Before I even get to the food, can we talk about vegan food terminology? It’s annoying, isn’t it? I feel like there really isn’t a perfect way to word vegan versions of traditionally animal-based products. I mean, I’m totally comfortable calling my tempeh bacon simply “bacon” and my tofu scramble “eggs” but damn if some carnivores don’t get really hung up on that stuff. They claim we don’t have a right to use certain words like “cheese” or “meat” and the frail feelings over in the dairy and egg industries can’t handle vegans using words like “milk” and “mayo”. It’s pretty ridiculous that certain industries think they not only own the rights to objectify and commodify someone’s body parts but they think they own the right to certain words and shapes, because God forbid we make our veggie patties into circles and call it a burger. It’s not only the industries that have taken issue with it, I’ve been in many a (fruitless) Facebook debate over this, like the time someone told me to call this cheese sauce recipe “Coconut cashew orange sauce” because that will TOTALLY help people find the recipe. Sigh. I am all for vegans coming up with our own terminology, we are an innovative bunch and are fully capable, but lets get real. If someone is trying to find a meat or dairy alternative, they are going to need to know what the heck it’s called and calling it basically the same thing as what they are used to is a logical choice. It’s even better when they AREN’T searching for a vegan alternative but they are googling homemade cheese and come across a vegan recipe that shows them they don’t have to give up cheese when they give up cruelty. On the other hand, when we do use traditional terminology for a vegan version then you will inevitably have someone waiting to say “How is it vegan if there is cheese in it?” I consider that an educational moment more so than someone simply saying I’m not allowed to use certain words. So, for all intents and purposes, I’m calling my food what I want and that will very often be whatever animal-based product it’s replacing even without the words “mock” or “faux” in front of it. That’s what hashtags are for, right? #vegan
Now, moving on to the Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Mini-Omelettes. I make them up on Sunday and the family can grab them when they want during the week. This versions is only slight adaptation / hybrid of existing recipes out there but wanted to share my slightly tweaked versions, even if for my own use since I can’t memorize recipes no matter how many times I make them. When making the omelettes I prefer using an oversized “muffin” pan versus a cupcake pan. The muffin pan will usually make 6 at a time where the cupcake pan would make 12, but both will work and will only effect how many you may eat at a time. The larger is the perfect size to put on a biscuit or English muffin. If I had an actual muffin top pan, I would definitely use that but there’s no need to be buying anything extra. When I use the muffin pan, I divide the batter evenly across all 6 but when using the cupcake pan, I often get 13 or 14 out of it since I don’t want them too thick. I honestly prefer straight up tofu scramble over vegan omelettes and other vegan egg stuff because of texture but my family prefers this little mixture. Because of that, I actually enjoy these more when they are cold and firmer all the way through. Give it a shot and see what you enjoy!
- 1 block of extra firm tofu (14 oz) - drained of liquid and pressed
- 2/3 cup dairy-free milk of your choice - I've used soy and rice
- 2 tablespoons brown rice flour
- 2 tablespoons corn starch
- 1/2 teaspoon Kala namak (black salt)
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
- dash of black pepper
- 2 slices of vegan cheese, diced - I used original Chao by Field Roast
- 5 slices of vegan bacon, diced - I used Smart Bacon by Lightlife
- Preheat oven to 350 and lightly grease a muffin pan
- If you haven't already, dice your cheese, cook your bacon and dice once it's cool enough to handle and set both aside.
- Break up the pressed tofu into chunks with your hand and add to a blender
- Add remaining ingredients to blender and blend until smooth, adding extra milk by the tablespoon if you need it to move things along. You should be able to pour the batter but it shouldn't be too runny.
- Pour equal amounts into the cavities of the pan, shake and tap the pan gently to flatten out the batter.
- Sprinkle the diced cheese and bacon evenly over the batter and again gently tap the pan on the counter or lightly press the bacon and cheese into the mixture to make sure they are baked in and will not fall off once the egg cools.
- Place muffin pan on center rack of the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes until firm to the touch on top. The omelettes should be lightly browning and pulling away from the side.
- Once cooked, set pan on a cooling rack to cool for 10 minutes before flipping the eggs out.
- These can be eaten immediately or stored in the refrigerator for 5 days. Simply reheat in a pan or eat cold.
- Black salt contains sulfur which mimics the egg smell and adds to the authenticity of egg replacements but if you do not have it, you can use regular sea salt.
- You can use a quarter cup of any vegan cheese and meat you prefer. Lightlife Gimme Lean sausage or tempeh bacon are also good substitutes.
