When it comes to westernized foods, Filipinos here in the Philippines love them with lots of creams. For example, we love creamy carbonara, lasagna, spaghetti, and baked salmon. So, when Prime Pacific, the leading distributor of Omni fillets in the country, asked me to develop a recipe for them, I knew it had to be with something creamy. And because their vegan fillet is for replacing fish, I am going with vegan baked salmon (or fish fillet).
These creamy baked fillets are based on my sister’s version. Her recipe uses salmon and mayo with a little bit of cheese. She mixes everything for the dressing and then tops the salmon before baking. Her technique is very simple, but when the salmon comes out of the oven, it smells like she spent hours in the kitchen preparing it. Her baked salmon smells divine! It is always a hit at parties and always runs out before anyone can take leftovers.
For my vegan version, I used the Omni classic fillets and made-from-scratch mayo with nutritional yeast for a slightly cheesy flavor. Another key ingredient is lemon zest and juice. I’m very pleased with the result and boldly think it can level with my sister’s version. Thanks to my Ate Rhea for letting me know her secret recipe and having me tweak it for a vegan version.
- Cooking oil
- 1 pack of Omni Classic Fillet
- 1 small carrot, peeled and sliced
- 1 small bunch green beans
- ¼ cup corn kernels
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 small lemon
- Vegan mayo (see below)
- 2 cups firm tofu
- 1 cup oil
- ¼ cup sugar, or more to taste
- ¼ cup pineapple or apple, or coconut vinegar (or lemon juice)
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- ½ - 1 teaspoon salt
- a pinch of garlic powder
- a pinch of onion powder
- lemon zest from 1 small lemon
- Preheat oven to 350degrees
- In a medium pan, fry the Omni Fillet in cooking oil until all sides are golden.
- Add the green beans, carrots, and corn kernels and cook until the green beans are tender yet still slightly firm.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Turn off the heat and squeeze some lemon juice on the fillet.
- In a baking pan, place the vegetables first, then the fillet then the vegan mayo dressing (see the recipe below).
- Bake for 10-12 minutes or until very golden on top.
- Serve hot.
- In a blender, combine all ingredients and blend until smooth and slightly shiny, about 5-8 minutes. Adjust seasoning to taste.
I love adding vegetables to this dish, which can offset the heaviness of the cream. I’m also pleased that the fillet was an excellent substitute for salmon. Of course, in true Filipino fashion, we would enjoy this dish with rice. The fillet may be gourmet, but it’s still ulam to us Filipinos!
Many thanks to Prime Pacific (who also runs the online grocery, Wholemart Ph) for reaching out and collaborating with me. I had a lot of fun making the recipe using your awesome vegan Omni products!