Vegan Surf and Turf | Vegan Seafood Substitutes Made Easy for the week!
Remember when steaks and seafood were expensive and only for fancy occasions? Well, enter vegan surf and turf! Delicious and inexpensive vegan seafood substitutes. You’re welcome.
Vegan Surf - Oyster Mushroom Calamari
Do not worry, I am not about to recommend frying your vegan calamari and reheating it on a Wednesday night. Could you imagine? I believe ‘meal prep’ can include simply cutting down steps so that once you finally go to cook something on a Wednesday night, it will only take you a couple of minutes with very few dishes.
With the Oyster Mushroom Calamari, you can meal prep it by seasoning it, letting it sit for a bit, and then baking it. Once the mushrooms have cooled down to about room temperature, you can place them in a Tupperware and keep them in the fridge. Check out my full Vegan Oyster Mushroom Calamari Recipe! This is a simple and satisfying vegan seafood substitute for any occasion!
For the nights that you want to cook a portion up, it is very simple! Coat them in flour, dunk them in plantbased milk, roll them in panko, and fry them on medium-high until they are golden and crispy.
Season with salt and pepper to taste, have some lemon ready, chop some red onion, and there you have it! Late-night calamari snack anyone!?
Vegan Surf - King Oyster Mushroom Scallops
These are incredible for meal prep! These keep their texture for multiple days in the fridge even after being fully cooked. I reheated mine in a microwave and they still tasted perfect! My Vegan King Oyster Mushroom Scallop recipe is here!
If you are feeding 2 people for the week, I would recommend buying 2 packages of King Oyster Mushrooms.
Vegan Turf - Portobello Vegan Steaks
This will be our ‘turf’ for our vegan surf and turf meal prep ideas! These are so tasty and quick to make! Cook them in your cast-iron as you would a steak. The longer you press out the water from the portobello, the more meaty the texture will be. Check out my recipe here for an extremely flavorful and simple marinade.
I would recommend removing the stems and prepping the marinade for the week. This way you can simply marinate your steaks the day of and have them cooked in about 12 minutes. Easy!
Baked or Boiled nugget potatoes
I think we can all agree that baked potatoes are delicious!
However, recently I have simply been boiling my potatoes.
Firstly, it cuts down on my olive oil use.
Secondly, it is fun to dress the boiled potatoes up according to the vibe I am feeling. For instance, some days I will add fresh dill, diced red onion, a small amount of olive oil, and lots of lemons. Other days I will just add parsley, chives, cilantro, vegan butter, and sour cream.
Boil or bake your potatoes for the week and you will be good to go!
Kale Caesar Salad with Smoky Tempeh
I do not think any vegan surf and turf meal prep is complete without a classic (ish) Caesar salad. Done right, the kale Caesar salad with smoky tempeh could be a meal all on its own. I have hands down found the tastiest, EASIEST, and quickest vegan Caesar salad recipe from Minimalist Baker, called “5 Minute Vegan Caesar Dressing.” Please check it out, you will thank yourself later.
For the salad, I buy a large bundle of kale and chop it into small pieces. I ever so slightly wilt it in the pan and massage it before I put the leaves in a Tupperware with a sheet of paper towel in the fridge. This keeps it fresh longer! I then apply the Caesar dressing to the portion I’m going to eat that day.
Lastly, to make this even more filling, I love to use LightLife’s Smoky Tempeh Strips. They are so easy to quickly cook up and they pack so much flavor! Crumble these strips into your salad and it will taste incredible and be highly filling.
Wrap it in a whole wheat wrap, sprinkle some imitation bacon bits and some vegan Parmesan, and call it lunch!
Sauteed garlic asparagus
I feel like asparagus are a love-hate thing! However, since we are doing surf-and-turf themed meal prep, they need to be mentioned! I love my asparagus either baked or sauteed. Recently, I have been loving the sauteed method.
Have your pan at medium-high heat.
Mince 2-3 garlic cloves.
Trim the ends of the asparagus and cut them diagonally into thirds.
