Ετικέτες
Few meals are as easy and tasty as this simple scrambled tofu, a kind of vegan omelet that you don’t even need to turn upside down! What I could not imagine though, is that this vegan scrambled tofu would be just as good -or even better- than the traditional Greek dish with eggs which is called «strapatsada». What’s more, this amazing vegan dish does not have the heavy smell of eggs, allowing the mature tomatoes of the season to reveal their flavors and taste. Actually the secret lies in the tomatoes!
In fact, unlike the usual instructions we read in most recipes, if we want to fully enjoy a tomato, we should never remove the seeds and the peels, not only because we may lose some of the nutrients that are hidden there, but also because that’s where the plant decided to hide much of its tastefulness qualities, its fifth flavor, its umami!
Umami is one of the tastes that we do not learn at school and may not be as readily recognizable as the others, but it is the one that gives the deliciousness, the depth to our favorite dishes; it is the flavor that is hidden in some ingredients and can make our cooking unbeatable. One of the natural, vegan sources of umami, are the very mature tomatoes that, at the beginning of fall, having absorbed all the sun and warmth of the summer, are at their best. Coming near the end of their season, tomatoes can surprise us with this delicious «swan song», as they surprised us last night and made me want to share with you our simple recipe!
Ingredients
(for 2-4 persons, depending on how hungry they are!)
- 400 g firm tofu
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
- 1 red bell pepper, cut into cubes
- 2 large, very ripe tomatoes, cut into small cubes
- 3/4 tsp ground turmeric
- 3/4 tsp ground sweet paprika
- salt and freshly ground pepper
- a pinch of dried oregano (after cooking)
Method
1. Pour the olive oil together with the onion and garlic in a non-stick pan and sauté over medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Add the tomatoes, pepper and spices, stir and continue cooking for about 15 minutes until the vegetables soften and most of their liquids are evaporated.
2. While cooking the vegetables, crumble the tofu with a fork or with our hands (don’ t have to overdo it though, just break into small pieces!).
3. Add the crumbled tofu to the pan and mix thoroughly. Cook for 5 more minutes over medium heat. Serve warm, sprinkled with dried oregano and enjoy!