Hammin' it up!

I encountered a few delays while attempting to make this post. First, my compact flash card for my DSLR took a dump on me. I made the most awesome sandwich, took photos & everything, only to have the memory card fail me. Needless to say, I ate the sandwich and said "fuck it!" I figured I'd have to recreate that sandwich and start all over again. Not complaining about that.

Then I got all busy planning a vegan pop up dinner. That went over well, I did a soul food dinner with tempeh hot wings, mac n cheez, black eyed peas with ham, braised garlicky kale, fresh baked corn bread, and oatmeal apple betty with homemade vanilla bean coconut ice cream. Whew! but of course no pictures, so I guess it didn't happen. :( Womp womp! Now I'm all stuffy with a head cold.

Shaddup, Denise.

Let's get on with it. Vegan ham. Pretty versatile stuff. Good grilled or stewed up with black eyed peas and kale. I've mostly used it for breakfast-y stuff like this here tofu benedict.

The benny is comprised of grilled french bread, vegan ham, seasoned slices of tofu, tomato and kale, then topped with warm vegan hollendaise. I'd give you a recipe for the hollendaise, but then I'd have to kill you. Don't worry, it's mostly silken tofu, FYH's Vegenaise, nooch & spices. You'll figure it out eventually! 

Another fun breakfast item I've had the chance to recreate is my ex-favorite sammy from Denny's. Yeah, it's really shitty chain dining, but back in the day it filled the void after a late night of drinking. That was a long time ago, and I hope I never have to eat there again. Even if they serve Amy's vegan burgers. Here's vegan Moons Over My Hammy. I think I like it mostly for the name. 

This is basically tofu eggs with vegan ham and vegan cheese. I used a nice, seeded multi-grain bread and grilled it with a little Earth Balance. Then I sliced up some firm tofu and coated it in nooch with a little garlic & onion powder, black salt & pepper, then fried it on a hot griddle. I also grilled up the ham and then layered it all on the bread with Daiya pepperjack cheese. Any kind of vegan cheese will do. I believe the real thing has Swiss & American cheese, but we don't want any of that. 

All right now, go make this for yourself! 

Vegan Ham

2 1/4 cups Vital Wheat Gluten 

1/2 package Mori-Nu Firm Silken Tofu

1/2 15 oz can Canellini Beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup water

1 "No Beef" bouillon cube (or equivalent no beef powder)

2 tablespoons vegan brown sugar

2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 tablespoon nutritional yeast

1 tablespoon hickory smoke/liquid smoke

2 teaspoons onion powder

2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon paprika

several grinds of black pepper

splash of tamari or soy sauce

tamari for basting

Method

Set oven to preheat at 350 degrees F.

In a food processor, puree silken tofu, beans, bouillon, brown sugar, oil, tomato paste, tamari, liquid smoke, water and nutritional yeast. Mix until smooth. In a large bowl mix vital wheat gluten with onion powder, garlic powder, salt, paprika, and pepper. Add wet mix into the dry mix and combine until a dough is formed. Dough should be moist, easy to handle, but not too wet. If necessary, add a tablespoon of vital wheat gluten until dough feels right. Knead dough for several minutes then allow to rest for 10 minutes. If you have a stand mixer with a dough hook, let that thing do the work. Once dough has rested, form into loaf-ish shape and wrap tightly in foil "tootsie roll" style. Put your foil wrapped dough into a loaf pan filled half way with water. Place into oven and bake for 1 hour and 45 minutes. Check after an hour to see if you need to add any more water. After 1 hour and 45 minutes has passed, remove from foil, place into water and add a splash of tamari to the water. Baste the ham with liquid and bake for another 15-20 minutes until outside is lightly browned. Remove from oven and allow to cool a little before slicing.

Tips:

This stuff makes awesome Lunchables! Remember those super salty, highly processed & nitrate-filled meat, cheese and cracker snacks? Try a thin slice of this ham on multi-grain flax crackers with a slice of vegan cheese or fresh, spreadable cashew cheese. HEAVEN ON A CRACKER! 

The Veggie Whisperer

Since making the switch from store bought produce to farmer's market produce I feel a serious connection to my food. Even more so since I started a container garden in my stairwell. Needless to say I find myself aspiring to become a veggie whisperer. Sometimes the veggies just tell me what they wish to become. Apparently a lot of my veggies like transforming into tofu quiches. That or my boyfriend has been playing a lot of music with subliminal messages demanding a quiche even on the hottest of days. Whatever the case I'm hooked on a feelin'! I've been making these bad boys every which way, but this so far has been my favorite.




