It's been a tough winter. COVID is still everywhere, but we are at the point of the pandemic where we have to go to the office anyway. Russia has invaded Ukraine. I've had work-life balance problems trying to go to grad school and work full time at the same time. Our youngest is a senior in high school, and after over a year of lockdown and virtual learning and masking up, she's been anxious to have the life any kid at this age should have, though that comes with its own set of dangers and challenges. I'm stressed. I've got the makings of a winter muffin top, my hormones are all out of balance, and I have oral surgery coming up. I find myself increasingly wanting to retreat to comfort things, including comfort foods, but I've just got to get a grip. For the next thirty days, I've decided to go strictly vegan and focus on habits and meals that make me feel good but don't add to my cold-season bloat.
I'm interested in recreating some of the foods my family would make that I found utterly comforting, and near the top of my list is creamed eggs. No breakfast made me feel more at ease than this old-fashioned marvel on a cold winter's morning.
I've looked in cookbooks to find any mention of this dish- the preparation, which seemed quite fancy to me as a kid, is apparently not in the egg dish pantheon. But I have found recipes for it in charity cookbooks of a certain age. I've heard these called "housewife cookbooks" but that term feels a little derogatory. Most often the function of these spiral or comb-bound books of amateur recipes was fundraising for social groups or churches. Exploring them makes me feel like an anthropologist: they form a massive cooking underground, made of common dishes with a personal twist, original inventions, or everyday meals just as delicious as more formal dishes but not fancy enough for proper cookbooks. It's a shame too, because it's this private area of inspired, impromptu meals that give us joy on a daily basis, with off-the-cuff combinations that just work: cream cheese and marmalade on a bagel, smoked fish and dill nipped into scrambled eggs, or egg nog in the morning coffee.
In the original of my memories, creamed eggs are hard-boiled and peeled, the whites and yolks separated. A cream sauce is prepared, usually well-salted and peppered. Toast is made, buttered, topped with chopped whites, which are then smothered in the cream sauce, and the yolks are run through a ricer to top. It's finished with a healthy dash of paprika.
In my version. I've scrambled half a brick of firm tofu. Now, recipes for scrambled tofu are a dime a dozen on the interwebs. But some are not so good. The seasonings, though, most people agree on, so probably no surprises. Where recipes frequently go catty-wampus is not leaving the tofu alone to brown, which is in indispensable part of the flavor profile; and not adding the seasonings as a liquid mixture. Doing so makes the tofu creamy and unctuous. Tossing the flavors in dry don't allow them to distribute properly, and run the danger of burning, which makes the dish bitter. Yuck!
The cream sauce is a simple affair with vegan margarine, flour and soy milk. I an not sponsored by them, but the very best soy milks for making cream sauces are Edensoy and Westsoy, the organic and unsweetened varieties of both, in aseptic packs. Refrigerated carton milks employ two big no-nos for me: sweetening them- even "unsweetened" soy milks can have added sugar!- and thickeners, which complicate and sometimes ruin textures of cooked dishes. Edensoy and Westsoy haven't abandoned those of us who actually cook with soy milk.
I serve it on toast and topped with my favorite vegan cheese. You probably already have a favorite!
Ingredients
For the scrambled tofu:
- half a brick of firm or extra-firm tofu- the kind that you find in the refrigerator case. Nasoya is my favorite.
- 1 tsp oil (I used olive)
- 1 tbl nutritional yeast
- 1/4 tsp turmeric
- 1/4 tsp black salt (kala namak)
- 1/4 tsp garlic granules or powder
- 1/4 tsp sweet paprika
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
- 1-2 tbl water
For the white sauce:
- 1tbl vegan margarine
- 1tbl AP flour
- about 1 cup soy milk
- salt and pepper to taste
Method
- Heat a small to medium pan to medium. Add the oil.
- Crumble the half brick of tofu into the pan. Do not press it beforehand. It's ok if there is some liquid. Leave the tofu in chunks perhaps 1" in diameter. Leave it to fry for at least 5 mins.
- In a saucepan, melt the vegan margarine. add the flour and whisk until incorporated.
- Add the milk a little at a time. Whisk until smooth. Let it come to a light boil, take off the heat and cover.
- Flip the tofu. The bottom sides should now be toasty brown. Let it brown another 2 mins.
- Combine spices in a small bowl. Add the water to the spices to make a paste, and drizzle on the tofu. Using a spatula, incorporate the liquid thoroughly. As you do, break up large clumps so the texture is uniform- I usually aim for 1/2" chunks.
- Take off the heat and cover. Toast a slice of bread.
- Stir sauce. Add salt and pepper to the sauce to taste.
- Place toast on a plate. I like to butter it, but it's not necessary. Top with as much tofu as it will hold.
- Ladle sauce on top.
- Add shredded or a slice of vegan cheese of your liking. The heat of the ingredients should at least soften the cheese. For more melt and slightly softer toast, microwave on high for 15 seconds.
Slice into quadrants or triangles. Serve with whatever you like. Crinkle fries left over from last night tasted great to me. But you can certainly opt for, say, mashed cauliflower, sauteed beets, a shredded carrot and cabbage salad, a little sauerkraut- I think a variety of things would go well with it.
