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The Kitchen Recessionista

So, here we are, in a recession. Let's eat!

Vegan Sausage, Egg and Cheese Waffle Breakfast Sandwiches.

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In these past few months of pandemic, I’ve been spending a great deal of time with Blanche Devereaux, my sourdough starter. Blanche and I have worked together to make such bready concoctions as English muffins, hamburger buns, pretzel rolls, hot dog buns that became mini-baguettes (which I wouldn’t call a FAIL, exactly), and more. 

But recently, Blanche and I worked together to create some sourdough waffles that toe the line between sweet and savory. Sure, you can absolutely top them with butter and maple syrup and go to town, but they’re also very much at home splitting time with veggie-sausage and other savory selections.

As we finished up our waffles one morning, LeeLee mused, “These would be great as the bread for a breakfast sandwich.”

And reader, he was correct. (Score one point for LeeLee.)

So when the next Sunday rolled around, I rolled up my sleeves and got straight to work. The hearty waffles made excellent “bread” for the sandwich, and cheddar cheese slices, sausage patties and Just Egg came together perfectly for the filling. As I scrambled the eggs, I also threw on a pot of grits, and our brunch came together in no time and delighted us both so much.

You’ll be eating this sandwich with a fork and knife, as it has just too much personality to sit there quietly when you try to pick it up. So with that in mind, if you really wanted to gild the lily, why not top the whole thing with a dollop of syrup? The lines of sweet and savory are meant to be blurred, people. And this sandwich is just the one to do it.

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Vegan Sausage, Egg and Cheese Waffle Sandwiches

Hearty waffles make excellent “bread” for the sandwich, and cheddar cheese slices, sausage patties and Just Egg come together perfectly for the filling!

  • Author: KitchenRecessionista
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: 2 sandwiches 1x
  • Category: Brunch
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: Breakfast and brunch
  • Diet: Vegan
Scale

Ingredients

4 waffles of your choice (homemade or store-bought), the more savory the better

3–4 tbsps. butter

1 bottle Just Egg

2 slices of your favorite cheddar cheese

2 breakfast veggie-sausage patties

Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

Toast the waffles to crispy perfection and place, open-faced, on plates for serving. Top each waffle with a pat of butter. Place a slice of cheese on one of each pair of waffles.

Next, heat your sausage patties per package instructions and place them atop the cheese, atop the waffles. You’re building a very nice sandwich here!

In an omelet or other nonstick pan, put a tablespoon of butter and let it melt at medium heat, swirling the butter around to coat. Once it’s melted, pour in the Just Egg and let it firm up for a few minutes before beginning to scramble it, stirring frequently (and even more frequently as it gets closer to finishing).

After you’re happy with the consistency of your scramble, divide the pan in half as best you can and spoon half of the scramble atop the sausage patty on each sandwich-to-be.

Then – and this is the best part – put the top waffle on each sandwich, grab a fork and knife (because this is TOO MUCH for hands alone!), and dig in! Serve with your favorite brunch side items.

:)

Keywords: vegan, vegetarian, brunch, breakfast

Adventures in Vegan Cheese-Making!

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vegan-mozzarellaIt’s been awhile since I’ve talked about my adventures in vegan cheese-making! Last year, as soon as I came into possession of Skye Michael Conroy’s The Non-Dairy Formulary, I went on a cheese-making spree. (Incidentally, I have no idea why this book is now selling for more than $100 a copy. I can promise you I paid about $20.) But as the summer months came into fashion, I gave up my cheese-making ways and let the book rest on the shelf for a while.

But no more rest! Last week, I had some more time on my hands what with all the snow days and Presidents Days (OK, just one Presidents Day) and the like. And with that free time came more time to play around in the kitchen! And what better way to play than to make some vegan cheese?

I started this go-round with Conroy’s version of smoked provolone, which was amazingly easy to make. Blend the ingredients in my trusty blender; heat them over the stove until thickened; pour into a mold; and let cool overnight. The next day, I sliced into the round, put a sliver on a cracker, and – wow! – was shocked at how wonderful the provolone tasted. It was indeed smokier than most provolones I’m accustomed to, but it was fantastic. Sort of a cross between a milder cheese and a gouda – a wonderful combination indeed!

vegan-provolone

Buoyed by this success, I immediately embarked on what turned out to be my most impressive vegan cheese yet: fresh mozzarella balls. As with the provolone, the prep and cooking couldn’t have been simpler. Blend; heat; and then spoon balls of the mozzarella into a brine of water and kosher salt. Let the cheese cool, and then it’s time to eat!

Yet again, I sliced off a portion of one of the mozzarella balls and paired it with a cracker, and I had to gasp in shock at how downright cheesy the finished product was! It was as mild as fresh dairy mozzarella, but still kept a bit of the bite of fresh cheese as well. And it’s fantastic on a cracker or right by itself. I also melted a little bit of it to see how it would do on a pizza, and it passed the test with flying colors. Success!

So with two new cheeses under my belt, what’s next? I’m thinking of whipping up a pepperjack over the weekend, and after that, who knows? Maybe I’ll play it straight and make a cheddar. Or perhaps I’ll go the patriotic route and concoct an American. After last week’s vegan-cheese success, I feel like the sky’s the limit!

:)