Eggs Benny

Happy Friday, bloggies! I hope you all have something wonderful and exciting planned this weekend, even if it's doing nothing. I'm going to be a tad bit busy and super jealous of all the people who get to run the Kirtland Armed Forces Day Half-Marathon. I have a bib, but sadly, I have a pulled hamstring. Just when I think it's getting better and I do a few squats to test it out, I'm reminded within minutes that it's not healed. Boooooo. Oh well. I still have my mommy coming in 5 DAYS to cheer me up.

My beautiful mom making a tasty drink.



Something else that cheers me up? Amazing food. Even more so: AMAZING BREAKFAST. I don't know what it is about breakfast, but I could eat it all day, every day. Pancakes, tofu scramble, french toast, and now my new favorite, Eggs Benny. This recipe is mostly from Isa Chandra Moskowitz' book, Vegan Brunch. A vegan cookbook dedicated to brunch?? Yee haw! Eggs Benny obviously starts with the English muffin. Which were homemade. And easy. I will never buy English muffins again. Then there's the egg, made with tofu. I didn't make the Hollandaise sauce from the book as I didn't have some of the ingredients. I also decided to add some Smart Bacon for the "ham" and some spinach because I love spinach and it gave the Benny a little florentine kick.



Eggs Benny
Prep time: English muffins should be do-aheads, as well as marinading the tofu. So start this the day before you want to make it.
Cook time: 15 minutes

English Muffins
1 tsp active dry yeast
1 tbsp sugar
1 cup lukewarm water

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 tsp salt

3 tbsp margarine (I use Earth Balance)

A few tablespoons cornmeal
Nonhydrogenated margarine for skillet

1. In a small bowl, combine the yeast, sugar, and water; set aside until the yeast has dissolved, about 5 minutes. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour and salt; make a well in the center and add the yeast mixture and margarine. Mix until a dough forms, then turn out onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and springy, 6 to 10 minutes. Return the dough to the bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a damp tea towel; set in a warm place and let rise until just about doubled, about an hour.

2. Preheat a cookie sheet in the oven to 350° F. Punch dough down and knead for a minute, then roll out on a floured surface until 1/2 inch thick. Cut into 3-inch rounds using a cookie cutter and pat both sides into cornmeal. Preheat a large skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium heat; melt about 1 tablespoon margarine in it (the pan should not be hot enough to burn the margarine). Cook the muffins in the pan in small batches so as not to crowd the pan, flipping once, about 1 minute a side or until it looks lightly browned like an English muffin. Put each batch straight from the skillet into the oven; bake for 6 to 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for half an hour before serving.

Tofu Eggs
2 pounds firm tofu
1 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp ground mustard
1 cup vegetable broth
1/4 tsp arrowroot (I used cornstarch)
1 tsp black salt (I've referred to this a million times...I hope you've gotten some by now! :))
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil, plus more for cooking (I used some margarine to cook the tofu, so I didn't need more than 2 tbsp.)

1. Combine all the marinade ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Gently press some of the water out of the tofu. Lay the tofu on its narrow side and slice into three pieces lengthwise. So basically you will have three slices that are large, flat rectangles. Use a 3-inch cookie cutter to cut circles out of each tofu slice. Repeat with the next block of tofu. Reserve the rest of the tofu for another use, it will be about a pound of leftover.

2. Marinate the tofu circles for about an hour, but it's great to do overnight, too.

3. To time this right, you should start cooking the tofu when you're letting the Hollandaise sauce cool. It's really simple, just preheat a cast-iron pan over medium heat, add a thin layer of olive oil (or margarine) and cook on each side till nicely browned, about 15 minutes.

Hollandaise Sauce (NOT from this book.)
1/2 cup Earth Balance
1 cup vegan sour cream (I use Tofutti)
1/4 cup vegan mayonnaise (I use Vegenaise)
3 tsp nutritional yeast
1/4 tsp black salt (there it is again!)
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tbsp lemon juice

1. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Whisk all the other ingredients in, making sure to keep it smooth. You don't want this to bubble, so keep on low for about 3 minutes, constantly stirring, then remove from heat.

At this point, cook your tempeh bacon, if using.

ASSEMBLY

1. Either toast your English muffin or just slice and lay cut side up.
2. Add some baby spinach on top of the muffin.
3. Lay a few slices of bacon on the spinach.
4. Put your tofu on top of the bacon.
5. Smother with Hollandaise sauce.
6. Shovel into your mouth.



I hope you get the chance to at least make these English muffins. Cody & I both wolfed a couple down fresh out of the oven. They were seriously some of the best I've ever had. If you're not lucky enough to be vegan (toot toot), you can just replace the vegan margarine with regular margarine and make them just the same.

