Baked ‘Eggnog Custard’ Pie

15 Dec

When it comes to holiday pies, I’ve always expressed my dislike of pumpkin pie as the standard for the season. Don’t get me wrong, it smells amazing, but the texture is absolutely not in line with what texture I think it should be. Plus, I find most other pies to be much more enjoyable, especially creamy, custard style pies. There’s something nice about a baked fruit pie, and of course pecan pie has a very special place in my heart, but a custard pie can steal the show.

What would be a better combination than my favorite holiday drink and the texture of a custard pie? Probably nothing. In fact, I enjoyed this pie so much I made it twice, and ate it for breakfast for a week. Topped with coconut whipped cream and a sprinkle of nutmeg, this is like the solid version of eggnog.

In testing this recipe, I found a combination of starches wasn’t quite enough to set the custard, but then remembered my shelf stable Mori-Nu tofu in the pantry. Suddenly, I realized the combination of tofu, starch, and eggnog was going to be the answer. The creamy texture of Mori-Nu Silken Tofu makes this pie especially dreamy, and adds complete plant-based protein to the end product. Plus, the flavor of the tofu perfectly blends with eggnog without overpowering it. I’m always sure to drain my tofu before using, as added liquid in this recipe can make the pie not able to set properly.

Since this recipe relies on the heat from the oven to set the custard, prepping the pie includes pouring a liquid into a baked crust. Be VERY careful moving this to the oven, since the liquid can spill easily. Trust me, I made this mistake during recipe testing, and while my kitchen smelled of eggnog for a while, it was just not a fun mess to clean.

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Vegan Baked Brie

15 May

This recipe for vegan baked brie is so authentic, you could take it to your Francophile best friend’s house, serve it for book club, and not a soul would know the difference. We’re utilizing some uncommon ingredients to achieve this texture, similar to my recipe for mozzarella and cheddar. Since I wanted a milder flavor for this baked brie, I used my favorite tofu, Mori-Nu Silken Tofu Extra Firm, to balance out the strong cashew flavor.  I love that Mori-Nu is a complete protein, so you can still get protein without the dairy. I think you’ll find that the ease of using a shelf stable tofu like Mori-Nu for this recipe makes the several hour wait to eat worthwhile! And its velvety texture contributes to the creaminess of this delicious plant-based “cheese.” Now into the good stuff.

The first steps of this recipe tell you to blend all of the ingredients until completely smooth in a high speed blender. If you don’t have a high speed blender, you can soak the cashews ahead of time to make your blending easier. I’d like to make a note here that a high speed blender can get this mixture up to a temperature so that the tapioca starch and kappa carrageenan begin to do their starchy magic. Don’t be alarmed if this happens, it will get heated completely through in the saucepan anyway!

Since tapioca starch and kappa carrageenan have different activation heats, we will need to heat our mixture completely up to above boiling for it to properly set. I cook my cheese over medium heat in a non stick saucepan while constantly stirring to avoid the mixture breaking. The cheese will begin to curdle slowly, then as each starch gets activated, it will smooth out into a creamy, stretchy sauce.

After cooking, our cheese mixture needs to cool and solidify a bit. The coconut oil in this recipe will help it firm up upon refrigeration, so don’t be worried if the texture seems too loose when transferring to a lined bowl. It may take up to four hours for your cheese to fully “set”, but since we’re cooking it in a puff pastry, you can skip this step as soon as the cheese is firm enough to “plop”.

When cheese is fully set, just wrap in a vegan friendly puff pastry and bake until puff pastry is golden brown, and the cheese will simply melt inside of the crust. This is the part where your own creativity can come in, puff pastry can be shaped in a variety of ways, and its excellent topped with a sweet jam or fresh herbs. Change it up to your liking! Click below to go to the recipe.

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Edamame Flavored Tofu Dumplings

27 Dec

In between the holidays and the new year, I tend to get a bit restless and sluggish about cooking. It just seems like the days between Christmas and the New Year are made for lazing about and not really doing anything. But I am always in the mood for dumplings, especially when they are light and fresh and come in a crispy rice paper wrapper. With a bit of leftover veggies and a box of shelf stable Mori-Nu Silken Tofu from the pantry, these come together so quickly, and without the hassle of folding dumpling wrappers. The wrapping method for the rice paper dumplings is very similar to how you would fold a burrito, just pull all the sides in fold until you have a small packet to cook. Since the rice paper wrappers are already moistened before wrapping, there’s no need to add water into the pan to steam the dumplings, simply crisp and enjoy!

I had seen multiple versions of these rice paper dumplings making the rounds on social media, but when I saw Mori-Nu Silken Tofu released a new bunch of flavors (Yuzu AND Edamame) I knew they would be a perfect addition to these. The pop of green from the edamame-flavored tofu is gorgeous and the flavor compliments the shiitake mushrooms and soy sauce perfectly. If you would like to substitute, I’d recommend using the Mori-Nu Silken Tofu Extra Firm.