Saute the asparagus with the garlic.
Stir frequently for 6-7 minutes until tender.
Be careful not to overcook them!
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Steamed broccoli
The trick to make these vegan surf and turf meal prepped meals as filling as possible is to load them up with fiber-rich vegetables. The less cooked the broccoli is, the more filling it will be. 2-4 minutes should be a good measure of time to ensure they are just steamed enough.
Mushroom gravy
When meal prepping, it is important to have a couple of quick wins! This mushroom gravy is a very quick win! It only takes 2-3 minutes to whip up. Gravy pairs amazingly with portobello steaks, potatoes, broccoli, and more! Enjoy.
Brussel sprouts
There are so many incredible ways to prepare Brussel sprouts! If you are looking for something fairly simple for you to crush your meal prep with, I recommend checking out this simple vegan recipe for Brussel sprouts with garlic from Simple Vegan Blog.
Japanese Cucumbers with sweet Thai Chili sauce
Mini cucumbers make a delicious and refreshing side dish. I love to eat vegan calamari with something fresh and crunchy. If I am not eating it with diced red onion and fresh iceberg lettuce, I am eating it with a side of crunchy mini cucumbers dipped in vegan Sweet & spicy Thai chili sauce. It is mouth-watering. This would go great with vegan scallops as well.
Whole Wheat Spaghetti
Pasta and seafood are always a crowd-pleaser! Whether you have the energy to create a creamy vegan roux or you simply want to cover your spaghetti with lemon juice, olive oil, capers, chopped baby tomatoes, olives, and even imitation bacon, it is going to be delicious. Eat it as is or with the vegan scallops!
A great way to get even more greens in your meal prep would be to wilt some dark leafy greens of your choice and mix it in! All you have to do is finely chop your fresh greens and throw it into the pasta right after straining the water away.
You can use kale, dandelions, chard, spinach, etc, there are many great choices!
To recap the Vegan Surf and Turf meal prep Ideas for the week:
Vegan Oyster Mushroom Calamari
Vegan King Oyster Mushroom Scallops
Baked or Boiled Potatoes
Portobello Steaks
Sauteed Asparagus
Steamed Broccoli
Creamy Vegan Caesar Kale Salad with Smoky Tempeh (Wraps)
Sauteed Brussel Sprouts
Savory Vegan Mushroom Gravy
Crunchy Japanese Cucumbers with Red Thai Chili Sauce
Whole Wheat Spaghetti
With all these options meal prepped in your fridge, it leads to many possible healthy meal prep ideas that one can create! Have fun getting creative with the different ways you can enjoy these dishes for lunch and dinner. I try to fill my plate with as many prepped vegetables as possible! It will help keep you full for longer and enables you to have more nutrients in your diet!
The Shopping List for Vegan Surf and Turf!
I will not include the number of numbers here. I believe you are the best judge of how much you or your family eats. This is simply an ingredient list.
Produce
Oyster Mushrooms
King Oyster Mushrooms
Portobello Mushrooms
Nugget Potatoes of your choice (red, golden, etc)
Asparagus
Garlic
Broccoli
Kale (your favorite kind)
Lemons
Brussel Sprouts
Red Onion
Japanese Cucumbers (mini cucumbers)
Olives
Other Ingredients:
Liquid Smoke
Kelp Granules
White Wine or Cooking Sake or Rice Vinegar
Old Bay Seasoning
Jar of Capers
A variety of Fresh Dill, Parsley, Chives, and/or Cilantro (for potatoes)
Red Wine (cooking wine)
Soy Sauce or Tamari
Oregano
Garlic Granules
Salt & Pepper
Vegan Butter
Extra Virgin Cold Pressed Olive Oil
Cayenne
Hummus
Mustard (ideally spicy or with some kick)
Maple Syrup
Whole Wheat Wraps
LightLife Smoky Tempeh
A Package of Mushroom Gravy (check ingredients to make sure it is vegan)
Sweet Thai Chili Sauce
Whole Wheat Spaghetti of Your Choice
