So I think that every vegan has a favorite tofu scramble recipe. I have to be honest and admit that I haven't always been too keen on tofu. In the past, it seemed like such a weird square of "nothing"? Does that make sense? Probably not. To this day I am not a fan of little blocks of tofu in my meals. I'd rather it be incorporated in a different way...not so tofu-ish. You follow? Some of my favorite ways to eat tofu are to make a ricotta with it, faux bacon bits, and of course, tofu scramble. The first time I tried tofu scramble it was at my favorite local vegan joint, The Fiction Kitchen. I ordered the No Huevos Rancheros and was a scrambler for life after the first bite! I soon recreated this meal at home and it became a regular for Sunday brunch and mid-week 'brinners'!

I think part of the reason I was so grossed out initially is because the texture is, um, interesting? While I am not a picky eater at all there are certain things I have to say HARD PASS to. Like mushrooms. Ya'll know how I feel about the fungus and that is, in large part, due to the texture. After I introduced myself to tofu and got all up in it, I realized it wasn't so bad. I'm not sure what I would compare it to, maybe a soft-ish cheese? Not quite as hard as feta but more like a goat cheese, I'd say. And the beautiful thing about it is that you can make it taste however you want! It's all in the seasonings! This bland block of fermented soy beans can be transformed into BACON BITS that taste like actual bacon! I used this method when making vegan twice baked potatoes and OH LORD IT WAS HEAVEN. So my point being: don't knock it till you try it, if you're like I was, which is straight terrified and disgusted. Even the most hardcore tofu-deniers can be converted.

One thing to note when you're dealing with tofu is that it contains a lot of water. So if you're going to be sauteeing it, like in this recipe, it's best to try and press as much of the liquid out as possible before you start cooking. You can buy a fancy-shmancy tofu press OR you can simple pile a bunch of heavy stuff on top of it and let it sit for 5-10 minutes and you'll be good to go. I prefer the latter. Next you're going to want to crumble the tofu up with your fingers, much like you would crumble the above-mentioned cheeses. Once it's nice and crumbly looking (see picture) you're going to add it to your pan with some oil that you've let get hot. After any liquid has been absorbed I like to add a bit of almond milk, because if you're like I was in my pre-plant based days, you like a soft scramble. Again, saute until most of the liquid is absorbed then dump in your spices.

The spices I add in are my absolute favorite combination for scrambles but you can totally tinker with this recipe and use what you prefer or what you've got on hand. I would not leave out the nutritional yeast as this is what gives any scramble a good cheesy flavor. After your spices are added and your tofu resembles scrambled egg, go ahead and add in a bit more almond milk. this is essential, in my humble opinion, in order to get that soft scrambly egg feel. You know what I mean?! Yes you do, I know you do.

And again, don't feel like you have to just pile this on a plate with some toast (although, yum!). I love to make breakfast tostadas, like above, I've made quiches, lasagna, sandwiches, burritos, etc.

An interesting fact: this is my little picky eater. He turns his nose up to most delicious things but his absolute favorite food that he DEVOURS? TOFU SCRAMBLE! I didn't know what tofu was until I was probably 20 years old. This 20 month old is like, hold my sippy cup!

Tofu Scramble

Easy, tofu scramble for breakfast, lunch or dinner!

Makes: 4 servings

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

1 Block of Extra Firm Tofu
½ Cup Almond Milk, separated
1 tsp Turmeric
½ tsp Garlic Powder
½ tsp Onion Powder
½ tsp Cumin
2 TBS Nutritional Yeast
Salt and Pepper to taste (*Black Salt can be purchased on Amazon or specialty food stores and has a sulfar-like taste/smell that mimics the flavor of egg. If you can get your hands on some I would highly recommend adding a bit of this to your scrambles!)

Instructions:

Press the excess liquid from your tofu. Place your tofu block on a plate then place a heavy cookbook/frying pan on top and let it sit for about 10 minutes or so while gathering the rest of your ingredients.
Once your tofu is drained and the excess water has been pressed off, crumble the tofu block with your hands (see picture).
Heat a bit of oil in your pan and add the tofu. Stir until no moisture remains (about 4-5 minutes)
Add in ¼ cup of your almond milk and all of your spices. Stir again until all liquid has been absorbed.
Add in your final ¼ cup of almond milk. Stir until liquid is absorbed again or leave it a bit “soft” to resemble softer scrambled egg in taste, texture and appearance (this is my favorite!).
Eat as is, add to tostadas, sandwiches, burritos, tacos, etc. The possibilities are endless!