Tofu Love

Above: Tofu scramble break down- the chopped nuts, spices, cranberries and crumbled tofu (I skipped the cilantro)- and then the beautiful assembled finish!
Recipe: Garam Masala Tofu Scramble
Right now I'm obsessed with the versatility of tofu. It adapts itself to stir-frys, adds some protein to salads, is yummy baked slathered in teriyaki or honey-mustard sauce, and this afternoon I discovered how delicious it is scrambled. I know that many people have aversions to tofu. My roommate recounted the story when her family decided to replace their Thanksgiving din one year with Tofurkey, to her absolute horror. Tofu is so good for you, so flexible and so affordable (1 14 oz. block of tofu will cost you under $2!) that it would be a tragedy to relegate it to the shady world of meat substitutions. I urge you to reconsider this potential food friend, which shines in this flavorful scramble. This week is finals week, which means that quick and easy are the buzzwords when it comes to food. But that doesn't mean a self-enforced Ramen diet is obligatory- this dish took about 15 min. to throw together and paid back many times in taste the effort and time put into it!

Garam Masala Tofu Scramble Recipe

You can buy garam masala spice blends, or make your own from spices like cardamom, cloves, cumin, and cinnamon. (I personally used a blend of curry spice that we had in the cabinent and some cumin and it turned out great, so you can work with what you have!). On the tofu front, I actually like to use a firmer tofu which lends more structure in the end, softer water-packed work as well but lend a looser, and in some cases creamier texture.

Ingredients:
a splash of olive oil
couple pinches of salt
1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala spice blend
1 medium onion, halved and cut into thin slices
1/2 medium bulb fennel, cut into very thin slices
1/4 cup dried cranberries, chopped
12 ounces extra firm orgnic tofu, crumbled
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/3 cup pistachios, chopped

Add the olive oil to a big pot over med-high heat. Stir in the garam masala, and then quickly add the onions and fennel.

Stir in onions and salt and cook until the onions soften, just a minute or two. Now it's up to you in regards to how long you'd like to let the onions cook - it you are in a rush, just cook them for a few minutes until they soften. If you have a bit more time, let them start to caramelized and darken. Stir in the cranberries, cook them for thirty seconds and add the tofu. Stir and stir to combine the tofu with the other ingredients. Remove from the heat and stir in the cilantro and pistachios. Taste and add more salt if needed.

Serves 4.

*Recipe from Heidi Montag's blog 101 Cookbooks http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/garam-masala-tofu-scramble-recipe.html