Scrambled

This is my favorite way to prepare tofu of late. So easy and open to variation. Inevitably, I serve it with some sort of potato. Pictured is scrambled tofu with garlicky potatoes and kale. Sometimes even better than the dinner hot out of the frying pan is leftovers for breakfast in the form of a breakfast burrito. Warm up the leftovers, arrange on a tortilla with avocado and cheese, roll it up and sprinkle with hot sauce, serve along side plain yogurt (like sour cream). Yum.

A whole package of tofu (14oz.) makes about 4 servings. Here's what to do. Start with extra firm tofu. Use your hands to squeeze out as much water as you can and discard the water. Put the smooshed tofu into a bowl and liberally season it as you like. I douse it generously (about 1Tbs?) with Spike seasoning and add either some cayenne, chili powder, cumin or a combination of 2 or 3 of them. (Spike seasoning is a flavor blend of herbs, spices and vegetables. In my grocery store it's in the baking aisle of the organic/natural foods section.) With a fork, mash up the tofu and distribute the seasonings. Heat a few tsp of oil over medium high heat in a large, non-stick skillet. When the oil is hot, dump in the tofu and stir it around to coat evenly with the oil. Spread the tofu out in a thin(ish) layer in the pan. When the tofu begins to brown, flip it over to brown the other side. Actual cooking time is a matter of minutes so keep an eye on it. Eat. 

Lessons I've learned the hard way: 

1. Use a non-stick skillet. When I use a regular skillet the tofu always sticks, leaving behind the nice, crispy browned surface. So sad.

2. More oil is not good. Extra oil in a regular skillet does not prevent sticking. It only makes the tofu greasy. Same goes for extra oil in a non-stick skillet. The key is using as little oil as possible, but getting it HOT before adding the tofu to the pan.