I was hoping to make this for breakfast on Sunday but unfortunately I didn’t wake up until the morning (and most of the afternoon) had passed. Woops. I’ve had a bad streak of insomnia lately (that I’m currently trying to fix) which has led to me sleeping through most of the day. This is really the only reason we had breakfast for dinner. Well actually it was technically my breakfast, but it was Colin’s dinner. Sorry Colin! I don’t think he minded though.
Anyway, as I mentioned before I used to work at M Cafe de Chaya in Los Angeles. I know I have given many of their dishes the title of “my favorite”, but it’s hard not to because all of their food is just amazing. This is absolutely my favorite breakfast item there though, and I was stoked to find the recipe online. I had made a different version of this recipe a few years ago (it was in a book that I bought at the restaurant) and it turned out terrible, it didn’t taste anything like the one I used to eat all the time. Probably because it was the wrong recipe. This is the right one. Yay!
The one I found online was for the Smoked Salmon Benedict, which is the non-vegan version, but I adapted it to reflect the Vegan Benedict (obviously) which is really only different because it is topped with tempeh bacon instead of smoked salmon. Technically it is served over grilled baguette slices, which makes it more like an actual benedict, but I always ordered it over brown rice because that’s how Alicia Silverstone ordered it whenever she came into the restaurant. I’m not ashamed to say that I copied her. But she had the right idea, this is awesome over brown rice. And better yet, gluten-free. So here it is, the Vegan Benedict with rice instead of bread… it is time consuming and you will use more pots than you want to clean but it’s all worth it. GO MAKE THIS NOW!
M Cafe’s Vegan Benedict Florentine with Soy Hollandaise
Ingredients:
Scrambled Tofu:
- 14 ounces extra-firm tofu, drained on paper towels
- 1 Tablespoon Earth Balance (I used the Soy Garden variety because it was the only one made without canola oil)
- ¼ cup minced yellow onion
- 1 large carrot, grated
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- Sea salt
- Black pepper
- 2 Tablespoons scallions, julienned (optional)
Soy Hollandaise:
- 4 ounces Earth Balance
- ½ cup Veganaise
- 6 ounces (1/2 a block) silken firm tofu (Mori-Nu brand)
- 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
- Sea salt
- Black pepper
- Dash of Tabasco
Tempeh Bacon and Garnishes:
- 12 ounces tempeh bacon (Lightlife brand)
- 1 small bunch green kale, washed well, de-stemmed and coarsely chopped
- 2 ripe tomatoes, sliced thick
- Brown Rice, cooked
-
Minced chives or black sesame seeds for garnish
PREPARATION
For Scrambled Tofu:
Crumble tofu coarsely by hand. Heat Earth Balance in a medium sauté pan. Add onion and sauté 3 minutes or until translucent. Add carrot and sauté 1 more minute. Add crumbled tofu, turmeric and sea salt and black pepper to taste. Heat through and add a few Tablespoons of water. Let simmer until tofu is thick and creamy, and resembles soft-cooked scrambled eggs. Fold in scallions, adjust seasonings, and reserve.
For Soy Hollandaise:
Melt Earth Balance and set aside. Combine remaining ingredients in blender and blend well to combine. Drizzle in Earth Balance slowly until emulsified. Taste and adjust seasoning and lemon if necessary. Reserve.
For Tempeh Bacon and Garnishes:
Blanch kale in lightly salted boiling water until tender. Keep warm and reserve. (I did this the night before)
Heat tempeh in a large non-stick skillet til hot and set aside.
To Assemble and Serve:
Place 1/2 – 3/4 cup cooked brown rice on each plate and top with 2 slices tomato. Place steamed kale on top of tomato. Spoon scrambled tofu over kale and lay 2 slices tempeh evenly over tofu. Heat soy hollandaise in a double boiler until just warm – do not over heat or sauce will break. Spoon warm sauce over tempeh and drizzle around the plate. Garnish with chives or black sesame seeds. Enjoy!
I like a lot of sauce 🙂
Since there are so many components I blanched the kale and cooked the rice the night before.
I also didn’t bother warming the hollandaise in a double boiler, everything else was hot so I just poured it over, it warmed on the plate.
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