Scrambled Tofu Sammiches

Now that I'm getting into the back-to-school spirit ("spirit" may be exaggerating a bit) I'm looking for some interesting new breakfast ideas that will make peeling myself out of bed at 5:30am just a wee bit more bearable. Naturally, my friend Julia, personal chef and veggie blogger over at No Face Plate came through with a d-e-l-i-c-i-o-u-s new recipe. Read this, weep, and then head on over to her blog to check out recipes that will certainly make you wish that a personal chef was in your budget. (Sigh.)

Hey everyone. Moving has thrown my cooking habits into complete chaos mode - wheres the skillet?! My spatula! The garlic press! AAAUGH.

Consequently, meals have simplified a fair bit (and I'll admit it - we're eating out a TON). But I want to share with ya'll a fav breakfast go-to of mine - Scrambled Tofu Sammiches. 

This is a seriously simple brekkie to make. 15 minutes and you'll be biting into a warm, soft mini-sammich with relish and abandon. Best on a Saturday morning after a night out on the town - if you're making these to eat later, or for work the next day, pack the fixins' and tofu separately from the bread or it'll get soggy.


Scrambled Tofu Sliders

makes 4 sliders, or two brekkies

1 block firm tofu
3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp olive oil
1 tbl turmeric
Dash curry powder
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp dijon mustard
Onion powder, 1 tsp
1.5 tsp salt

1 loaf french bread, warmed in the oven
Nayonnaise
1 tomato, sliced thin
Handful small leaf lettuce, arugula, whatever you got

Let's do this.

Get a large bowl and mash the tofu to chunky-mashedness with your paws or a potato masher. Add remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly.

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a iron skillet and dump the tofu in. Over high heat, saute the mash until it dries out a bit and browns in places, stirring constantly.

Slice your bread thin - 1 cm max. Spread some nayo on one slice, pile a small, compacted handful of tofu, then tomato, then greens. Secure with a toothpick and serve!

Easy peasy and nutritious. Yay!

Toasted Couscous with Garlic-Lime Tofu

Though I haven't been blogging much since I accidentally insulted the entire town of Cleveland, Mississippi, I have been cooking. ( And eating. In my brand new, gorgeous kitchen, at that.) I stole a bunch of my roommate's Better Homes and Gardens (among other things) before I left Charlotte for small town North Carolina, and this recipe is adapted from their June issue. Since I am a girlie girl who's never lit a grill in her life, I subbed the roomie's ol' reliable George Foreman for um, an actual grill. Just how well did it turn out? To quote my new, non-vegan roommate verbatim: "I didn't know tofu could taste this good."

And there you have it.

For the Garlic-Lime Tofu:
1/2 Tbsp lime juice
2 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper
2 Tbsp cilantro, finely chopped
1/2 jalapeno, seeded and finely minced
3-4 small garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 Tbsp agave nectar or brown sugar

2 packages firm tofu, drained and cut into slices that are about 1/2 in. thick (otherwise they'll fall apart on the grill)

1. Preheat grill (or, in my case, the George Forman) to medium-high. In medium bowl, combine all ingredients except tofu, stirring well. Squeeze excess water from tofu and pat with paper towels.
2. Place tofu in a single layer in the bottom of a large Tupperware container. Pour marinade onto tofu.
3. Marinate for 20 minutes. Halfway through, flip tofu over to get an even marinade.
4. Grill tofu until lightly brown on each side. Serve with Toasted Couscous with Grilled Mango and Zucchini (below).

Toasted Couscous w/ Grilled Mango and Zucchini
1 package instant couscous
1 mango, peeled and thickly sliced lengthwise
1 zucchini, sliced lengthwise
Cooking oil spray
Salt
1 14.5 oz can (about 2 cups) vegetable stock or broth
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp flat leaf parsley, chopped

1. Preheat your grill to medium-high.
2. In a dry saucepan, toast couscous over medium heat, stirring frequently.
3. Spray mango and zucchini pieces with cooking spray, season lightly with a pinch of salt, and grill until charred and tender. Cut into 1/2 inch pieces.
4. In the couscous saucepan, follow couscous cooking directions, using vegetable stock instead of water. Once finished, add mango, zucchini, and another 1/2 tsp of salt. Keep warm and serve with Garlic-Lime Tofu.

Cheers, ya'll!

Home Sweet Vegan

The latest haul from Food Lion

 To answer your question: Yes, I'm still alive.
And yes, I'm still blogging. (And happy to be out of Mississippi. See previous post.)

Sigh. After weeks of travel, packing, moving trucks, unpacking, Goodwill runs, hardware store purchases, questioning the direction my life is going, and recovering from my summer training in general, I'm back.

With a brand new, extra-awesome, extremely large kitchen in which to whip you up recipes that will change your life forever.

Maybe that's going a little far? Eh.

Can we say...upgrade?

Here is it...the brand new Preppy Vegan kitchen. This is my first kitchen that's not crammed into the corner of an apartment, and I'm in heaven. Literally. (Do you SEE all of that counter space?) It's a new feeling to be able to be in the kitchen at the same time as my roommate and not have to scramble and shuffle to stay out of each other's way.

And happily, thought I've moved to Small Town, USA, our local Food Lion has an entire organic/natural foods section with a ton of vegan fare. (Once again: I'm in heaven.)

While I've been too busy/exhausted to blog, I haven't been too busy/exhausted to eat, and I have a ton of awesome recipes coming your way verrrrry soon. (Promise.)

Thanks for being patient with me during my sabbatical of sorts. Happy Monday!