Vegan Tofu Scramble and Easy Vegan Cheesy Sauce

I love mornings when the kitchen is ALMOST bare, but not quite.  A grocery trip is clearly in our plan for the day, but breakfast is an opportunity to take some risks and experiment.  It's like I'm on Top Chef and Padma says "Chefs, your challenge is to create a tasty vegan breakfast from what's left in this kitchen.  And your time starts... now!"

Breakfast this morning was one of those challenges.  I fell back on a basic recipe that can be a blank slate for multiple ingredients in multiple seasons:  The tofu scramble.  

Let me get one thing straight:  A tofu scramble with onions and peppers is fine, but it's boring.  Whenever I'm out for breakfast and a tofu scramble is on the menu I get all excited, and then I'm always let down by the same old boring scramble.  If every omelet was cheese and mushroom, people would get bored!  Why does every tofu scramble have to be the same??

That being said, I LOVE the opportunity this dish presents for new and exciting flavor combinations.  I have made tofu scrambles MULTIPLE times and I have a few favorites.  For now, I'll explain the details of this basic yummy dish.

Here is what I used today...

I normally would like more green veggies in there, but we were fresh out!

Here is the basic blueprint for a tofu scramble:

Ingredients

-1 package of extra firm tofu

-cooking spray or oil to coat the pan

-seasonings, veggies, and fresh herbs

1.  Spray a hot pan with cooking spray, or a little oil.  

2.  Add firmest ingredients first (onions, peppers, broccoli, mushrooms, etc).  Cook until they're softened to your liking, then remove from pan.

3.  Add the tofu to pan with dry seasonings (salt, pepper, ground things, etc).  Let it get browned on all sides.  

4.  Add softest veggies (leafy greens, fresh herbs, tomatoes, etc).  Let everything get wilted and cooked to your liking.  

5.  Add everything back into the pan to combine and heat through.  Then it's ready to serve!  

Yum!  This morning I served mine with Ezekiel Sesame Toast and Soy-Free Earth Balance Spread... oh, and my easy cheesy vegan sauce.  (Recipe below)

Some of my favorite tofu scramble combinations are:

-Peppers, onions, and cheesy sauce

-Onion, garlic, and fresh parsley

-Spinach, tomatoes, and cheesy sauce

And my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE:

-Jalepenos, sweet onion, tomato, and fresh basil - YUM!

And now for another go-to recipe...

Easy Vegan Cheesy Sauce:

(Use on pasta, scrambles, anything that is better cheesy!)

Ingredients:

-Nutritional Yeast (2-4 tbsp, depending on how much you want)

-Almond Milk (1-2 tbsp)

-Sea Salt

-Garlic Powder (optional)

-Fresh ground black pepper (optional)

1.  Add the nutritional yeast to a small bowl.  Mix in the almond milk until its a creamy consistency (not too watery, but not clumpy)

Much too clumpy

Still a little too clumpy

MMM... Just right!

2. Add in your seasonings to taste.  

3.  If you want it hot, pop it in the microwave for about 15 seconds.  Make sure it doesn't burn or bubble too much!  

4.  Add to your favorite cheesy dishes!