JANUARY RECIPE CHALLENGE!

HELLO! RECIPE CHALLENGE TIME!

The special ingredient was PURPLE POTATOES! WOO!

Ok. So, I had a soup recipe for the aforementioned potatoes planned out. I took pictures, made the food, wrote sentences with a bunch of commas (and parentheses) in them, and something just wasn’t quite sitting right with the whole shenanigan.

For one, the soup wasn’t very good. For another one, the recipe was in a copyrighted book so I ran the risk of getting eaten by the copyright monster (totally real - like Santa) if I posted it and wanted to do more than just give you a link to a book saying something like “Buy the book and you can see how to make this crappy soup!”

That just wasn’t gonna fly.

SO.

Here’s a take on the classic vegan breakfast dish - the TOFU SCRAMBLE. Most of you reading this may not have made such a dish, so this will be entertaining and also informative!

(DISCLAIMER: I cannot guarantee entertainment nor accurate information.)

PLUS because I made it up as I went along (and actually wrote it down this time), you get a recipe too! WIN WIN!

What is a tofu scramble, you say? Well it’s simply tofu scrambled like eggs with veggies. Or, rather, it’s that and SO MUCH MORE.

So here we go! What should I call this?

Tofu Scramble!
(Wait. That’s boring. Every vegan whatever has a tofu scramble recipe. Let’s give this recipe a more “edgy” and exciting name, shall we?)

Purple Potato Tofu Scramble!
(Hmm. No. Still boring. How about...)

Michael’s Happy Purple Potato Tofu Wonderment!
(Ok. That just sounds like some kind of acid. It needs something “edgy” and “in your face” because it totally makes sense for a recipe to be in your face. It’s FOOD. Wait...I think I have something...)

VEGANLICIOUS PURPLETATO TOFU SCRIZZAMBLE!!!!!
(I LIKE IT.)

The Nuts and Bolts (but not really nuts or bolts)

½ Package Extra Firm Tofu
2T canola oil
1 small onion
1T minced garlic
1 large carrot, peeled
2 small purple potatoes (purpletatoes)
½ small head broccoli (or some other green veggie)
2T Nutritional Yeast
1/2t Turmeric
Salt and pepper to taste

First, chop all the veggies (except the onion and garlic) up into small pieces. I’m sure there’s a fancy gourmet word for that but I have no idea what it is. Chunkify?

Next, put 2T of canola oil into a large, non-stick frying pan and let it warm on medium heat while you prepare the onions and the garlic. By “prepare the garlic,” I mean chop the onion and take the jar of minced garlic you bought at the dollar store out of the fridge. Or you could mince fresh garlic. Whichever. Fancypants.

THE PAN SHOULD BE WARM NOW. Plop the onion and garlic in there and let them smizzle a bit (sizzle and mingle). Once the onions start to get translucent, add the rest of the veggies and mix them about.

Cover the pan. While that’s happening, open the tofu, cut the block in half and wrap the half of the block you’re using in 2-3 layers of paper towels. Put the other half somewhere. I don’t care where. You don’t need it for this recipe.

Standing over the kitchen sink, squeeze lightly from all 4 sides to get out excess moisture. You want a little moisture left in there, but not too much or it will turn out gloppy. Once the paper towels are saturated, it should be sufficiently unmoistenated. Remove and discard the paper towels and place the tofu on a plate next to the stove for easy access.

Uncover the pan and test the potatoes. If they need to be cooked more, mix and cover again for a few minutes. Once the potatoes are fork-tender (tee hee), begin to crumble the tofu on top of the veggies by squeezing it in your hands and spreading it around (don’t burn yourself - use a fork to move the tofu around after squeezing it, yo).

This is what it needs to look like.

Once that is done, take a break and have some wine (optional).

Now that you’re feeling awesome, add the salt, pepper, turmeric and nutritional yeast.

Seasoned pan!

Mix it all up nice!

The turmeric gives it a yellow color. It is also a natural anti-inflammatory. Aren't you glad I told you that?

FINAL STEP: Cover the pan once more, turn off the heat, and let the flavors marry and have kids.

Now you're done! Serve with toast! Or wrap it in a tortilla for a breakfast burrito! 
Or put it in a bowl! OMG! A BOWL!

This is also excellent with a little hot sauce drizzled on it. Especially if you’re going the burrito route. Holy crap add some avocado too. Just thought of that. SO GOOD IN A TORTILLA WITH AVOCADO AND HOT SAUCE.

I don't have a picture of that. Sorry.

Please see the other purpletato delights that my cooking friends made!

Recipe Happiness
According to Kiki

BON APPETIT!