Faux Eggs Benny

Although I am a huge fan of How It All Vegan, I am not a fan of the nutritional yeast cheese sauce used in the "Faux Eggs Benny" recipe. Luckily, thanks to the likes of Vegenaise, I was able to create a hollandaise sauce that proved to me a more accurate representation of the sauce used in traditional eggs benedict. No offense, Sarah and Tanya. I think you both are amazing and talented, and How It All Vegan, as well as the other books in the series, got me off to a great start in vegan cooking. Since this is really a universal vegan recipe, I feel comfortable posting it.

Ingredients:
for the marinade:
1/3 C apple cider vinegar
1/3 C olive oil
salt, to taste

for the sandwich:
2 english muffins, halved and toasted
1 lb. of firm tofu sliced lengthwise and cut into egg-like circles with a cookie cutter, or, as I do not own a cookie cutter, a wine glass (of which I own several)
sliced tomatoes
4 pieces of Smart Bacon, heated on an oiled skillet

for the hollandaise:
1 C soy mayonnaise (I used Vegenaise)
2 tbl lemon juice
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/4 tsp paprika

Method:
Marinate the tofu for half an hour on each side. Bake at 400* for about 20-30 minutes, until the tofu is golden brown. Meanwhile, prepare the sauce by combining the ingredients in a blender or food processor.
Assemble the sandwich by placing one piece of tofu on each half, followed by a piece of Smart Bacon, followed by a tomato slice, then drizzled with the hollandaise sauce. I also put some cheese on mine. :)

"Old School" Peanut Curry

When I first started cooking vegan, years ago, I made a lot of Asian dishes. They were easy. Plus, we love Asian food. I have tried many a peanut sauce recipe in my day, and have tried to emulate the peanut curry sauce from our favorite Thai restaurant, Thai Basil, countless times. Although I still make Asian food once a week or so, the peanut curry took the backseat as I became too frustrated to make the sauce, as it was either too bland or too sweet or too salty or didn't taste enough like peanut butter. So we call it the "old-school" peanut curry, from the olden days of vegan cookery. The other night I gave it a go again, and this sauce is a winner. Too bad I didn't write it down, but I think I can remember. . .

Ingredients:
1/2 C coconut milk
1/4 C peanut butter
2 tbl tamari
1 tbl Turbinado or other brown sugar
2 tsp chili garlic sauce, or more, if you like a hotter sauce
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, or more

Whisk all of the ingredients together in a bowl, then pour into a small saucepan. Heat the sauce until almost boiling. Set aside until ready to use.

I think this sauce would be good on multiple items. Add less coconut milk and it becomes a thicker sauce for dipping veggies or seitan satay. I stir-fried some tofu, onion, garlic, green pepper, carrot, potato and broccoli, then served it over jasmine rice with the sauce ladled over the top.

Florentine Ricotta Pie

My attempts at blogging every day have failed. In fact, my attempts at blogging at least a couple of times a week have failed. Lately, it seems that we have been having leftovers, or a repeat of something I have already posted, or (and this is the most likely) I simply do not feel like taking photos of the food I just prepared. I would rather just eat it and then lay back and read, rather than scourge the literally dozens of photos I have snapped of the meal, trying to find the best one. Anyway, tonight is an exception. I made Florentine Ricotta Pie from The Uncheese Cookbook. I used fresh spinach rather than frozen and made a pie crust from scratch. Making a pie crust from scratch is not as daunting as some people believe it to be. There are only four ingredients:
1 C flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 C olive oil
1/4 C water
Combine the flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Whisk together the olive oil and water in a small bowl, then add to the dry ingredients. Briefly knead into a uniform dough, then roll out on a cutting board until the dough is formed into an approximate 10-inch circle. Place into a pie plate and crimp the edges. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes before adding the filling and baking again. I also added soy bacon bits to this pie, and I do whenever I am making any quiche-type pie. It's just delicious.

Tofu and Greens with Spicy Peanut Noodles

It's difficult to get your leafy greens in on a consistent basis, I will admit. A lot of people are turned off by their bitter taste, or simply don't know what to do with them generally. I have found that a simple saute of greens, garlic, and onion is a good side dish, and I also enjoy them mixed in with mashed potatoes. I concocted this recipe tonight because I see no reason why greens would not be good with tofu, noodles, and a curry peanut sauce. An added bonus is that if you use rainbow chard, it will turn your tofu and noodles pink! Which is fun and exciting until you add the sauce and then it's just brown. Oh well.
Ingredients:
2 tbl peanut oil
2-4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 small red onion, halved and sliced into thin half-moons
1 jalapeno, sliced with the majority of seeds removed
1 bunch of leafy greens (I used rainbow chard, but any green should work)
1 package of extra-firm tofu, sliced into triangles
1 lb of rice noodles

For the sauce:
1 12 oz. can of coconut milk
1/4 C natural peanut butter
1 tbl red curry paste
1 tsp chili garlic paste (or more, depending on your tolerance for heat)
2 tbl tamari or other soy sauce

Method:
Soak your noodles in very hot water on the stove for approximately 10 minutes. Strain and set aside. Heat 1 tbl of oil in a non-stick skillet on medium high heat. Fry the tofu until brown and crispy, about 5-7 minutes. Remove from pan and set on paper towels. Combine coconut milk, peanut butter, red curry paste, and chili garlic paste. Bring to a simmer and cook until ingredients are combined, about 5-10 minutes. Set aside. Heat the other tbl of oil in the skillet on medium high heat and add garlic and red onion. Stir fry for one minute, then add greens. Lower heat to medium and stir until greens are tender. Add the jalapenos and cook for five more minutes. Add tofu, noodles and sauce and bring to a simmer, stirring constantly until ingredients are well-combined. Serve hot.