Spinach and 'Parmesan' Fallen Souffle

Souffles can be tricky as a vegan, because they rely on egg whites to make the souffle rise. Luckily, as with the Grits Casserole I made about a week ago, the egg whites in this souffle are primarily there for a creamier texture, and the souffle is made to fall back after emerging from the oven. So if your egg substitute doesn't perform quite like the real thing, fret not!

To make this souffle, start by coating an 11x7 baking dish with cooking spray, and sprinkle 2 tablespoons bread crumbs evenly over the bottom. Set aside.

Coat a large skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Add two minced garlic cloves and saute for 20 seconds. (I was out of garlic - a rare occurrence! Luckily, I had bottled minced garlic on hand, so in a pinch, I used that as a substitute. It's more concentrated than fresh though, so if you're in the same spot that I was, only use 1/2 tsp).

Next add 10-oz fresh spinach. Cook until the spinach wilts (the recipe said 3 minutes, I found that it took more like 5). Let cool slightly, then squeeze dry with several layers of paper towels to remove excess moisture.

Place the spinach in a blender along with one cup plain soy milk (such as Silk) and 1 tablespoon cornstarch. Process until smooth. Add 1/3 cup grated "Parmesan' (I used the mozzarella block from Galaxy Foods), 1/4 tsp. salt, a dash of black pepper and a dash of nutmeg. Pulse until combined. Pour into a bowl and set aside.

Measure out your favorite egg replacer (such as Ener-G) to equal four eggs. (The original recipe calls for 3 egg whites and 1 whole egg, but since Ener-G doesn't differentiate, I rounded up to a full four). Beat with a mixer for the full five minutes that the recipe calls for. Although they won't quite triple in size as regular eggs would have, you'd be amazed how much they do puff up, and how much they begin to resemble real beaten egg whites!

Gently fold 1/4 of the "eggs" into your spinach mixture, then gently fold in the rest. Pour the batter into your prepared baking dish, and smooth the tap with the flat side of a spatula. Bake at 375 degrees for 35 minutes until set in the middle. Let stand on a wire rack 5 minutes before serving.

You'll have 6 squares of 100 calories each. Serve this with a bowl of tomato soup for a light supper! It might not photograph terribly well, but oh man was this delicious.

Cost:
spinach $3.99
soy milk $2.39
'Parmesan' $3.39