Hello, Friday and hello, weekend! The best thing about the weekends are long evening bike rides, challenging afternoon hikes in the woods, and a lazy mid-morning brunch. After all, weekends are like rainy days. They give us an excuse to slow things down a bit. Why get up and shoot into the day with peanut butter toast when we can ease into it like stepping into a warm whirlpool? Before I was vegan, one of my favorite brunch options was Eggs Benedict. I would go to a café near my home (or occasionally IHOP), wait in line with the others who still hadn’t eaten at 10 am, grab a coffee, and linger in a booth until brunch arrived. Admittedly, it couldn’t have been more of a gut bomb since it’s basically egg yolks and butter poured over eggs and Canadian bacon, and sitting atop a white English muffin. (Did I say IHOP? I meant I-Waddle.) With a glut like that to start the day, it’s amazing that I got anything done at all outside of rolling myself back to the couch for an afternoon nap.
Cauliflower-based "caullandaise" in a gravy boat I threw on the wheel.
There’s no reason that the bright and creamy flavors of the Benedict can’t still be enjoyed, while leaving the pigs, chickens, and cows out of it. Plus, this version is light enough that brunch can be followed up with all of the bike trails and tree-lined nature walks that Saturdays deserve. Cauliflower and Great Northern beans are back to work their smooth magic on a guiltless hollandaise, while the flavors of freshly squeezed lemon juice make the flavors pop.
I serve it over an easy lemon baked tofu that doesn’t even need to be marinated. (FYI: the tofu also makes an excellent sandwich filling or salad topper.) I chose to use the vacuum-packed Wildwood super firm tofu, because it’s just the right size for an English muffin. Plus, no pressing is necessary. However, feel free to grab the water-packed tofu instead if that’s what you prefer. Just press it for an hour before hand, so that it really soaks up those lemony flavors. Add a slice of tomato and a handful of parsley and serve with a mound of cherries for good measure. Brunch is served…
Tofu Benedict with “Caullandaise”
Serves 4
- 2 English muffins, broken into halves (I use Food for Life Gluten-Free English Muffins)
- 1 recipe Easy Lemon Baked Tofu
- 1 tomato, sliced
- 1 recipe Caullandaise Sauce
- Parsley, chopped (garnish)
Toast English muffin slices in a toaster. Top each toasted half with one slice of tofu and one slice of tomato. Cover with caullandaise sauce, top with chopped parsley, and serve immediately.
Easy Lemon Baked Tofu
Serves 4
- 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 Tbsp reduced-sodium tamari
- 1 10 oz. block Wildwood extra-firm tofu, sliced into 4 slices (1 14 oz. package of extra firm water-packed tofu will also work, but it should be pressed first.)
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine extra virgin olive oil and tamari in an 8×8 glass baking dish or pie plate. Lay tofu slices in the tamari mixture and then flip, so that both sides are coated. Bake for twenty minutes and then remove from oven. Flip tofu slices and add lemon juice to the baking dish. Bake for an additional 20 minutes.
Caullandaise Sauce
Makes approximately 4 cups of sauce
- ½ head cauliflower (approximately 2 heaping cups), broken into florets
- 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
- ¾ cup yellow onion, diced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 cup non-dairy milk
- 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast flakes
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 cup Great Northern beans
- 2 tsp white miso paste
- ¼ tsp chili powder
- 1/8 tsp turmeric
- Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. (If you’re making it at the same time as the tofu, feel free to roast at 400 degrees instead, but it may need to cook a little longer.) Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Toss cauliflower florets with one teaspoon extra virgin olive oil and lay evenly across baking sheet. Roast cauliflower for 20 minutes, stopping once to toss for even roasting.
While the cauliflower roasts, heat a skillet under medium heat and add 1 tsp of extra virgin olive oil to pan. Sauté onions and garlic in pan for 5 or 6 minutes, until very soft, fragrant, and translucent. (Turn heat to low if they start to stick.)
In a Vitamix or other high-speed blender, combine the roasted cauliflower, onions and garlic with the remaining ingredients. Blend until completely smooth and light. (You’ll likely have leftover sauce. Use it over steamed or roasted vegetables as a side, or toss it with pasta for dinner.)
In keeping with this cruciferous theme, don’t miss Kristy’s post about my creamy cauliflower quesadilla over at Keepin’ It Kind. She made a nectarine and red bell pepper salsa to go with it that looks fantastically fresh.
Also, congratulations to Heather Price for winning the salad spinner from OXO! I predict many tempting leafy greens in your future!