I hope you all have wonderful weekends! Last night, we were able to spend some time with some amazing married-friends. The dinner was great (and vegan! Thank you, my dear!), there was a lot of laughing, a lot of conversation, and even some tea at the end named Lady Londonderry (L-Town represent!). I hope you can find yourselves around friends like this at some point this weekend. It really lifted my spirits and reminded me of how absolutely lucky Cody & I are. XO

PS: My luck only comes in the form of good friends lately; I managed to pull my hamstring pretty bad at the Run for the Zoo a few weekends ago. Like, pulled-so-badly-it's-black-and-blue-all-along-my-thigh pretty bad. Maybe I need a pair of fancy compression socks like the AMAZING Skinny Runner is giving away on her fabulous, must-read blog.

Fresh Asparagus Alfredo

I think I might be one of the few crazies out there who doesn't really mind Mondays. I don't work till Tuesday, so I always get a 3-day weekend. Monday's are nice; I can run without worrying about how long I'm taking. The husband is at school, so I have a few hours of me time. I can also run whatever errands I didn't get done over the weekend. Mondays aren't that bad for me!

Speaking of Mondays, have you heard of Meatless Monday? I had never heard of it until my beautiful friend, Erin from Living and Loving in L.A., started posting meatless recipes every Monday. What a great concept, right? The whole thing is to commit to cutting out meat (at least) once a week. Might as well make it Monday since "Meatless Monday" has a great ring to it. "Wingless Wednesday" just doesn't sound the same.

If you don't follow this runner, cook, fashion designer, and great person, you should. Reading her blog is something I do every morning with my cup of coffee. She's that good. Unfortunately, she'll be in Tokyo and Shanghai this week for work (unfortunate for us, not for her), so I stepped up and wrote a Meatless Monday blog for her.


Happy Monday!

This is what I made...and I promise you, it's worth making. It's inexpensive, relatively simple, quick, and can be made gluten free!!! What more could you want?

Stay tuned for my take on the Reuben...

Tofu & Sausage Scramble

I just realized that I haven't put up a recipe for tofu scramble yet. What is wrong with me??? Tofu scramble is an absolute staple in our house and I'm a little embarrassed that I haven't shared mine. I must be crazy.

Cody actually asks for tofu scramble by name. Not scrambled eggs, tofu. I've made it for so many people and it's amazing. (I think I made it for my sister once and I only had firm tofu, so it wasn't quite as good.) Sometimes I'll add some diced potatoes, black beans, veggies, green chile, or I'll wrap it in a tortilla. It holds well as leftovers and is actually quite good for you.

This recipe is a combination of about 100 I've tried over the last year. It comes out a smidge different every time because I'm just like my mother: "a little bit o' this and a little bit o' that..." I can't help it. It's genetic.



Tofu & Sausage Scramble
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes

Tofu "Eggs"

14 oz extra-firm tofu, crumbled*
1/4 tsp garlic powder
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tbsp Braggs (soy sauce will work!)
1/2 tsp turmeric
salt & pepper to taste (I use BLACK SALT for every "egg" recipe I make. I found it at a world market. I don't think it's necessary to make this, but it has such a sulfur-y smell, you'll understand why it's such a good find.)
1 tbsp olive oil

1. In a large bowl, combine the crumbled tofu, garlic powder, nutritional yeast, Braggs (or soy sauce), turmeric, salt, and pepper; set aside.

2. In a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, get your olive oil nice and hot. Add the tofu mixture and cook 3 to 4 minutes. The liquid should be gone and it should start to brown, just like eggs. You can either stop here and eat as is or start adding more yumminess to it! (In the picture above, I threw some spinach in because I had tons left in my fridge!)

If you want to add the sausage crumbles to this, here's the recipe! To add: when the tofu has cooked for 2 minutes or so, add the sausage and cook a few minutes longer.

Sausage crumbles

2 tbsp Braggs (or soy sauce)
1 tsp sage
1/8 teaspoon liquid smoke
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon fennel seed, crushed
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
black pepper, to taste
1 cup boiling water
1 cup textured vegetable protein (TVP: Try finding this in Bob's Red Mill packages or in the bulk section of your grocery store. If worse comes to worse, just ask someone who works there!)

1. In a bowl, mix together all of your spices and seasonings. Bring water to a boil and pour over mixture.

2. Pour in the TVP, mix with a fork, and let stand for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Taste to see if more seasonings need to be added.

*Tofu Tip o'the Day: I freeze my tofu and let it thaw out before I use it. Mind you, I only do this with firm or extra-firm tofu. It gives it a meatier texture. Try it! You'll be amazed!



Look at all the protein!!! And Calcium!!! And Iron!!! This is a low calorie, low carb, super tasty breakfast dish that you could even eat for lunch and dinner. My nutritional value analyzer doesn't have Braggs listed, so this is with soy sauce. With Braggs, the sodium count is a lot lower. I was so impressed when I plugged in all the ingredients and saw the nutritional value, I decided to see what a non-veggie scramble would be. Check this out:

I replaced the tofu with 8 eggs (4 servings in the tofu scramble, so 2 eggs each for the non-veggie) and took out my sausage and replaced it with 8 oz of regular ground sausage. Look at this...



