VEGETABLE TOFU SCRAMBLE
A couple of weeks ago, someone requested that I make a version at home that resembles Amy’s famous Tofu Scramble. I’d never heard of it before, so I went out and bought it right away so that I could test it out. The result was beyond my expectations, and I realized I had to create similar dishes at home. The vegetable tofu scramble was delicious and had a straightforward list of ingredients. These are all things I love about it, so I am set to make it again!
It was not difficult to make the same vegetable scramble at home. However, I did need to alter a few things. I used different veggies that weren’t in the commercial version because there were too many ingredients to include in one recipe. I also heavily relied on frozen veggies to make it easy. However, you can utilize fresh ingredients if you’d like (check for suggestions below).
Also, I only made the tofu scramble portion of this recipe, unlike the canned version that includes hash brown potatoes as a dish. I made some of the Smoky Roasted Breakfast Potatoes for serving with breakfast. However, during the recipe testing, I tried eating the scramble by itself, which was delicious on its own too. That’s why I’m keeping the roasted potatoes as a separate recipe, even though they are part of frozen meals available from the grocery store.
CHOOSE YOUR VEGETABLES, FRESH OR FROZEN
This recipe is very adaptable. It’s perfect to use leftover vegetables in your fridge or freezer. For this recipe, I made use of mushrooms as well as frozen onions and peppers as well as frozen spinach. Add chopped carrots, finely chopped broccoli, tomatoes, cabbage, shredded corn, green onions, or peas.
The spinach I chose was frozen, although it’s not quite “pretty” because I had some in my freezer that was on the brink of drying out. You just need to give fresh spinach a rough chop until it’s smaller pieces. Then, you can sauté it in the pan with the Tofu and other vegetables until they’ve wilted.
DON’T SKIP THESE INGREDIENTS
This recipe is incredibly adaptable. Including two ingredients I’d recommend not omit, such as nutritional yeast and salsa, is a must. Its nutrition yeast is an excellent addition to the recipe. It provides a massive dose of umami, which makes the formula more delicious. It’s a stable ingredient for storage, so it’s not a problem if this is your first time buying it, don’t be concerned that you’ll have plenty of opportunities to use it again. Here are a few additional recipes using nutrition yeast.
The other ingredient you won’t want to miss is salsa. I’ve found that the refreshing acidic flavor of salsa truly balances the entire dish and makes it far more balanced. Yes, if you don’t take salsa, you can skip it, but for me, it’s a great addition to the whole dish and more enjoyable.
FREEZE YOUR TOFU FOR BETTER TEXTURE
It is highly recommended to freeze your Tofu before you cook it since it affects how it is textured. It’s hard to define the changes in texture, but I’ll say that it’s stronger after the freezing and thawing process rather than being crumbly and soft. Upon returning from the grocery store, I generally place it into the freezer (in the original packaging) and then move it to the refrigerator to defrost the next day before deciding to cook it.
INGREDIENTS
14 oz. extra firm or Tofu that is firm ($1.99)
Eight oz. mushrooms ($1.29)
Two tablespoons of cooking oil ($0.08)
1/2 1 tsp of garlic powder ($0.05)
14 tsp freshly cracked black pepper ($0.02)
1 cup frozen onion as well as peppers* ($0.35)
Eight oz. frozen spinach* ($0.93)
Two tablespoons of nutritional yeast ($0.42)
1/2 tsp salt ($0.02)
1 cup salsa ($0.50)
INSTRUCTIONS
Suppose you can fully freeze it and let the tofu thaw in the days before creating the dish. Although it’s not required, it can result in more texture. Once you’re ready to prepare the recipe, take the tofu package and squeeze or press the excess moisture from the Tofu. You can use a tofu press or put the Tofu on a dish and top it off with a cutting board, then place it on something sturdy such as a pot and wait for 15 minutes until the moisture is squeezed out. If the Tofu is frozen in the freezer, it’s more spongy. Pressing or squeezing a lot of it with my hands is possible.
The spinach is frozen and thawed while the Tofu presses clean and slices the mushrooms. Then squeeze the excess water (I embrace it with my palm).
Incorporate the cooking oil in the large skillet, then place it at a medium-high temperature. Once the oil and skillet are hot, turn the pan to cover it with the oil. Incorporate the Tofu in the skillet and sprinkle the pepper and garlic powder. Cook the Tofu for about 2 minutes while in the skillet. Do not worry if it gets stuck; the water the vegetable generates will release it from underneath the pan.
Add the mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms are softened. Include the bell peppers frozen and onions, and cook until heated. Add the frozen spinach that has been squeezed and thawed, and cook until the spinach is cooked through.
Then, sprinkle the pan with salt and nutritional yeast. Mix until everything is coated with nutritional yeast. Take a bite and then alter the salt as needed.
Serve the scrambled vegetable served with a few spoonfuls of salsa. Then take your time!
