Tuesday, July 24, 2012

A series of scrambles (part 1)


Tofu scrambles are one of the most popular meals in our house so I make them on a fairly regular basis. I hardly ever cook them for brunches these days and prefer to whip one up as a casual dinner. If it's a tried, tested and previously loved formula then I usually make an enormous batch as the leftovers are fantastic for work lunches throughout the week.

I haven't blogged much about tofu scrambles before so I figured it was time to start posting a few of my scramble recipes starting with the household favourite, a Mexican inspired tofu scramble. This scramble has been made several times over the past year with many tweaks along the way and I'm pleased to have recorded the recipe now so I can refer back to it next time I'm making a batch.

Broccoli is hardly an authentic Mexican ingredient but try telling that to the man who insists that it goes into almost every scramble I make! I love to include lots of vegetables and find that sliced mushrooms, grated carrot (sometimes also zucchini) and spinach leaves thrown in at the end are barely noticeable. The equivalent of a tin of red kidney, black or pinto beans are always an addition which give the meal an even bigger protein boost. As you can see in the photo below, my large deep sided frying pan is so full at the end it can be quite a struggle to stir the final ingredients through without making a mess.


The recipe has been written with a few variations in the ingredients. I don't always have smoked tofu on hand but the scramble works just as well with plain tofu and some extra smoked paprika. I normally use 2 teaspoons of chipotle chilli powder which makes it fairly hot, 1 teaspoon is quite mild if you are not a spice fiend. A hot sauce like salsa picante or sriracha is wonderful drizzled over your serve if you require an extra kick.

So that's it for part 1! I haven't set myself a timeline nor do I know how many of these posts I'll be writing at this stage. There are a few more that are ready to go in the recipe sense and plenty of other different scramble ideas floating around in my head.


Mexican inspired tofu scramble

1 head broccoli, cut into small florets and stalk sliced into bite sized pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, sliced into half moons
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
250g button or portobello mushrooms, sliced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1-2 teaspoons chipotle chilli powder
1-2 teaspoons smoked paprika (use 1 teaspoon if using smoked tofu, 2 if using plain tofu)
2 x 350g packets firm tofu (or 1 x 350g plain tofu, 1 x 300g smoked tofu)
2 medium carrots, grated
1/3 cup tomato paste
½ cup water
1 x 400g tin red kidney beans, pinto or black beans, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons lime juice
½ teaspoon salt (it may need a little more salt if not using smoked tofu)
freshly ground black pepper
75g baby spinach leaves

Lightly steam the broccoli and set aside.

Heat olive oil in a large deep sided frying pan, add the onions and fry over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until soft. Stir through the garlic for a minute then add the mushrooms and cook until they are soft and beginning to release liquid. Add the cumin, oregano, chipotle chilli powder and smoked paprika and stir for a minute, then crumble in the tofu with your hands. If using smoked tofu, chop this into very small cubes as it doesn't crumble well.

Add the carrot, tomato paste and water and stir thoroughly. Allow the liquid to cook off which should take between 3 to 5 minutes, then stir through your choice of beans, steamed broccoli, lime juice, salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Finally stir through the spinach leaves until just wilted and serve immediately.

14 comments:

  1. I love tofu scramble for a quick easy dinner and yours looks great.

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  2. I love tofu scrambles - was so excited when I discovered them as I had never had scrambles due to not liking eggs - I made one I really loved but of course didn't blog it - yet I have blogged a couple - I made a mexican style one to put in a breakfast burrito a while back but haven't made any scrambles for ages - I think I am due for another tofu scramble very soon!

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    1. Tofu scrambles seem to be so versatile, I have made one like this so many times but it has taken me so long to actually write down the recipe. I have a couple of others that I haven't made as often but we do enjoy for a change so I'm keen to document them too.

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  3. I'm glad you are doing these posts, because I have made only one tofu scramble in my lifetime, and it also included quinoa so was a bit of a hybrid dish. I am not sure why I haven't experimented more but will definitely be taking inspiration from this recipe.

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    1. Well I'm glad that you're glad because they seem to be a bit of a mainstream thing for a veg*n blogger to post about. Quinoa sounds like an interesting ingredient to add to a scramble, I've never seen that done before. I'll look forward to reading about your scrambles when you get around to them.

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  4. Broccoli is a must in any tofu scramble--I love the texture & color it gives! I haven't made a tofu scramble is ages, such a crime, but I should definitely make a version of your Mexican one. It looks so good!

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    1. So happy to hear there is another broccoli lover with the tofu scrambles. I thought it was just our household that was crazy about it. Do try a Mexican scramble one day, highly recommended!

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  5. I'm with Jes! I've not put pinto beans in a scramble before, but that's clearly been a failing on my behalf looking at yours! Not sure why, given pinto beans beat all other beans in my book - time for them to make the acquaintance of a scramble in my kitchen some time soon, I reckon!

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    1. I reckon pintos are my favourite too and I love pairing beans with tofu. Unfortunately pintos aren't as accessible in Australia as other beans and they are quite expensive to buy in tins. I have tracked down somewhere where I can buy them dried without costing me an arm and a leg!

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  6. I haven't made a tofu scramble in quite awhile. Thanks for the reminder. Mexi-style is a great idea!

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    1. Thanks for stopping by Dynise! Mexi-style is definitely our favourite style of scramble but we are huge fans of Mexican food. Hope you try it out one day.

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  7. love tofu scrambles, mine usually look pretty gross but taste great :)

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    1. It's so hard to make them look attractive! They usually taste great so I forgive their appearances...

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