Thursday, May 9, 2013

Dairy-Free Tofu Pumpkin Pie, Vegan Gingerbread, and Scrambled Tofu


Many, many years ago (shhh... almost twenty!), I attended a vegetarian Thanksgiving potluck supper where someone brought one of the most delicious pumpkin pies I’ve ever tasted (before or since). Not an egg in sight in this creamy smooth pie, but everything else you’d expect to replicate this holiday favorite.

The great thing about tofu is that although its pretty tasteless on its own, tofu takes on the taste of whatever you mix it with. You can also match the texture of your dish by using the right tofu. In this case, since I wanted an exceptionally smooth and soft filling, I selected a firm silken tofu from Mori Nu. Unlike other tofus, silken does not require refrigeration before opening.

So... pumpkin pie made with tofu in place of eggs is silky smooth and tastes like pumpkin seasoned with ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.

Oh, and another notable difference is the use of a store-bought graham cracker crust which, if made with margarine, is considered vegan.


DAIRY-FREE TOFU PUMPKIN PIE is best baked, cooled and chilled the day before it is to be used.

Mix in a food processor or blender until smooth:



16 oz. firm silken tofu*
16 oz. pumpkin
1 tsp. each ginger/cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. each ground nutmeg/cloves
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil

Pour into graham cracker crust (store-bought crusts are made with margarine**). If you make it at home and want dairy-free, don’t use butter.




Bake one hour at 350 degrees Fahrenheit; will set more as it cools

* Mori Nu firm silken tofu usually comes in a 12.3 oz. container, so you’ll need to buy two and measure (weigh) to get the correct amount. The canned pumpkin that I used was Libby’s Pumpkin Filling - 15 oz. My advice would be to use the 15 oz. and only add 15 ounces of tofu, but add the other ingredients in the amounts listed.

** Since this recipe is almost twenty years old, I don’t know if this fact still holds true.






I’ve made this pie many times. This time I used a reduced fat crust and reduced fat whipped topping. I’ve made a note for future reference to stick to full fat next time I make DAIRY-FREE TOFU PUMPKIN PIE. For those who are vegan or simply eating dairy-free, remember that whipped toppings contain milk. Instead try one made with coconut milk, such as this one at Kitchen Simplicity.


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What to do with leftover silken tofu...

After you make the pie, there will be leftover tofu! I put on my thinking cap and came up with the idea of using a gingerbread mix which, for some reason or other, I bought on sale one day. It called for the addition of one egg and some water.

I decided to substitute 1/4 cup of the silken tofu for the egg and the gingerbread cooked beautifully and tasted very good. Again, I had the whipped topping to serve with it.




Still had leftover tofu...

For scrambled tofu (instead of scrambled eggs), I mixed about 1/4 cup of the tofu with sautéed chopped scallions and tomatoes, then cooked it some more. Added salt and pepper, and then topped with shredded cheese. If I’d had some nutritional yeast, I would have mixed in a couple of teaspoons worth for added color and a more buttery taste.



And that was the end of the tofu.


21 comments:

  1. Oh my goodness. You have the solution to all of my problems. You know I can't have milk, eggs or wheat and this is perfect. I like how creative you got with your left over tofu. So how did it taste, pretty similar to the old fashion pumpkin pie?

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    1. Because the tofu has little or no taste in itself, it takes on the taste/flavor of whatever you mix it with. So, to answer your question BAM, yes, it tastes pretty similar to old-fashioned pumpkin pie.

      For someone with so many allergies, you come up with the tastiest dishes on your own blog!

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  2. I didn't know that tofu is good for baking. I understood that the tofu on the picture is different form our tofu. We make it spicy.

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    1. A soft tofu, silken or not, is a good egg substitute in many recipes, Selena. One of my favorites is Tofu Fu Yung, where the tofu replaces all the eggs and tastes delicious with pasta and a tahini sauce.

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  3. Good idea about using tofu instead of egg in a bread. I'll have to try that.

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    1. Mireya, I probably should be more exact in what I say since my readers are from around the world. In this case, I called it gingerbread. In actuality, it is a gingerbread cake. I do, however, think tofu might work in a "quick bread" (such as banana nut bread) as well.

      Thanks for stopping by and commenting. Welcome!

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  4. I would love to try this healthy tofu recipe :D

    Cheers
    CCU

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    1. Let me know how it turns out, CCU, if you do bake the pumpkin pie. Thanks for your comment.

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  5. I have seen tofu used in vegan baking before but have never tried it myself. Your pumpkin pie looks awesome and I love all the other creative ideas you came up with for the left-over tofu. Never heard or thought of scrambled tofu before ;)

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    1. Like so many others, I had to try out various tofu recipes and learn what really worked and was tasty. Thanks for stopping by, Regina.

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  6. You've taught me something new today, Kathleen. I had no idea that tofu could be used in this way. I've no need for this kind of recipe now but, given how quickly things change on the food allergy front, I may need a dessert down the road for a friend in need. This recipe may yet come in handy, Thanks for sharing,.

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    1. Thanks for keeping an open mind, CJ. As I've said, tofu takes on the taste of whatever it is mixed with, so like any other foods, there are the goods and the bads. This pie is definitely among the best as far as I'm concerned.

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  7. That's a very original recipe! Thanks for sharing it!

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    1. You're welcome, Carine. Thanks for stopping by and commenting.

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  8. Brilliant idea, Kathleen!
    I had no idea that Tofu is so versatile.
    The Pumpkin recipe is amazing, without eggs and yet so creamy.

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    1. Daniela, my favorite tofu cookbook is out of the early '80s--Tofu Cookery by Louise Hagler. Lots of great ideas in it. A few didn't impress me, but most did. I'll be doing the Tofu Foo Yung from Tofu Cookery as soon as I get over this head cold or whatever it is.

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    2. Looking forward for the next post.
      Get well soon :)

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  9. Everything you made sounds wonderful! I don't know why I never really thought of tofu as a substitute for eggs. You are so smart!

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    1. I appreciate the kind words, Brenda. But, it's not about being smart; it's about finding out what other people do with certain foods and learning from them.

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  10. You mentioned some time ago about going to make some pies. Never knew about using tofu in place of eggs. It is a protein I guess. I will be honest, I had tofu once. It was past off to me as hamburger.

    The pie looks great Kathleen. The other day I made a sweet potato pie for my son and pasted it off like it was pumpkin. He never knew the difference.(he loves pumpkin).


    Regards,
    Randall
    www.savorthefood.com

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    1. Tofu as hamburger? I can't imagine that! You're right, it is a protein since it is made from soy milk.

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