Calories = +119
Fat = +16.1g (yes, an extra 16.1g of fat.)
Saturated Fat = +6.8g
Cholesterol = 413mg (<---gross)
Dietary Fiber = -2.8g
PROTEIN = -1.3 g (YES! There is less protein in the egg & meat scramble. I know. And carnivores ask where WE get our protein. Mwahahaha!!!)

If you're a seasoned vegetarian/vegan, or you're just curious, I DARE you to try this scramble. You will be shocked at how amazing it is. You might just fall in love with me. Just sayin'.

Peanut Crusted Tofu

A few weeks ago, Cody & I drove up to Colorado with our "married friends" to see Manchester Orchestra (If you haven't checked them out yet, you really need to get a move on! We JUST found out they're coming to Albuquerque May 9. Yesssss.....). I posted a recipe for some delicious Seitan Buffalo Wings that I recreated from our trip, now I'm going to post another Colorado favorite.

Before the concert, we went to this brewery in downtown Colorado Springs and I can't remember the name of it for the life of me. Cody & I split a salad (yes, we split a salad) and drank a couple of tasty beers. The salad had this amazing ginger sesame dressing, soba noodles, shredded carrot, bean sprouts, a massive fried wonton, and peanut crusted tofu. The tofu was amazing! Since I almost always have tofu in my fridge, I decided to try my hand at this dish.



*The plate looks kinda boring and lacks color. I should've thrown some kale on there or something. How unattractive!

Peanut Crusted Tofu
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes

1 (14 ounce) package extra firm tofu, drained
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup unsweetened soy milk
1 tsp lemon juice
1/4 cup unbleached flour
1/3 cup dry-roasted peanuts
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 teaspoons peanut oil
Cooking spray

1. Cut tofu crosswise into 8 equal pieces. Cut each piece into two triangles. Arrange tofu in a single layer on several layers of heavy-duty paper towels. Cover tofu with additional paper towels. Place a cutting board on top of tofu. Place a few heavy cans of whateveryouhaveinyourcabinet on cutting board. Let stand 20 minutes. Pat tofu dry with paper towels.

2. Combine soy milk and lemon juice in a shallow dish. Let curdle. Place flour in a separate shallow dish (add a little salt and pepper if you're feeling zesty!). Place peanuts in a food processor; process until finely ground. Combine ground peanuts, garlic powder, ginger, red pepper, and salt in a shallow dish.

3. Dredge each side of the tofu triangle in flour. Dip in the soy milk mixture, then dredge in peanut mixture. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat. Add half of tofu; cook 2 minutes on each side or until browned. (Watch closely to prevent burning.) Repeat procedure with remaining 1 teaspoon oil and tofu.



I paired the tofu with some homemade gyoza. I took the "meat" recipe from HERE and carefully filled some homemade vegan wonton wrappers. I have some gyoza dipping sauce (HOT) in my fridge, so we dipped both the gyoza and the tofu in there. It was a pretty good meal! I'll definitely make it again.

Hope you have a fabulous Monday!

Pad Thai & Lettuce Wraps

My husband has been gone for the entire weekend, so I've been doing nothing but cleaning and cooking. When he's gone, I barely know what to do with myself! So I do what I do best. Cook & clean. :) I made some delicious gluten free AND vegan mac & cheese ala Erin...tasty gluten free chocolate chip cookies (yes, they were tasty...)...and yesterday I made some Pad Thai & Lettuce Wraps. Now, the lettuce wraps weren't really wrapped, I just needed a name. I made this gyoza "meat" but couldn't find vegan wrappers, so I just placed the "meat" in a piece of lettuce. Worked perfectly!



**My pictures usually aren't great. This one is even worse because I had to take it with my phone as the husband has our camera. Oh well.

Pad Thai
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
From Skinny Bitch in the Kitch

6 oz rice stick noodles
1/4 cup agave nectar
1/4 cup mirin (Japanese rice wine)
3 tbsp ketchup (yes, ketchup!)
3 tbsp tamari or soy sauce
1 1/2 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp sriracha or other chili sauce
2 tbsp refined coconut oil
14 to 16 oz extra-firm tofu, cubed
1/2 red onion, cut into 1/4-inch slices (I love onion so I used the whole thing!)
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 scallions, halved lengthwise and cut into 2-inch pieces
2 cups bean sprouts
1 carrot, shredded
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, mint, or a combination
1/4 cup chopped roasted peanuts
4 to 8 lime wedges

1. Cook the noodles according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the agave, mirin, ketchup, tamari or soy sauce, lime juice, and sriracha; set aside.

3. Heat the coconut oil in a 12-inch wok or skillet over high. Add the tofu and stir-fry for 4 minutes. Add the red onion and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add the garlic and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add the noodles and agave nectar mixture and stir-fry until the noodles are softened and evenly coated with sauce. Add the scallions, bean sprouts, and carrot and stir-fry until all the ingredients are well combined and heated through.

4. Transfer the pad thai to plates or platter, garnish with cilantro or mint, peanuts and lime wedges, and serve.



It was really good! I love the spice and the sweet and the citrus. I will definitely be making more of this! Now for the Lettuce Wraps. I am so fond of these because they're so easy & I was able to do my own thang!

