Garden Vegetable Tofu Scramble - Recipe

Tofu is a staple among many vegetarians and vegans. Derived from the soybean, tofu is an excellent source of protein for those eschewing flesh. Some doctors even recommend tofu and other soy products to help combat high cholesterol.

I have to admit, it can be a bit challenging to make tofu taste good, but I think this is more an issue of texture rather than one of flavor. By itself, tofu has virtually no flavor. It pretty much takes on the flavors of whatever seasonings and veg it is combined with, thus making it an extremely versatile culinary ingredient.

There are a lot of versions of Tofu Scramble out there, and as the name suggests, this dish is meant to mimic scrambled eggs. When I first got married, I was still a vegetarian and I used to feed my husband all manner of "weird" vegetarian foods. While he was put off by some of them at first, he immediately became a tofu convert the minute he tried this dish. This is, by far, his favorite tofu dish, and he swears it tastes just like real scrambled eggs. Although I'm not sure I'd go that far, it does taste pretty darn good.

Garden Vegetable Tofu Scramble

1 Tbs + 1 tsp - Olive Oil
1/2 red onion, cut in 1x1/2 inch strips

1 container Firm Tofu
1 1/4 tsp turmeric
1/2 red bell pepper, cut in 1x1/2 inch strips
1/2 bunch broccolini

1/2 tsp garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon salt

Method:

Prep Work: Drain the tofu and then pat it dry with a paper towel (or kitchen towel). Note: You may need to squeeze the tofu between the towel if it is retaining too much water. Next, slice the block of tofu into 1 inch-wide pieces, while still holding the block together. Then, cut the block in half. You should have approximately 10 pieces, or 2 rows of about 5 pieces. Squeeze each piece in your hand, mashing it until the tofu is about the same size as cooked scrambled egg pieces. Set mashed tofu aside.

Heat a large skillet or pan on medium-high heat. Slice the red onion. Put olive oil in pan and saute onion about 1 minute. Toss in mashed tofu. Sprinkle turmeric and mix until all tofu in pan is yellow. Let fry for about 3-4 minutes, stir (or flip with a spatula) and let fry 3 to 4 more minutes. Your tofu should be getting browned (but, obviously, not black).

After tofu has browned, stir in red bell pepper. Cut off about 1/2 an inch from the bottom of the broccolini and discard the ends. Cut the broccolini into 1 inch pieces. Stir broccolini into pan, then immediately add the garlic powder and salt. Stir and let cook for 1 or 2 minutes more. In total (not including the prep work), it should take no more than 12 to 15 minutes to cook this meal.

Tip (1): I like to use broccolini because it is quite tender and quicker (for me) to cook and digest than regular broccoli. However, you can use regular broccoli florets if you can't find any broccolini, but you will probably need to cook it a bit longer.

Tip (2): There are several types of tofu out there. Whatever brand you get, make sure that you choose tofu that says "Firm"or "Extra Firm." Do NOT get "silken" tofu (not even the firm kind). It has a soft and mushy texture and will not work in this dish.


I hope you'll give this dish a try. Tofu scramble is easy to prepare and is a great-tasting way to introduce newcomers to tofu.