Sunday 19 June 2011

Sunday Brunch: Putanesca Tofu Scramble on Wholewheat English Muffins

Kitchen Play List: BBC Radio 2 ~ Steve Wrights Sunday Love Songs

I look forward to Sunday Brunch with My Love all week and I feel very happy that it's just us. As our breakfasts during the week are green smoothies and a fancy quick cereal on a Saturday, it's nice to sit down together and enjoy a cooked breakfast. I highly recommend it. 


Today's brunch is a recipe we haven't tried before but it is one straight out of Isa Chandra Moskowitz's fantastic cook book Vegan Brunch


We wanted a fritatta but then couldn't make a decision of which one to have. Then we looked at the wonderful scrambles and found this one tucked away. Why we hadn't tried it before I'm not really sure as it's packed full of some of our favourite things...scrambled tofu, mixed olives, fresh tomatoes, capers, garlic and fresh oregano and thyme. Lovely. We had picked up some wholemeal english muffins last week and put them in the deep freeze so yesterday we pulled out a pack of two and left them to defrost overnight. It just seemed to fit together. Freshly juiced apple and a black decaf coffee round out the brunch and we are very happy to sit down and enjoy! 

The results were a explosion of flavours and textures. The heat from the chilli flakes, the unique olive hit, the mellow garlic hints, the bite of the salty capers and the smoothness of the tomatoes all worked so well in this herb infused tofu scramble. The wholemeal muffins as the base were a great accompaniment. The sweet fresh apple juice worked as the perfect palate cleanser and then the mug of coffee to sit and slowly saviour was...as always..a pleasure.

Putanesca Scramble on Whoemeal English Muffins, Fresh Apple Juice and a hot and lovely decaf coffee.

Putanesca Scramble
(Recipe from A Vegan Brunch/Moskowitz)

 2 tbsp oilve oil
6-8 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1lb extra firm tofu, crumbled (we use 1 reg pack of Cauldron Tofu ~R~)
4 Roma tomatoes, diced
2 tbsp fresh thyme 
2 tbsp fresh oregano
1/2 cup mixed olives, roughly chopped
1 tbsp capers, chopped
1/4 tsp salt, to taste (optional..we didn't use any)


2 wholemeal English Muffins, lightly toasted or Gluten Free toast

Pre-heat a large heavy bottomed pan over a medium heat. Saute the garlic in the olive oil until lightly browned but be careful not to burn, 3 minutes ought to do it. Add the red pepper flakes and the tofu and saute for about 10 minutes. Add a little extra oil if neccesary. Mix in tomatoes, thyme and oregano and cook for about 5 minutes until the tomatoes are abit broken down but still whole. Add olives capers and salt, if using, cook until just heated through. 

Serve immediately on the toasted wholemeal english muffins or toast. 


A very delicious scrambled tofu!
Once again I want to thank My Love for cooking this lovely Brunch for us.  We hope you enjoy it as much as we did!! 


~R~


NB:  When we use tofu for scrambles or fritatta we buy the tofu ahead of time or when it's on 'offer' and put them in the deep freeze. This firms the tofu up a little and is necessary with the Cauldron Tofu we get here in England. We then get it out to defrost the night before we want it and by the morning it's defrosted and ready to be squeezed out and crumbled. 

My Love pointed out this little note should be added...as we really found it useful when we first started experimenting with the scary stuff that is tofu! lol ~R~