Lettuce Wraps
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes

8 large pieces of lettuce, preferably the outside pieces that are stiff and curved
1 cup dry TVP (Textured Vegetable Protein granules! You can buy these in a bag or in the bulk section.)
2 cups boiling water
2 tbsp sesame oil
1 cup mushrooms, minced
1 small onion, minced
1 carrot, finely grated
3-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced
3 tbsp soy sauce
1-2 tbsp rice wine vinegar

1. Place the TVP in a bowl and pour the boiling water over it. Stir, and let sit for a few minutes until softened.

2. In a skillet, heat the sesame oil and add the vegetables, sautéing until the onions are translucent. Add the softened TVP, soy sauce and vinegar, and cook several minutes on high heat until all the liquid has boiled off. Stir frequently during this, to keep the mixture from burning or sticking to the pan.

3. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

4. Spoon about 1/2 cup into each piece of lettuce. Serve as is or add a touch of chili sauce for garnish and added heat.



These two items on one plate was choice! It was such a light dish, and as you can tell, pretty low in calories! I've been calorie counting since the new year (it wasn't a New Year's Resolution, it was just a change!) and I am so glad this meal is tasty and low-cal. I hope you get the chance to try it!

Stuffed Shells with Pesto

I've gone on a few blog rants about how I LOVE Jaclyn and her awesome webpage. Plus, she's from my home state, so she's even cooler. One of her favorite recipes (according to her blog) is Stuffed Shells with Pesto. I love pesto. I love stuffed shells. Cody, however, feels a little iffy about tofu turned ricotta.

Not in this meal!!!

Found in the beautiful Isa's cookbook, Vegan with a Vengeance, the recipes for both stuffed shells and pesto are combined and made into a beautiful dinner. The brother-in-law grew some basil over the summer and it turned tree-like towards the end, so I took it all. :) Good thing, too, because the pesto calls for so much basil my house smelled like an italian restaurant for days!



Stuffed Shells with Pesto
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes

Classic Pesto Ingredients
Makes about 1 1/2 cups

½ cup walnuts (I used pine nuts because I have a hard time thinking about pesto without them)
3 cups packed basil leaves
3 cloves garlic, smashed and coarsely chopped
1 ½ tsp coarse salt
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, or more to taste (I added little by little...I probably only used 1/4 cup total)
½ cup nutritional yeast (optional - but it's not going to be the same without it! Cody & I agree, this was the best pesto ever.)
2 tsp lemon juice

1. Toast the walnuts (or pine nuts) in a toaster oven at 350* for 5 minutes or on a baking sheet in a conventional oven for 10 minutes, turning once. (Again, me being different, I put them in a pan and cook them for like, 5 minutes, flipping a few times.)

2. Combine the nuts, basil, garlic, and salt in a food processor or blender and process while you add the olive oil in a slow, steady stream. Add the nutritional yeast and lemon juice, and pulse to combine. The sauce should be the consistency of a slightly grainy paste, not a puree. I like it to be a little thinner so it's easier to spread it on the shells so I add a little more olive oil until it's the right consistency.

Basil-Tofu Ricotta Ingredients
Makes about 2 cups

1 pound firm tofu, pressed
2 tsp lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ tsp salt
Dash fresh black pepper
Handful of fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
2 tsp olive oil
¼ cup nutritional yeast

1. In a large bowl, mush up the tofu with your hands until it's crumbly.

2. Add the lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper, and basil. Mush with your hands again; this you want to get it very mushy so squeeze through your fingers and mush until it reaches the consistency of ricotta cheese.

3. Add the olive oil, stir with a fork. Add the nutritional yeast and mix all ingredients well. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Stuffed Shells with Pesto Ingredients

Classic pesto recipe
Basil-Tofu Ricotta recipe
½ box of jumbo shells

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Lightly spray a baking dish with olive oil.

2. Boil water and cook shells until al dente. Drain.

3. Scoop about 2 tablespoons of Basil-Tofu ricotta into each shell (enough to fill it). Place each shell with the open side facing down on the baking dish.

4. Smear about a tablespoon of pesto on to each shell. It's not going to look pretty, but it's tasty.

5. Bake for about 15 minutes. Remove from oven, and ENJOY!



I highly recommend only stuffing as much as you need. Because the pasta isn't in a sauce, the leftovers get pretty stiff. We put a little bit of tomato sauce on them every time we heated them up, which worked well, but only cook as many shells as you're going to eat.

This is definitely one of our new favorites. I'm going to use both the pesto and the ricotta again. Thanks, Jaclyn! You're the best!

Sopapilla Cheezecake

If there were ever Heaven on earth, it would be found in a fresh pan of Sopapilla Cheezecake. For those of you who don't know what Sopapillas are, don't feel bad. I didn't know what they were until we moved to New Mexico. It's basically fried dough that is fried in such a way that it puffs out and becomes hollow in the middle (unless you're me and you screw it up the first time you make them...). Traditionally, you slather them with honey and enjoy them while they're hot. Almost every meal you get here, you get with sopapillas at the end. Yesterday for lunch, I got a stuffed sopapilla, covered in refried beans and green chile sauce. Yummmm!!!

