I like consuming soy. Soy milk. Tofu. Seitan. Edamame. Soy paper wrapped sushi. But. I've heard a lot recently about some of the potential health drawbacks of processed soy. I get it. It's pretty processed, and when the trend caught on, companies were making an over abundance of products with some sort of soy. But, as with most things, the jury is still out. There are definitely some health benefits to eating soy, but it also has potential risks. This article is a nice quick read about the scientific research on soy. Thankfully, I'm pretty good at summing up these tricky situations with my usual "all things in moderation" mantra. There was a time I ate a lot of soy. Now I just eat a little.
I just cannot give up tofu. It's definitely one of my favorite foods. So versatile! So cheap! Such great shelf life! I could go on and on about all the best tofu recipes but today all I want to share is my simple recipe for tofu scramble. It's one of my go-tos for when we need an easy, healthy, hearty dinner that can come together pretty quickly. Add whatever vegetables you have on hand, and you can of course adjust the spices to your own taste.
^^see that scallion? it's from my backyard garden. i'm pretty proud.^^
Tofu Scramble
Most measurements are approximate, except the spices (and I know that ½T isn't a really a "real" measurement, but I don't always like to dirty a bunch of measuring spoons when I'm making a dinner that's supposed to be easy. ½T = 1½ teaspoons). Add whatever vegetables you have on hand. I've listed my favorite combination, but frozen peas, carrots, and cauliflower would all work well too. Sometimes I add a second block of tofu so that we have leftovers. It's good for any meal of the day.
firm or extra firm tofu
1 block yellow onion, diced
1 head of broccoli, chopped into bite-sized pieces
bell pepper, diced
handful of mushrooms, roughly chopped
cherry tomatoes, halved
2-3 green onions, finely sliced
olive oil
1T dried oregano
1T ground cumin
½T paprika
½T turmeric
dash cayenne or chili pepper
1. Press your tofu. Wrap the block in a paper towel and then with a dish towel (or just with a dish towel if your towels are cleaner than my towels) and place it under something heavy while you prep the rest of the ingredients.
2. Chop the veggies. Set the tomatoes and green onions aside in your serving bowl.
3. In a large pan or wok, heat a tablespoon or so of oil. When hot, add the onion and cook until softened. Next add the veggies that take longest to cook (peppers, carrots, broccoli, etc.) followed by those that will cook more quickly (mushrooms, peas).
4. Take the pressed tofu and crumble it on top of the cooked vegetables. Use your cooking utensil to break it up more. Sprinkle the spices over top, and cook until everything is mixed well and the tofu is hot.
5. Transfer to the serving bowl with the tomatoes and green onions. Mix well and serve.
All things in moderation!