Why does life have to be so hard? I invited Sister Magdalena’s boss, Sister Contraria, to have lunch at the Ladle & Lube. I need to get on Sister Contraria’s good side; it seems she’s concerned about Sr. Magdalena spending so much time overseeing Fred’s penance (remember the whoopee cushion incident?)
We ordered vegetarian spam sandwich on jalapeno cheese bread over an hour ago.
Initially I was going to prepare the sandwiches at home, but I couldn’t log into my toaster. And I’d forgotten to set up 2-factor authentication.
Why Veggie-Spam?
Because the spam critters are too cute to eat.
Related species can be found in the swamps of Louisiana….
Rectangulichthys perplexus
And high in the Andes
And in the depths of the Mariana Trench…
Back to our Sandwiches
But luckily we’re surrounded by a loving community, and the veggie-spam sandwiches started arriving.
In some cases, there was an intensity to our community’s generosity.
Some well-wishers took time from their daily court-mandated routines to help us out.
Bev and her team from the local diner pitched in.
Some used alternative serving methods.
We reached out to Elder JA‘s Re-Education camp, and he was able to enjoy the Veggie Burgers with the rest of us.
Let’s Make Our Own Veggie Spam!
We found a great recipe on the Be Well Plant web site.
From the Be Plant Well website:
INGREDIENTS Extra-Firm Tofu – Use your favorite brand!
Soy Sauce – You can also use tamari.
Maple Syrup – If you don’t have maple syrup, you can use brown sugar instead.
Liquid Smoke – The most important ingredient! This adds a delicious smoky flavor.
Rice Wine Vinegar – This is preferred, but you can also just use apple cider vinegar or white vinegar.
Smoked Paprika – So much more delicious than regular paprika!
Garlic & Onion Powder – To add some extra flavor.
Olive Oil to Pan Fry – I like olive oil, but you can also use vegetable or canola, any neutral oil.
Preparing the Extra-Firm Tofu To make your vegan spam, start by pressing your tofu to get as much water out as possible.
You can use a tofu press, or wrap the tofu in a towel and place a few cans on top for about 5-10 minutes. This will remove a good bit of the water.
Once it’s pressed, cut the tofu into 6 slices: to do this, stand the tofu up, cut into 3 sections to make the block thinner, and then cut each of those in half.
Preparing the Spam Marinade Your spam marinade is very simple but very flavor-packed!
Just mix it all together in a bowl until the powders are dissolved. A whisk may be best or a fork will do.
Then, place your tofu in a shallow dish and cover with the marinade. Let sit 15 minutes or overnight, carefully flipping half way through.
Pan Frying Tofu Spam When ready to cook, heat a pan with a few tablespoons of olive oil over medium to medium/low heat, carefully shake off any excess marinade, and place slices in the pan. Cook until both sides are golden brown (a minute or two each side, but just watch it), you will need to do this in 2-3 batches.
We found a wonderful recipe by Bernice Hill, a Calgary, Alberta cook, photographer, and blogger.
The origin of cornbread can be traced back to early native Americans who cooked ground dried corn (maize) mixed with water over an open fire. Regional variations to the basic batter included apples, chestnuts, sunflower seeds, or berries, beans, or potatoes.
