Not eggs-actly, but close enough

Eggs have problems other than the cost; try these eggless "egg" classics instead

One factor that swept the current U.S. tyranny into power was the promise to bring down the price of eggs. I’m not sure why eggs have been singled out; though the price has gone up and will continue to do so, food prices in general are out of hand. A big problem, and it’s serious, is bird flu. That said, I create this newsletter as a respite, so I won’t say more — if you choose to, read about it here. And here. Or here.

Whether you have an egg allergy, are cutting back on cholesterol, or want to avoid animal products as an act of love and resistance, you may like to know that there are lots of ways make classic egg dishes eggless — including French toast, frittata, quiche, scrambles, and more.

To give you the lovely Substack experience, before the app lets me know that this is too long, you’ll find 3 recipes in full here, after which I provide links to a few more egg-citing eggless recipes on The Vegan Atlas website.

As a bonus, I’m premiering a new recipe (that’s hardly a recipe) — an OMG vegan cottage cheese using only 3 ingredients (plus salt), no machines, no waiting! For this dairy-free version of a classic breakfast food, scroll to the end.

Chickpea Deviled Tomatoes

Chickpea deviled tomatoes have a surprisingly egg-like flavor and consistency. Combining chickpeas, nutritional yeast, vegan mayo, and a hint of curry, these beauties are rather addictive, so be prepared for them to disappear quickly!

These also make a sturdy potluck offering, and are an impressive way to prove that vegans have a lot of fun with food. This recipe makes enough to fill 12 to 16 small tomato halves, depending on the size of the tomatoes.

Ingredients

• 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

• 1/3 cup vegan mayonnaise

• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice (fresh or bottled)

• 2 teaspoons yellow mustard, or more, to taste

• 1/2 teaspoon curry powder, or more, to taste

• 2 tablespoons finely chopped scallion or chives

• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste (see Note)

• 8 to 10 ripe plum (Roma) tomatoes or other small firm tomatoes

• Paprika for topping

Instructions

1. To make in a food processor: Combine the chickpeas, vegan mayo, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, mustard, and curry powder in a food processor. Pulse on and off until the mixture is finely chopped, but don’t puree—leave a little texture. Add the scallion through the feed tube and pulse on and off a few times to whirl into the mixture. Taste to add salt and pepper. To make without a food processor: Simply mash the chickpeas well in a bowl, and stir in the mayonnaise, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, mustard, curry powder, and scallion, then season with salt and pepper.

2. Cut the tomatoes in half and scoop out the seedy center with a spoon. You’ll be left with a neat shell (Save what you’ve scooped out for another use, such as blending into a juice or sauce. Or if you don’t care for this seedy part of the tomato, simply discard.)

3. Stuff the tomatoes generously with the chickpea mixture with a spoon (or pipe it in for a fancier effect). Sprinkle with paprika and serve on a platter.

Variations & notes

• Add a teaspoon or two of pickle relish to the chickpea mixture.

• Serve on a bed of lettuce, mixed greens, or a simple slaw.

• If you can get hold of Indian black salt (kala namak; available in Indian groceries or online), which is actually pink, it adds a distinctive egg-like flavor and aroma.

Ultimate Tofu Eggless Salad

Though this has the look and feel of egg salad, though it’s not intended to fool anyone! Whether as an egg salad knock-off or not, it’s delicious in its own right. Serve open face or closed on fresh bread or in a pita. Or, if you’re not a bread person, dollop onto a green salad for extra protein.

Ingredients

• 14-ounce tub firm tofu

• 1 large stalk celery, finely diced

• 1 scallion, thinly sliced, or several chives, chopped

• 1 tablespoon minced fresh dill, or a pinch of dried dill

• 1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise

• 2 teaspoons prepared yellow mustard

• 1 teaspoon good-quality curry powder, or more, to taste

• 2 to 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast, optional (but highly recommended)

• 1 tablespoon pickle relish, optional

• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
  (see note about kala namak at the end of previous recipe)

Instructions

1. Slice the tofu into 6 slabs crosswise and blot well on paper towels or clean tea towels. Or, if you have a tofu press, use it a little ahead of time. Place the tofu in a mixing bowl and mash well with a large fork or potato masher — or simply crumble with clean hands.

