Not-Salami Spread

As a little girl in kindergarden I enjoyed eating there. We had free breakfast, lunch and an afternoon snack everyday. One of the most memorable kindergarden breakfasts was my favorite soft salami "bologna" spread on a freshly baked bread. It was my dream to veganize this spread, but I was never able to find the original recipe, or even anything close. Most recipes called for hard-boiled eggs and farmers cheese blended with soft salami and mustard, but the original spread did not taste like mustard.

It was a Czech version of bologna, shredded and mixed with something creamy. I have been trying to recreate the taste and texture for years. I could never find the right vegan salami for this, until yesterday. I was thinking outside the box and used my favorite "Soy Boy" smoked tofu instead of vegan sausages and salamis. The results almost made me cry with happiness. The spread is really good, very close to what I remember from my childhood. And a cool thing is that it looks just like it, too :-) The garlic can be a bit strong so if you have a date the same day I would leave the garlic out........unless your date likes garlicky kisses.....

I apologize for the horrible picture, but my kitchen is really dark and this is the best photo I could make.

You can make this spread with your own baked and smoked tofu, or your favorite brand of smoked, ready to eat tofu.

Not-Salami Spread

1 8-oz package of smoked, ready to eat tofu (such as Soy Boy)

6 Tbs vegan mayo

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp onion powder

1 clove garlic, minced (optional)

salt and black pepper to taste

If you have a food processor, use it to shred the tofu finely. Place shredded tofu into a medium bowl.

If you don't have a food processor, use a hand-held shredder. In a medium bowl shred the tofu finely. I used the hand-held shredder with great results.

Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Season with salt and black pepper to taste and spread on your favorite bread. Rye bread or any white bread would be the best for this spread.

Serve with fresh tomatoes or pickles if desired.