strata anyone?

I know I've written about my love for this book here before, (and here and here and here) and here we are again. This time, with the mushroom and spinach strata. I tried this dish earlier in the spring for a little brunch party we hosted before the annual May Day parade and it was so delicious, and went so quickly, that I never even got a photo of it. Before getting this book, I was never that big on cooking tofu in dishes. I mean, I love tofu. Baked, stir fried, sauteed, etc. But I never really had used the silken tofu in dishes (like cakes, lasagna, or this strata). And, um, I love it. This dish is just awesome and makes me even more excited for Isa's upcoming vegan brunch book.

I made this strata on Sunday for my parents for brunch. Even though they're not really tofu fans, I thought I'd give it a try on them. My dad doesn't like mushrooms, so I used spinach and a yellow squash from my garden, and that was delicious too. I think you could probably use almost any veggie (just think of what would be good in an omelet or quiche). I think this is my new favorite brunch dish. It's super easy to make, and just tastes delicious. It's even good later that day for dinner. I mean, after all that brunch cooking, who has the energy for dinner? Also- it doesn't hurt to be eating it out of this awesome vintage pyrex dish...

Mushroom and Spinach Strata (from Veganomicon)

Ingredients:
4-6 slices stale or lightly toasted bread, cut into 2-inch pieces
1-1.5 cups sliced shallots (I use a little less because I just don't like things too onion-y)
3 tablespoons olive oil
8 ounces sliced cremini mushrooms (or any other veggie, I used one medium sized summer squash here)
3 cloves minced garlic
2 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. dried rosemary
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
freshly ground pepper to taste
1 tsp. salt
10 ounces chopped spinach

Custard Ingredients:
1 lb. silken soft tofu
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tsp. mustard
1 tablespoon cornstarch (I used arrowroot powder here, because that's what I had)
1/2 cup veg. broth or water
1/4 tsp salt if using water or low-sodium broth.

Preheat oven to 350. Saute the shallots in 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet (if you have one- if not, you can transfer the veggies to a different dish later) over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms (or whatever veggie you're using) and cook for another 7 minutes, until tender. For the custard: place all custard ingredients in a blender or food processor and puree until completely smooth. Add the garlic, herbs, peppers, and salt to the vegetable pan. Add spinach and cook until all spinach is wilted (about 5 minutes).

Turn off the heat and add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and the bread chunks. If you are baking it in a different dish, transfer it now and use the tablespoon of oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Mix veggies and bread well. Pour custard over everything and use a spatula to smush the custard into the veggies and bread, but don't mix it. Bake for 55-60 minutes. The strata should be firm and the whole top should be lightly browned. Let cool for 10 minutes before slicing and serving warm or at room temperature. Enjoy!