I’ll admit, I’ve never been able to make a really impressive tofu scramble despite several efforts and recipes that (I feel) should have produced something delicious and flavourful. I’ve been to restaurants and had lovely tofu scrambles for brunch, the best ones almost always own the tofu scramble as its own separate identity without even attempting to taste like traditional scrambled eggs. This tofu and scrambled eggs dish is my favourite breakfast for dinner meal and was born by virtue of necessity; one night I didn’t have enough eggs for both Ian and I but I did have some medium-firm tofu lurking in the back of my fridge. Never being an avid scrambled eggs fan I now prefer this happy marriage of proteins to either form on its own (at least for this particular recipe.) I almost always make this with salsa and cilantro in mind, but try it with dill, capers, cream cheese and smoked salmon or garam masala, red chillies, grated lime zest and chutney. In other words, think of the tofu and eggs as a soft and custardy canvas on which to place your favourite vegetables, condiments, cheeses, etc. I like to serve this tofu and egg scramble with wholegrain toast slathered in salted butter from Prince Edward Island and a tart Granny Smith apple cut into segments, packed in its own little bowl, alongside a hot cup of tea (rosehip is my favourite to sip alongside this meal) or an ice cold glass of orange juice.

tofu and egg scramble:

(for two servings)

1 Tbsp. vegetable oil

1/3  cup thinly sliced zucchini

1/3 cup finely diced sweet pepper

1/3 cup finely diced red onion

6 grape or cherry tomatoes, quartered

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely minced

3 large eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 cup of crumbled medium-firm tofu that has been first been drained of any excess water*

1/2 tsp. turmeric (this is mainly to mimic the colour of vibrant sunny egg yolks, the recipe will in no way fail if you haven’t any turmeric lying around your spice cupboard)

1 tsp. chili powder

Kosher salt to taste

Diced cucumber to garnish

Cilantro, haphazardly torn, for garnish

As much salsa as you like to top the scramble, I used a bean and corn salsa for this particular entry

*from the extremely useful WikiHow page on tofu preparation: “The best way to make the texture of tofu more appetizing is to press it for 1-2 hours before cooking or marinating it. Cut the block of tofu into 4 slices longways, and spread these out onto a plate covered with two layers of paper towels. Cover the tofu with two more layers of paper towels and another plate. Apply pressure with something heavy, like a few books or a toaster. When you’re done, the paper towels will have absorbed a lot of the tofu’s moisture, and it will have a better texture and absorb marinades better.”

1. In a large skillet heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat; add the bell peppers, zucchini, red onion and tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes while stirring periodically to prevent excess browning or sticking.

2. Combine the egg and tofu together in a bowl and lightly whisk them up with a fork, all you want to do here is make sure that both of these ingredients are mixed together. Add the turmeric and chili powder to the vegetables and stir until everything is coated in the spice mixture before adding the egg and tofu mixture into the hot pan.

3. Using a rubber spatula push the tofu and egg concoction around the skillet until the eggs have set; like plain scrambled eggs you want your tofu and eggs to be velvety and  custard-like. Serve with the diced cucumbers, cilantro and a generous spoonful of your favourite salsa.

The merrier the meal, the merrier the music. Here is Cassius 1999, one of the catchiest and danciest songs that I have in my iTunes library. This song, along with others by Cassius and Daft Punk, keep me awake and full of energetic bounce either in the morning or evening. Anecdotally, this song is living proof of music’s ability to transform a mood or state of awakeness, as is the tofu and egg scramble; by combining both elements you’re creating an environment of elevation and a sure start to a happy mood.

Cassius – Cassius 1999