Bowl of the Week - Tofu Garden scramble

Tofu. When you think about a vegetarian diet, tofu probably pops into your mind fairly quickly.

I really love tofu, and sometimes feel like coming to its defense.  Unfortunately, tofu gets a bad rap because - drum roll - it's bland!  Yes, it is completely tasteless on its own.  In my defense of tofu, I will not try to tell you that it "tastes great!" because, in fact, it tastes like nothing.

But that is why I love it!  It's a clean canvas for your herbs and spices and marinades.  Far too often, tofu is prepared poorly and without pizazz, leaving its consumer underwhelmed and disappointed; thus tarnishing said consumer's taste for tofu forever.  It's a sad, sad state of affairs, my friends.

On the other hand, tofu is not the backbone of a meatless diet.  It can be tempting to eat it every day - marinated and baked, stir fried, scrambled, pureed into soup or smoothies...

However, tofu is a highly processed form of soy, and not the most nutrient dense. We focus on using vegetables and whole grains as the foundation of our diet. 

I love incorporating tofu into our diet approximately once a week, and this scramble is a favorite around here.

In this week's "Bowl of the Week", I'm sharing a garden scramble made with tofu and loaded with fresh veggies. The vegetables in this dish are completely interchangeable and the sky is the limit. Just think of your favorite omelet veggie combos and use those, or try something new! It's all good here.

Tofu Garden Scramble

1 lb Extra firm organic tofu
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 t. Dried Thyme
1 t. Smoked paprika
1/2 t. Turmeric
2 t. Ground cumin
1 t. Salt, or to taste
Ground black pepper to taste
2-3 Cups of fresh chopped veggies. For this garden scramble, I like to use mini bella mushrooms, zucchini, bell pepper, and tomatoes
3 C. Fresh greens of choice (kale, spinach, chard...)
3 T. Nutritional Yeast (What the heck is that?!)
2 T. Lemon juice

Start by heating a few tablespoons of water in a large skillet over medium high heat.  When the water is hot, add onion and cook until soft. Add garlic and stir, then add thyme, paprika, turmeric, cumin, salt and pepper. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until fragrant. 

Crumble the tofu into the pan with onion-spice mixture. Stir to cover tofu with spices. Add all veggies except greens to the pan. Turn heat down to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes. 

After the 15 minutes and when your veggies have softened a bit, add nutritional yeast, lemon juice and greens. Cook until greens have just wilted. Check your seasoning level and add salt and pepper if you want.

Serve with garnish of your choice. I love a few grape tomatoes and avocado on top, and a drizzle of hot sauce. This bowl makes a great weekend brunch, or dinner! Or make a double batch on the weekend and throw half in the fridge for a weekday breakfast treat.