Basic Tofu Scramble
With Mother's Day coming up, we are soon ushered into brunch season! Lots of wedding showers, graduation celebrations etc. on the calendar, and that means lots of eggs! But what if you are allergic to eggs, you are watching your cholesterol or fat intake or simply don't want to put them on your plate? (After all, solid research is showing that TMAO is a compound created in the gut after you eat foods high in choline, such as eggs. It is this high concentration of TAMO that is a precursor to heart disease) If you are hosting a soiree and have invited someone who has no love for the egg, here is a super simple and actually quite popular take on vegan eggs which uses tofu and many spices you may already have in the house.
Ingredients
Setup
- 1 12-16 ounce block of organic extra firm tofu
- 2 tablespoons of light soy sauce or coconut aminos
- 1/2 yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon of each: ground cumin, dried thyme, dried rosemary, dried oregano, dried turmeric
- 1-2 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes
- sea salt and ground black pepper to taste
- 1/8-1/4 teaspoon kala namak (black salt - optional)*
Directions
Cut open the tofu package and drain any extra water. Crumble up the tofu with your hands to the point it looks like ricotta cheese. Transfer to a mixing bowl and pour in the soy sauce or aminos. Mix with your hands gently and set aside.
In a large hot skillet, add in the onion. This is a dry saute (no oil), so make sure to keep the onion moving around with a spatula or wooden spoon. If it starts to stick add in a tablespoon or two of water to deglaze. Once the onions begin to brown, add in the garlic and bring the heat down to medium. Continue to stir for about 45-60 seconds and add in the tofu. Spread it out in the pan and allow it to cook 3-4 minutes at a time and flip. Continue to do this a few times. You are looking for that barely crispiness that real scrambled eggs have.
Meanwhile, combine the cumin, thyme, rosemary, oregano and turmeric into a small dish and add a few tablespoons of water. Stir to mix well. Pour mixture into the scrambled tofu and mix well. Add in the nutritional flakes, salt and pepper and the kala namak, if using.
Serve immediately, either plated up, in a pita, as a sandwich or in a tortilla as a breakfast burrito.
*NOTE
-Kala Namak is an Indian black salt that adds a sulfuric smell/taste to the tofu scramble, giving it an authentic egg flavor. If it is not found in a nearby grocery store, you can purchase it here.
-This is a very versatile recipe and typically what I have found what best works is if the host has out an egg scramble and a tofu scramble and many toppings and wraps for everyone to enjoy. A make-your-own-egg dish party is always fun. Add lots of sauteed veggies, some black beans, hot sauce collection, burrito tortillas, etc.
Here's my favorite way to eat a tofu scramble. I stuff it with avocado, greens, tomato, red onion and finally the tofu scramble.
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