Place the flour in a dry 2-quart saucepan, and toast it over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it is lightly browned and fragrant. 

Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the nutritional yeast flakes. Gradually whisk in the water or vegetable broth, soy sauce, and oil until the gravy is very smooth. Then whisk in the seasonings.  

Cook the gravy over medium heat, stirring almost constantly with the wire whisk, until it is thickened, smooth, and bubbly. Serve at once. 

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Mist an 8½-inch x 4½-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray, and set it aside. 

Place the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl, and stir them together.  

Place the wet ingredients in a medium mixing bowl, and stir them together until they are well combined. 

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Mix just until the dry ingredients are evenly moistened. Fold the diced apple, raisins, and walnuts into the batter, making sure they are evenly distributed.  

Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Place the loaf pan on the center rack of the oven, and bake the bread for about 50 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center tests clean.  

Remove the bread from the oven using oven mitts or pot holders. Turn it out of the loaf pan onto a cooling rack, and carefully turn the bread upright. Allow the bread to cool completely before slicing or storing it. Wrap the cooled bread tightly, and store it at room temperature for up to 3 days, or refrigerate it for up to 7 days. 

• Lightly oil either a 1¼-cup (10-ounce) heavy plastic storage container (rectangular or round) with a lid, a miniature bread loaf pan, a small bowl with a rounded bottom, or another small container of your choice (see The Cook’s Secrets on next page), and set it aside. 

• Place the tofu, nutritional yeast flakes, tahini, lemon juice, miso, onion granules, salt, and garlic granules in a blender or food processor fitted with a metal blade. Set aside.  

• Place the water and agar flakes in a 1-quart saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-high and simmer,stirring frequently, until the agar is dissolved (about 5 minutes).  

• Pour the agar mixture into the blender or food processor containing the other ingredients.  

• Process until the mixture is completely smooth. You will need to work quickly before the agar begins to set, but it is important to thoroughly process the mixture. Stop the blender or food processor frequently to stir the mixture and scrape down the sides of the jar or work bowl. 

• Pour the mixture into the prepared container (from step #1). Use a rubber spatula to remove all of the blended mixture. Place the open container in the refrigerator to let the uncheese firm up. When it is firm and no longer warm to the touch, cover the container with a lid or plastic wrap. Let the uncheese chill for several hours before serving. It will be kept in the refrigerator for about 10 days. 

American-Style Uncheese: 
Blend in ¼ cup (2 ounces) drained pimiento pieces, processing until no flecks from the pimientos are visible. This will make a naturally orange-colored uncheese.  

Hot Pepper Uncheese:
Stir in 4 tablespoons finely chopped and well-drained canned chilies or ¼ to ½ teaspoon crushed hot red pepper flakes into the blended mixture before pouring it into the mold.  

Olive Uncheese:
Stir in ¼ cup sliced, pimiento-stuffed green olives or sliced black olives into the blended mixture before pouring it into the mold.  

Dilled Uncheese: 
Stir in 1 teaspoon dried dill weed into the blended mixture before pouring it into the mold.  

Mexican Style Uncheese: 
Blend in 1 teaspoon of chili powder, ½ teaspoon dried oregano leaves, and 1 clove of garlic, minced or pressed.  

Italian-Style Uncheese: 
Blend in ½ teaspoons dried basil leaves, ¼ teaspoons dried oregano leaves, ¼ teaspoons dried marjoram leaves, and 1 clove garlic, minced or pressed.  

French-Style Uncheese: 
Blend in 1 teaspoon of dried basil leaves, ½ teaspoon of dried thyme leaves, ¼ teaspoon of dried marjoram leaves, ¼ teaspoon of ground black pepper, a pinch of ground rosemary, and 1 clove of garlic, minced or pressed.  

Smoky Uncheese: 
Blend in ¼ teaspoon liquid hickory smoke or more to taste.  

The Cook’s Secrets: 
Agar, also known as agar-agar and kanten, is an odorless, tasteless sea vegetable. It is a natural thickener and an excellent substitute for gelatin, which is a slaughterhouse by-product. Agar is available in three forms: sticks, flakes, and powder. The flakes tend to provide the most consistent results and are the only form I recommend. Agar can be found in the macrobiotic section of natural food stores or ordered through mail-order sources that sell macrobiotic products. Store agar in an airtight container at room temperature. It will be kept indefinitely.  

If desired, other containers of varying shapes may used to mold the uncheese. Select a container with straight sides or edges that fan out at the opening in order to easily remove the uncheese. For a domed uncheese, use a round-bottomed bowl. For a cylinder-shaped uncheese, use an insulated plastic hot beverage container with smooth, straight sides. Small molds designed for jelled desserts are also a good choice. 

In a powerful blender, blend all the ingredients together until smooth.  

Add extra water, one tablespoon at a time if the Aioli is too thick to blend. 

Store refrigerated. 

Steam the tempeh for 20 minutes. Let it cool until it can be easily handled. Grate the tempeh on the coarse side of a grater, and place it in a medium mixing bowl. Stir in the remaining ingredients except the buns, and mix well. 

