Sunday, February 11, 2007

An eggless omelet??


Another excellent recipe from Vegan with a Vegeance. This was sooo good, even my meat loving DH went back for seconds. I usually shy away from tofu- it has no taste or it tastes like tofu or, well, tasteless tofu. Not here. I was licking the bowl and savoring the garlic and saffron flavors- uuuummmmmmm. Unfortunately, my red peppers were moldy! So no sauce. I had a bit of salsa on the side and was perfectly happy. I did make some other changes noted after the ingredients.
5 +++ flamingos for taste
4 flaminogs for time and effort but my nonvegan DH loved this dish so we've got a same dish meal. I served this for dinner- too much time involved for breakfast!


Revolutionary Spanish Omelet with Saffron and Roasted Red Pepper-Almond Sauce
Vegan with a Vegeance

a small pinch of saffron (I think my pinches are generous)
3 tablespoons plain soy milk
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus extra for spraying (I used about 1/2 of the 1/4 cup and don't have a sprayer so skipped that step)
1 medium-size onion, peeled, halved and thinly sliced
4 medium-size Yukon Gold, unpeeled, halved and sliced into 1/4-inch slices
1 1/2 pounds soft tofu, drained
2 cloves garlic, crushed (I used 4)
1 teaspoon salt
dash of cayenne pepper (I used 2 generous dashes)


Place the saffron threads in a small cup and gently press the threads with the back of a spoon a few times; don't crush completely. (I placed the saffron in a spoon and then put a second spoon on top and very gently pressed.) Warm the soy milk in a small saucepan till just about boiling. Remove from heat and pour over the saffron; stir briefly and set aside for a minimum of 25 minutes. The longer the saffron soaks in the soy milk, the more flavor and color will be released.


Preheat oven to 375F. Pour 1/4 cup olive oil into a 10-inch cast-iron skillet. Add the slcied potatoes and onions. The pan should not be completely full; there should be about 1/4 inch of space left on top; remove some potatoes if it appears too full. Gently toss the onions and potatoes in oil to coat. Place in the oven and roast for 30-35 minutes, stirring on occasion, till onions are very soft and the potatoes are tender.


Meanwhile, in a food processor blend till smooth the drained tofu, garlic, and remaining 1 tablepoon olive oil. (I put the oil in the food processor right after the tofu began to drain and the saffron to infuse- I thought this might add more garlic flavor to the dish.) Add the soy milk mixture to the tofu mixture along with salt and cayenne pepper. Blend till creamy.


When the potatoes and onions are tender, remove from the oven. Pour the tofu mixture into the pan and gently fold the potatoes and onions into the tofu mixture. With a rubber spatula, smooth the top, making sure to make the center slightly more shallow than the outside; this will help ensure the center cooks evenly.


Spray the top of the omelet olive and return to the oven. Bake for 50 mixture to 1 hour till the top is deep yellow and lightly browned in spots, and a knife inserted into the cneter comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool at least 20 minutes before cutting.


To cut, run a knife along the edges, and press down on the omelet while slicing. Excellent both warm and at room temperature. Serve with the Roasted Red Pepper-Almond Sauce.


Roasted Red Pepper-Almond Sauce

3 red bell peppers, roasted, skinned, seeds removed, and torn into chunks
1/4 cup almond meal or finely ground almonds
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
3 tablspoons olive oil
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
salt to taste

Blend all ingredients in a food processor until thick and creamy. Makes about 1 1/4 cups.