Tofu Scramble: Recipe

If it was up to Lee, we'd eat eggs everyday for breakfast. But I get bored with that routine. Personally I don't mind eating leftovers from the night before for my breakfast but Lee is more of a traditionalist. So what to do?

For a while I was making "fake egg" omelettes on a weekly basis. But in looking for a little more variety I decided to try to recreate something we've seen on restaurant menus--tofu scramble. Tofu scrambles aren't just for people trying to avoid eggs, they also make for a nice change of pace. And they add a significant amount of healthy soy to your diet. Soy is a great source of protein, something you need in the morning and sadly lacking in things like pancakes, waffles and pastries. It's also a good source of trytophan, and minerals including iron, manganese, selenium, copper, magnesium and calcium.

Tofu is pretty similar to scrambled eggs in texture. If you like soft eggs, use soft tofu and if you like your scramble drier, use firm tofu. For those with a fear of tofu, think of it as a blank canvas. Flavor and color it with whatever you like. I use curry and turmeric to bump up the yellow color and heat, but really, you could add whatever you like, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, Tabasco sauce, ketchup, the possibilities are endless. By the way, look for tofu in an Asian grocery store, it's often a fraction of what you pay in supermarkets. I get a 16 ounce package for only 75 cents, it's about $2 at the supermarket.

Here's my basic recipe, but feel to tweak it and make it your own:

Tofu Scramble
1 very large serving

8 ounces tofu, cut into chunks (half pkg)
1/2 teaspoon oil
1 Tablespoon onion, shredded o finely minced
2 teaspoons carrot, shredded or finely minced
2 teaspoons celery, shredded or minced
1 Tablespoon red pepper, shredded or minced (optional)
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 Tablespoon curry powder, hot or mild
1 Tablespoon tomato salsa
1/2 teaspoon salt

Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium heat, add oil. Saute the vegetables until softened and golden. Add the spices and stir to combine. Add the salsa.

Cut the tofu into small cubes and add to the vegetables and spices. Mash the tofu with the back of a wooden spoon, add salt. Stir and cook until hot.

Softer tofu will take a longer time for the moisture to evaporate than firm tofu. But cook to your desired consistency. Season to taste.

Enjoy!

FOOD + TOFU