Tofu Quiche with Asparagus, Leeks and Eryngii Mushrooms

Crust

• 2 C unbleached all-purpose flour
• 3/4 C vegetable shortening, chilled and chopped into small pieces
• 1 ts sea salt
• 4-8 TB very cold water with ice

Filling

• 1 1/3 packages of firm tofu, drained
• 3 TB olive oil + 1 TB for sauteeing
• 2 large garlic cloves + 1 clove, minced
• 3 heaping TB nutritional yeast
• 2 ts onion powder
• 1 ts turmeric
• 1 ts black salt
• 1/2 ts sea salt + a few fresh grinds of pepper
• 1 TB fresh oregano, chopped or 1/2 ts dried oregano
• 2-3 sprigs fresh Thyme or 1/2 ts dried thyme
• 1/2 TB fresh Italian flat parsley or 1/4 ts dried parsley
• 1/3 C Daiya vegan cheddar (or your favorite shredded vegan cheddar)
  
• 3/4 C Eryngii (King Oyster) mushrooms, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 C leeks, thinly sliced
• 5-6 Asparagus spears, trimmed and sliced, tips reserved for topping

Method

Preparing the crust

In a large bowl combine flour and salt, mix thoroughly. With fingers, forks or a pastry cutter work quickly to cut vegetable shortening into the flour salt mixture. If using hands, pinch shortening into flour. Resulting mixture will have fat chunks the size of a pea. Spoon in chilled water one tablespoon at a time, mixing gently with a fork after each addition. Use only as much water as you need to gently form the dough into a ball. Handle the dough as little as possible to avoid creaming the lumps of fat into the flour. There should be small balls of fat throughout the dough as this encourages a flaky crust. Overworking the dough will make it tough and dense. Split the dough into two equal amounts. Pat them into balls and wrap them in plastic wrap. Allow dough to rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Dough can be made a day ahead.

Rolling out the dough

Remove one ball of dough from the refrigerator and place on a well floured, flat surface. Sprinkle a little flour on the ball and flatten gently with hands. Using a lightly dusted rolling pin, begin rolling at the center of the dough and work outwards. For easier clean up you can roll out the dough between sheets of waxed paper. Working quickly, roll the dough into a circle ¼-inch thick or smaller. Be sure to make dough a few inches larger than your pie pan or dish.

Gently fold the dough in half, and then into quarters and carefully place it into a lightly oiled pie plate so the center of dough is in the center of the pan. Carefully unfold the dough and press into the pan. Trim any excess dough and feel free to pinch the edges to make a fancy edge around the crust. Cover gently with waxed paper and place in refrigerator while you prepare your filling.

Preparing the filling

Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees.

In a food processor add chunks of the tofu, two garlic cloves, nutritional yeast, onion powder, turmeric, pepper grinds, salt and black salt. Stream in the oil and process until smooth. Remove mixture from processor and pour into bowl using a spatula or scraper to get every last bit. Add in fresh herbs.

Meanwhile bring a large pot of salted water to boil and add in the asparagus. Cook for 1 minute, remove from hot water and place into a bowl of ice water to halt the cooking process. Remove from ice water, lightly pat dry and set aside.

In a large saute pan heat 1 TB of oil and saute the leeks and the minced garlic clove for about 6 minutes, add the chopped mushrooms and continue cooking until soft. Remove from heat and set aside.

Remove chilled pie crust from refrigerator. With a fork make a few holes in the bottom of the crust. Place a sheet of parchment paper on the crust and add pie weights, dry beans or dry rice to help blind bake the dough. This keeps the dough from getting soggy from the filling and prevents air bubbles from forming. Bake for 10 minutes.

While the crust is blind baking, fold in the Daiya, leeks, mushrooms and asparagus to the tofu mixture and gently mix to combine. Reserve a few asparagus tips as a decorative topping for the quiche. Pour mixture into your pre-baked pie crust, arrange asparagus in an whatever formation you like (I like stars) and bake for 45 or until crust is golden and tofu is firm. Allow 10 minutes to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Tips:

1.) Left over dough can be used for all kinds of deliciousness like pot pie casserole. Dough is also great for fruit pies. Fill with your favorite fruit or pie fillings, then brush with soymilk and sprinkle with sugar.

