Sunny-Sided Negg for One

I miss poached and fried eggs, I really do. But I’ll tell you straight up: This fried faux egg quenches that craving like you wouldn’t believe. It’s cheaper, it’s better for you, and you can eat as much of it as you want without breaking the calorie bank. (It’s still fried, though, so be cautious there.) When it’s time for a fabulous, pull-out-all-the-stops breakfast, this is the one.

For the Whites:

2 slabs of tofu, about ½-inch thick

For the Yolks:

½ TBLSP vegan mayonnaise

½ TBLSP carrot juice (grate a carrot and just squeeze the juice out of it)

2 TBSP water

¼ teaspoon nutritional yeast

1 TBLSP vegan butter

1 teaspoon cornstarch

Pinch of turmeric

Pinch of Himalayan black salt (gives it that sulfur flavor, but you can skip it)

Olive or canola oil for frying

Make the Whites:

1. Press the slabs of tofu between two plates for 15 minutes. You want to do this to get out enough of the water so it will fry nicely and have a firm texture. I have a little tofu press, but you can just put some weights on top of the top plate for the same effect.
2. While the tofu is expressing its water, make the yolks.

Make the Yolks:

1. Combine the mayonnaise, juice, water, yeast, butter, cornstarch, turmeric, and black salt in a microwavable bowl. Mix it thoroughly.
2. Microwave the bowl for 20 seconds. Whisk the mixture.
3. At 5 second increments, microwave the mixture again, and then whisk it again. You’ll do this between 2 and 5 times. It doesn’t need to be fully cooked, as you’ll be frying it, so just go until you’ve got a smooth yellow cream. Three times works nicely for me. If you overdo it, it will break and you’ll have to start over.

Assemble the Egg:

1. Take the tofu slabs out of the press. You can leave them whole or cut them into circles with a biscuit cutter. It’s your choice, depending on how rustic or true-to-life you want to go.
2. Using a spoon or melon baller, scoop out a circle of tofu from the center of each slab that occupies about a third of the slab’s surface area. Don’t go all the way through to the bottom, or the yolks will fall through. OR use a cookie cutter and go all the way through. This will be a messier plate (and frying pan), but it’s all good.
3. Heat the oil (perhaps 2 TBLSP—not deep, but thoroughly covering the pan) in a small frying pan.
4. Place the tofu slabs hole-side down into the hot oil. In about 2 minutes, turn it over with a spatula.
5. Spoon half of the yolk mixture into the hole and let it fry for another 1-2 minutes.

Serve hot, sprinkled with salt and pepper.

I made Unbacon, fruit salad, and English muffins to go with it. Mmmm.