When Sunday comes and we get to sleep in a little and start the day more slowly, we usually feel a bit more hungry than usual. And the one thing that everyone seems to agree on is a nice tofu scramble. You can serve it with toasted bread (rye is great with it), some fresh vegetables on the side or if you have more time, make some pan-fried potatoes for a true American classic. And if you really want to be decadent, serve both bread and potatoes!
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| Sleeping in! |
This is truly the easiest dish you can put together without even being fully awake. Which could easily happen on a Sunday morning… There is no way you can mess this one up.
Pretty much any vegetable you have in your refrigerator can be added to it (with the exception of root vegetables like carrots that would need a little tenderizing first). The trick is to dice everything pretty small so that you barely cook your vegetables, get a nice crisp texture and get most of the nutrients in the process. I like to have different kinds of greens and red veggies for the visual effect and whatever fresh herbs I have on hand (dried will work fine too). The usual culprits we have at home are zucchinis, snow and snap peas, green onions, green beans, mushrooms, tomatoes… we usually stay away from bell peppers because a lot of people don’t digest them well.
So, this may not qualify as haute cuisine but it sure does the trick every time, plus depending on what vegies you have in the fridge, it is always different.
SOME VARIATIONS:
If you are in a Mexican mood, add some salsa and chilis and serve with corn chips or a warmed tortilla and a side of black beans.
If you feel like adding an Indian touch, you could add some curry to the spices and eat with chapattis.
Why organic tofu?
It is really important because most of the soy beans grown today are fed to livestock along with the all-pervasive corn (I swear, a cob of corn should be added to the American flag for the amount we are growing and consuming!) So much of these two crops have been genetically modified and no serious clinical study was ever done on human population prior to introducing these new modified seeds. The reason being that since it would mostly be fed to animals and they seem to handle it just fine! The FDA’s (Food and Drugs Administration) seems to think that if farm animals can eat it, why couldn’t we! The problem with GMO corn and Soy, but mostly corn is that it is in so many by-products today that if the manufacturers were to label GMO ingredients on their products, the vast majority of the products sold in stores would have to list GMO ingredients and traces on their packaging. So Stick to organic when it comes to soy/tofu and for corn, good luck, this may be a little more difficult.
If you want to find out more about the largest producer of GMO products and how to protect yourself, click here.
The active ingredient in turmeric is called curcumin. It is known for its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, stomach-soothing, and liver-and heart-protecting effects.
In India, it is used to aid for digestive disturbances and as a treatment for fever, infections, dysentery, arthritis, jaundice and other liver problems.
In China it is used to treat liver and gallbladder problems, stop bleeding, and relieve chest congestion and menstrual discomforts.
Given that it not only improves blood circulation but also helps prevent blood clots, turmeric offers some protection against heart attacks and strokes, the biggest killers in the US.
- 1 package (12 or 14 oz) of organic firm tofu drained
- 2 tbsp non-dairy milk or liquid from the tofu
- 3 Tbsp nutritional yeast
- 2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp garlic and onion powder
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ½ cup green onions minced
- 1 tsp ground flax seed or cornstarch
- ¼ cup Vegan shredded cheese
- Fresh herbs (Basil or cilantro) optional
- Pat dry the tofu in a clean towel. Press down a little to remove some of the moisture. Break it into small pieces into a large bowl.
- It is better not leaving large chunks as they tend to not absorb as much flavor from the seasoning.
- Combine the nutritional yeast with the turmeric, garlic and onion powder and salt. mix some more.
- Add the green onions and other dried herbs of your liking.
- Heat up a large frying pan with 1 tsp of oil, making sure the oil is evenly coating the pan
- Pour the tofu mixture and gently stir over medium heat.
- You can start toasting the bread or preparing the salad while this is cooking because it doesn’t take much time to finish the scramble at this point.
- Now add the finely diced vegetables, mix well and cook a few more minutes. Taste and add seasonings if you want. Sprinkle some vegan cheese, turn of the heat and cover with a lidd.
- Serve as mentioned at the top. Chop from fresh herbs available and place on top.
