Updated Soy-Free Tofu and Sweet Potato Kale Frittata

The no-soy tofu has been working very well to make vegan french toast, vegan mayo, and creamy vegan pies, but I was thinking to myself the other morning that I wish I could get it firmer.  Then it occurred to me: just add some agar powder to the mix.  I tried out my idea this week with chickpea tofu and was very pleased with the resulting firmness.  I was able to successfully use it in place of soy tofu this evening in our sweet and sour sauce over vegetables and rice.  It also worked really well in this frittata-style dish I made a few nights ago, based off of a recipe in Hearty Vegan Meals for Monster Appetites.  To my complete surprise, Sawyer loved this; I did not hear one word of complaint about all the orange and green chunks as he chowed down.  He is becoming a more adventurous eater: today he ate broccoli-sweet potato soup and an enchilada 'quesadilla' I made.  Miracles certainly do happen.

For the tofu:
1 1/2 cups chickpea flour or white bean flour
1 1/2 tsp. agar powder
5 cups water

Preparation:
Oil a bread loaf pan. Bring 3 cups of the water to a boil in a large heavy-bottomed pan.  While you are waiting for the water to boil, place the flour in a medium bowl and mix in the agar powder. Slowly add the remaining 2 cups of water to make a thick, goopy paste. Once the water is boiling, start whisking in the bean flour paste, a little bit at a time (about 1/4 cup) so as to avoid lumps. (Another easy way to do this is to mix the flour, agar, and water in a blender and just use the blender pitcher to gradually add the mixture to the boiling water.) Once all of the bean paste is whisked into the water, keep stirring continuously until the mixture reaches a really thick, glutinous consistency--to the point that you can barely stir it any more. This should take only about 10 minutes with the agar powder in there.  Pour the mixture into the oiled loaf pan and smooth out the top. Cover with foil and refrigerate for a few hours before slicing. I needed mine for a recipe I was making in about an hour, so I stuck it in the freezer, and it firmed up super-quick!
 

For the frittata base:
1 1/2 cups no-soy tofiu
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/4 cup kamut, millet, or barley flour
1/4 cup arrowroot or tapoica starch
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. turmeric
1 Tbsp. dijon mustard

For the veggies:
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium sweet potato, diced
1 bunch lacinto/black kale, stems removed and leaves torn into bite-sized pieces
2 Tbsp. vegan worcestershire sauce (I made mine soy-free by following this recipe and subbing coconut aminos for the soy sauce.)
1 Tbsp. agave nectar
3/4 cup diced seitan sausage, optional

1. Preheat the oven to 350 and oil a 9 inch pie pan. Heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the sweet potato, stir to coat with the oil, and saute for 5 mins. Then add the kale, worcestershire sauce, and agave, cover the pan and cook for about 10 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are very soft and starting to brown.  Remove from the heat and add the diced seitan, if using.
2.  In a food processor, puree the no-soy tofu, nutritional yeast, flour, arrowroot, olive oil, onion powder, salt, turmeric, and mustard.  Stir the tofu mixture into the vegetables in the pan and then scrape all of the filling into the prepared pie pan, smoothing out the top. Bake for 45 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow to cool on a wire rack for 15-20 mins. before slicing and serving.

 For more delicious vegan recipes, check out Whole Foods Wednesdays and Wellness Weekend!  And, indeed, we are well this weekend. Sawyer and Abiline are so thrilled about their new shoes. Sawyer's light up every time he stomps--and so does his face.