Tofu à la Goldenrod

Eggs à la Goldenrod is a Depression-era classic that was once a popular item on diner menus all over the United States. It was a basic meal composed of scrambled eggs over an egg-based gravy served with toast points. I admit we took liberties when veganizing this recipe, but I think the result is a hearty, flavorful meal that goes great with a cup o’ joe.

Ingredients for Tofu à la Goldenrod recipe

Scramble

1 (16-ounce) package extra-firm tofu, drained
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon lemon pepper
Olive oil cooking spray

Simple Gravy

4 tablespoons vegan margarine
2 teaspoons soy sauce or Bragg’s Liquid Aminos
4 tablespoons whole wheat flour
1½ teaspoons ground black pepper, plus more as needed
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 cup soy milk
Salt

To Assemble

2 to 4 slices of your favorite bread

How to make Tofu à la Goldenrod ?

Make the scramble: In a large bowl, use a fork to gently mash the tofu into bite-size pieces—not into a paste. Using a large spoon, mix the nutritional yeast, turmeric, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, and lemon pepper with the tofu.

Spray a cast-iron skillet with a heavy coating of olive oil cooking spray and set it over medium heat. Transfer the tofu mixture to the hot skillet and cook for 2 minutes. Use a spatula to flip the tofu occasionally to make sure it cooks evenly and scrape up any bits of tofu that stick to the skillet to keep them from burning. Flip the tofu a few times to help the moisture cook off, but don’t overflip—you want the tofu to have contact with the pan so it gets lightly crispy edges.

Meanwhile, make the simple gravy: In a saucepan, melt the vegan margarine over medium heat. Whisk in the soy sauce, flour, pepper, onion powder, soy milk, and salt to taste until creamy. Taste and add more salt and pepper as needed. Reduce the heat to low to keep the gravy warm while the scramble is cooking.

Assemble the dish: Once the scramble is cooked to the desired texture and the gravy is lightly bubbling, toast the bread. We recommend cutting your toast diagonally into toast points.

To serve, place a few pieces of toast on a plate, cover with gravy, and top with the scramble.

TURMERIC

For most of my adult life, I thought of turmeric as a spice that didn’t do much more than add a little color and a mild flavor. Little did I know that this often-overlooked spice is currently being studied for medicinal properties and preventive applications for diseases ranging from Alzheimer’s to cancer. While scientists are still researching this spice, we’ve come to appreciate turmeric more. If you’re wondering what else you can use turmeric in, try making the Samosa Pizza, Vegan BLT Mac and Cheez, and The Six Million Dollar Tofu “Egg” Salad.

For the Price of a Cup of Coffee…

When making a monthly food budget, there’s one item many folks tend to overlook: coffee.
It might be a legitimate mistake, because some would categorize coffee as a necessity—like deodorant and toothpaste. Some take a more honest approach and list coffee mentally with their addictions, like cigarettes or cable TV. This way of thinking might account for the long lines at coffee shops and the (debatable) need for said shops to be located only blocks from one another.
It might also account for the findings of a 2012 survey that said the average American spends more than $1,000 a year on coffee from coffee shops. Yahoo! Business broke it down like this: If you buy one $4 latte each day, that habit will set you back $28 a week, about $120 a month, and $1,460 per year. A writer at TheSimpleDollar.com researched what it would cost to make a “good” cup of coffee at home, and after contacting the Specialty Coffee Association of America found that the cost of a 16-ounce cup of coffee made with high-quality beans came out to about 44 cents—including water, the “start-up cost” of a coffee machine, filters, cups, and even electricity. When you add soy creamer or nondairy milk to the coffee and sugar, that comes out to around 80 cents.
A grande or 16-ounce cup of black coffee at Starbucks will run you about $2—the savings of $1.20 may not seem that huge, but over a year it can equal many hundreds of dollars. It’s no wonder that every year one of the most popular New Year’s resolutions is to stop buying coffee from coffee shops.

Tofu à la Goldenrod