Spinach in the Morning

I should really clean my oven.

I know, I know, what about going vegan for the week? Well, maybe it's something to work on for a while. While I did use soy milk instead of milk, you might experiment using egg substitutes or possibly tofu and vegan cheese and butter to make this a real vegan dish (let me know if you do).

So we're in a brunch group; once a month ten of us get together at someone's home and everyone brings goodies: baked apples, yogurt parfaits, mini-quiches. It's always lovely to catch up and see our friends' amazing and adorable children. We recently decided that whoever hosts would make an egg dish. Today that was us, so I made a spinach soufflé, using a cookbook that was new to me (& thanks Hugh): Joy of Cooking All About Vegetarian Cooking.

Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 375.
- Butter a soufflé dish and dust the insides with 1/4 c grated Parmesan cheese.
- In a saucepan combine 1 1/3 c Thick Béchamel Sauce (directions below), 3/4 t salt, 1/8 t nutmeg, and a pinch of white pepper if you have it (I don't).
- Beat 1/2 c of this mixture into 6 egg yolks, 3/4 c grated Parmesan or Swiss cheese (I used Parmesan cheese)
- Combine with the rest of the sauce, beating vigorously to blend.
- Add 1 1/2 c cooked, dried and chopped spinach
- Beat until stiff but not dry: 6 egg whites and pinch of salt
- Stir one quarter of whites into the soufflé base to lighten it, then fold in the rest.
- Pour into the soufflé dish.
- Bake for 45 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and serve immediately.

Thick Béchamel Sauce:
Combine in a small saucepan over low heat the following: 1 1/4 c milk (I used soy milk), 1/4 chopped onion and a pinch of nutmeg. Simmer for 15 minutes, uncovered, to infuse flavor into the milk. Then discard the onions.
In another pan, melt 3 T unsalted butter and 3 T all-purpose flour. Cook on medium-low heat for 2 or 3 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.
Whisk the milk mixture as you add the roux and bring it to a simmer. Cook until it reaches the consistency of thick cream soup, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Makes about 1 cup.