You can add in as many vegetables as you like to this-it’s a very versatile way to use up leftovers from veggie platters and vegetables that didn’t quite make the cut for your charcuterie board. If these dumplings don’t strike your fancy, I’d be happy to recommend trying my mapo tofu dumplings.

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Sticky Eggplant

10 Aug

Some sticky icky eggplant in my chopsticks, to go alongside my platter of sushi, because why not have both?

I saw a similar recipe to this on Instagram a few weeks ago and obviously had to make my own version. I’ve been well stocked on eggplant all summer thanks to the Old Capitol Farmer’s Market in my town and all the wonderful farmers who bring their produce out.


How many other things in your life do you limit to one or the other, when instead, you could just have both? Like sushi and eggplant. Both of my favorite things. But I never enjoy them together!


The eggplant is simply cooked in a large cast iron skillet with some oil and water until its fully steamed and a bit charred. Then it’s topped with sauce and cilantro and sesame seeds and it’s ready for consumption. I like to serve this with rice or rice noodles, or simply by itself. Let me know if you give it a try!

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Mapo Tofu Inspired Dumplings

30 Jun

My kids and husband can all attest to my unending love of dumplings, gyoza, potstickers, ravioli, and any other foods that include a filling stuffed inside of carbohydrates. For Mother’s Days, I often request a bag of premade dumplings and feast on them all day and night.

But the premade version could never compare to these!

This recipe was a combination of leftovers that needed to be used up (dumpling wrappers and mapo tofu) but I loved them so much I started making them regularly. These mapo tofu inspired dumplings combine all the spicy, sweet, and umami flavors I love about mapo with the comfort of a bite sized wheat wrapper.

As usual, I’m using my favorite Mori-Nu Silken Tofu for this. I love having their tofu on hand for dishes like this because it stays fresh on the shelf and it has the perfect texture for slipping into some crispy and chewy dumplings. Unlike water packed tofu, Mori-Nu Silken Tofu doesn’t require a lot of pressing or draining to cook which makes it more accessible and quicker to prep!

There are many types of wonton or dumpling wrappers you could use for this, just be sure to check the ingredients for eggs! If you can find round wrappers, those will work as well, just do a traditional crimping fold to keep them shut.

For my mapo tofu I always use ground Szechuan pepper and a spicy broad bean paste. My brand of choice is Lee Kum Kee, but there are many different options you can use-just adjust the taste based on your spice tolerance!

For folding these, it’s quite simple, just wet the edges of each wrapper, fold corner to corner, and then gently pinch the outside tips together (see above.) You can also look up videos on YouTube for different folding methods if you’d like another shape of dumpling.

Make sure to use a fully hot skillet and a neutral oil for cooking these. The splash of water in the pan helps steam the wrappers and gives them a soft texture, but will splatter everywhere if not covered. I love my cast iron skillet for cooking these because it holds so much heat and the bottoms crisp up perfectly.

Click on read more below to get the recipe!

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Vegan Carbonara with Smoky Chickpeas

28 Jun

I spent last month reading a book called ‘Consider the Fork” that talked about the history of cooking and how we eat. It really inspired me to consider what sort of tools and ingredients I use in my kitchen and how to adapt to more authentic and rustic ways of cooking.

One of the things I found most fascinating was how long humans went without using forks in their tableware. In fact, for most of the modern era, most people only used personal knives for much of their food consumption.

Of course, this wouldn’t work for pasta. According to Bee Wilson in Consider the Fork, “the only European exception were the Italians, who realized by the Middle Ages that neither spoon nor knife was a suitable tool for eating spaghetti. They added a second, then a third prong to the traditional wooden pasta spike called a punteruolo.”

Now, previously I haven’t been picky about my pastas, but this book had me thinking about well crafted pasta and what that would look like, when I discovered DaVinci. I’ve tried their wagon wheels, fettuccine, and spaghetti and the texture and bite to their pasta is so much better than most brands. Plus, I love their message!

“Today, modern culture re-emphasizes the elements from this time, which permeates into our everyday
experiences. The simple yet layered touches inspire the products we produce and the dishes you create.
DaVinci symbolizes this golden age of creativity, passion, and creation. A delectable home-cooked meal has the power to truly bring people together. We aim to enrich the lives of the special people around us, through our products, because with a great meal comes even greater memories. DaVinci Pasta is a culinary canvas that creates spontaneous moments that infuse heart, creativity and love into your everyday actions. Made in Italy, our pasta is the perfect base bringing authentic Italian touches to every one of your kitchen creations.”

Now, traditional Carbonara would be made with eggs, bacon, and parmesan, but there’s no reason I couldn’t make a vegan version using some salty and smokey chickpeas and the fantastic Just Egg. Plus, the DaVinci pasta is the perfect vessel for this slurpable dish. If you don’t have access to Just Egg, simply omit, or add a bit of chickpea flour to the mix for that eggy texture that clings to each bite. Click below to see the recipe!

