Cracking The Code: Cooking Vegan Eggs On The Sidewalk
“Hot enough to cook an egg on the sidewalk” is a common trope, repeated ad nauseam the moment temperatures climb every summer. Back when it was first printed in 1899, it was classic journalistic sensationalism. The world was a whole lot cooler back then, but now, it’s a perfectly reasonable prospect.
While we’ve gotten off easy this summer in Central Texas, bobbing around just under the 100-degree mark most days, I had the foresight to try this classic solar cooking challenge last year. After baking cookies in the car and lasagna in the mailbox, I felt unstoppable.
Cooking An Egg On The Sidewalk: Fact or Fiction?
Science has proven that a chicken egg needs to reach 158° F (70° C) to be considered fully cooked. At that temperature, the proteins inside begin to unfold, then coagulate. For vegan eggs, the same principle is true but different. I used JUST egg (not sponsored) for the sake of simplicity. Mung bean proteins, which are the base ingredient of the blend, reach the apex of this chemical transformation at 176° F (80° C). That means that plant-based eggs need more time in a hotter environment to achieve the same results.
While that may sound discouraging at first, that actually proves it’s possible on some of the hottest days of the year. If the air temperature clocks in at 115° F, you can easily expect the pavement outside to radiate anywhere from 165 – 180° F at midday in direct sun. Like all solar cooking, it will take longer than popping a pan onto the stove, but if you have the will, there is a way.
Tips For Cooking Vegan Eggs Outside
Perish the thought of cooking directly on the sidewalk; I’m not one to waste food like that! Besides, by choosing a more conductive material, we can further amplify the sun’s rays to do our bidding.
- Use a cast iron frying pan. The dark surface soaks in heat and holds onto it, retaining heat longer than other materials and distributing it evenly throughout the entire vessel.
- Start cooking early. Make the most of the sunlight and plan to get your pan outside and preheating by noon. Allow at least an hour in direct sun before adding any food.
- Asphalt is best. The dark blacktop will radiate more heat, but that’s not always an option nearby. Concrete is your next best bet; I tried to boost reflectivity with a metal baking sheet underneath,but I’m not convinced that made a tangible difference.
- Keep it covered. Use a glass frying pan lid (mine went with another pot, but fit nicely) both to protect your precious scramble from bugs, and to further concentrate the sun’s rays inside the pan.
- Use potholders. The pan and everything around it is HOT! You wouldn’t walk next to it with bare feet; you shouldn’t try to grab the handle with bare hands.
- Mind the forecast. Overcast? Under 105° F? Don’t waste your plant-based eggs.
Ready, Set, Slow
As we’ve established, it’s hot enough to cook a vegan eggless scramble outside, but the last missing ingredient is time. It takes a good while to build up enough ambient heat to form curds, meaning you should plan on having breakfast for dinner with this project. It took at least an hour for me to see any progress at all. Bear in mind that every time you uncover the pan and give it a stir, you’re letting all that built up heat to escape, further extending the necessary cooking time.
After two or three hours, I was questioning my sanity. Four to five, still crazy, but determined to see it through. At the six-hour mark, I had achieved a [very] soft scramble, and was ready to call it. Success never tasted so savory!
If you’re bored by the usual 5-minute procedure of making a scramble on the stove top, try 6 or more hours in the sun! Like all summertime solar cooking trials, it’s more about the experience than the results. Entertain the kids, bemuse the neighbors, and prove once and for all that you CAN scramble an egg on the sidewalk! That alone is more satisfying than the average meal.
Viennetta Vendetta
Majestic, mysterious, downright mythical; the legendary Viennetta loaf looms large in my childhood nostalgia.
Hearkening back to my earliest memories of Sunday brunch with my grandparents, there are many sights and sounds that I still hold dear. Without fail, my grandpa would burst through the garage door with great fanfare as we sat around a bowl of mixed nuts, snacking and sharing details of our lives. Brandishing brown paper bags from Gold’s, our old-school traditional deli, we all knew that this was the sign that mingling had concluded, and the meal was about to begin.
Plastic tubs of garlic pickles, both fresh and sour, cold cuts wrapped in butcher’s paper and twine, fluffy Kaiser rolls, showering avalanches of poppy seeds with every movement; these were all the essentials. My grandma would have already cut up vegetable crudités and mashed a vat of egg salad to serve alongside, raw onion still biting our eyes as the volatile oils lingered tenaciously in the air. No, none of it was vegan, but it was a simpler, unenlightened time.
After the sandwiches came my favorite part; the stunning chocolate and vanilla ice cream cake my grandma would keep hidden in the freezer, for just such an occasion. Impossibly thin shards of crisp chocolate layered across a hundred folds of soft vanilla frozen cream, straddling the line between pudding and whipped topping, there was nothing else I had ever experienced like it, and have yet to find a similar dessert.
Only later in life did I discover that the frozen confection of my childhood dreams was called “Viennetta” and lo, it’s still made to this day! After lurking overseas for decades, it was revived for sale in the US in 2020, but there’s nothing to celebrate here. Unsurprisingly, it’s the same dairy-filled gut-bomb that’s largely held together with questionable preservatives.
