tofu scramble with garden veggies

If you know me then you know I am not fond of eating eggs nor am I fond of the idea of taking "babies" from a hen and boiling, frying or scrambling them. Eggs are healthy.... blah, blah, blah

I have tried tofu scrambles before but it turns out this time of year the garden offers wonderful things to add. I used my Lacinto, heirloom Italian, kale and garlic topping the scramble with a beautiful mix of my heirloom tomatoes, cilantro, red onion and lime juice (not mine). Serve it in a wrap, on brown rice, quinoa or on top of sauteed veggies.

Did I tell you kale packs as much calcium as milk but less the fat and hormones and is packed with vitamins, minerals (super food) and fiber. This makes it heart healthy, when not eaten as a side of french fries. My grandmother made the best french fries.

tofu scramble with garden veggies

• 1 12 oz package of Mori-Nu silken tofu, firm & drained in colander (substitute eggs if you feeling a bit savage)
• 1 medium shallot, chopped
• 1 cup kale, julienned
• 2 links of tofuky chorizo (or real chorizo if you've been bitten by the carnivore bug), I sliced mine and browned it first
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp cilantro, dried
• ground white pepper to taste

In a saute pan, over medium heat, add 2 tsp olive oil and turmeric and blend for about 30 seconds then add the onion, garlic and kale to saute for a minute. Stir in the browned chorizo, tofu and cilantro.

additions or substitutions: this is where you get creative. . . crank up the gypsy kings to get the creative juices flowing

• green pepper
• hot pepper
• hot pepper flakes
• cumin
• curry
• avocado
• top with a dollop of yogurt or salsa

eyeballed salsa (approximate recipe)

• 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
• 1/4 cup onion/shallot, diced or thinly sliced
• handful of cilantro
• 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
• drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper

zerada's wontons... sort of

my girlfriend zerada use to make the best won tons when she would visit. we haven't seen each other for sometime until i stumbled on facebook! so this recipe is for her. zerada's recipe called for some kind of meat substitute from a can (sounds frightening but really great for this recipe) and water chestnuts... the only ingredients i had on hand, from her recipe, were the scallions and won ton wrappers.

my version is more thai...

1 package of won ton wrappers

1 package extra firm tofu

4 stalks scallion, chopped

1/2 cup cilantro

1/2 cup raw cashews, chopped

2 tsp thai red curry paste

1 tsp turmeric

2 cloved garlic, minced

shredded carrots...i might have added some

dash of soy sauce

dash of sesame oil

dash of olive oil

2 cups grape seed oil, to fry the won tons

in a saute pan heat the sesame and olive oil (about 2 Tbs total) over medium heat then add the thai red curry paste and turmeric. heat and blend for about 1 minute. add the tofu and crumble it as it sautes for about 5 minutes. while still over the heat add the cilantro, garlic, scallions and raw cashews. saute for a minute longer then remove from heat.

follow the directions on the won ton package to wrap the packages neatly while you are heating the oil. i have never fry anything and don't have a thermometer. i had my heat too high for the first few so drop them in one at a time until you have the temp that makes them golden.

this is wicked good with some major grey's chutney - i used trader joe's mango ginger chutney...yum!