2.) Get adventurous. Check out your farmers market and purchase local, seasonal veggies for your quiche. My favorite combos so far: Kale, Leeks and Cheddar (see below); Spinach and Mushrooms; Spinach, Leeks and Zucchini. The possibilities are endless!





3.) Black salt can be found at most Indian spice stores or can be found online. It imparts an egg-y, sulfuric aroma that really fools the mind and ups the egginess to another level. Use it in tofu scrambles or any egg imitation you like. Use with caution -- it is salt after all.

4.) I almost always use Daiya cheddar cheese for my quiches. It makes things seem more egg-y.


Don't be surprised if you end up making this three times a month. It's a labor of love, but you will reap the rewards.

Scramble on! Sing my song!

Since becoming vegan the tofu scramble has been a staple in my diet. Not only is it delicious, it's really good for you. Where else can you get a healthy source of protein, a good dose of fresh veggies and loads antioxidants? Not to mention it's practically guilt free. And after nearly two years of veganism, I look forward to making one of these bad boys every morning, sometimes even for dinner. I never tire of the endless possibilities the scramble has bestowed upon my table. I've made these so many times I could probably make one it in my sleep. I suggest serving this for brunch with friends. It's the easiest way to wow your non-veg friends. Remind them it's cholesterol free and good for them. If they're still convinced that tofu is the devil, sing in your best Robert Plant voice "I can't stop this feelin' in my heart!"

The Basic Tofu Scramble:

1 package of drained firm, extra firm or medium firm tofu (It's all up to you)

2 cloves of garlic, minced (Don't wuss out! Garlic loves you and wants you to be healthy)

1/4 cup onion, finely chopped

1-2 tablespoons of olive or canola oil

3 tablespoons nutritional yeast

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard (or your favorite mustard)

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon black salt

a few grinds of fresh black pepper

salt to taste

Fresh veggies of your choice: mushrooms, bell peppers, kale, spinach, leeks, green onion zucchini, broccoli, etc.

Toppings rule. Try fresh diced tomatoes, olives, vegan cheese, slices of avocado, salsa or hot sauce. Also fresh herbs like cilantro, dill and flat leaf parsley are super great. The possibilities are endless here. My advice is to pick up whatever is fresh and in season from your local farmer's market.

Method

Turn stove on to medium/high heat, add oil to hot pan. Crumble tofu slightly and add to pan. Stirring occasionally, cook for 3-5 minutes and allow tofu liquid to evaporate. You want it moist, but not too watery. Adding veggies will add water to your scramble too. Keep that in mind. I suggest handling those in a separate pan, with the exception of fast cooking greens like spinach, which you would only want to lightly wilt.
With a spatula, break down the tofu into smaller chunks, like scrambled eggs. Add garlic and onions and cook for about 3-5 minutes. Once most of the water evaporates add in the spices except salt and black salt: turmeric, onion powder, nutritional yeast, dijon mustard, sea salt, and fresh pepper. Stir to coat all tofu pieces evenly. Lower the temperature down to medium-low and move on to the veggie add ins.
In separate hot pan, add a touch of oil and drop in the veggies. Cook veggies according to how long they take. Leeks or mushrooms you may want to cook first to allow evaporation. Veggies like bell peppers and zucchinis cook up rather fast and can be thrown in during the last couple minutes of cooking. Avoid overcooking the vegetables as you want to preserve as much nutrition as possible. When they're all cooked to perfection, tender but still crisp, remove from heat and mix thoroughly into your tofu mixture. Depending on what veggies you choose, you can skip the second pan all together. If you're adding in veggies that don't release a lot of liquid (like kale, spinach & various leafy greens) you can just saute them up in the pan with your scramble. Experimentation is recommended! Once your veggies are cooked up, add the black salt to your tofu and coat well. Taste and add sea salt if you like.

Serve piping hot with toast, home fries, hash browns or vegan sausage. I especially like mine in a hot tortilla for a rad breakfast burrito.

Tips:

If you've let too much water evaporate from the tofu. You can simply add a few drops of water or unsweetened plain soymilk to moisten things up again. There needs to be enough moisture to help coat the tofu evenly with all the spices.

Below: A lovely scramble with sauteed mushrooms, zucchini and fresh tomato slices.

 Breakfast nacho bowl with scrambled tofu, refried beans, daiya pepper jack cheese, sauteed mushrooms, seared kale and heirloom tomatoes. Proper.