If you’re a reader of The Kitchn, you’ll know that the past week has been vegan-themed over there. There have been new recipes, thought-provoking discussions, and round-ups from their vast archives. For my part, I’ve long maintained that I could never go vegan; I was born with a rare condition that would make this impossible for me. Namely, my insides are 15% cheese, and if I don’t maintain that ratio, I will die.
Ok, not really. But vegan has never been my bag, as much as I love my veggies, grains and other whole foods. However, this week I’ve surprised myself by being immeasurably excited by the content being posted on The Kitchn, to the point of occasionally asking myself “Ele, what is wrong with you?” I’ve rooted in my cupboards, picked out the vegan ingredients from the merely vegetarian, have made three vegan recipes and even considered going dairy-free for one or two days a week this year.
If I’m going to stick to that (and I’m making no promises), I’ll need something to replace my beloved weekend breakfast, scrambled eggs. The tofu scramble was something I’d never had, nor even considered trying, before now. But after making this, I wondered why; it’s a quick easy meal, and infinitely versatile. Keep the flavours simple for breakfast or punch them up (I’m thinking garlic, ginger and fresh chilies) for lunch or dinner.
Unlike scrambled eggs, tofu will never really “hold on” to the vegetables cooked with it, so expect a looser dish, more like a stir-fry. But with a hot English muffin, drizzled with some olive oil and sprinkled with fresh herbs, this is truly a breakfast of (vegan) champions. And there ain’t nothing wrong with that.
Tasty Tofu Scramble
serves 2
- 250g tofu (whatever type you like, I used firm)
- 1 Tbs. olive oil
- 1/2 a small red onion, finely chopped
- 1/2 a red pepper, chopped
- 1/2 cup frozen peas
- 1/4 tsp. turmeric
- 1/4 tsp. paprika
- 1/4 tsp. chili powder
- 1 Tbs. soy sauce
- 1 Tbs. finely chopped parsley
- sea salt and black pepper, to taste
- Drain the tofu and wrap it in a tea towel for 10 minutes or so, while you get on with chopping the vegetables. Crumble roughly into a bowl and set aside.
- Heat the olive oil in a nonstick pan over medium heat, and add the onion. After a minute or two, add the red pepper and frozen peas, and continue cooking for another 3-5 minutes, until the veg are cooked but still have a bite. Stir in the spices.
- Add the tofu and turn the heat up a little; scramble gently until everything is coated well in the spices. If you’re using it, add the soy sauce at this point. After 2-3 minutes, remove from the heat and add the parsley, salt, and pepper. Serve immediately.