2. Add the celery, scallion, and dill.

3. In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, mustard, curry powder, and optional nutritional yeast and mix well.

4. Pour the mayonnaise mixture over the tofu mixture, stir well to combine, and season with salt and pepper. Serve at once as suggested in the headnote, or cover and refrigerate until needed.

Vegan French Toast Casserole with Fresh Fruit

This vegan French toast casserole is an easy route to a fantastic breakfast or brunch. It eliminates the need to keep individual slices warm, especially if you’re serving a small crowd — everything’s done at the same time, and everyone can dig in at once.

Chickpea flour makes an egg-like batter, and the whole thing bakes to a golden goodness, then topped with granola, cinnamon, and fresh fruit.

Shown above with more summery fruit, you can use whatever is in season in your area for now — apples, pears, bananas, or any frozen fruit you enjoy.

Ingredients

• 1 cup chickpea (garbanzo) flour

• 2 cups unsweetened plant-based milk
  (plain or vanilla; oat milk, cashew milk, etc.)

• 1/4 cup maple syrup, plus more for individual servings

• 2 tablespoons melted vegan butter

• 1 average-size French or Italian bread, preferably day-old,
  cut into 1-inch cubes

• Fresh fruit of your choice (see ideas above)

• 1/2 cup granola

• Cinnamon for topping

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375º F.

2. Combine the chickpea flour with the nondairy milk and whisk together until smooth. Stir in the syrup and melted vegan butter.

3. Place the cubed bread in a large mixing bowl. Pour the chickpea flour mixture in and stir quickly to coat. Let stand for a few minutes to absorb some of the liquid.

4. Transfer the mixture into an oiled baking dish, about 9 by 13 inches, and pat in evenly. Top with granola and a sprinkling of cinnamon.

5. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the top begins to turn golden and crusty. Remove from the oven and top as desired with fresh fruit. Cut into squares to serve and pass around extra maple syrup.

A few more …

The following recipes include all kinds of ways to vary them, which would make this email impossibly long (as Substack keeps reminding me), so I’ll link you to them for all the tips and the printable recipe boxes.

Vegan Tofu Quiche with Vegetables and Herbs: This vegan quiche is so tasty and easy to prepare. It’s a great choice for a weekend brunch, but there’s no reason you can’t serve this as an everyday light dinner main dish as well.

Vegetable Tofu Scramble with Lots of Variations: For tofu fans and vegans, the breakfast and brunch repertoire wouldn’t be complete without a great basic vegetable tofu scramble. Here you’ll find not just the basic recipe but lots of vegetable-rich variations.

Skillet Vegetable & Chickpea Flour Frittatas: Made in a skillet on the stovetop, you can use this basic recipe as a jumping off point. Experiment with your own vegetable combinations, herbs, and seasonings.

So now, would you like some vegan cottage cheese to go with your eggless egg dishes?

3-Ingredient (+ salt) Vegan Cottage Cheese

When I was in college way back when, I was a vegetarian and subsisted on cottage cheese — to the point where I got so tired of it that I didn’t eat it for years and years. After going vegan, I didn’t miss it at first, but after a while I wondered why all these amazing vegan cheese companies hadn’t come up with a good plant-based cottage cheese.

Just recently, I concocted this ridiculously easy, and in my humble opinion, really good vegan cottage cheese made with a just a few ingredients. It takes minutes to make. The trick is to use a good, tangy vegan yogurt. Vegan yogurts have gotten so much better in the last few years. See what you think!

• 10.9-ounce package extra-firm silken tofu
  (Mori-Nu recently changed from 12.3-ounce to 10.9 ounce, but if you
  still fine the 12.3-ounce packages, that works, too)

• 3/4 cup plain vegan yogurt (I like Forager unsweetened cashew & coconut)

• 2 teaspoons lemon juice, more or less to taste

• 1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Place the tofu in a large shallow bowl or flat-ish storage container. Mash with a fork until it resembles curds.

Add the yogurt, lemon juice, and salt. Stir gently until well mixed. Taste and add additional lemon juice and/or salt to your taste.

Serve at once. Store leftovers in a tightly lidded container in the refrigerator and use within 3 days.