Monday, March 13, 2017

Egg Trick Bagel & Tater Tot Casserole

Yesterday I was able to take a little time in the kitchen with food prep and such.  I've done Strong Hearts Cafe & The Vegan Zombie's Egg Trick Muffin before and have done my own variations.  This time around I used a bagel flat (basically a flat bagel round) instead of an English Muffin.  You may remember that I LOVE using a few tablespoons of salsa on my Egg Trick Muffins so I did that here as you can see it oozing out of the bagel hole.  Inside I just did the seasoned tofu round patty and Daiya Cheese.  It was tasty!  I have 2 more disks of tofu ready to go in my freezer so I'm sure I will be doing this again soon!  I will most likely be doing a side of Tofu Scramble with the edges of the tofu I didn't use.

For a closer look at the tofu egg part - I thought I would take another snap.  Since hubby has been really suffering with his ongoing sinus infections and pneumonia yesterday we had a quiet day at home.  We were able to watch Fantastic Beasts.  It was good!  On Saturday there was a vendor show at our local YMCA.  It ended up being a pretty good turn out.  We were there with our Wildtree stuff!

Now...on to my newest attempt a Tater Tot Casserole!  I told you I was going to do it!!!  And here is what I did!  This first photo is the casserole BEFORE it went into the oven!  Recipe...

Bottom Layer:
Chopped Broccoli & Cauliflower
Chickpeas
In the Middle:
Then I poured 1/2 box of Cashew Ginger Soup over it
Then I added a layer of Daiya Cheese
Top Layer:
Tater Tots - touching - edge to edge
Then the rest of the Cashew Ginger Soup
Then more Daiya Cheese

Sprinkled on top:
Hemp Seeds, Dried Onion, Fresh Minced Garlic, Turmeric, Smoked Paprika, Nutmeg

This next photo is the first piece I took out after baking it at about 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes.  I think it turned out great!  As you can see the top vegan cheese layer didn't melt well and I'm sure it was because there wasn't any liquid on top to assist with the melting.

In this photo you can see that the middle layer vegan cheese melted nicely.  I think next time I will put more of the cheese in the middle and less on top OR make a vegan cheese sauce for the top instead of using the shreds and sprinkling them.  I have to say I was pretty tickled with myself on this one.  The only creamy vegan soup I could find at Tops yesterday was the Cashew Ginger one.  It worked pretty well.  I'm sure with a different creamy vegan soup it would change up the overall flavor and I'm looking forward to getting creative with it.  I know I will be able to get multiple meals out of this!  I'm considering making at least one sandwich out of it, too!  I will keep you posted on that if I attempt it!

Tater Tot Casseroles are so versatile and the possibilities are endless!  If I had more time to bake 1 each week I'm sure I could come up with many more ingredient and flavor combinations!

As for the rest of my weekend I had a bit of a hard time with my aches and pains - especially after standing for 7 hours at the vendor show.  My Sciatica kicked in - or what I was thinking was my Sciatica - now I'm wondering if it was Fibromyalgia all along.  Perhaps it's both!  Heck, I don't know!  But another thing I did find out in my research was Apple Cider Vinegar for the Symptoms of Fibromyalgia.  I'm pasting that info below.  It's pretty interesting stuff!  Makes a lot of sense, too!  One of my mini goals for the first part of this week is to create some of those ACV Drinks at home.  Not only will DH drink them - so will I!




While apple cider vinegar does not treat fibromyalgia per se, it has been reported to alleviate many of the symptoms experienced by those living with fibromyalgia.
These include:


Fatigue – Stress (both emotional and physical) causes lactic acid to build up in the body resulting in fatigue. The potassium in apple cider vinegar combats this.

Joint Pain and Headache – Apple cider vinegar keeps the body’s pH level slightly alkaline which helps eliminate joint pain as well as headaches.


Swelling and Inflammation – Apple cider vinegar may be rubbed onto visibly swollen areas. Consuming apple cider vinegar helps relieve inflammation in the body.

Gastrointestinal Issues – Apple cider vinegar contains pectin which helps sooth the colon lining. It assists with loose bowels by forming more “bulk” in the G.I. tract.

While rigorous scientific research cannot support any claims that apple cider vinegar fights or cures fibromyalgia, many anecdotal reports suggest relief and reduction from debilitating fibromyalgia symptoms. Source: https://www.wholesomeone.com/news-articles/apple-cider-vinegar-fibromyalgia

8 comments:

  1. Yum, when I first went vegan tofu and bagel sandwiches were a very common breakfast. Now I'm craving them again!
    Your tater tot casserole looks really amazing. I need to try that. Growing up in the midwest it seems strange that I've never had one.
    I've been doing ACV mixed with water for the probiotics for awhile now. It's cheaper than kombucha. I can't wait to see what you come up with!!

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    1. I know what you mean about Kombucha being so expensive! Oye! I would LOVE to find the recipe/ratios that are darn near close to the ones we like so I can do them at home!

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  2. I have been craving a breakfast bagel sandwich! Definitely doing one of those this week. :-) Sometimes, I make tofu eggs, and other times, I use the FYH VeganEgg. Both are delicious! Also, that tater tot casserole sounds amazing. Tots are the BEST!!!!

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    1. Do you have The Vegan Zombie Cookbook? The Egg Trick Muffin recipe is in there. I do my own variation of it but the seasoning recipe ratio for the 'egg' is AWESOME - I just add a little Black Sea Salt which gives it that 'egg smell' even more!

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  3. Oh my! That tater tot casserole sounds amazing!! All things tater tot are awesome and this looks like a perfect comfort meal! Love the bagel sandwich too!

    I used to drink apple cider vinegar diluted in water every morning. I definitely felt better when I did it. I think I might start doing it again but I'll mix it with some sort of juice (maybe pineapple for an anti-inflammatory boost) so it isn't quite so gross. I'm sorry that you are in pain!

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    1. Hi Sarah!!!!

      I know what you mean about comfort foods! I think I will be seeking them out more for the rest of this week because of this storm we are supposed to get!

      Pineapple Juice with the ACV sounds great! I might have to steal that idea! I, too, am concerned about inflammation so that's a great tip! Thanks!

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  4. That casserole looks wonderful - yum! Great comfort food. And very interesting on apple cider vinegar, I try to include it in a lot of dressing recipes.

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    1. Yuppers! I add ACV to almost all of my dips, spread, sauces, etc! I need to start drinking it like shots tho! LOL

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