Italian Scramble with Breakfast Potatoes

Tofu scramble is a perfect breakfast meal for any day of the week. Completely tailored to your liking, put in whatever you want! My go-to scramble usually includes black beans, salsa and avocado but today I decided to mix it up a little. A simple blend of dried herbs will really boost up the flavor quickly to transfer a simple scramble into a flavorful plate of food for pennies on the dollar.

One Year Ago Today Eggless Tofu Salad with Grilled Avocados and Baked BBQ Chips

Two Years Ago Today Breakfast Bruschetta with Avocado Poblano Scramble

Roasted red bell peppers, swiss chard, garlic and rosemary come together in this simple and easy breakfast scramble served with herbed baby potatoes.

Italian Scramble
serves 3
1 red bell pepper
2 tbl plus 1 tsp olive oil
1/2 red onion, small dice
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 bunch red chard, leaves roughly chopped
1lb extra firm tofu, drained and pressed
1 tbl dried rosemary
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
3 tbl vegan sour cream, optional

Drizzle 1 tsp of olive oil over the whole bell pepper. Place under the broiler or directly on top of a flame until the skin is soft and charred. Place the pepper in a paper or plastic ziplock bag and let the pepper sweat for 10 minutes. Remove most of the charred skin and roughly chop the pepper.
Sweat the onion and garlic in the remaining 2 tbl of olive oil until soft and fragrant, 7 minutes. Add the red bell pepper and chard and cook until the chard has wilted.
Crumble in the tofu and season with rosemary, salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes. Saute the scramble for 15 minutes until the tofu is slightly browned. Taste and season to taste. Stir in the sour cream right before serving.

Breakfast Potatoes
serves 3
2 cups of halved baby potatoes
2 tbl extra virgin olive oil
2 tbl nutritional yeast
1 tbl dried basil
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp ground garlic
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 425.
Toss the potatoes with olive oil and all of the spices. Roast in an even layer on a baking sheet for 25 minutes, turning once, until the potatoes are fork tender and crispy.

Egg In A Basket

Egg In A Basket, Toad In The Hole, Bird's Nest...One Eyed Monster? How many names for the same thing can one dish have? Egg In A Basket seemed the most notable to me, hence my decision to call it that despite the lack of actual eggs. Traditionally an egg baked in the middle of a piece of toast, my version has much more flavor with tons of veggies. My tofu 'egg' mixture bakes up fluffy and soft, a perfect contrast to crunchy breakfast hash.

Fluffy tofu 'eggs' and asparagus baked inside roasted acorn squash with maple syrup, thyme and a pinch of cayenne. Served with a side of breakfast hash with chard, roasted mushrooms and potatoes.

Egg In A Basket
roasted squash-
1 acorn squash, cut into 4 thick rings, seeds removed
3 tbl extra virgin olive oil, divided
2 tbl maple syrup
1 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne
1 bunch asparagus, tips only

Preheat the oven to 425. Grease a baking sheet.
Toss the squash rings in 2 tbl of olive oil, maple syrup, thyme, salt, pepper and cayenne. Place on the baking sheet then fill each hole with the tofu mixture. Place 3-4 asparagus tips in each hole. Drizzle the tops with the remaining 1 tbl of oil and an additional sprinkle of cayenne. Bake for 20 minutes until the squash is fork tender. Place under the broiler for a couple of minutes to crisp up all the edges.

tofu 'egg'-
8 oz firm tofu
2 tbl extra virgin olive oil
1 tbl nutritional yeast
1 tbl cornstarch
1 tbl vegetable broth
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper

Combine all of the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. The mixture will be very thick. Divide between the four squash rings.

Red Chard & Shittake Hash
1 large russet potato, medium dice
3 tbl extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 bunch red chard, stems-small dice, leaves-roughly chopped
1 cup shiitake mushrooms, halved
salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 425.
Toss the potatoes with 1 tbl of olive oil and bake for 10 minutes. Add the chard stems and leaves, mushrooms, remaining olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 15 more minutes, tossing once half way.

Spanish-Style Frittata with Patatas Bravas

Patatas Bravas or 'brave potatoes' ensures there will be a spicy kick to the bottom layer of this Spanish-style frittata. If you don't do heat well, just reduce the spices accordingly. This frittata can be served warm or at room temperature and tastes great the next day. Make ahead and add the asparagus tips on top when reheating. This could also be made in cupcake tins as individual portions for brunch or a party.

Crispy red potatoes tossed in hot spices, garlic and fresh thyme, layered with red peppers, cherry tomatoes, capers, an herbed frittata mixture with fresh asparagus on top.

First start with the potato layer:

Patatas Bravas
1 large red potato, unpeeled, diced into medium sized chunks
2 tbl extra virgin olive oil
1/2 spanish onion, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbl fresh chopped thyme
2 tsp sweet paprika
1 tsp salt
1 tsp smoked hot paprika
1 tsp organic cane sugar
1/4 tsp chili powder
pinch of cayenne
pinch of black pepper
1/2 cup vegetable broth

Prepare an 8" cake pan or any baking dish you would like with cooking spray and parchment.
Put the diced potato in a small bowl with a couple tablespoons of water and pop in the microwave to par cook for 2 minutes. Drain.
Heat up the oil in a large pan and saute the onions and potatoes until the onions start to soften, 5 minutes. Add the garlic, thyme, sweet paprika, salt, hot paprika, sugar, chili powder, cayenne and black pepper. Saute for 4 minutes more. Add the vegetable broth and cover, steaming for 5 minutes or until the broth has evaporated.
Pour into the cake pan in a single layer and set aside.

Next prepare the vegetable filling:
1 tbl extra virgin olive oil
1 red pepper, thinly sliced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
3 scallions, small dice, both green and white parts
1 tbl small capers, roughly chopped
2 tbl fresh chopped parsley

Whip the saute pan you cooked the potatoes in clean with a paper towel and add 1 tbl of olive oil. Add the red pepper, tomatoes and scallions and saute for 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Saute 4 minutes more just to cook everything but still keep a crisp texture on the red peppers. Remove from heat and toss in the capers and parsley.

Finally, prepare the frittata filling:
1/2-3/4 cup vegetable broth
10 asparagus, divided
16 0z extra firm tofu, drained, pressed and crumbled
2 garlic cloves, smashed
1/2 small spanish onion, rough chop
2 tbl nutritional yeast
2 tbl cornstarch
1 tbl dijon mustard
1 tbl fresh thyme
1 tbl tahini
1 tsp salt
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp pepper

Preheat the oven to 375.
In a blender, add 1/2 cup vegetable broth and the stems only of the asparagus. Keep the tips for the top of the frittata.
Add the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth. Use more vegetable broth if necessary to thin out the filling if the blender is having a hard time.
Pour the frittata filling in a large bowl and add the reserved vegetable filling. Toss to combine. Pour over the potato layer and tap the pan on the counter top a few times to get the filling in between all the potato crevices. Bake for 50 minutes. Add the asparagus tips and a drizzle of olive oil and salt over the top and bake 15 minutes more.
Let cool for at least 20 minutes before serving. Eat warm or at room temperature.