Anyway, I stumbled across this recipe for Sopapilla Cheezecake. Even though it's not good for you or all natural, it's vegan and tastes delicious. I couldn't get over how easy they were to make and how delicious they were. (Seeing as I made my first not-good dinner, wheat meat that had the texture of something inappropriate to talk about on a blog, I needed a good dessert to make nice with the family!)



Sopapilla Cheezecake
Prep time: 10 minutes, max
Cook time: 35 minutes

1 cup white sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp cornstarch
2 (8 ounce) packages Tofutti Better-than-cream-cheese
2 (8 ounce) cans refrigerated crescent rolls (Pillsbury has the new crescent creations and yes, they're vegan! Hallelujah!)
3/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup soy butter
1/4 cup honey, agave nectar, maple syrup, brown rice syrup, or fruit syrup (I use honey. Yes, it comes from bees. I just don't consider it to be a non-vegan item.)

1. Preheat an oven to 350° F.

2. Lightly oil a 9x13 inch baking dish with canola oil.

3. Mix cornstarch into 1 cup sugar. Beat together the Tofutti cream cheese with 1 cup of sugar/cornstarch, vanilla extract and lemon juice, in a bowl, until smooth.

4. Unroll the cans of crescent roll dough, and use a rolling pin to shape each piece into 9x13 inch rectangles. Press one piece into the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish.

5. Evenly spread the cream cheese mixture into the baking dish, then cover with the remaining piece of crescent dough.

6. Stir together 3/4 cup of sugar, cinnamon, and butter. Dot the mixture over the top of the pastry.

7. Bake in the preheated oven until the crescent dough has puffed and turned golden brown, about 30 - 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and drizzle with honey or syrup of choice.

8. Cool completely in the pan before cutting into squares.

I'm not putting nutritional value on here. They're not good for you. But sometimes the best things in life aren't. :) It's good to treat yourself to something NOT good every once and a while! I didn't get a picture of the inside that came out well. The batteries were dying, the flash was too bright, and these things were too good to worry about replacing batteries! So all you get to see is the top. But the bottom looked similar and in between the two layers was the tastiest, creamiest, cream cheeze filling ever. These were gobbled up. I was so impressed with how easy and tasty they were, I can't wait to make them again!

Tofu Omelette

I find it pretty amazing that vegan's around the world have been able to recreate foods such as hamburger, eggs, and sausage. My cousin once asked me why on earth vegans feel the need to make things taste like food they are against eating, almost as if that goes against what they're trying to prove. I can see his point. But let me throw this at you: if you stopped going to a particular restaurant because you found a massive hair in your food but it was a restaurant you loved and you missed some of its flavors, wouldn't you be happy if you found a place that served food that was almost as good? That's my answer. I don't eat meat or eggs or dairy anymore because I don't see the point. That doesn't mean I don't miss it, it just means I get to be creative! Besides, if I'm serving up food that tastes great and is better for my husband and my family, I'm going to keep on doing it. If it also tastes similar to meaty products, good on 'em. And...better yet...if I can make the foods I grew up with and you can't tell the difference, I consider myself a miracle worker.

Thanks to my new friend, Jaclyn, and someone we both look to for vegan guidance, Isa, I made omelettes this weekend for the husband and myself. Yes, omelettes. They...were...amazing. I filled them with steamed broccoli and a cheezy sauce that is also on Jaclyn's page. Cody had fresh roasted green chile in his. I paired it with some homefries and wheat toast. What a treat!



Tofu Omelette
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes

2 garlic cloves
1 lb silken tofu, lightly drained (not the vacuum-packed kind) or soft tofu; Nasoya brand is recommended
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp fine black salt, plus extra for sprinkling
1/2 cup chickpea flour (I was able to find this at our regular market...it's important! Plus, you can make hummus out of it! Woo hoo!)
1 tbsp arrowroot or cornstarch

1. Chop up the garlic, if using, in a food processor. Add the tofu, nutritional yeast, olive oil, turmeric, and salt. Puree until smooth. Add the chickpea flour and arrowroot and puree again for about 10 seconds, until combined. Make sure to scrape down the sides so that everything is well incorporated.

2. Preheat a large, heavy-bottomed, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Lightly grease the pan with cooking spray. (The less oil the better for the nice brown speckles we're going for.) Also, make sure that you use a large skillet, as you need room to spread out the omelet and to get your spatula under there to flip.

3. In 1/2 cup increments, pour the omelette batter into the skillet. Use the back of a spoon or a rubber spatula to spread the batter out into about 6-inch circles.

4. Let the batter cook for about 3 to 5 minutes before flipping. The top of the omelet should dry and become a matte yellow when it's ready to be flipped. If you try and it seems like it might fall apart, give it a little more time. The underside should be flecked light to dark brown. Flip the omelet and cook for about a minute on the other side. Keep warm on a plate covered with tinfoil as you make the remaining omelettes.

