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Tofu Spinach Scramble with Avocado

February 21, 2010 in breakfast, tofu & tempeh | Tags: , | 1 comment

When I used to live in the Broad Ripple neighborhood of Indianapolis, my favorite Sunday morning breakfast was the tofu scramble at Three Sisters Cafe.  You could pick from a number of vegetable add-ins, but I always went with spinach and avocado.  In addition to my genuine love for both of them, it always gives me a happy feeling inside to eat something green.  Green is good.

Don’t think of tofu scramble as a substitute for an egg dish.  I promise, with the right spices, it’s actually tastier.  I used Isa Moskowitz’s recipe as a point of departure but made some modifications.  I actually really dig the taste of nutritional yeast, but you can try substituting cornmeal or cornstarch instead, or leave it out entirely.

Serves 2:

Ingredients:

  • 7 oz. extra firm tofu (about half of a standard-sized package — no need to drain and press for this recipe)
  • 2 shallots, chopped
  • about 1 T olive oil or some other cooking oil
  • 1 small red bell pepper, chopped
  • 4-5 button mushrooms, thinly sliced
  • 1 cup packed fresh spinach leaves
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice (the juice of about one lemon)
  • 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
  • 3 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tsp tumeric
  • 1/2 tsp mustard powder
  • pinch cayenne pepper (some red pepper flakes would also work here to add spice)
  • 1/2 tsp salt (more or less to taste)
  • 1 ripe avocado, sliced
  • freshly ground pepper to taste

To make:

  1. Heat oil in a skillet on medium high heat.
  2. Add shallots and stir, cooking for about three minutes, or until they begin to soften and brown.
  3. Add red bell pepper and mushrooms; stir, cook for about 2 minutes more.
  4. Add the spices (cumin, thyme, tumeric, mustard powder, cayenne) and stir very briefly, then splash some water into the pan.
  5. Add in the tofu by crumbling it with your fingers.  Stir well.  Then add the spinach and stir some more.
  6. Cook for about 7-10 minutes, stirring frequently and adding splashes of water if the tofu starts to dry out or stick.  BUT: be careful not to add TOO much water — I’ve done this and it results in soggy, soupy tofu.
  7. Stir in the lemon juice and and nutritional yeast.
  8. Serve immediately with avocado slices and freshly ground pepper.

Spinach Tofu Curry

October 4, 2008 in curries, stir-fries, tofu & tempeh | Tags: | Leave a comment

This was attempt to create a lighter, vegan version of my favorite Indian dish, saag paneer (a.k.a palak paneer). This type of curry is typically accompanied by rice, but I think it is satisfying enough to hold its own.

Will feed 3-4 (depending on whether you serve it with rice).

Ingredients:

  • 3 T canola oil (or other vegetable oil)
  • 8 oz. extra firm tofu, cut into cubes
  • 20 oz. fresh spinach leaves, chopped
  • 1/2 red bell pepper
  • 1/2 small yellow onion
  • eggplant, chopped, about 3/4 cup
  • yellow squash, chopped, about 1/2 cup
  • mushrooms, sliced, about 3/4 cup
  • 2 tsp ground coriander
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 2 tsp tumeric powder
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 3 inch chunk ginger root
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 1 red habanero chili (or other small, hot chili pepper)
  • salt to taste
  • 1 T cornstarch mixed with 1 T water (optional — this will just thicken the sauce a bit)
  • rice, if desired

To make:

  1. In a food processor, combine the garlic, ginger, haberno chili and 4 tablespoons of water until smooth.
  2. In a wok or other large pan, heat the canola oil over medium high heat.  Add onions and saute 4-5 minutes. Then add bell pepper, squash, eggplant, and mushrooms and saute 3-4 more minutes, stirring frequently.
  3. Add the garlic/ginger/chili pepper mix and the cumin, coriander, tumeric, and cinnamon and saute for a few more minutes, stirring frequently.
  4. Add the spinach and stir until coated. Cover and let simmer for about 10 minutes, until the spinach is cooked, stirring frequently. You may want to add a few tablespoons of water as you go, if the curry seems too dry.  Add the tofu and let simmer a few minutes more.
  5. If you want to thicken the sauce, add the cornstarch water/mix and stir well.
  6. Salt to taste, and serve alone or with rice.

Tips and Variations:

  1. Because the spinach is so voluminous before it cooks, I suggest making this dish in a big wok with a cover, if you have one.
  2. If you prefer the tofu crispy, saute it over medium-high heat in a little vegetable oil for about ten minutes, stirring frequently until all sides are golden, before adding it to the mix. (Make sure to drain and press the tofu first if you are going this route).
  3. Any vegetables can be substituted for red pepper, eggplant, squash and mushrooms. Experiment!