoons kelp powder 

Bring a medium saucepan full of water to a boil. Pierce the skin of each tomato with the tip of a paring knife, then drop it into the boiling water to blanch. Boil the tomatoes for 1 minute, then remove and place in a bowl of cold water.

Combine tamari, olive oil, liquid smoke, water and kelp powder in a medium-size bowl. Whisk until mixed.

Slip the skins off the tomatoes and discard. Cut tomatoes in half, trim away the seeds from the firm inside layer, and drop tomato halves into the bowl of tamari mixture. Mix well to ensure tomato halves are all evenly coated with marinade. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes before serving.

Serve your tomato “lox” on toasted bagels with cream cheese and capers. Add some thinly sliced red onion, if you like.

*Liquid smoke gives you the smoky flavor without the hassle of using a smoker! It even comes in a variety of flavors such as hickory and mesquite to mimic the different woods used for smoking.

 

Gluten-Free Bagels

You already know and love bagels—I don’t need to convince you of that. But do you know how daunting it was to come up with a gluten-free bagel? In fact, “gluten-free” and “bagel” don’t feel like they belong in the same sentence! But here it is, and I can assure you that this recipe offers nutrients and fiber that can help promote digestive health and improve cholesterol levels while still satisfying that carb craving.

1 cup gluten-free flour (see below)
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup plain plant-based yogurt (made from coconut, cashew, or almond)
1 flax egg*
¼ cup olive oil mixed with a few tablespoons water in small bowl
¼ cup extra gluten-free flour for shaping

Toppings: Sesame seeds, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder

Preheat oven to 400°.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to combine.

Add yogurt and flax egg and stir to combine. 

Mix the olive oil and water in a small bowl that you can dip your clean hands into to lessen the stickiness of the dough. Lift dough out of bowl and onto a clean surface dusted with extra flour. Knead dough with oiled hands, adding more flour as needed.  

Separate the dough into 6 equal portions. Roll each into a ball between your cupped palms. Press each round of dough into a disk about ½ inch tall. With your floured finger, create a 1-inch hole in the center of each disc.  

Lightly coat each bagel with seasonings of your choice. Bake for 22 minutes. Let cool before slicing.

*What is a flax egg? It’s 1 tablespoon ground flax seed soaked in 2 1/2  tablespoons water for 10 minutes. Flax seeds are high in Omega-3 fatty acids and protein, so when you’re making this alternative to the classic bagel with lox dish, you get the nutrition without the guilt of depleting the fisheries!

Gluten-Free Flour Mix (or use your favorite packaged mix)

½ cup oat flour
2 tablespoons brown rice flour
2 tablespoons white rice flour
2 tablespoons sweet rice flour
2 tablespoons tapioca flour
⅛ teaspoon xanthan gum