5. Fill omelette with the filling of your choice, then fold it. Once the omelette has been filled, sprinkle with a little extra black salt, since some of its flavor disappears when cooked.



I was so amazed at how much this actually tasted like eggs! The black salt has such a sulfer-like taste & smell, it is a must. The texture was great, and the cheeze sauce that went with it was a perfect match. I'm in love!!!

Southern Fried Tofu

A lot of people are afraid of tofu. I, dear friends, used to be one of them. I remember making a dinner for my good friend Jerry once. I thought I could just replace ground beef for tofu and I couldn't have been more wrong. I stomached it just because I hate being wrong, but we both knew it was absolutely not good. However, I have now mastered the art of tofu, both combining it with other ingredients to make something completely unexpected and cooking it as a meat substitute. Thank goodness. It's cheaper, healthier, and so easy to use.

I was browsing recipes to find a 'fried chicken' substitute. I've been craving fried goodness lately, something I can dip into hot sauce. I found a recipe on Jaclyn's Vegan Yumminess and had all the ingredients on hand so I decided to give it a try. OMGoodness, it was pure Heaven.



Southern Fried Tofu
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes

1 lb Firm Tofu (I like to freeze mine first, then thaw it out. It gets extra chewy this way)

Seasoning
1 1/2 cups nutritional yeast flakes
2 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp dried tarragon
1/2 tsp dried dill weed
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp dried mustard
1/4 tsp ground rosemary
1/4 tsp celery seed (I didn't have any celery seed, so I just put a pinch of celery salt instead)

Coating
2/3 cup plain soy milk
2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
2/3 cup flour, as needed
1 tbsp vegetable oil

Tofu: Cut the tofu horizontally into three equal slabs. Wrap the tofu in a clean towel and press it gently all over with your hands to extract as much moisture as possible.

Seasoning: Combine all ingredients in a wide, shallow bowl (or tupperware!) Stir until blended.

Coating: Combine the soy milk and lemon juice in a small bowl, and stir well. Place the flour in a separate small bowl.

1. Cut each slab of the pressed tofu into 4 triangles, making a total of 12 in all (I usually just cube the block of tofu). Working with one piece at a time, dredge the tofu in the flour. Shake off any excess. Next, dunk the tofu in the soured soy milk. Immediately dredge the tofu in the seasoning mix, making sure it is well coated all over.

2. Coat a large, heavy skillet with a thin layer of vegetable oil, and place it over medium-high heat. When hot, add the tofu pieces in a single layer. Cook until the bottoms are well browned. Turn the pieces over and cook each side until well browned.

3. As soon as you remove the tofu from the skillet, place it on a plate lined with paper towels to blot off any excess oil and keep the surface of the tofu crisp.

We served this with some mashed potatoes (covered in green chile sauce) and a few dipping options. We had Frank's, the always-faithful hot sauce. I also put out some General Tso sauce. The Frank's worked better. This tofu was crispy on the outside, PACKED with flavor, and absolutely delicious. There were leftovers and I had them for lunch the next day. They aren't as crispy, however, the flavor is more potent. I will be making these again.......possibly tonight since now I'm craving them!

Eggplant-Potato Moussaka with Pine Nut Cream

Dear Isa Chandra Moskowitz,

You are amazing. Your phenomenal recipes are a work of art. I have never been disappointed when trying to recreate something that you put out to the world. You are an inspiration and I love you.

Love,
Me

I had to try Isa's recipe for Moussaka when I saw it. The ingredients weren't over the top and it was packed full of fresh vegetables that I love. It also involves cooking with wine. Cooking with wine is one of my favorite things. A little for you...a little for me...

When I made this Moussaka (which is Greek, by the way), I paired it with the ever-delicious rosemary asparagus and some homemade kalamata olive bread. I was inclined to make the bread when our landlady brought over pounds and pounds of flour that she wasn't going to use. I made a loaf for us and a loaf for her.



Eggplant-Potato Moussaka with Pine Nut Cream
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 40 minutes

1 pound eggplant
1 pound zucchini
1 1/2 pounds potatoes
1/4 cup olive oil

Sauce:
1/4 cup olive oil
4 large shallots, thinly sliced (I used scallions because shallots aren't in season here)
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 15-oz cans crushed tomatoes (I had a 28-oz can on hand that worked marvelously)
1/3 cup vegetable broth or red wine (Really? Promise me you won't choose the vegetable broth over the wine...)
2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 bay leaf
Salt

Pine Nut Cream
1 lb soft silken tofu
1/2 cup pine nuts, plus additional for garnish
3 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp arrowroot powder (I used cornstarch)
1 clove garlic
Pinch of nutmeg
1 1/4 tsp salt
Pepper

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

1. Preheat the oven to 400° F. Lightly oil 3 baking sheets or shallow pans.

Prepare the vegetables

1. Wash the eggplant and zucchini, trim the stems. Scrub and peel the potatoes. Slice the eggplant, zucchini, and potatoes lengthwise into approximately 1/4-inch-thick slices. Rub the eggplant slices with a little salt and set aside in a colander in the sink or in a big bowl for about 15 minutes to drain. Briefly rinse with cold water and pat dry with a towel.

