Power Breakfast

Breakfast for vegetarians can often become the perfect pipeline for the over-processed. Faux chorizo, soy turkey sausage, and other forms of soy-plastic sodium bombs. The joy of chewy mixed meat and snappy bacon was the first thing found by many of us non-hogs; to us this habit constantly requires breaking.
This week we turned a blind eye to Yves, Morningstar and the rest, and in the interest of a timely and hearty breakfast turned to nature’s fake steak: The King Trumpet mushroom. Thanks to the produce buyers at our local Emporium of the East A-Market, there is literally a mountain of these holy horns on hand all the time. If you don’t live in L.A. there’s prolly a good chance that you can find these if you look thanks to these guys.
Served on silver platters for exhorbitant prices, this mushroom is the thing of chop houses and fine dining, but thanks to the growing influence of Golden Gourmet mushroom company, these earthen phalli can be yours for less than dry TVP. Serve up some of these seared mushrooms for brekky with farmers market, cruelty-free eggs and you’ll not just get yourself ‘down the road,’ you’ll find yourself well on your way to the next level.

1 King Trumpet mushroom
1 shallot
2 cloves garlic
2 fresh eggs
1 tsp. smoked salt
3 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. soy sauce
1. Slice off the bottom 1/2 inch off the King Trumpet. It’s equivalent would be the woody stem at the base of an oyster mushroom (the King’s close cousin). Now slice the mushroom into long fillets, about 1/2-3/4 inch thick. Rub with a little smoked salt and set aside.
2. Slice your garlic and shallots 1/4 centimeter thin.
3. Heat a medium-sized skillet (cast iron or non stick) on high heat for 3 minutes. Place the mushroom slices face down in the dry pan. After 2 minutes, flip the shrooms; they should have a nice tan by now and have begun to expel some of their water.
4. When you’ve colored both sides of each slice, drizzle in another teaspoon of olive oil to coat the “steaks.” Add the shallots and garlic in the empty space around the mushroom and continue to cook; flipping the mushrooms every minute or two to make sure they cook evenly and do not burn. When the mushrooms have crisped around the edges and are quite firm to the touch, they are done. Add the soy sauce evenly and toss to coat, remove from heat.
5. Serve with a fried egg of your choice, toast, and Sriracha hot sauce.
Beverage: Cafecito Organico‘s BRazilian Peaberry
Soundtrack: “Air Talk” with Larry Mantle