This column is focused on vegetarian or vegan offerings that make it easy to prepare plant-centered meals. As Jane Goodall cites in the book she wrote with Douglas Abrams, “The Book of Hope: A Survival Guide for Trying Times,” moving toward a plant-based diet is one of the innovative solutions we can participate in to start healing the planet. Renewable energy and regenerative farming are other solutions discussed, but probably not as easy for most of us to engage in, whereas we all have the power to decide what to eat every day.
If you want to find out more about the many benefits of a plant-centered diet, take a look at the “Food Choices Matter” section of the Recipe for a Healthy Planet online resource at the Harris Center’s website, harriscenter.org/rhp.
No matter what your food choices may be, breakfast can be a drag for many of us who don’t feel like being overly energetic or creative in the early hours of the day. This recipe is easy to create with almost anything you have in your refrigerator, as long as you have the main ingredient on hand — tofu. Tofu is made of soybean curds that are pressed into soft blocks and sold in the refrigerator section of grocery stores. It is also protein-rich, as are nuts, beans and lentils, to name a few other high-protein sources.
The following recipe comes from Cynthia Orlandella, a Temple resident who has been cooking vegetarian meals for her husband and two children (now healthy adults) for more than 30 years. She’s fearless in the kitchen and a powerhouse of information about nutrition. This recipe is akin to a piece of jazz – an improvisation. Enjoy the freedom to deviate as you wish; take the recipe as guidance, not gospel. A recipe can be something that inspires you, that gives you a basic framework to take off from and soar to your own culinary heights. Cynthia was one of the team members who helped create the online resource Recipe for a Healthy Planet for the Harris Center for Conservation Education’s website.
I have used this recipe many, many times, but I am happy to say that it never comes out the same. I take to heart Cynthia’s advice to use what you have at hand. Since tofu is essentially tasteless, taking on the flavors around it, it’s fun to try different vegetable and spice combinations. The only spice I would suggest using every time is turmeric; combine it with black pepper in order to maximize the absorption of its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits. Our brains are wired to make us “taste” foods, in part, by what the food looks like, so if my scrambled tofu looks more like the scrambled eggs of my youth, they somehow taste even better to me. Since tofu is cream-colored, adding turmeric turns it into a luscious yellow color, very similar to eggs.
Not only does the turmeric give the dish a healthful boost, but it makes the meal more psychologically satisfying and tasty – if you have a positive association with eggs!
From Cynthia: “This is a recipe we use to clean out the fridge before the next shopping day. It is a hash scramble, so we use anything we have on hand. It is a quick, easy 30-minute breakfast, lunch, or dinner meal – even quicker if your potatoes are already cooked (see *hint). As you will see, it truly is a hodgepodge, with a lot of flexibility as to the ingredients.”
Ingredients (all approximate – your choice!)
— 1/2 to 1 whole firm block of tofu (we always use organic soy), pressed and crumbled
— 3 to 4 good-sized organic potatoes with peel, chopped (or peeled if not organic)
(*Hint: If I’m baking potatoes one night for dinner, I always throw in a few extra to have leftovers to make this meal the next day.)
— 1/2 red/green/yellow pepper or more, chopped
— 1 onion, chopped
— Several cloves of garlic, chopped or grated (more is better)
— Zucchini, celery, anything else you have on hand that you like
— Spinach/kale/chard/collards or any combination of greens on hand, chopped
— Handful of fresh parsley/cilantro/basil/dill, chopped
— Spices: pepper, salt, turmeric, paprika, dukka, anything you like, to taste
— Red Hot sauce/salsa of any kind, or ketchup for serving
Directions
1. Oil a large sauté-pan on med-high heat, and sauté potatoes until beginning to brown.
2. Add onion, cook for a few minutes, then add red peppers and other veggies.
3. When they are cooked to your liking, (crunchy is great), add crumbled tofu and sprinkle with turmeric and paprika to give it an “egg” color; stir and cook a few minutes to blend.
4. Add garlic and a handful of fresh herbs and spices; cook a bit until fragrant.
5. Add chopped greens at the last minute, and cook until just soft.
Serve with whole-grain toast.
Lisa Murray is the outreach manager for the Harris Center for Conservation Education and has a passion for exploring the relationship between food and human and planetary health.