2. Place each vegetable on a seperate baking sheet. Distribute the 1/4 cup of oil among the three sheets and sprinkle with salt (except the eggplant, if salted already). Toss to coat the vegetables on each sheet, making sure each sheet is completely coated. Drizzle a little extra olive oil on the eggplant, as it has a slight tendancy to stick. Spread out the vegetables on each sheet; some overlapping is ok. Roast the pans of eggplant and zucchini for 15 minutes, or until tender. Roast the potatoes for about 20 to 22 minutes, until the edges are lightly browned. Allow the vegetables to cool.

While the vegetables are cooking, prepare the sauce

1. Combine the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil and garlic in a sauce pan. Heat over medium heat and let the garlic sizzle for about 30 seconds. Add the shallots and cook until soft and translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the wine and simmer until slightly reduced, another 3 minutes.

2. Add the crushed tomatoes, oregano, cinnamon, and bay leaf. Partially cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 12 to 14 minutes, stirring occassionally. The sauce should reduce slightly. Turn off the heat, remove the bay leaf, and adjust the salt.

Make the pine nut cream

1. In a food processor, blend the pine nuts and lemon juice, scraping the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, until a creamy paste forms. Add the garlic, tofu, arrowroot (cornstarch), nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Blend until creamy and smooth.

2. Lightly oil a 9 X 13 inch pan. Spread 1/4 cup of sauce in the pan, then add successive layers in order of eggplant, potatoes, sauce, then half the breadcrumbs. Spread all the zucchini on top of this. Top with a final layer of each eggplant, potatoes, sauce, and bread crumbs. Use a rubber spatula to evenly spread the pine nut cream over the entire top layer. Scatter a few pine nuts on top, if desired.

3. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the top is lightly browned and a few cracks have formed in the topping. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

This has to be one of my favorite dishes yet. Cody didn't love it so much; he wasn't a fan of the pine nut cream. I have to be honest, the pine nut cream was so much like ricotta cheese, it was amazing. Well, for me anyways. He did, however, love the sauce. It was pretty fantastic. I think overall he was just turned off by the fact that this dish was nothing but vegetables and tofu. I can understand that...I guess. :)

The asparagus was delcious, as always, although it would have been better in the asparagus roaster constructed by CCC&E. The kalamata olive bread was ok. I'm going to have to figure out a way to make it a little lighter; it was pretty hard but the taste was great. Once I have that one worked to perfection, it'll be up!

What do you eat...lettuce??

For the 4th of July, Cody, Deidra, Chuck & I went with our friend, Nolan, to Oklahoma. Nolan's family is from a very small town there...I'm talking no cell phone service anywhere...so we decided to join him & his family for some down time. We had such a blast! It was a little too hot for my taste, but everyone was so nice...the scenery was great...I got to meet a former Patriot...and we woke up to cinnamon rolls in the morning. One night we were talking about my crazy idea to go Vegan. Our plans were to go to breakfast in the morning, then Cody realized there might not be much for me to eat. Adam responded with, "Pancakes." I shook my head no: there are eggs in pancakes. He looked at me all crazy and asked, "What DO you eat?? I just couldn't be full on lettuce and nothing else."

In my kitchen, it's soooo easy to show people what I eat. I love cooking up delicious, hearty meals that even meatatarians devour. I always feel accomplished when I use ingredients people wouldn't dream of to replace ingredients that people didn't think they could live without. This is a prime example.

Cody is in an 80s metal band called Mister Scary. Once or twice a week, he heads out to go rehearse. I usually eat by myself, enjoying leftovers or something heated in the microwave. This past week, I had some leftover fried rice (so delish!) and a grilled cheese sandwich.

WAIT.
Did I just say grilled cheese sandwich???
Yes. That's right. I did.

Most bread is accidentally Vegan. I always check the ingredients because sometimes "whey" and "eggs" will be hiding on there. Most of the time, though, bread is on the ball. As I've mentioned a million times before, I love Earth Balance Natural Butter. It's got a nutty, buttery flavor that I would eat even if I wasn't Vegan. My sister, Miranda, found out she loved Earth Balance at my mom's house (Yes, my mom had Earth Balance and Boca Crumbles in her fridge! Woo hoo!). Plus, the Light Blue Bonnet says VEGAN on the back...and it's about $3 cheaper than Earth Balance. Then there's Veggie Cheese. I have to admit, it doesn't quite have the same flavor of real cheese. However, it's a great substitute. I was craving a grilled cheese sandwich, and that's exactly what I made myself.



I don't really feel the need to put cooking instructions up for a grilled cheese sandwich. Even my husband knows how to make them...which is really saying something. So there. Vegans eat grilled cheese sandwiches.

Red Hot Chili Tofu

If you haven't noticed, I've had a lil' poll up on the side of the blog to determine which appetizer I should put up. Red Hot Chili Tofu is on of the options. Even though it's not in the lead, I made this for dinner last night for our friend, Autumn. Also, when I made it for our House Warming party, it was literally the first thing gone. I'm posting it because it's sooooo tasty! I have to give props to Robin Robertson...she has been a huge inspiration and I love her recipes!!!



