Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Tofu Scramble

Tofu Scramble. 


Nothing reminds me of the freedom that comes along with a weekend or holiday morning better than some awesome Tofu Scramble loading with fresh farmer market veggies. This recipe is fast, simple and will serve 2 alone, or add some rosemary potatoes and a few raw greens, and this will easily serve 4.

This will not only satisfy your vegan gut, but will also make you look like a pro in the kitchen. 

What you will need:
  • 1 pound extra firm tofu
  • 3-6 garlic cloves, chopped, or to taste
  • Half of a sweet onion, chopped
  • 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
  • 5 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon ground *black salt (optional)
  • ¼ cup chickpea (garbanzo bean) flour
  • ½ tablespoon arrowroot or cornstarch
  • Shredded vegan cheese. (optional) I recommend Daiya
*if you don't have black salt, use kosher salt.
    An assortment of vegetables to taste. Below is what I used for this recipe. Whatever vegetables you use, make sure non leafy greens are chopped, and leafy greens are lightly chopped.
    • 8 to 10 cherry tomatoes, cut into fourths
    • Broccoli, about ¼ cup, chopped
    • Half  bell pepper, chopped
    • Spinach lightly chopped. About a half bunch
      Main Supplies:
      • Mixing bowl
      • 2 large heavy bottom skillets, 8-12 inches will work. And one lid. (You may also use 1 wok and only 1 skillet)
      • 2 dinner size plates
      • 4 paper towels or 2 small dish towels

        1. Press the Tofu.

        This step will remove as much moisture as possible from the tofu, and is so simple to do. In order to get the best texture for the scramble, we need to send all that tofu water on a permanent vacation. 

        Cut block of tofu in half, long way:

        1. Take 2 dinner plates, place side by side. 
        2. Place one *towel on top of one plate. 
        3. Place cut tofu on top of towel. 
        4. Place another towel on top of tofu. 
        5. Cover with the second dinner plate. 
        6. Place something heavy on the top plate. I used a cast iron wok and my roommates’ bottle of vodka.
        7. Let sit for about 10 to 15 minutes, if not a little longer.  
        *If using paper towel, you will need to change it midway through.

        2. Start chopping the garlic, onion, and vegetables. Set aside.


        3. Crumble Tofu.

        After your tofu has been pressed, take a bowl and simply crumble tofu in it.
        1. Press on tofu using your thumb and index finger. 
        Tofu should very easily fall apart in chunks:


        4. Season Tofu.

        Once you have your tofu crumbled in the bowl, add:
        • Nutritional yeast
        • 1 tablespoons olive oil
        • Turmeric
        • Salt
        • Chickpea flour
        • Arrowroot 
        1.   Mix slow for about one minute until tofu had an even pastel yellow color. 

        5. Cooking the Tofu and vegetables.

        This step should be done at the same time using two different skillets. If doing both at the same time is too much, that’s fine. Start with tofu, and continue with vegetables after. 
            Cooking the Tofu.
            1. In one skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil between low and medium heat for a good minute.
            2. Add tofu and mix every few minutes. Tofu will take about ten minutes to complete. Once you start to see a golden brown tint, tofu is done. Turn heat off.
              Cooking the vegetables.
              1. In one skillet, or wok, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil on low to medium heat for a good minute.
              2. Add only the garlic, mix. Let heat for 2 minutes.
              3. Add onion, mix until semi transparent. (about 2 to 4 minutes)
              4. Add cherry tomatoes, broccoli, and bell pepper. Mix every few minutes. Vegetables will take about 5 to 7 minutes to complete. Once vegetables seem semi soft, turn heat off.
              5. Add all vegetables on top of completed tofu, still in skillet. Mix well until vegetables look even. If you haven’t already, turn heat off. (1)
              6. Add semi chopped spinach on top of tofu and cover with *lid. Let sit for about 3 minutes. (2)
              7. Remove lid and mix in spinach. The spinach will cook before your eyes.
              * If you don’t have a lid, mix in spinach on very low heat for 1 to 2 minutes.
               
                (1)  

                (2)

                6. Sprinkle a pinch more of black salt if using, and top with shredded vegan cheese.

                  Enjoy!

                  3 comments:

                  1. This sounds like a great recipe & your pics are awesome. I'm not at all familiar with arrowroot & I've never used chickpea flour in scramble; what do they do?

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                  2. Hello Abby, and thanks for the complement.

                    Arrowroot, I love this stuff. If you've never used it, buy some up and play around. It's a starch, and will thicken any water or oil when cooking. I love to use it in stir fry's because it will help to turn any lingering water and oil into a think gravy. It's used in this tofu scramble to absorb the moisture from the tofu.

                    Chickpea flour, I, like yourself didn't understand why one would use this in a scramble, but after I tried it, I understood why and its now a staple in my pantry. It will give the tofu fluffiness and an egglike taste. really.

                    I hope this helped, and enjoy!

                    ReplyDelete
                  3. I am impressed by the vast knowledge of your Vegan Gut; I had no idea that either of these ingredients did any of these things.

                    ReplyDelete