Vegan Mofo #1 - Celine and Joni’s Hawaiian Benedict...

Vegan Mofo #1 - Celine and Joni’s Hawaiian Benedict

The Book - Hearty Vegan Meals for Monster Appetites
The Author Celine Steen and Joni Marie Newman
The Recipe Hawaiian Benedict with Avocado Rolls
Page #34, Rolls on Page #194
Difficulty - Easy
Duration - Planning is essential - though overall the recipe is fairly easy and comes together quickly once all elements are in place.

Welcome fellow Mofoer’s, it’s that time again. Vegan Mofo 2012 officially begins today, and I am super excited. Though I have to admit despite a little advanced planning I feel more then a little under prepared today, which is why you’re going to see two back to back Mofo Posts tonight rather then one morning post and one evening post as I had originally intended.

Anyway, as I said yesterday I wanted to spend this years Mofo making delicious and decadent sandwiches. I kind of wanted to do a theme this year, but I wasn’t sure exactly what. As it happens over the summer I found myself making more and more delicious sandwiches, some my own creations and some other peoples. They’re typically quick and easy, and on a hot summer afternoon or balmy evening when you don’t want to turn on your oven there’s nothing better. It also made me realize that I have a wealth of cook books, many of which include sandwich recipes that I have never utilized. I don’t typically make sandwiches, and it made me realize that people - myself included - tend to really undervalue them. So I thought I’d devote my mofoing to delicious and decadent vegan sandwiches in the hope of not only showcasing two things. 1) That they’re more amazing and more delicious then non-vegan ones, and 2) That a sandwich - especially a vegan one - can be just as delicious, decadent and gourmet as anything else. As my dear friend and pretend twin brother E says “A sandwich has everything you need. Protein, vegetables, fat, and carbs all rolled into one. What more could you ask for?”

Indeed - and so I start today’s mofoing off with a delicious, filling and hearty breakfast sandwich from Hearty Vegan Meals for Monster Appetites. The Hawaiian Benedict.

Yes while not technically a sandwich you could consider it an open-faced sammie if you were so inclined, it certainly has all the makings of one. This Benedict is an amazing feat of mouth-watering awesome. It looks and tastes like it should be clogging your arteries and giving you a heart-attack but as we all know-plant foods are cholesterol free, so even if it’s not the healthiest vegan option on the menu it’s certainly worlds better then any meat and dairy laden version could ever be.

There are a few steps involved in this recipe but I assure you they’re all worth it. First you’re required to make a tofu scramble, second tempeh bacon - or you could cheat and get store-brought though I prefer making my own - third you make a cheesy sauce, and forth you assemble the whole thing with pineapple rings atop home-made avocado rolls that you hopefully had the forethought to make ahead of time.

To some this may sound like a strange recipe but that was one of the very first things that drew me to it. It has so many wonderfully complex flavor components that it’s truly hard to say what part of it is best. I love the salty-savory tofu, paired with the slightly sweet and smokey tempeh bacon. What really makes it though is the rich and creamy cheese sauce. It pulls the whole thing together in an ooey-gooey mess of a meal, that really can’t be complete without the avocado rolls.

I guess if you’re lazy or haven’t got the time you could use a store bought roll but I highly suggest you make these avocado rolls to go with it. They’re a perfect accompaniment because like the meal itself the rolls have sweet, salty, and savory flavor notes. You get a rich and creamy flavor from the guacamole, a hint of garlic, and a bit of tartness from the lime not to mention a little sweetness from the agave. It’s a perfect blend, and it sends this breakfast into a whole new realm of incredible. They are worth every minute spend making them, and if like me you make the rolls the day before then the whole meal is a cinch to pull together.

I've been to Hawaii a lot, and I don't know if I could say that this really reminds me of Hawaii per-say, but it does remind me of all the really bad, stuff you love when you're a kid, and hate to love when you're an adult. It's guilty pleasure food at it's best!

Seriously make this!

Happy Mofo Everyone!