Feed: Michelle Wong's Vegan Chilaquiles
Cooking as a hobby is a very common theme among people that we interview within the ad industry. It makes sense, really. Cooking is an opportunity to flex our creative muscles but with absolutely zero relation to our day jobs. Some may enjoy the opportunity to throw spices at a pan with little care over weights or measurements whereas others might long for the regimented ways of grams, cups and kilograms.
Anyway, with this in mind we figured: why not make these foodies of adland to put their money where their mouth is and put to pen to paper with a recipe that means something to them. It could be as simple as a tin of beans on buttered toast (oi, don't knock it) or as intricate and detailed as a beef Wellington or 48-hour ramen broth.
And who better to kick the series off than Dailey president Michelle Wong, who prior to life in advertising, trained as a chef at Le Cordon Bleu and worked on the pastry team at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London. These days she's based in LA so Mexican food is an important part of her diet. Her recipe is a brunch classic from the country, but veganised. Check it!
Since going to a mainly vegan diet, I’ve tried to recreate my favorite dishes using only plant based ingredients. As a graduate from Le Cordon Bleu, I did find it hard to walk away from all the butter and cream but I don’t think you’ll miss anything from my Chilaquiles recipe. It has all the flavor, texture and spice that makes for a perfect weekend (or hangover) breakfast.
Being from LA, Mexican food and its influence is a part of nearly every meal I eat. This is one of my favorites because you can really get creative with it, but like most things - keeping it simple hits the spot!
Vegan Chilaquiles
- ½ Onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, sliced
- 1 serrano chili, chopped
- 1 packet of firm tofu
- 1 jar of salsa
- 3 large handfuls of tortilla chips (I prefer thick ones or make your own from scratch by baking corn tortillas in the oven)
- ½ C shredded vegan cheese
- ½ C chopped cilantro
- ¼ chopped spring onion
- Tofu sour cream (I like Tofutti brand), to taste
1. Soften the onions in a pan with some olive oil
2. Add the garlic and serrano chili and cook for another 2 min
3. Add in the tofu (Chop it up beforehand or you can break it up in the pan), cook until everything starts to golden
4. Pour in the jar of salsa, bring to a simmer
5. Fold in the tortilla chips, covering them with the mixture - but not for too long so you don’t lose all the crunch
6. Garnish with the shredded cheese, cilantro, spring onion and some tofu sour cream
7. Serve immediately!
