Author: Lindsay Ingalls

I Missed Eggs the Most

Guest post by Bianca Phillips

http://vegancrunk.blogspot.com

Hey y’all! Bianca here from Vegan Crunk. Lindsay asked me to write a guest post, so here goes. If you don’t know me, I’m a Dirty South vegan from Memphis, Tennessee. I’m currently working on a cookbook of veganized Southern classics and comfort dishes. I’ve been vegetarian for almost 16 years, and a vegan for five.

Having spent so much of my youth as a vegetarian (beginning at age 14), I can honestly say that I never really missed meat. Maybe for a few weeks after giving it up, but I don’t remember the transition from omnivore to vegetarian being very hard. Much harder was the move from a lacto-ovo veg diet to veganism.

But unlike most people, it wasn’t the cheese that held me back. It was the eggs. In my pregan days, I loved eggs … incredible, edible eggs. Fried, scrambled, boiled, made into an omelet — it didn’t matter. After transitioning, it took me a hot minute to get used to the idea of never having another deviled egg or a cheesy, fluffy omelet. That was, of course, before I realized what a wonderful stand-in tofu makes for eggs.

I started with Tofu Scramble:

Though it lacks of the fluff of scrambled eggs, tofu scramble makes up for it in the presence of fresh veggies. It’s more nutritionally complete, and oh so comforting. Here’s my recipe:

Cheeze Eggs

—————-

3 Tbsp. soymilk

1 Tbsp. soy sauce

2 Tbsp. nutritional yeast

1/2 tsp. onion powder

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. turmeric
1/2 tsp. dried basil

1/4 tsp. celery salt

1 cup chopped vegetables, optional

Non-stick cooking spray or 2 tsp. oil

1 lb. extra-firm tofu

Blend soymilk, soy sauce, and spices in a small bowl. Spray a non-stick skillet with cooking spray or use a couple teaspoons of olive oil to sauté veggies (if using) for 3 to 4 minutes. Crumble in tofu and add spice mixture. Cook several minutes until any water from the tofu is absorbed and tofu is hot.

After discovering the Fat-Free Vegan Kitchen blog and Vegan Brunch, I began making vegan omelets:

Dare I say that I think tofu omelets taste better than their eggy cousins? And this is coming from a self-professed egg lover. Click here (http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2007/09/vegan-omelette-for-one.html) for Susan V’s yummy omelet recipe.

Finally, I got all crazy and decided that if tofu could make better-than-eggy scrambles and omelets, how would the bean curd fare in a deviled “egg”? After a little experimentation, Tofu Deviled Eggy Bites were born:

I’ve served these at parties to non-vegans who declared that they actually taste very much like actual deviled eggs. The secret is black salt — available at Indian markets. Here’s the recipe:

Tofu Deviled Eggy Bites

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1 pound extra firm tofu

Half of a 12.3-ounce package of firm silk tofu (about 1 cup)

1 cup canned Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed

2 Tbsp. vegan mayonnaise (like Vegenaise)

1 Tbsp. yellow mustard

1 tsp. turmeric

1/2 tsp. black salt (plus about 1 Tbsp. more for spreading on “egg whites”)

1 Tbsp. dill pickle relish

1/2 Tbsp. red onion, very finely minced

Black pepper, to taste

Paprika, for garnish

Fresh chives (optional, for garnish)

Drain water from the extra firm tofu. Wrap in several layers of paper towels and place on a plate. Put something heavy on top, like a jar or book, and allow to press in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

After extra firm tofu is pressed, cut it in half. Then cut each half into four quadrants or squares. Slide a knife on the side of each quadrant to cut three squares from each. In the end, you should have about 24 little squares. If these instructions are too confusing, just cut into bite-sized squares and aim to get about 20 to 24. Set aside.

Place the silk tofu, beans, mayonnaise, mustard, turmeric, and one teaspoon black salt into a food processor. Process for about a minute or until smooth. Transfer to a mixing bowl and stir in relish, onion, and black pepper. Set aside.

Pour the other tablespoon of black salt into a small bowl. Using your fingertip, rub a touch of black salt on each white firm tofu square. Top each square with a dollop (about one teaspoon) of the yellow silk tofu mixture.

Sprinkle with paprika and top with chives.

Makes about 24 bites.