No Egg- Eggs Florentine

You work hard. You deserve to indulge in a brunch fit for royalty this weekend. If you don’t happen to have a fairy godmother to magically whip this up for you, follow my easy recipe for eggs Florentine glazed with my plant-based hollandaise sauce. The sauce is so lush and creamy you wonder how you ever functioned without it.

Makes 2 servings

INGREDIENTS

---

Tofu

• 3 Tbsp. nutritional yeast
• 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. black salt, more for serving
• ½ tsp. onion powder
• ½ tsp. garlic powder
• ¼ tsp. ground turmeric
• 1/8 tsp. freshly cracked black pepper
• ½ lb. (225 g) medium-firm tofu, sliced lengthwise into 4 pieces
• 3 Tbsp. vegetable oil

Spinach

• 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
• 4 cups tightly packed chopped spinach
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme leaves
• ¼ tsp sea salt

For Assembly

• 1 English muffin, toasted
• 1 hothouse or beefsteak tomato, cut in 4 slices
• 1 cup hollandaise sauce

DIRECTIONS

1. In a bowl whisk together the nutritional yeast, flour, black salt, onion powder, garlic powder, turmeric, and pepper. Coat the tofu well in the mixture.
2. In a large frying pan, preferably nonstick, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Cook the tofu until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and wipe the pan clean.
3. In the same pan, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add the spinach and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated. Add the garlic powder, thyme, and sea salt. Cook, stirring constantly, for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.
4. To assemble place 2 halves of the English muffin on each of
   2 plates. Place one-quarter of the spinach mixture on top of each muffin half. Top each with a slice of tomato, a sprinkle of black salt, and a piece of cooked tofu. Pour about ½ cup of the hollandaise sauce over the tofu on each plate. Serve immediately.

---

Hollandaise Sauce

A classic hollandaise sauce made from oil, flour and plant milk. Makes 1 ½ Cups

INGREDIENTS

• ½ cup coconut oil or melted vegan butter
• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/8 tsp. ground turmeric
• 6 Tbsp. dry white wine, such as Chardonnay
• ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 3 cups unsweetened almond milk
• 2 Tbsp. nutritional yeast
• 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp. black salt

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large saucepan, combine the coconut oil, flour and turmeric over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly 3 to 5 minutes until the raw flour cooks out.
2. Stir in the white wine and cook, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens and forms a paste, about 2 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice and bring to a simmer.
3. Remove the pot from the heat, stir in a cup of the almond milk and use a whisk to remove any lumps.
4. Return the pot to medium, bring to a boil, and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon or heat-proof spatula for 2 to 3 minutes until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat. Stir in the nutritional yeast, mustard and black salt. If the final sauce has any lumps, add it to a blender and blend for 30 seconds to make it smooth. Serve immediately or allow to cool and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.

Nutrition facts per serving
Calories 1,092; protein 20 g; fat 46 g; carbs 26 g. 

Excerpted from The Classics Veganized: Over 120 Favourite Comfort Food Recipes for a Vegan Lifestyle by Doug McNish. Copyright © 2020 Doug McNish. Published by Penguin Canada ®, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.

Photography by Nicole Axworthy