I can’t think of strata without remembering the scene in The Family Stone, when super uptight Sarah Jessica Parker gets strata spilled all over her designer clothes on Christmas morning. If you’ve never seen that film, I can’t recommend it enough- even if the Christmas season has passed. If you’ve never had strata, well, this is a good place to start.
It’s not traditional, by any means: strata is usually an egg-based dish, but this version uses blended tofu and some awesome flavors to make it a great vegan brunch dish. Make the tofu and mushroom parts ahead of time, then pour it all together for your hearty winter brunch. This recipe is adapted from Veganomicon by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero.
Spinach Strata
4 slices stale or lightly toasted rye bread, cubed
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup thinly sliced red onion
2 cups sliced mushrooms
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons thyme
1 teaspoon each oregano, basil, and mustard powder
Black pepper and sea salt to taste
6 cups chopped spinach
1 (14-ounce) package soft tofu
¼ cup vegetable broth or water
¼ cup nutritional yeast
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Lightly grease an 8×8 baking dish with oil and line bottom and sides with parchment.
- Add olive oil to a large skillet. Add onions and cook for five minutes on medium heat. Add mushrooms and cook until mushrooms are wilted, about 10 more minutes.
- Add garlic, herbs, pepper, and salt. Toss to coat, then add spinach, stirring until all spinach is wilted.
- Add cubed bread and toss to combine. Add mixture to baking dish and set aside.
- Add tofu, broth, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, cornstarch, and turmeric to food processor. Blend until totally smooth.
- Pour the tofu over vegetable mixture and press tofu into vegetables until soaked. Bake for 50 minutes. Remove from oven, let cool, and serve! Enjoy!
Yield: 6-8 servings
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