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Roasted Tomato Soup with Follow Your Heart Grilled Cheese

12 Apr

Apparently there’s a huge trend in the video world of social medias for one pan meals. Now, I’ve never been one to jump on a trend, but when it involves an easy one pan comfort meal, and I can pair it with my favorite Follow Your Heart grilled cheese sandwich? Well, yea, I’m going to jump on that. My inner millennial is cringing at my newfound coolness, but I promise even if you make this you won’t start doing TikTok dances.



This recipe was inspired by a video on Instagram where all the vegetables are roasted with some olive oil, herbs, and spices, then blended with a can of coconut milk for a rich and creamy tomato soup. Obviously, I had to put a bit of a spin on it by adding some sugar and nutritional yeast, but you can leave this as simple as you want it. Feel free to add any fresh summer vegetables you have-carrots, yellow peppers, shallots, multicolor tomatoes, and squash all make an excellent addition.

I’m using Follow Your Heart Vegenaise to coat my bread for these grilled cheese sandwiches. Seems a bit odd if you’re used to butter but the flavor is incomparable and it cooks up nice and brown. I highly recommend using a cast iron skillet for the best grilled cheeses, plus covering it with a lid.

The new finely shredded cheddar works perfectly for melting and is just phenomenal straight from the bag. I’ve always found most other vegan cheddar shreds a bit thick for melting, so I’m really excited to have a thinner alternative. Plus, the new packaging is just so springy and adorable!

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Pizza Stuffed Waffles

22 Mar

Every Friday at my house starts with a ball of dough. At the end of the day, that ball of dough has risen, been punched, stretched, baked, and consumed. I, too, often feel like I have been stretched and punched and baked and consumed by the end of Friday each week, but I continue to make dough. Every week. Because there’s nothing more therapeutic than kneading dough.

This month I joined the Waffle Club, and finally got myself a quality waffle maker. Just like any new appliance in my kitchen, I’m thrilled to play around with the options available with a waffle maker. Thus far I’ve waffled rice, hashbrowns, waffles, and tofu. However, I feel like these pizza stuffed waffles have been my greatest creation. Perfect handheld size for dipping or even packing on the go, and even good cold (just like regular pizza!) The new Moocho cheese is absolutely perfect for this, because it melts perfectly and oozes out the edges to crisp up nicely.

You can enter to win all of the ingredients to make your own pizza stuffed waffle (including this Presto Stuffler!) by entering my giveaway on Instagram.

Even if you don’t win this giveaway, you can still make your own delicious pizza waffles with the recipe below. You can store these in the fridge for up to one week, or in the freezer in an air tight container for up to one month for easy on the go lunches.

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Seitan Ham (Sham)

18 Mar

I’m going to be writing a lot of text here. I know a lot of you will skip right to the recipe, but typically I use this space to explain some things about the recipe. So if you’re still scratching your head after you scroll all the way down or have any questions, have a scroll back up here and have a little read. If you’re still intimidated, I have another seitan ham recipe that is much less labor intensive. This one is better though, and I finally wrote it down in the hopes that you could make it for Easter. I’ve been tinkering with it for years, with lots of variations, so I just want to make it clear that this is very forgiving. You can add some tomato paste, regular paprika, use different oils, etc. Get creative with it! If you make it, tag me (@avocadosandales) and use the hashtag #sham.

There’s also going to be quite a few specialty ingredients and devices in this recipe. Don’t. Get. Intimidated. Most of them are easily found online or can be adapted to your kitchen. For example, if you don’t have a Vitamix, use whatever blender or food processor you have, and strain the liquid portion if you need it more smooth. If you don’t have a stand mixer, use a food processor or knead by hand for as long as your arms will allow. This recipe doesn’t require as much kneading as something like my chickwheat recipe, since we’re not intending to shred it.

I used Outstanding Foods for seasoning, because I love the flavor (not sponsored, just like it!) If you want to use something that you are more likely have on hand, just add the same amount of liquid smoke to the recipe. You can use any other reddish colored beans instead of kidney beans (cranberry, christmas lima, etc). If you’d like to use dried beans just use 1 and 3/4 cups of beans and about 1/2 cup of the liquid from cooking the beans. Red yeast rice is used for color in this recipe. It will still be reddish without it, but if you really want the ham color to shine, its a worthwhile investment. I also use it in “steaks” and any other recipe that needs a bit of color. Shout out to Lisa Myaf for this tip-she makes amazing seitan and has a beautiful IG, which you can find here. I also need to give a shoutout to Julian Guy from the Seitan Appreciation Society for this recipe for the fat. You can find his amazing Detroit style pizzas here.

Without further ado, here it is folks.

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Menemen Inspired Tofu

21 Feb

A friend sent me this recipe from Serious Eats and I knew it was going to be breakfast today. Smoky, slightly spicy, and perfect for soaking up with a bit of bread. I might not ever eat anything else for breakfast ever again.

I had never had menemen before, but it’s reminiscent of shakshuka. Something about tomato dishes packed with flavor makes for such a nice savory breakfast. The fact that I can pull most of the ingredients for this out of my cupboard is super easy, but I can’t wait to be able to make this with fresh garden tomatoes over the summer.

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