Vegan Chorizo and "Veggs"- MoFo Post Eleven

Post #11 for Vegan MoFo 2013.

Chorizo is a dish that I tend to hear about quite a bit. I see it on restaurant menus, hear about it online, and have seen it on television. I have never had the meat version of the dish, but have had the pleasure to have vegan chorizo on many occasions. I have had it at vegetarian restaurants and have purchased at various grocery stores in the area. Trader Joes has a brand that is particularly flavorful and gluten free. It comes in a plastic casing and is reasonably priced. 

The final dish. Chorizo and "Veggs"

While I enjoy the flavor, I prefer to have homemade items so that I can control the sodium levels in our food. As you have probably noticed from previous posts, I am not a huge fan of salt. I almost never add it to any dish, other than baked goods. I seem to get a more than adequate amount of salt by consuming copious quantities of hot sauce. Have I mentioned that it is an addiction of mine? To lessen the amount of hot sauce that I consume, I try to add more no-salt spices to our food. It is sort of working. Ok, I am lying to myself, it isn't working at all. I still use way too much hot sauce!

Spice blend used for the chorizo.

In honor of my Latin cuisine theme, I wanted to attempt making chorizo. When we usually get the store bought kind, we serve it with scrambled tofu with a lot of vegetables.  On this occasion, I wanted to focus on chorizo and scrambled Vegg's. What is scrambled "Vegg's" you ask? It is scrambled tofu made using The Vegg which is a product that is all plant-based replacement for an egg yolk. It mimics the texture and color of the egg without cholesterol, animal ingredients, cruelty to animals, or allergens. 

Chorizo and colorful spices cooking

I served the chorizo and Veggs with roasted potatoes and steamed broccoli.  he end result of the dish did not mirror the vegan chorizo purchased in stores, but I was pleased with the taste and texture of the dish. I also enjoyed the vegan scrambled eggs alongside of the chorizo.I have become a huge fan of The Vegg! I have created several recipes using it and even had one published on The Vegg's website and in a recent cookbook published by the company called "Cooking with The Vegg"

Have you recreated any store bought vegan items? Have you purchased and tried The Vegg?
 
Vegan Chorizo and "Veggs"

• 1 pound tofu
• 1 c water*
• 4 tsp Vegg powder
• 1/4 c red wine
• 1 large clove of garlic, minced
• 8 oz tomato sauce
• 1 c TVP granules
• 1 tsp paprika
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp coriander
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/8 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp thyme
• 1/2 tsp granulated garlic
• 1/2 tsp minced dried onion
• 1/8 tsp salt 
• cilantro (optional)

Press the tofu using a tofu press or wrapped in a kitchen towel and placed between two plates with a weight on top. If using a tofu press, the pressing will take about 15 minutes. If using plates, press for about a half hour to 45 minutes. While the tofu is pressing, boil 1 cup of water. When the water comes to a boil, pour it over the granules and let them sit for 10 minutes. 

Meanwhile heat the red wine in a skillet over medium heat. When warm,  place the minced garlic into the red wine and cook for 3 minutes. When the TVP is finished sitting mix in the parikas, coriander, cumin, black pepper, ground cloves, oregano, thyme, granulated garlic, dried onion, and salt. Then mix in the TVP into the wine and garlic mixture in the pan. Add in the tomato sauce and mix. Let simmer for 5-7 minutes until the liquid is mostly absorbed. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and set aside. 

In the same pan, crumble the pressed tofu and let warm in the pan for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, mix the water with The Vegg mixture using a blender*. When mixed, pour over the tofu. Let the tofu cook for 5-7 minutes until the mixture becomes thick.  

When finished cooking, sprinkle with cilantro. Serve with your favorite breakfast sides like potatoes, salsa, tortillas, and vegetables. 

*If you like less runny scrambled tofu, use less water. For more runny scramble use 1 cup or more of water.