Brunchin' It: Potato & Chorizo Home Fries & Tofu Scramble

After working six days in a row, having this weekend off is like a little slice of paradise! What better way to start off a lazy day, than a super huge, yummy breakfast:

Scrambled Tofu with some of my friend, Kathy's, homemade salsa:

Scrambled tofu is on the breakfast menu quite a bit in our house.  I usually use this Basic Scrambled Tofu recipe as a base, and then flavor accordingly, depending on my mood.    I've listed measurements for the spices below, but in all reality, I do the spices and seasonings "to taste".

Basic Breakfast Tofu Scramble

1 (16 ounce) package firm tofu

cooking spray

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 tablespoon Dijon or yellow mustard

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 teaspoon salt

fresh ground white pepper

1-2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

1 tablespoon soy creamer , plain, unsweetened (can use almond or soy milk too)  

**The cream or milk adds a nice smooth finish, and allows the spices to coat the tofu evenly.  Especially the turmeric, which gives the scramble a nice, even yellow color

• Spray non-stick frying generously with cooking spray, and heat over medium.
• Drain the package of tofu and crumble into the pan. Cook for 3-4 mins, until tofu begins to release some of its water.
• Add the remaining ingredients (except the creamer) and mix well to combine evenly.
• Cook for another 10 minutes or so, stirring regularly.
• When tofu releases most of its water, and begins to firm up, add creamer and mix well.
• Cook another 1-2 minutes, allowing some of the liquid to evaporate, then remove from heat.
• Serve with toast

Most of the time I'll leave the scramble plain, but this week, I had some yummy chorizo sausages from Viva Vegan (chipotle version!) on hand.  I knew I was going to mix the diced chorizo with some potato and onion, so I went with a bit of Mexican spice in the scramble this time.  

So, we have: Tofu Scramble base, plus some cumin, coriander, a bit more nutritional yeast, and a half cup of Kathy's home made fresh salsa (diced tomato, red, yellow and orange pepper, jalapeño and half of a habnero, red onion and lime)!

And now for the potatoes!  

I got some refined coconut oil, and was interested in trying it out.  I saw the gals on Spork Fed Foods making home fried sweet and white potatoes fried on coconut oil.  I usually use olive oil myself, but I thought this might be a nice change.  I put a bit of the coconut oil in my cast iron pan, and fried up my chorizo pieces until they were crispy, then set aside. I added another couple of tsps back to the hot pan, and tossed in about 5 red potatoes, scrubbed and diced, with their skin on and one.  Then I seasoned to taste:  italian seasoning, a bit of garlic powder, a bit more of onion powder, some cumin and coriander, cajun seasoning and paprika.  Toss potatoes with then salt and pepper to taste. 

Needless to say we were full.  And, skipped lunch... ^_^

Oh, Smoky Curls, You are Shamefully Addictive

I would almost have to say:  It is a sin how good these are...  Perfect for Sunday Brunch, next to a huge stack of pancakes.  And don't even get me started on how amazing these are on whole wheat toast slathered with Veganaise, lettuce and tomato...

If you don't have Vegan Diner by Julie Hasson, run to your nearest bookstore and buy it!!  I have this cookbook on my Nook Color, and I have to say, every recipe I've tried so far has been a winner!  Google books just so happens to have a sneak peek of the Smoky Soy Curl recipe here, if you'd like to check it out.

So, Soy Curls... 

When dry, they kind of remind me of shriveled up witches' fingers  Not very appetizing, I know, but when re-hydrated, these little babies take on a life of their own!  Soy Curls are not sold in stores anywhere in Rhode Island, so I decided to order me some bags to keep in the pantry.  I ordered quite a few... but the price was better the more you bought!!  They also threw in a container of their Chickn Seasoning too, (kewl)!

The beauty of the soy curl is two-fold. 
ONE: although they are technically a processed soy product, Soy curls are actually made from certified Non-GMO, WHOLE soybeans, grown without chemical pesticides.  Many of the vegan "meat" products on the market today are made with “soy protein isolates”. These protein isolates are obtained through a rigorous chemical process, often using the chemical hexane, where the soy protein is actually separated from the fat of the soybean.  Thankfully, soy curls leave this chemical bath behind when making their product
TWO: Soy curls have no FLAVOR, whatsoever. Which gives you, the cook, the power to impart any flavor your heart desires!  The suggested method of re hydration from the Soy Curls website is plain ol' boiling water. I always thought that was a little pedestrian, considering there are so many broths and spices one could use to infuse flavor RIGHT into the curl!  I'm thinking something more like veggie broth, a splash of soy or Bragg's, some sage, thyme or rosemary, onion powder, garlic powder...something!



That's what makes Julie's recipe so great.  The curls are re hydrated in a mix of water, soy sauce and LIQUID SMOKE, the vegan equivalent of smoky, bacon-flavored goodness!  These smoky curls can be whipped up, marinated, and sauteed to a crispy-sweet and smoky goodness in about 15 minutes.  Julie's recipe, as written, makes an abundance of smoky curls! 

I have about a third of them leftover, and am going to attempt a Pasta Carbonara.  Will let you know how it goes!  If I can pull it off, my meat-eating better half will be MINE foreverrrrr!!  ^_^

Bacon with a Vegan - Part II

  

At long last, I have finally made Tempeh Bacon! My bacon adventures began back with Tofu as the main ingredient. This time, I decided to use the new, and slightly improved, Tempeh Bacon recipe found in Vegan Brunch (If you haven't checked it out yet, is probably one of the best cookbooks EVER)!

The ingredient list for the marinade is very basic: soy sauce, liquid smoke, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, tomato paste, garlic and some veggie broth. I sliced my tempeh nice and thin, and mixed up the liquid carefully, letting the strips marinate overnight. I then fried the stips in a little olive oil, adding a bit of the marinating liquid as I went.  The strips browned up nicely, but made one MESS of my stainless steel pan, probably from the maple syrup in the marinade, and the fact that I used ketchup in place of the tomato paste.  Carmelized sugars are nothing to fool with, but it was nothing a bit of simmering warm water and vinegar couldn't fix. 

Anyway... the jury is still out with me on whether I like these tempeh bacon strips on their own. I can't say that the flavor on these, (straight out of the pan), blew me away like the tofu bacon did.

BUT, but, but...

the leftovers make a MEAN BLT sandwich!!! It actually ended up being a B&L sandwich, as I was fresh out of tomatoes, but you get the idea! There was something about these smokey, crispy tempeh strips on top of crunchy wheat toast which had been spread with Veganaise and topped with some nice romaine lettuce...

I think I'm in love... I had one for dinner every night until the strips were all gone ;)