Sluttishly Vegan: Scrambled Tofu

When we asked our Facebook group about tofu, you all had an opinion from 'it rules!' to 'ewwwww'. It's one of those foods that tends to polarise opinion, and it's easy to mess up. Chances are that you've had at least one bland and tasteless tofu-based dinner. Maybe you're a vegetarian who thinks of tofu as something you had to choke down in the 1980s before Quorn and Linda McCartney came along to save us all.

Tofu is only tasteless when it doesn't have a chance to pick up more interesting flavours. The trick is to squeeze the moisture out of the tofu, freeze it, defrost it and then squeeze it again to get as much water out as possible. It's so much more manageable once it's been frozen and defrosted. Try the freeze-squeeze-freeze method and see how much spongier your tofu gets - it will soak up flavours effortlessly, the way it's meant to.

Scrambled tofu is the dish that finally won me over to the joys of tofu. It's the best way to cook it and means you can finally join the omnivores in your life with a cooked breakfast. Serve with fried halloumi (if you're not vegan), hash browns and toast for an excellent start to your day. This recipe is endlessly adaptable so mix it up with whatever vegetables you've got kicking around in the fridge.

Scrambled tofu (serves 2)

You will need:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp thyme
• Half a red pepper, diced
• 200g firm tofu, crumbled
• 50g mushrooms, sliced
• 50g spinach

Make it!

1. Fry the garlic in the olive oil over a medium heat for about a minute. Sprinkle in the spices and stir for 30 seconds.
2. Crumble your tofu, keeping it chunky as it will crumble more as you cook it. Add it to the pan along with the red pepper and mushrooms. Add a few tablespoons of water if it's sticking or, if water is cooking out of your tofu, turn up the heat to let it evaporate. Let it cook for 10-15 minutes until the tofu is browning and slightly crispy.
3. Throw in the spinach and stir until it's gently wilted. Season to taste and serve up while it's hot for breakfast.

Flickr image from jules:stone soup's photostream and used under Creative Commons license