Place the buns on a dry baking sheet, cut side up. Spread the tops evenly with the tempeh mixture, spreading it to the edge of each bun. (This will help to keep the edges of the bun from burning.) 

Place the sandwiches under the broiler for 4 to 5 minutes. Watch closely so the sandwiches do not burn. 

Serve the sandwiches hot. They may be eaten by picking them up with your hands, or you can use a knife and fork. 

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Mist a 10-inch pie plate with nonstick cooking spray, and set it aside. 

To prepare the crust, place all the crust ingredients in a medium mixing bowl, and mix them together until they are well combined. Pat this mixture in an even layer in the bottom of the prepared pie plate. Bake the crust on the center rack of the oven for 10 minutes. Remove the crust from the oven, and let it cool for 5 minutes. Do not turn off the oven. 

Crumble the tofu well, and place it in a food processor or blender fitted with a metal blade. Add the remaining ingredients , and process the mixture until it is completely smooth and very creamy. 

Spoon the blended mixture evenly into the partially baked crust, and carefully spread it out using a rubber spatula. Bake the pie on the center rack of the oven for about 40 to 45 minutes, or until the top is very lightly browned. 

Remove the pie from the oven using pot holders or oven mitts, and place it on a wire rack to cool to room temperature. Chill the cooled pie in the refrigerator at least 4 hours (or longer) before serving. Do not cover the pie until it is thoroughly chilled as it will sweat and become soggy. 

Place all the ingredients in a blender, and process until smooth. 

Pour the blended mixture into a 1-quarter saucepan. Place the saucepan over medium-high heat, and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. 

After the mixture thickens, reduce the heat to medium and continue to cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute longer. Immediately pour the mixture into a 1-cup storage container. Let cool, then cover and chill in the refrigerator.

Pineapple Creme Cheese: 

Drain well ¼ cup pineapple tidbits packed in juice, and stir into the hot mixture. 

Fruited Creme Cheese: 

Stir 1 to 2 tablespoons fruit-sweetened jam or preserves into the hot mixture. 

Herbed Creme Cheese: 

Stir 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley or 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes, ¼ teaspoon dried dill weed, ¼ teaspoon well crumbled, dried rose mary, ¼ teaspoon crumbled, dried thyme leaves, and ¼ to ½ teaspoon minced garlic into the hot mixture. 

Slice the tofu into 24 to 28⅛-inch-thick strips, approximately -1 inch wide x 3½ inches long. Arrange the tofu strips in a single layer on two large dinner plates, and set them aside. 

Place the remaining ingredients in a measuring cup, and whisk them together until they are well combined. Spoon this marinade equally over the tofu strips on each plate. Turn the strips carefully, dipping each one into the marinade that remains on the plate so that all the pieces are coated well on both sides. Cover the plates tightly with plastic wrap, and let the tofu marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.  

Skillet Browned “Bacon”: 

Place a thin layer of canola oil in a large skillet, and heat it over medium-high. When the oil is hot, add several of the “bacon” strips in a single layer. Cook them until they are a deep golden brown on both sides, turning them several times with a metal spatula. Transfer the cooked strips to a plate lined with a double thickness of paper towels to blot off any excess oil and keep the “bacon” crisp. Cook the remaining “bacon” in the same fashion, adding a little more canola oil to the skillet between each batch as needed. 

Oven Browned “Bacon”: 

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Mist a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray, and arrange the tofu strips on the baking sheet in a single layer. Bake the “bacon” for 20 to 22 minutes, carefully turning the strips over with a metal spatula midway in the cooking cycle. The “bacon” will crisp further as it cools. 

Store leftovers in the refrigerator. 

Place all the ingredients in a 1-quart saucepan, and whisk them together. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring almost constantly. Reduce the heat slightly and simmer for 30 to 60 seconds, stirring constantly, until the sweetener is well dissolved.

Remove the saucepan from the heat, and allow the mixture to cool.

Transfer the sauce to a storage container, and store it in the refrigerator. It will keep for several months . Shake or stir the sauce well before using.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and l spray a 9-inch loaf pan with oil, or line the bottom with parchment paper to prevent sticking. 

Sauté the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic in the olive oil over medium heat until the onions are translucent. Remove from heat and set aside. 

Add the chickpeas to a food processor in batches but be careful not to over blend them and make them mushy. Pulse only a couple of times. Put in large mixing bowl.

Add the cooked veggies and all remaining ingredients to the chickpeas. if the mixture seems moist, add extra breadcrumbs. Stir until well combined.  

Press the loaf mixture in the prepared pan, pushing down evenly with your hand. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. 

In a small bowl, stir together the ketchup and Worcestershire sauce for the topping. 

Cook for 30 minutes, remove the foil, spread the topping evenly on top of the loaf and bake for another 15 minutes, uncovered. Remove from the oven. 

Allow to sit for at least 15 minutes before slicing.