Tofu Scramble & Advice for a Picnic

Tofu Scramble: Don't Want to Be Disappointed? Don't expect Eggs.

The very first thing I should say is that Tofu Scramble is not supposed to be eggs; it is supposed to be tofu, scrambled.  That said, it is lovely for breakfast, especially in the winter when hens lay far fewer eggs and decent ones can be hard to come by.  I would also say that it is great for vegans, who by unfortunate choice, or force of unfortunate allergies, must eschew many of the finest food stuffs, but (and this is a big one) my version relies heavily on the addition of feta cheese for richness, and elevated flavor, so I am not actually endorsing a vegan take on this.

One of these days I will get to a post on pressing tofu – a process that draws out water and opens the tofu up to better absorbtion of marinade or seasoning – but for now let’s just say it is nice to wrap some thick, even slices in a kitchen towel and set them under something heavy (another great use for How to Cook Everything – Vegetarian – or otherwise) for 20 minutes, or so, before proceeding with your recipe.

For this recipe I used The Bridge tofu, which (as pictured below) comes pre-pressed (though it still should be dried off by the above method), and sealed in a soft-pack.  White Wave also makes a nice version of pressed, firm-curd tofu, and this kind of stuff can almost always be found in wet bulk bins in Asian produce stores.  Pressed dry at home, this tofu will retain most of its bulk, whereas most hard-packed tofus will shrink by at least a third with proper pressing.  Pressed tofu crumbles to very firm curds and is great for pan frying – especially if you are trying to mimic ground meat for some reason or other.  However, you might actually prefer a silkier tofu for this recipe, as it can be considered a stand-in for scrambled eggs.  Personally, I rather like my scrambled eggs a little firm, too.

You will also need nutritional yeast for this recipe, don’t skip it, it is more than worth buying; with a drizzling of olive oil, and some finely ground salt, it is absolutely brilliant on fresh popped corn.  You will not miss the butter, and for me to say that is very serious indeed.

The Bridge Tofu: Bet You Didn't Know You Wanted Anything From Connecticut

This scramble is a variation on a recipe for ‘Stedda Scrambled Eggs (honest!) from a wacky cookbook I think was also culled from the deep, dirty bins at the Southie Goodwill – where you could buy hardcover bestsellers for 2 bucks, before they came out in paperback – thanks to a total lack of competition, and the absolute lack of appeal of said deep, dirty bins.  This book is called The American Vegetarian Cookbook: From The Fit for Life Kitchen and it is a riot.  I totally thought it was a throwback, leftover from the healthfood craze of the 1970’s, but when I finally looked at the copyright (this morning), I was shocked to see the 1990 publication date.  I have probably owned it since about then, and it has always looked like it has been living real hard since 1973.

Tofu Scramble*

Material

1 tbsp(ish) olive or grape-seed oil

1lb extra firm tofu (preferably pressed), thick sliced, and dried of excess water

1 heaping tbsp nutritional yeast

1/4 tsp turmeric

1/4 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp curry powder

1/2 tsp granulated garlic (just do it)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup (ish) pureed tomato (Ideally, a large fresh plum tomato blitzed with the hand blender, but do what you must, I did.)

1/4 to 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese (I like Bulgarian best)

1/4 cup scallion, sliced fine

Method

In a small prep bowl, combine the nutritional yeast, turmeric, curry powder, cumin, garlic, salt & pepper. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a large cast-iron (or other heavy) skillet over medium-high heat.  When the oil begins to shimmer, crumble in the tofu (mashing with a potato masher is also nice), and sauté, stirring frequently, until you get a little golden color here and there.  Sprinkle in the spice mixture and stir until throughly coated.

Pour in the tomato puree, things will boil, sizzle and the pan will deglaze.  Continue cooking, stirring constantly until all of the liquid has been absorbed or evaporated.

Reduce heat to medium-low, and add the feta, stir to mix and melt.  The feta should be melted away into the ‘sauce’ and disappear completely, this will only that a minute or two.  Toss in the scallion, stir to incorporate, remove from heat.  Taste.  Season with additional salt and pepper if needed.

*For your picnic, the really brilliant use for this scramble is:

Curried ‘Egg’ Salad with Avocado, Wrapped

Materials

1 recipe Tofu Scramble, cooled (if you know this is where you are going with it, you may want to kick up the spice a bit)

1 large avocado, peeled, seeded, cut in a large dice

a handful of medium sized flour tortillas (4-6?)

Method

Make the filling: In a large bowl, gently combine the avocado pieces and the tofu scramble.  Season to taste with salt and pepper, you might also like some additional feta.

Wrap the filling in the tortillas, burrito-style, closing both ends.  Fix with toothpicks, placed roughly to mark out thirds.  Cut the wraps crosswise, in half, on a slight diagonal at the middle.

Pack in wax-paper baggies, two halves per, folded over at the ends and held with a bit of kitchen twine or a pretty-colored small elastic, of the type used for bundling herbs and scallions.

Voilà!