Picnic in Niantic

I catered a party this weekend at a lovely summer home in Niantic. The picture perfect setting was complimented by sunshine, fresh air, fresh flowers, and an array of vegan goodies.

The main course was a ciabatta roll stuffed with mock chicken salad and garnished with happy Black-Eyed Susans, Butterfly Bush and hosta leaves from my garden. This is one of my favorite salads to make because it tastes delicious and you'd never know it's vegan.

The rest of the menu included hors d'oeuvres of Eggless Egg Salad in Endive Leaves, Cherry Tomatoes Piped with Avocado Cream, Nasturtium Leaf Canolis with Macadamia Nut "Cheese"(RAW), Olive Tapenade on Crostini, Curried Chick Pea and Quinoa Pilaf, and a Fruit Tart with Date Nut Crust (RAW).

(Eggless Egg Salad in Endive Leaves;
Cherry Tomatoes with Avocado Cream; Dill Blossoms)

(Nasturtium Cannolis with Macadamia "Cheese";
Olive Tapenade on Crostini)

(Raw Fruit Tart with Date Nut Crust)

Tofu Benedict Florentine

I was on the quest this week for a healthy version of the traditional Eggs Benedict made with hollandaise sauce. Instead of the standard bed of Canadian bacon and toasted English muffin, I opted for spinach (of course, you can use a vegan bacon like Lightlife's Fakin' Bacon or Smart Bacon, which are both delish... but I have to avoid them as well as the toasty English muffins since they have gluten).

Whenever it comes to creamy white sauces, I immediately think: Mori Nu. Silken tofu is a versatile ingredient, and almost always the perfect alternative in recipes calling for heavy cream once it's pureed. You can stock up those asceptic packs in your pantry and always have some on hand when the mood strikes.

This hollandaise sauce works perfectly for this breakfast recipe, as well as for a topping on a side dish of asparagus or broccoli, or tossed with pasta as a primavera. I assembled my Tofu Benedecit Florentine on a plate with a bed of spinach (steamed fresh is best, but all I had was frozen chopped... still ok!), thick slab of oven-baked tofu (marinated in tamari, rice vinegar and turmeric), slice of tomato, generous drizzle of hollandaise sauce, and garnished with chopped fresh parsley.

This dish will be making an appearance on the June specials menu at the Shoreline Diner in Guilford.

Hollandaise Sauce
1 package Mori-Nu Silken Firm Tofu, drained
3 Tbl lemon juice, freshly squeezed
2-3 Tbl Nutritional Yeast
3 Tbl Organic Earth Balance, melted
¼ cup rice or soy milk
dash cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon turmeric
¼ tsp sea salt

Puree all of the above ingredients in a blender until smooth and creamy. Heat in a sauce pot until warm, being careful not to boil.