vegan sea cakes w/ creamy tartar sauce

ok, i have to admit that there was a time when i REALLY loved crab...and i mean really. however, i was never much of a fan of crab cakes.

well, i am now (minus the crab, of course).

these little suckers are so damn good, you'll have everyone fooled and worshiping the cooking ground you walk on.

vegan sea cakes w/ tartar sauce

2 1/2 cups vegenaise

4 tbsp lemon juice - fresh squeezed

1 tbsp hot sauce - your favorite will do

1 tbsp fresh mint - chopped

1 tbsp fresh dill - chopped

2 tbsp sea weed - finely crushed

1 12oz. package extra firm tofu - drained VERY WELL (I prefer to use a package that i have frozen for a few days and then thawed. it tends to get drier which really helps with this particular recipe)

1 cup saltines - finely crushed

3 scallions - chopped

1 red pepper - chopped

2 tbsp pickled relish

1 tsp crushed red pepper

2 tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

in a small bowl combine 1 cup vegenaise, 2 tbsp lemon juice, pickled relish and salt and pepper to taste. set in the fridge to keep cool until ready to serve.

after draining your tofu, crumble the whole package into tiny bite size pieces. set aside.

in a medium bowl, whisk together 1 1/2 cups vegenaise, 2 tbsp lemon juice, hot sauce, sea weed, mint and dill. set aside.

in a medium skillet bring 1 tbsp of olive oil to medium. toss your red pepper in and cook until al dente.

you can now fold your tofu, crushed red pepper, 2 chopped scallions, cooked red pepper and crushed crackers into the vegenaise mixture.

you will want to form small 2 inch patties. set onto parchment or freezer paper so they don't stick to your plate.

adding the remaining olive oil, bring your skillet back to a medium high heat level. it should just begin to smoke. cook you patties on each side until nicely browned, approximately 3-5 minutes per side.

remove from heat and garnish with remaining scallions and creamy tartar sauce.

serve with a cold glass of pinot grigio.

enjoy!