vegan october & tofu scrambles
david and i don't own a tv. we watch netflix from our laptop set out on the coffee table while we munch on messy bowls of nutritional yeast coated popcorn or dark chocolate bars. when we run out of shows to watch and - as usual - can't agree on a movie, we opt for documentaries. there were two in particular that have made some considerable impacts on us both recently.
first we watched forks over knives, which made a powerful argument for the health benefits of a plant-based diet and explained some astounding connections between health epidemics and meat consumption over the past several decades. then we watched cowspiracy which made me regret ever ending my decade of vegetarianism. i promise, this is not a film that guilt-trips you into being vegan because of animal cruelty. peta's got that covered. instead, cowspiracy provides some mind blowing reporting on the huge environmental impacts of the meat industry. it was so undeniably convincing that david turned to me after the film and said "we should go vegan." this was the instantaneous and only partly joking reaction from a guy who has been eating meat all his life.
i could go on and on about these two films, but instead i'll let you check them out yourself. form your own opinions. but for us, we decided to go vegan for the month of october. it's been a bigger shift in david's diet than in mine. but one thing we both miss terribly is eggs. i've never been a huge fan of tofu scrambles, but i gave it a few go's and eventually came up with a spice mix to add to the tofu that i'm really quite pleased with! i don't think i want to eat soy every morning for eternity, but i've been craving these tofu scrambles almost as much as i've been craving eggs. almost.
tofu scramble spice mix ~ enough for 16+ scrambles
2/3 cup nutritional yeast powder
1/3 cup turmeric powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon, or less, cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
combine ingredients together and store in airtight container to have on hand for quick, flavorful tofu scrambles.
tofu scramble ~ serves 1
4-5 oz firm or extra firm tofu
1 tablespoon tofu scramble spice mix
1/2 - 1 cup veggies
olive oil
use a non-stick pan for easy clean up. heat a teaspoon or so of olive oil over medium heat. crumble tofu into preheated pan and then turn up to high heat. saute until the moisture from the tofu has cooked off and tofu starts to brown. now add 1 tablespoon of spice mix and scramble tofu until evenly coated with spices. once coated, if you like browned crispy bits, let tofu cook for a bit without scrambling. if you want more seasoning or salt, adjust to taste - or adjust your spice blend mix after you've tested it in a scramble once!
when to add the veggies? you can scramble in leftover roasted veggies or tender greens just before the scramble is finished. or you can start sautéing heartier veggies (like mushrooms or onions) in your skillet before adding the tofu so that veggies are fully cooked after a few minutes of scrambling with tofu. top finished scramble with raw veggies like avocado, sliced tomatoes, kimchi, green onions - whatever you like! for a truly vegan breakfast, smear smear some coconut oil or smashed avocado on toast.
