Vegan since 1975, I decide to answer the question, "What DO you eat?" These posts tell about some meals and recipes my family and I have enjoyed over the years.

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Saturday, April 7, 2012

Vegan Deviled Eggs Will Fool the Eye


 
My daughter sent me a link about making VEGAN DEVILED EGGS, so I had to see for myself. I never really liked eggs much, so these are a little too close for comfort for me to enjoy, but luckily I was able to foist most of them off at a party last night. They weren’t hard to make at all, once I got the two special ingredients. I had everything else on hand. I made up a batch of unsweetened soy milk to start off with, and I had Morinu tofu on hand for the centers.

The original recipe used grams, but my partner converted the measurements for me. I am also doubling the whites and halving the yellows, as I needed more of the first and less of the second. But, other than that, I have to give a tip of my hat to the creators of these uncannily egg-like reproductions.
 
Black salt is an Indian mineral salt containing sulfur compounds that lend it the characteristic smell of hard-boiled eggs. It is also called Kala Namak and is used in the Indian spice mixture Chaat Masala. Agar powder is derived from seaweed. You can use your favorite mayonnaise substitute. I used Nasoya’s Nayonnaise.
 

Any little molds can be used to make the shells. I used the bottom of pudding cups, little glass dishes, and muffin tins with parchment cup liners. A plastic ice cube tray would work for small morsels. 
 
If you really want to fool the eye and bring these to parties (where they caused a minor sensation), then you might want to spring for some egg-shaped molds. They pop out of any of these molds easily and in one piece after about an hour or less in the refrigerator (depending on their thickness). 
 
A little melon ball scoop is helpful to cut out the round depressions, or you could probably use a small spoon. A spoon can be used to fill the whites with the yellows too — a pastry bag isn’t really necessary.

Ingredients
 
Whites
4 cups or 1 quart — unsweetened soy milk
4 tsp — agar powder (agar flakes will not work for this)
½ tsp — black salt (otherwise these will not taste like eggs or anything at all)

Yellows
1 cup — tofu (about 8 ounces or a little less than one Morinu tofu or a little more than half of a tub of regular tofu)
2 Tblsp. — Nayonnaise (or any vegan mayonnaise substitute)
3 Tblsp. — olive oil
1 tsp — mustard (I used spicy brown)
1 tsp — white wine vinegar
½ tsp – salt
3/8 tsp — black salt
½ tsp — turmeric (essential for the color)

Toppings
Paprika
Chopped scallions or chives

Method
For the whites, combine the three ingredients in a saucepan and bring it to a boil, whisking it all the time. Pour into small molds and refrigerate for half an hour to an hour, until they are gelled. Pop them out onto a serving tray. Carve little depressions in their centers. Maybe you could combine these leftovers with leftover yellows to make an egg salad spread.

For the yellows, blend the eight ingredients together and plop mounds of it onto the whites. Or you could get all fancy and pipe it on in some decorative manner.

Top with light sprinkles of paprika and chives or scallions. These are very slippery to hold onto. I was able to transport them in a covered container and they did pretty well. They should hold up in the refrigerator for a few days.
 
The next time you want to serve the unexpected, you can’t go wrong with these morsels. Some will like them, some won’t, but everyone will find them fascinating.

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