Red Hot Chile Tofu
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes

3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoon water
2 tablespoon soy sauce
3 teaspoons sake or dry white wine (I'm a wino...I always have wine on hand!)
3/4 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 pound extra-firm tofu, drained and cut into 1/2-inch strips
3 tablespoons cold-pressed canola oil
1/4 cup minced scallions
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon hot chili paste (or more, to taste)

1. In a small bowl, combine the tomato paste, water, soy sauce, sake, and sugar. Mix well and set aside.

2. In a shallow bowl, combine the cornstarch and salt. Dredge the tofu strips in the cornstarch mixture, shaking off any excess. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the tofu in batches and cook until golden brown. Transfer to a platter.

3. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in the same skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the scallions, garlic, ginger, and chili paste, and cook, stirring for 15 seconds. Add the reserved tomato paste mixture and stir until well blended.
Add the reserved tofu and toss gently to coat with the sauce, cooking until heated through, about 2 minutes. Serve hot & enjoy!

I've definitely made tofu before and thought, "Seriously? People eat this stuff?!" However, I'm getting the hang of it now and I always have tofu in my fridge.





For those of you who don't know, Cody & our brother-in-law, Chuck, built a beer pong table a few weeks back for our party. For the past week, we have done nothing but work on it; from staining and painting to sanding and lacquering, it's been a lengthy process. Cody is sitting on the couch now, beer in hand, relaxing. I have been instructed to let everyone know that Cody finds this dish TASTY. The end.

Scrambled Eggz

Since I recently posted about all the glorious ways to omit eggs from your diet, I decided to make breakfast for lunch. Scrambled eggs have always been a favorite of mine. They're easy...you can add just about anything to them...you can wrap them in a burrito...you can mix them with potatoes...turn them into a sandwich...I guess they are 'incredible' & 'edible'.

I made the choice to no longer consume eggs, so eating them straight-up scrambled might prove to be difficult. I'm really excited to write this recipe down and see what the Meat Cleaver Corner has to say about it, but first, I'd like to share with you the nutritional value of REAL scrambled eggs:



This is the nutritional value using all the same ingredients that I'm going to use in MY scrambled eggz, only using 6 real eggs. It's also based on it serving 4. In reality, it might only serve 2, so double all the numbers...including the cholesterol!

(I'm able to get nutritional value from Calorie Count. I just plug in the ingredient, measurement, and serving size and it creates the nutritional value. Along with that nifty lil' feature, you can look up just about any food item, restaurant item, and activity. Seriously. Want to know how many calories you burn at church? It'll tell you!)

Now here's the nutritional value for scrambled eggz. I know this post is going a bit backwards, but I really wanted you to see the comparison!



The difference is quite clear, however, the taste is not! Here's the recipe:



Scrambled Eggz
Prep time: 15 minutes

1 package medium tofu, crumbled
2 tbsp soy butter (Try Earth Balance) or olive oil
1/2 cup nutritional yeast (optional, but adds a great cheezy flavor! Found in most whole food stores)
1/2 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp turmeric (optional, it's mostly for color)
1/8 tsp cumin
1/8 tsp curry powder
2 tbsp soy sauce

Variations: Add any vegetable you want! Mushrooms, peppers, spinach...you name it! You could also sprinkle some vegan cheese on top. Maybe wrap it up? Put it on toast? Get creative!

1. In a large frying pan, heat the soy butter or olive oil. Add the onion and garlic and saute about 3 minutes. Add the crumbled tofu and continue to cook 3-5 minutes. Add all the other ingredients and cook for 10 minutes, stirring often. Season to taste; I added a little extra garlic salt because I loooove garlic.

I whipped up a batch of homefries, MorngingStar Farms Sausage Patties, and wheat toast with soy butter. Sooooo tasty!





Cody rates todays brunch...



TASTY!!!

Mmmm, any meal that I can put lots of Frank's on immediately is awesome is my book! That's why I like scrambled eggs and omelets so much. Hmm, chicken abortions or tofu...chicken abortions or tofu...what to choose? Survey says: They taste about the same! Much like regular eggs, the tofu takes on whatever flavors and spices it is cooked with. So basically you are left with the texture. I guess maybe it's in the way you cook it, but however she did it the texture is almost identical to regular eggs. Apparently there is way less cholesterol, which I don't really give a sh#t about right now. However, I'm guessing my heart (which is approximately as strong and healthy as a stage 3 wombat*) will thank her 40 years down the road. Also, the flavored "sausage" patties are good too. The one thing I like about the fake meat is that it doesn't leave my mouth feeling like I just fellated a "grease-monster + lard-prostitute" love child. You know what? I don't think I can top that last sentence, so I'm just gonna stop here... Well...SEE YA!

* For those of you who do not know what a Stage 3 wombat is...consider yourself lucky! No one has every experienced stage 3 and lived to tell the tale.