Vegan Breakfast Sandwiches

At 16 I embarked on the journey of getting my first job.  For years my parents owned a restaurant (named after yours truly) that I would help out at, but silly me thought I wanted to get real job not working for mom and dad.  Like I said, silly, silly me!  Against my parents wishes, I began my quest in the "working world".  I didn't believe them when they said "Once you start working, you won't ever stop," and insisted on passing in my application where I would start off by working in the lovely world of retail. (I hate to admit it, but they were completely right.)  I spent a good year folding clothes and chatting with customers, but one thing I knew was that it so was not for me.  I am a huge people person, but after a while I found that the only thing I enjoyed about it was the weekly paycheck.  Now, if you ask me, 16 is a little early to be feeling that way about a job..so I went on my merry way and found myself another one.  Not folding t-shirts and jeans all day.

This time, I was a little more successful in my choice.  There's a local chain of Marylou's coffee shops in the South Shore that have really picked up in popularity over the past few years, and I spent a good three years there slinging delicious coffee for some great customers there.  Now, when I say "delicious," I mean that you were basically being served dessert in a cup.  You think of a sweet treat, there was probably a coffee flavor to match.  Tiramisu, Twix, Girl Scout Cookie, Banana Cream Pie, Strawberry Cheesecake, Butterfinger..the list really goes on and on.  It's definitely a stop worth making if you're in the South Shore sometime and happen drive by one of their hot pink signs.  I really loved this job, but one thing I didn't love so much were the ungodly hours I would have to drag my butt out of bed.  Sure, it was nice to be out of work at noon, but once I moved to a new town, that meant I had a half hour drive on my hands, which really stinks when you need to be at work by 4:15 AM.  I'm sure you can only imagine the ridiculous amount of coffee I would drink everyday to function.  Caffeine overload up the wazoo!  Working there in the morning not only meant tons of coffee slinging, but it also meant tons of breakfast sandwiches were being ordered.  Now, for the typical person, that's no sweat...but to a vegetarian, that's a whole other playing field!  I wasn't exactly fond of assembling those things with all that icky bacon and sausage, but it did make part of me miss the convenience of just stopping somewhere and grabbing a good old breakfast sammich.  It never really dawned on me to try making my own to suit my diet's needs...that was until I saw this recipe in VeganYumYum. 

I had been eyeing this since I got the book and finally got down to the grind and made it.  It's not exactly as easy as ordering at a drive-thru but it's worth investing a little time in.  I opted to make the homemade biscuits too and if you have the time, I highly suggest them..much better than any store bought English Muffin in my opinion!  The sandwich is comprised of scrambled tofu eggs, maple soy tofu, and homemade biscuits...and all three really come together in vegan breakfast sandwich harmony!  Be forewarned, if you don't like the flavor of nooch (nutritional yeast), I suggest reducing the amount in the scrambled tofu, because it is very rich in this recipe.  The maple syrup and soy sauce (I subbed Braggs Amino Acids for a healther spin) act as a great replacement for the smoky flavor of the meat in your traditional sammy.  This recipe shows off tofu's great versatility and makes up a really great breakfast for (vegan) champs!  Oh, and if you're anything like me..you'll finally be thankful for having a big mouth when trying to devour one of these! 

Ingredients:

Scrambled Tofu 'Eggs':

• 1 package firm tofu

• 5 Tablespoons soy milk

• 2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast

• 1 Tablespoon olive oil

• 3/4 teaspoon salt

• 1 Tablespoon Bragg amino acid

• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

• 1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch

• 1/8 teaspoon baking powder

• Extra olive oil for cooking

Maple Soy Tofu:

• 1 block firm pressed tofu

• 4 Tablespoons Bragg amino acid (or soy sauce)

• 4 Tablespoons maple syrup

Biscuits:

• 1 cup plain soy milk

• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

• 2 1/2 cups unbleached flour

• 4 teaspoons baking powder

• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

• 3/4 teaspoon salt

• 3 Tablespoons Earth Balance (or any other vegan butter)

• 2 Tablespoons vegan shortening

Directions: (The order is different than in the book, but this helps to make the process smoother)

• Press both tofu blocks (1 for 'eggs' and 1 for maple soy tofu). To press, remove tofu from package and drain all excess water. Wrap each block individually first in a paper towel then wrap that into a dish cloth. Put a heavy pan, like a dutch oven on top and let sit for about 20 minutes. 

Prep Maple Soy Tofu:

• Cut one block of tofu in half then cut each half into about 1/4 inch thick pieces. You should have 8 pieces.   
  

Prep Scrambled Tofu:

• Combine tofu, soy milk, nutritional yeast, olive oil, salt, tahini, mustard, cornstarch and baking powder in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Note: it will be very thick.

Cook Maple Soy Tofu:

• In an ungreased skillet, cook each strip (working in batches if you need) until browned.
• Add the syrup and sauce after tofu has been lightly browned. Be sure not to burn the soy maple glaze while cooking.

Cook Biscuits:

• Preheat oven at 475 degrees.

• In a small bowl, combine soy milk and vinegar then set aside.
• In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, soda and salt. Cut in Earth Balance and vegan shortening using a fork or pastry cutter, to create a crumbly mixture. 
• Add the soy/vinegar mixture to your dry mix and stir until just combined.
• Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and press carefully until about 1 inch thick. Using a biscuit cutter, circle cookie cutter, or improvise by using a drinking glass, cut dough into circles and place on a baking sheet so the biscuits touch each other. 
• Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until golden brown, then remove. 

• While your biscuits are baking, cook your 'eggs'.

Cook your Scrambled Tofu:

• Heat a nonstick skillet (use non stick otherwise it will be an even bigger mess) to medium heat with a bit of olive oil. Pour about 1/3 cup of your 'egg' mixture  into the pan.
• Carefully spread the mixture over the pan like a thin pancake. It's very sticky and kind of tough to work with. Let the mixture cook on one side until brown and rather firm. (It does take a little bit). Cook for about 10 to 15 minutes on med/low heat making sure they do not burn. 
• Flip 'eggs' to cook the other side. When done, it is time to prepare your sandwiches.

Serve:

• Cut biscuits in half lengthwise. Top bottom biscuit with a portion of your 'eggs'. On top of that place 2 pieces of the maple soy tofu.

And after all of that effort, you can finally sit down and enjoy!

Source: VeganYumYum, LaPureMama