Recreating a memory is always tricky, but this shockingly simple homemade rendition quickly surpassed my expectations. Though it may not have quite as many paper-thin layers of chocolate, and my grandpa is no longer around to bring home the cold cuts, it reminds me of those sweet, simple days. If he could still join us for brunch, I’d like to think that he’d approve of my version, with a sly wink and a nod, and maybe even consider picking up a package of corned seitan for lunch, too.
Much of this story was cut when Super Vegan Scoops! went to print, so I’m happy to finally share the full piece here, along with the recipe.
Wordless Wednesday: Out Of The Blue
Veggie Maki Sushi
Cucumber Sunomono
Crispy Brussels Sprouts
Thai Hippie
Spicy Kaluna Crunch
Crunchy Cabbage
Spicy Charred Edamame
Blue Sushi Sake Grill
11410 Century Oaks Terrace Suite 144
Austin, TX 78758
Back To School Lunch
For anyone with an eye on the school calendar, the carefree days of summer vacation are rapidly winding down. As the familiar rhythm of early mornings and packed lunches is about to commence, now is the time to start a new routine. This year, banish the dreaded lunchbox blues with homemade meals and snacks your young scholars will relish even more than recess.
Family-Friendly Lunch Box Pasta Salad
What Makes The Best Back-To-School Foods?
These creations are the secret weapon for conquering the chaos of Fall. They prioritize simplicity, packability, and versatility, making busy days a breeze.
- Quick prep and assembly is critical for those pre-dawn dashes out the door.
- No-fuss portability ensures these meals survive the journey in a backpack without getting soggy, crushed, or bruised.
- Whole, plant-based foods pack in nutrition without a fight, making what’s nutritious truly delicious.
- Make-ahead, batch cooking potential allows for easy doubling or tripling to fuel after school activities or pack lunches for multiple days.
Lunch and Learn
Start with a free download of my old e-book, Lunchbox Bites, then find fresh inspiration below. Don’t think of this list merely as the kid’s menu. They’re smart selections even if you’ve long since mastered mathematics, and you’re destined for a desk at work, not in the classroom.
Chillingly Good Chili
Is there a more American dish than chili? While most people think of hotdogs and burgers as quintessentially patriotic foods, both have clearly established roots in other cultures. Records of the first pot of chili, on the other hand, can be traced back to what is now known as Texas in the early 1700s.
Like most classic comfort foods, there’s good reason why it’s survived and thrived through centuries of changing tastes: Affordable, versatile, and obviously, delicious, it hits all the high notes every time. For that same reason, I have a number of different chili recipes already. Like chocolate chip cookies, though, there’s always room for one more.
A Meatless Mix For Meat-Lovers
Chili con carne has long been the gold standard for chili aficionados. No beans, no fancy flourishes, just meat, meat, and more meat- Oh, and some chilies for good measure. Classic Americana. It’s interesting to see how my own approach has slowly skewed back to this more traditional approach.
Rather than a glorified vegetable stew, I’ve come to appreciate chili for being this simple, basic foundation to embellish after the fact, and only if warranted. It helps that there are better meat alternatives than ever, although that’s far from necessary to make an award-winning vegan chili recipe. In my opinion, the combination of old school TVP (Textured Vegetable Protein) and new school umami can run circles around pricey prepared beefy grounds.
Shiitake Stems Bring The Flavor
One of my favorite “life hacks” when using Sugimoto Shiitake is to save the stems for future use. Unlike most dried shiitake on the market, Sugimoto Shiitake are such high quality that even the stems are fully edible. Remove the very bottom part if hard, and the rest is packed with even more umami power than the caps. Finely minced, they transform into a compelling ground meat facsimile all on their own.
Hearty And Healthy
Thanks to the power of umami, it doesn’t scream “MUSHROOM CHILI,” despite being largely mushroom-based. In fact, it’s stunningly meaty, with a hearty texture that really could trick an omnivore. It makes me want to enter a chili contest just to see the stunned reactions when the recipe is unveiled.
Incredibly rich while also low in fat, balanced by the bright acidity of tomatoes, this is now my go-to for cold days, or tiring days, or days when the pantry is pretty bare. I could go on to list all the reasons why it’s the best vegan chili recipe around, but then I may never finish this post.
Spice Things Up
Chili is one of the most adaptable dishes around. You can make a basic batch that’s fairly mild, adding hot sauce to single servings as desired, or bring the heat in layers while cooking. Consider adding any of the following for more fire power:
- Fresh or pickled jalapeños for a bright, fresh spice
- Guajillo or chipotles in adobo for a more smoky flavor
- Serrano, habanero, or pequin for a sharp, bold finish
That’s just the bare basics. Any chilies or peppers, whether fresh, dried, ground, canned, or otherwise preserved are welcome at this party! You could even just double down on the chili powder and call it a day. It’s only a matter of personal preference.
Chill Out With Chili
Chili is a quintessential staple for any cook to master. Thankfully, that’s not a difficult task. In minutes, anyone can meld aromatic spices into a complex bouquet that lingers on your palate, as warm as a happy memory. A great chili is an ideal one-pot meal, no garnishes needed, but versatile enough to be enjoyed with cornbread, rice, tortilla chips, or so much more. Is there a bad pairing for chili? Personally, I have yet to find out.