Vegan with a Vengeance

delicate flavor of the classic Spanish spice. The flavors improve with time so you can make it the night before and serve cold or at room temperature. Along with a dollop of Roasted Red Pepper-Almond Sauce and crusty bread this tortilla of the Revolution is a sturdy meal that will carry you through many an anarcho-syndicalist collective workers’ meeting.”
    A small pinch saffron threads 3 tablespoons plain soy milk
    Â¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus extra for spraying omelet
    1 medium-size onion, peeled, halved and thinly sliced
    4 medium-size Yukon gold potatoes, unpeeled, halved and sliced into ¼-inch slices (make sure they’re all the same thickness to ensure even cooking)
    1½ pounds soft tofu, drained
    2 cloves garlic, crushed
    1 teaspoon salt
    Dash of cayenne pepper
    Place the saffron threads in a small cup and gently press the threads with the back of a spoon a few times; don’t crush completely. Warm the soy milk in a small saucepan till just about boiling. Remove from heat and pour over the saffron; stir briefly and set aside for a minimum of 25 minutes. The longer the saffron soaks in the soy milk, the more flavor and color will be released.
    Preheat oven to 375°F. Pour ¼ cup of the olive oil into a 10-inch cast-iron skillet. Add the sliced potatoes and onions. The pan should not be completely full; there should be about ¼ inch of space left on top; remove some potatoes if it appears too
full. Gently toss the onions and potatoes in oil to coat. Place in the oven and roast for 30 to 35 minutes, stirring on occasion, till onions are very soft and the potatoes are tender.
    Meanwhile, in a food processor blend till smooth the drained tofu, garlic, and remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Strain the soy milk mixture with a fine-mesh sieve (if you’re superthrifty you can save the saffron threads, dry them, and use once more) and add to tofu mixture along with salt and cayenne pepper. Blend till creamy.
    When the potatoes and onions are tender, remove from oven. Pour the tofu mixture into the pan and gently fold the potatoes and onions into the tofu mixture. With a rubber spatula, smooth the top, making sure to make the center slightly more shallow than the outside; this will help ensure the center cooks evenly.
    Spray the top of the omelet with olive oil and return to the oven. Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour till the top is deep yellow and lightly browned in spots, and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool at least 20 minutes before cutting.
    To cut, run a knife along the edges, and press down on the omelet while slicing. To serve it real Spanish style you’ll need to remove it whole from the pan: put a plate on top of the pan and with both hands securely holding pan and plate, flip the entire thing upside-down. Put on a countertop and gently remove the pan—the finished omelet is oily enough so most of it should slide easily onto the plate. If you preferred the golden yellow side to be on top, simply flip again onto another plate.
    Excellent both warm and at room temperature. Serve as the Spanish do with ketchup (a good all-natural one worthy of revolutionaries) or with Roasted Red Pepper-Almond Sauce.
Roasted Red Pepper-Almond Sauce
    3 red bell peppers, roasted, skinned, seeds removed, and torn into chunks
    Â¼ cup almond meal or finely ground almonds
    2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
    3 tablespoons olive oil
    Â¼ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
    1 teaspoon dried thyme
    1½ teaspoons sugar
    Salt to taste
    Blend all the ingredients in a food processor until thick and creamy. Makes about 1¼ cups.

Mushroom and Sun-dried Tomato Risotto
    SERVES 4
    Â 
    Risotto is a creamy rice dish that isn’t difficult to make but does require a lot of maintenance; you need to stir it pretty much constantly. Try to get your roommates or family to help with the stirring, although when I make it alone I just blast some music and go into a Zen-like trance, where it’s just the risotto and me on a hillside in Italy. I added truffle oil as an optional ingredient because it can cost about $10 a bottle, but you need only a few drops to add a deep, earthy mushroom flavor and that bottle can definitely last you a year or more; compared to the price of actual truffles that’s quite a bargain.
    6 cups vegetable broth
    1 cup dried shiitake mushrooms
    3 tablespoons olive oil
    1 cup finely chopped shallots
    3 cups thinly