Recipe: Down-Home Country Tofu Scramble with Sweet & Smokey Tempeh Strips

No self-respecting book titled Going Vegan would be complete without a recipe for a tofu scramble! And this one doesn’t disappoint. One thing Joni really missed when she went vegan was a big, hearty skillet breakfast, so she came up with this recipe, using potatoes, tofu, and tempeh to recreate a healthier vegan version of one of her favorites from a well known twenty-four-hour diner

 

Down-Home Country Tofu Scramble

Ingredients

• 1 block (10 to 12 ounces, or 280 to 340 g) extra- or super-firm tofu, pressed and drained
• 1/4 cup (30 g) nutritional yeast
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 tablespoon (11 g) Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons (28 ml) oil, optional, or vegetable broth
• 2 cups (220 g) shredded potatoes, rinsed in cool water to remove excess starch
• 1 medium yellow onion, julienne cut
• 1 tablespoon (10 g) minced garlic
• 1/2 recipe, “Sweet and Smoky Tempeh Strips” (recipe follows), cut into bite-size chunks
• 1 cup (30 g) baby spinach or any other green
• Pinch black salt, optional, plus more to taste
• Salt, to taste
• Ground black pepper, to taste
• In a small bowl, crumble tofu and toss with nutritional yeast, turmeric, and mustard to coat.

Preparation

In large skillet, heat oil or broth, if using, over medium-high heat. Add potatoes and onion. Saute about 5 minutes, tossing constantly. Add garlic and continue to cook an additional 2 to 3 minutes, or until garlic is fragrant and onion is translucent.

Add tofu and chopped tempeh strips and toss to mix. Continue to cook an additional 5 minutes, or until tofu is heated through. Remove from heat and toss in spinach to wilt. Add black salt and toss. Add salt and pepper, to taste

Veggie Bite 

Tofu Scramble can also be made into an awesome breakfast or brunch casserole by tossing together all the ingredients and spreading in a 9 × 9-inch (23 × 23 cm) baking dish. Sprinkle the top with your favorite shredded nondairy cheese and bake at 350°F (180°C, or gas mark 4), covered with foil, for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 20 minutes, until top is slightly browned and most of the liquid has evaporated.

 

Sweet and Smoky Tempeh Strips

* Nut free Yield: 18 to 20 pieces

Ingredients

• 1 block (8 ounces, or 227 g) plain soy tempeh
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) liquid smoke
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) mildflavored vegetable oil, optional
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) soy sauce or tamari
• 1 tablespoon (14 g) tightly packed brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

Preparation

Steam or simmer the tempeh for 20 minutes to reduce bitterness, if desired. Meanwhile, in a bowl, mix remaining ingredients, including the oil, if using, together to make the marinade.

Slice tempeh into thin strips. Mix tempeh and marinade in a shallow dish or a resealable plastic bag and allow to marinate for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator.

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C, or gas mark 4). Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or reusable silicon baking mat. Arrange tempeh strips in a single layer on the sheet. Pour any excess marinade over the strips.

Bake for 15 minutes, flip, and bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until the tempeh strips are a rich chocolate-brown color, dry but still flexible. Use immediately, or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to use. You can eat the strips cold, or reheat in a toaster oven, microwave, or even pan fry them in a bit of oil to get ’em nice and crispy.

 

 

From Going Vegan by Joni Marie Newman and Gerrie Adams. Reprinted by permission from Fair Winds Press.