Poetry and Ambition

Tofu Scramble with Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Tempeh Bacon

Tofu Scramble

1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 fresh green chili, minced
1 teaspoon cumin seed
1/2 teaspoon coriander seed
1 sweet onion, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
7 mushrooms, sliced
1 teaspoon each of sage, oregano, and thyme
1 block tofu, firm
1/2 cup cream cheese or non-dairy cream cheese
1 teaspoon tumeric
1/2 cup sweet peas
1 ripe tomato, sliced
2-3 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil over medium high heat, add the garlic and the chili, followed by the cumin seed and coriander seed. Toast the seeds, then add the sweet onion and saute another minute. Add the red bell pepper and the mushrooms and the rest of the dried herbs, and let everything cook together. Meanwhile, open the package of tofu, drain the water, rinse the tofu, and pat dry. With your hands, crumble the tofu directly into the frying pan. Do not crumble the tofu too small, leave some bite-sized chunks for texture. Mix the tofu well into the vegetable mixture, then add the cream cheese and mix again until everything is blended. The cream cheese is optional, it will give this dish a creamier texture that is more consistent with scrambled eggs. Add the tumeric to change the dish’s color from white to yellow. Let the mixture simmer for 4-5 minutes so the flavors will blend into the tofu and more of the water will be cooked out and the mixture firms up. For the last touch, add the peas, the tomato, and the fresh basil. Let the scramble cook another 2 minutes, then season with salt and pepper to taste.

You can make a simpler version of this scramble without all the vegetables and just use the ones that you like or have on hand in the refrigerator. You can simplify the seasoning as well. Salt, pepper, and garlic would be sufficient for a tasty scramble (the tumeric is very nice for the yellow egg color as well). Use the cream cheese or non-dairy cream cheese if you want a traditional tasting breakfast of scrambled eggs.

Roasted Sweet Potatoes

2 sweet potatoes, Asian variety
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon sage
1 teaspoon thyme
1-2 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary
1/4 cup Brewer’s Yeast

Cut the sweet potatoes into cubes and place in a mixing bowl. Pour the olive oil over them and stir until every piece is coated with oil. Sprinkle all the herbs and spices over the potatoes and mix well. The curry may seem unusual for a breakfast meal but it will add a nice spice to the sweet of the potatoes. The Brewer’s Yeast will add a nice crusty coating to the roasted potatoes. Place the spiced potato pieces on a baking sheet making sure that no potato pieces overlap each other. Bake at 375 degrees for 35 minutes until the potatoes are crispy on the outside and can be easily pierced with a fork.

Tempeh Bacon

1 package Tempeh Bacon
1 teaspoon olive oil (optional)

Tempeh is fermented tofu and is easy to digest. It has lots of protein, is low in fat, and no choesterol! Heat a skillet over a high heat. If you are using a nonstick pan there is no need to use any oil. Lay the bacon strips in the pan and fry on each side for a few minutes. You won’t hear the popping sound of fat bubbling, but that is good news for your heart and your arteries!

I got it for free, though, so keep that in mind.

Have a good one!