Strawberry Whip

Recently, after I posted about the lovely strawberries that I brought back from my weekend trip to Louisiana, several people left comments saying that they couldn't wait to see what I was going to make with them. I was a little embarrassed to admit that my plans were pretty boring: freeze most of them for later and just eat the rest of them out of hand. Taking something so naturally sweet and healthy and making something else just isn't how I cook on a daily basis.

But then I woke up craving one of my favorite breakfasts, soy yogurt with fruit, and I could just imagine how great it would taste with ripe, fresh strawberries. Unfortunately, when I got to the fridge I found that D.--the fiend!--had eaten all the yogurt. (He has this need to take yogurt, blend it with fruit like a smoothie, and pour it over breakfast cereal; it looks disgusting!)

Without yogurt in the house, I was left fumbling for alternatives, so I turned to the miracle food of the vegan diet: silken tofu. (Think about it: what else can be turned into salad dressing, quiche, chocolate mousse, "cheese" sauce, cheesecake, and more?) On its own, silken tofu tastes chalky and weird, but blended or simmered with flavorful ingredients, it can take on a myriad of flavors. I opted for simplicity and simply blended the tofu with some agave nectar to sweeten it and a little lemon juice and vanilla. It was very tasty layered with more sweetened strawberries and topped with Soyatoo whipped "cream":



Strawberry Whip

1/2 cup silken tofu, firm or extra-firm
2 tablespoons agave nectar
1 tablespoon fresh Meyer lemon juice (use less if using regular lemons)
1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup chopped strawberries

Using a blender, food processor, or hand blender, blend all ingredients until smooth. Refrigerate until chilled and serve topped or layered with more strawberries and with soy whipped cream, if desired. Makes 2 servings.

A caveat about the Soyatoo: This was the first time I'd tried it, and I'm sorry to say that my first impression was not good. It wasn't as bad as Hip Whip, which I bought and had to throw out, but it wasn't the realistic concoction I was hoping for. (Amazingly, after being vegan for 13 years, I still remember how whipped cream is supposed to taste.) On second taste, it seemed better, so, if you're cynical, you can chalk that up to my taste buds becoming inured to mediocrity, but if you buy it and don't like it at first, you might try giving it another shot. Though at $5.99 for one can, I won't be buying it again. (To be fair, not everyone feels this way.)

Oh, another thing about the Soyatoo: It starts to dissolve immediately and will be deflated to half its original height in about 1 minute. So, if you're trying to serve it to guests (or photograph it) don't squirt it on until it's on the table.

Tags: vegan recipes vegetarian cooking food fat-free