The Tofu Scramble Experiment

In my kitchen as in my life, I need to try a lot of things to learn what works for me.

One of my favorite things about cooking and recipe development is that it’s a constant process of experimentation. Today I’m sharing a recipe for tofu scramble, the most basic vegan recipe in my repertoire, and even though I’ve been making tofu scrambles for decades, I’m still tweaking my technique. 

Recently, I’ve been mixing the spices and the crumbled tofu in advance and stashing it in the refrigerator ahead of time to see if the tofu becomes more deeply flavored (it does) and if it’s quicker and easier to make one or two servings when the tofu pre-prepped (it is). 

I’ve also been experimenting with eating tofu scramble for breakfast several days a week, alternating it with my usual muesli with soy milk and fruit. Many people who advocate for a plant-based diet say you don’t need to worry about protein, that Americans eat far too much protein, and that you don’t need to make any special effort to get enough. 

Through experimentation, I’ve found that when I eat a higher-protein breakfast I feel fuller longer and have more energy throughout the day. I’m not a stickler about it, but I try to make sure I eat enough protein. 

What is enough? 

According to the Women’s Health Initiative study, higher protein intake (1.2 g/kg body weight) was associated with a 32% lower risk of frailty and better physical function. For me, that means a goal of 81 grams a day. One serving of tofu scramble has about 10 grams of protein. That’s a pretty good start.

My experiments nest like Russian dolls. 

If you’re wondering why, beyond the obvious reasons, I want to decrease my risk of “frailty” and enjoy “better physical function” it’s because I’m also running a one-month yoga experiment on myself. I’m doing Ashtanga yoga 3-4 days a week, following in the very fit footsteps of my sister, Jill. It’s a vigorous style that I hope will help me build strength and prevent frailty.

Much of my adult life has been shaped by a willingness to experiment with things for a limited time to see how they work out.

Ten years ago, I wasn’t willing to give up alcohol, but I was willing to do a 30-day alcohol-free experiment. It took a few years of such experiments, but over time the results could not be denied: I felt better without it.

When I was diagnosed with high cholesterol, I told my doctor I wanted to try to bring it down without drugs. She gave me six months to try—clearly, she believed it would be a failed experiment. But here I am 6 years later, plant-based and still prescription free.

I don’t want you to think all my experiments work out the way I hoped. Last summer, I ran a fiction writing experiment that ended up breaking my heart in half. It was a Paleo diet experiment that first drove my cholesterol up and out of the healthy range. In 2011, I experimented with living in the suburbs and learned some hard lessons about myself. Many if not most of my experiments do fail.

But sometimes experiments turn into powerful habits that change my life for the better.

While I’m telling you about some of my experiments, I might as well let you know you’re now part of one. Cruciferous is my newsletter experiment. I promised myself I’d run this experiment for 12 weeks and reassess how I feel about it then. This is week 6. 

I’ll gauge the success of this newsletter experiment based on metrics like the number of subscribers and community engagement. So if you like it, share it with a friend and ask them to subscribe, too. Make this tofu scramble and share a photo on social media with a subscribe link. Comment on one of the posts here on Substack or ask me a question.

Before I get to this week’s recipe, I have a question for you: What kind of experiments, food-wise or otherwise, are you running in your life this summer?

Or, what’s something you’d like to experiment with soon?

Tofu Scramble with Vegetables

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Veggie Tofu Scramble

I wouldn’t dream of making a tofu scramble without plenty of vegetables. You should definitely keep the onion and mushrooms for savoriness, but you could substitute other vegetables you have around for the peppers and kale. Asparagus, broccoli, spinach, and Swiss chard are all good options. 

Serves 4

Seasoning blend:

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast (plus more for topping, if desired)

2 tablespoons water

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon turmeric

¼ teaspoon black pepper

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

Scramble:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup chopped mushrooms, any kind

½ cup red or green bell pepper

¼ cup chopped onion

1 cup chopped kale

1 block firm tofu, drained and crumbled

Make your seasoning blend: In a small bowl combine the nutritional yeast, water, salt, turmeric, black pepper, and garlic powder. Whisk and set it near the stove.

In a large, well-seasoned cast iron or carbon steel skillet over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Add the mushrooms, bell pepper, and onion and cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables have softened, about 8 minutes. Add the kale and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes. 

Add the crumbled tofu to the skillet and stir, breaking up any large crumbles, until warmed through and resembling scrambled egg curds. Pour the seasoning blend over the top and stir. You want everything to be an even yellow and the water to evaporate. If you have tofu stickage, pour in a few tablespoons of water and use a wooden spoon to scrape any stuck bits back into your scramble. Sprinkle another tablespoon of nutritional yeast over the top if you like it extra cheesy.

Serve with toast. Or use it as a filling for a breakfast wrap. Or fold into corn tortillas with avocado for breakfast tacos. Or pile on an English muffin for a breakfast sandwich. You get the idea.