Tofu "Egg" Salad Sandwich and Maple-Buffalo Cauliflower: A Guest Post from Alessandra Seiter of Farmers Market Vegan

Hi all! So I'm sure you've noticed that I've been away from my blog for a while. Between work and my health being a bit of a roller coaster lately, I've been a bit preoccupied. I do have an exciting post for you all today though! I'd like to introduce you to Alessandra Seiter of Farmers Market Vegan. A brilliant vegan blogger and activist, Alessandra and I first met in Italy in a vegetarian cooking class while studying abroad. I never would have guessed that years later we would be reunited in the world of vegan blogging. I was incredibly honored when Alessandra asked me to write a guest post for her blog, and knew immediately that I had to have her presence on mine as well. Without further ado, I present Alessandra and her detectable Tofu "Egg" Salad Sandwich and Maple-Buffalo Cauliflower (ummmm holy crap, that sounds freaking amazing!!!). Thank you Alessandra, so much, for sharing this incredible culinary genius of a meal, and for being such a powerhouse activist.

Three years ago and a continent away, Lindsay and I bonded as the only two vegans attending a vegetarian cooking course at a culinary academy in my aunt’s longtime home of Florence, Italy (to which I just recently had the immense pleasure of returning!). Little did I know that, once we had cut our final strand of homemade pasta and bade each other and the rest of our classmates goodbye, Lindsay and I would virtually reunite in the vegan blogosphere. After noticing an informative and well-written post on the Main Street Vegan website, I did a double-take upon viewing the contributor photo: “Oh my goodness gracious, is that LINDSAY?!?” A “hey, remember me?” email quickly confirmed my suspicion, and the result of our catch-up exchange you’re now reading!

The vegetarian cooking class through which Lindsay and I met.

Looking back on myself when I first met Lindsay, I see a very different person than who I am today. Aside from progressing in more conventional ways such as enrolling in college, I’ve also come a long way in healing my previously fraught relationship with food and understanding my identity as an activist (read all the details here!). After freshman year of college introduced me to a multiplicity of societal oppressions that existed among the speciesism that had first kindled my activist flame, I found myself seeking to combat not only the exploitation of non-human animals, but also such harmful “isms” as capitalism, colonialism, racism, sexism, ableism, neoliberalism, homophobia, and more.

Me and my vegetable garden in my hometown of Madison, WI.

Today, I seek to work at the intersections of these various oppressions – still focusing my energies in the animal rights movement, but remembering in theory and practice that the liberation of non-human animals will not come without the liberation of oppressed humans (and vice versa). With these intentions at the forefront of my activism, I serve as co-president of the Vassar Animal Rights Coalition (VARC), as intern and contributing writer at the multimedia hub of animal activism known as Our Hen House, and as the blogger behind my humble corner of the internet Farmers Market Vegan. When not writing, blogging, or organizing campus events, I enjoy cooking and baking, practicing yoga, and biking.

One of the recipes that I’ve most enjoyed cooking lately is a Tofu “Egg” Salad Sandwich accompanied by Maple-Buffalo Cauliflower. In deep adoration with all things sandwiches, maple syrup, vegan mayonnaise, and big bold flavors, these concurrent recipes adequately serve as my kind of comfort food. They also showcase the enormous positive leap that I’ve made in my psychological health in regards to my relationship with food, as many of the ingredients in these recipes sat on my past list of “taboo” foods despite their truly nourishing potential. I hope you’ll find these recipes as fulfilling – mentally and physically – as I do.

Huge thanks to Lindsay for featuring my post on her fabulous blog! Check out her post on my blog, Farmers Market Vegan, at this link. I’d also love it if you connected with me on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest!
 

Tofu “Egg” Salad Sandwich
Serves 4

14 oz (1 package) firm tofu, frozen and thawed
1/3 cup scallions, thinly sliced
2 tbsp fresh parsley, minced
2 tbsp fresh dill, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup vegan mayonnaise (Organic Vegenaise & Just Mayo are my favorites)
¼ cup Dijon mustard
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp maple syrup
3 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tsp onion powder
¼ tsp cayenne powder
1 tsp turmeric
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
8 slices whole-grain sandwich bread, toasted (gluten-free if necessary; I like Ezekiel sprouted grain breads)
1 ripe avocado, peeled and sliced into quarters

In a medium-sized bowl, crumble the tofu. Add the rest of the ingredients except the bread and avocado, and mash everything together until well-combined.

Mash one slice of avocado on each of four pieces of the toasted bread. On each of the remaining pieces of bread, spoon a quarter of the tofu salad. Sandwich one piece of avocado toast on top of each of the tofu salad toasts. Serve with Buffalo-Maple Cauliflower (see below).

Buffalo-Maple Cauliflower
Serves 2-4

1 medium head cauliflower, trimmed and separated into smallish florets
1 ½ cups red hot sauce (such as Frank’s or homemade)
2 tbsp maple syrup

Preheat the oven to 450ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl, place the cauliflower florets. In a separate, smaller bowl, whisk together the hot sauce and maple syrup. Pour the hot sauce mixture over the cauliflower and stir until well-coated.

Place the coated cauliflower on the prepared baking sheet and roast for 20-30 minutes, or until tender and nicely browned.