In the Kitchen- Tuscan Tofu Scramble (variation)

Today, I am going to share my recipe variation for Tuscan Tofu Scramble, one of my favorite breakfasts. It’s hearty, healthy and delicious.

So…I’ve got some work to do with my health and part of it is returning to the only way of eating that has ever really worked for me in terms of “overall health”: Plant-based/Nutritarian Eating (P.B.N.). It’s actually an old/new, love/hate eating adventure for me, I’ve been plant-based before, even 100% vegan. Every time I felt great, but I usually become frustrated trying to menu plan and get the family on board so that it isn’t as much ‘work’ for me to implement.

I don’t know exactly why but, in the past, this was the only eating plan that I felt amazing on AND got results. Whenever I start consuming more animal products, my health ALWAYS starts to decline… I watch other friends of mine consume steaks, butter, burgers, chicken, dairy and processed foods till their hearts’ content and they do GREAT. Me? Not so much. I CAN eat chicken and fish in small amounts as long as it is prepared in a healthy way, but if it is breaded, slathered in oil, or heavily processed, I just can’t eat it without my body declaring war on itself.

I don’t believe in a “one-size-diet-fits-them-all approach”. I have seen too many people thrive on various diets to know that our bodies have individual needs and I have tried, through the years, to adopt many different ways of eating. Bottom line? Plant-based with minimal animal products seems to work best for me, so… I have decided that I am diving in for the long haul! Before, when I went plant-based, it was usually to detox or correct a health problem I was facing like, an unhealthy gallbladder, or needing to lose weight, etc. Every time I have returned to eating a diet with a lot of animal products, I develop new health problems. Every.Time. It’s so frustrating because I genuinely like dairy, chicken and fish, but to have them on a daily basis is proving to be a pain in the neck for me health-wise! This time around, I will also be cutting out most sugars and adopting low-sodium options. I did this when I was pregnant with my daughter and I was the healthiest I’d ever been as far as lab levels and weight goes. I had a gallbladder issue and morning sickness during my pregnancy with her, but aside from that, I felt amazing in terms of overall health.

I’m going to start blogging about my return to eating this way just to keep myself motivated and accountable. My biggest challenges on P.B.N. Eating?

1. My family! Trying to make plant-based meals that kids AND men will like too is HARD  y’all!!! My goal is to make meals for the family that I can make a meal for myself out of. For example, maybe we have grilled chicken one night, but we also grill up Portobello mushrooms and various veggies with polenta on the side for me to have my P.B.N. meal. while the carnivores get to enjoy their meat. I will also be making it a goal to win them over to some plant-based options. (I have faith, do you?!)
2. Food Prep-  This is a HUGE tool that makes or breaks my success. I need to figure out how to prepare as much as possible in advance so that all I have to do is reach in the fridge or freezer, reheat or assemble, and serve.
3. Healthy beverages that taste great. I don’t like drinking plain water. DO NOT LIKE IT. I’ve looked at THM (Trim Healthy Mama) options and I like quite a few of those. Fruit-infused drinks will probably be another option I use and the traditional lemon or lime slices standby works for me as long as I prepare them in advance.
4. Coffee. Looks like I will be saying goodbye again. Sigh. It’s so sad, but I can’t drink it without cream and, before you suggest all the alternate creamers out there: I’ve tried them all and have liked NONE. I am a half-n-half girl all the way. I can do alternative sweeteners with no problems, it’s the creamer that gets me every time. I don’t like it black either. So sad. I anticipate that the mourning period will be long and drawn out because dear hubby loves coffee even more than me, which means that I have to face off with temptation every single day.
5. Bread- I can let go of pasta, I can let go of chips, crackers and empty carbs, but I need to find good solutions again for bread. I used to have some great recipes from my last pregnancy for low-carb bread alternatives. I’m going to dig those out and start perfecting those to my liking. Low-carb isn’t necessarily the goal for the way I’ll be eating, but because I want to limit sugars, I will be limiting carbs (especially empty ones) as much as possible.

These seem to be what I will need to focus most on. I’m not a huge sweets person, but I do like the occasional treat, so I’ll be looking into some healthier options for those too.

Now…THIS is what I had for breakfast today! I served it on low-fat, low-carb fold it bread and it was seriously satisfying! I got the original recipe from Dr. Furhman’s “Eat to Live” book, altered it by adding mushrooms and fire-roasted red peppers instead and a smidge (seriously it was a dash from the bottle, not much at all) of soy sauce for flavor. I will switch to low-sodium soy sauce when my current bottle runs out. I’ve tried to coconut aminos in place of soy sauce before and didn’t like it, but I may try that again in a couple of weeks for an even healthier option.

Alrighty, ready? Here’s the recipe!

Tuscan Tofu Scramble Variation

Sprouted Extra Firm Tofu, Drained, patted dry and chopped or crumbled

1 teaspoon of olive oil for sautéing tofu

2 green onions, sliced

4 baby bella mushrooms, stems removed and sliced

3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped

1/2 medium tomato, chopped

2 Tablespoons of fire-roasted red peppers

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

Tuscan Herbal Seasoning (I used Tones brand, but sometimes I use individual dried herbs like, rosemary, oregano, basil, garlic, pepper, etc)

About 2 cups of loose, fresh baby spinach leaves

Soy sauce

Water

Directions:

1. Heat skillet and oil on medium heat. Toss in tofu and cook till edges begin to brown.
2. Add green onions, mushrooms, garlic, peppers, and tomato, a little bit of water and cook for a few more minutes till it all starts to get tender.
3. Add a few splashes of soy sauce, herbal seasoning, and the spinach leaves. Cook till the spinach leaves are slightly wilted. Remove from heat.
4. Stir in the nutritional yeast.
5. Serve on flat bread of choice and roll up like a taco or a wrap.

 

This is so flavorful and very satisfying! Store unused leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. I also add chopped sweet potatoes or summer squash to the mixture for a great variation and don’t forget toppings! Lettuce, avocado and hummus work really well with this too! Enjoy!