That sauce sounds wonderful. I adore roasted cauliflower. (Did you know you can also “roast” it in a frying pan – basically pan fry it? You may need a little more oil if it starts to stick. You can put it in with the onions and if the florets are small enough, they will cook about the same amount of time. I love browned cauliflower done this way. And it doesn’t heat up the kitchen during the summer then. (Of course, if you have to bake the tofu anyway then it is a moot point.)
BTW, I love the handle on your gravy boat!
That’s good to know! I usually roast, so that I can use less oil. My pans are stainless steel, because I avoid non-stick surfaces. The one problem with that is food is more prone to sticking, and therefore requires more oil with sturdy vegetables. I will keep that in mind, though, on hot summer days!
Now that looks like a rockin’ Tofu Benedict! I love the idea of cauliflower in the sauce. I think I’ll have to do a cooked breakfast this Sunday and try this out.
It certainly puts a halo on a creamy sauce when you know that cauliflower is inside! Let me know if you try it out!
Brilliant, Cadry! I am also very impressed by that gravy boat you made.
Thanks, Audrey! That was the first piece that I successfully made on the wheel, and so I have a special fondness for it. I’m glad you like it!
There is so much I love here that I need to make a list:
1. “I-Waddle”- Seriously put me in a fit of giggles
2. Your gravy boat! It is so lovely! It’s going to be for sale on your Etsy shop, right?
3. This recipe! I never liked Benedicts until I became vegan and had the one at M Chaya Cafe. Now they’re one of my favorites. And with your ridiculously good cauliflower/white bean creation, I’m sure this one will rock my world.
Thanks for the mention- I truly am so happy to be able to cook one meal for everyone, rather than 2-3 individual meals, and it’s delicious to boot! Thank you!
I think it’s great when it’s the vegan version of a dish that makes a person really fall in love with it. I didn’t have a chance to try the Benedict at M Cafe de Chaya. Because of their parking situation on Melrose I didn’t go as often as I would have liked, but when I did go I had to get the Big Macro. I just looked it up online, though, and it sounds wonderful. Maybe I need to add kale to my Benedict next time!
ok – WOW! that looks incredible! is there anything that cauliflower can’t do?? i can’t wait to try this! thanks for sharing!
Who knew that cauliflower was such a wizard of shape shifting? It may well be the unsung hero of veggies!
The caullandaise sauce sounds wonderful as does the lemony baked tofu. I never tried Eggs Benedict before going vegan but I have loved vegan adaptations of it. I’ll have to give this a try soon as the lemons on my tree are almost ripe and I adore cauliflower.
How lucky that you can just go and pluck lemons from your own tree! I envy that!
i need to use my caulis for more than dry subzi! that gravy boat and the caullandaise look amazing! i have never likes benedicts too. but i have a feeling this will change my mind.
Oh, dry subzi sounds great to me! Since cauliflower has such a mild flavor, it has a lot of possibilities. Let me know if you try out the benedict. I hope you’ll like it!
LOL at I-waddle. I’ve never had eggs Benedict pregan, but this sounds delicious and goes right along with creamy kind of dishes/sauces that I love. Looks yummy!
There’s something that feels decadent about an open face sandwich with a creamy sauce. If you’re into creamy sauces and dishes, I bet you’ll enjoy this!
I don’t believe I’ve ever had a “real” eggs Benedict, but your tofu version sounds so much better than the original. I’m a big fan of cauliflower sauces so this would be just the sort of dish I’d enjoy. We have the same muffins in our freezer, too, but I have to ask. Is there a good way to defrost them? I seem to turn them into rubbery rocks no matter what I do.
I haven’t found a great way to defrost them yet either. I was hoping they could go straight from freezer to toaster, but that’s not a possibility since they have to be chiseled apart. When I’ve used them, I’ve defrosted them in the microwave. It’s not a perfect solution, because I usually get them too done. Luckily, after they’ve been toasted I can’t tell that they were warmed already. However, they don’t get that lovely, nutty brown color. I’ll let you know if I find a good solution!
The best thing I’ve found so far is to warm them in the microwave VERY briefly — just until I can cut them in half — then toast them in the wok. Splitting them in half is hard, and requires great patience. Maybe planning ahead and letting them defrost on a rack would work. But there’s the irksome “planning ahead” part. Maybe I’ll send a note to the company.
That’s my problem! I only realize that I need/want an English muffin at lunchtime. If I’m ever able to plan ahead, I’ll let you know how it goes!
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