A healthful spin on traditional breakfast

By Ellen Kanner

Miami Herald

Not ready to face the day with green juice, but ready for a more healthful spin on traditional breakfast? Welcome to tofu scramble: scrambled eggs without the eggs, cholesterol and cruelty. Great for breakfast, it also pleases at lunch, dinner or any time you’re in the mood. Turmeric and nutritional yeast give the tofu a gently warm eggy flavor and hue and add antioxidants and vitamin B-12. Feel free to change up any vegetables with what’s fresh at your local farmers market, but aim for organic tofu — most soy on the market is genetically modified.

TOFU SCRAMBLE

1tablespoon olive oil

1small onion or 3 scallions, chopped

1jalapeno pepper, chopped

1red pepper, chopped

1small zucchini or yellow squash, chopped

1teaspoon cumin

1teaspoon turmeric

1tablespoon nutritional yeast (see note)

1small tomato, chopped

12ounces (about 3/4 of a 1-pound package) firm organic tofu, pressed to get rid of excess water and blotted dry

1bunch fresh cilantro, chopped fine

Sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion, jalapeno, red pepper and zucchini. Stir and continue to cook for 7 to 10 minutes, or until vegetables soften and turn golden and fragrant. Stir in cumin, turmeric and nutritional yeast, coating vegetables well. Add chopped tomato and mix well.

And now, the fun part. Crumble tofu in the skillet. You may mash it with a wooden spoon or enjoy the wonderfully tactile sensation of smooshing it between your fingers (a nice aggression release).

Scramble everything together in merry fashion, breaking up any odd tofu clumps, as it goes from white to golden. Season generously with sea salt and ground pepper and continue cooking for about 3 minutes, until the scramble is dryish and heated through. Mix in chopped cilantro and serve. Makes 2-3 servings and can be scaled up.

Note: Nutritional yeast is a fabulous, dairy-free, cheesy-tasting golden powder available in the baking section of many natural food stores. Vegan bonus — several brands including Red Star are B-12 fortified.

Ellen Kanner is the author of “Feeding the Hungry Ghost: Life, Faith and What to Eat for Dinner.”