Egg Replacers

For baked goods, I replace up to 3 eggs with the following formula:
1 teaspoon cornstarch + 1/2 teaspoon potato starch + 1/4 teaspoon baking powder + 1 tablespoon water + 1 tablespoon olive oil = 1 egg

For scrambled egg applications (such as breakfast taco filling), I saute 1 package crumbled firm tofu in 1 teaspoon olive oil until golden, then add 2 teaspoons nutritional yeast, 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin, 1/2 teaspoon curry powder, and salt and pepper to taste, then toss it up with the usual scrambled egg accompaniments (potatoes, cheese, herbs, etc).

Vegan Waffles

I used to make these for Gabi to take on waffle days at daycare (at least once a week), back when he couldn't eat any egg at all. His teachers always commented how good they looked and smelled. I guess he wasn't scarred from not eating the class waffles with the rest of his buddies.

Vegan Waffles

1/3 cup quick cooking oatmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup vegan milk (I prefer coconut)
1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Mix all the dry ingredients and all the wet ingredients in separate bowls, and then combine and whisk until just moistened. Pour onto waffle iron. Mine takes 6 oz of batter at a time and makes 2 7" squares. I got about 5 squares out of this batch, so I am guessing this makes about 2 cups of batter.  This batter can be made ahead of time, and it benefits from refrigerating overnight.

Variations:

Lemon-Blueberry waffles: Add to the dry ingredients the zest of 1 large lemon; use lemon juice, not the vinegar; add 1/4 cup dried blueberries; let the batter stand for at least 1 hour (preferably overnight) to give the blueberries time to reconstitute.

Fruit Pie waffles:  Cut the amount of milk to 1/4 cup, and add a large can of pie filling to the batter.  After pouring the batter onto the waffle iron, top batter with crushed graham crackers before closing.

Eggless Salad Sandwich Filling

I had some leftover thawed tofu from a chili I made this past week. I made a quick salad sandwich filling with it.

The curry powder, mustard and mayonnaise set a stage similar to that in real egg salad. I had some gorgeous green onions from my farmers' market, so I had to throw some of that in there too.

I DO love real egg salad, though.

Eggless Salad Sandwich Filling

Makes 4 servings

5 oz firm tofu, frozen and thawed
2 tablespoons mayonnaise (I like Light Vegenaise)
1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon mustard
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1 sprig green onion, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

1- Squeeze the tofu (like a sponge) and discard the liquid.
2- Crumble the tofy and add the rest of the ingredients.

Eggless Breakfast Scramble

I was chatting on FaceBook with my cousin Christina last night, and we were discussing my blog. It was then that it dawned on me that I have not posted a single tofu recipe! That must change for sure. :-)

I make this scramble for my son Gabi, who is allergic to eggs. He likes to eat it as breakfast taco filling on flour tortillas.

The big elephant in the room here is the nutritional yeast. Do not be intimidated by it. It is merely a flaky, yeasty-smelling concoction. Very boring by itself, but it really adds a lot of great substantial backdrop flavors to this dish. I find it in the bulk section at Whole Foods. Don't beat yourself up if you can't find it, though. Just add something more mainstream instead... like garlic powder, chopped up olives, salsa, or parm cheese... whatever... this recipe is really forgiving.

Eggless Breakfast Scramble

12 oz tofu (silken is best here, but whatever tofu is fine)
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 teaspoon Goya seasoning (turmeric or curry powder would work also)
1 tablespoon dried onion flakes (or onion powder)
1 tablespoon dried nutritional yeast flakes
1-3 tablespoons water
1 cup frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed
3/4 cup shredded cheese (I like sharp cheddar for this)
salt and pepper to taste

1- Crumble the tofu with a fork.
2- Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add tofu and cook while occassionally tossing with a metal spoon until the tofu starts to get golden brown.
3- Add seasoning, onion and nutritional yeast and toss until well combined. If the tofu starts to stick to the pan, add a bit of the water and scrape the bottom of the pan.
4- Add potatoes and cook until potatoes are heated through.
5- Add cheese and salt and pepper and toss to combine. Serve.