I’m making tofu scramble nests today as a kind of veganization of an awesome old breakfast favorite! One of my favorite weekend morning breakfasts pre-vegan days were these delicious baked eggs in baskets by Sunny Anderson. Her recipe creates adorable “baskets” out of shredded potatoes, which she bakes an egg in, and then tops with prosciutto. They look so impressive, and are incredibly delicious, but are really easy to make.
I’m yet to pinpoint what it is that I loved about poached eggs, so as of yet I don’t have a vegan alternative. But I think filling these little potato nests with a nutritious tofu scramble is just as fun, easy and delicious!
And just look at how cute the presentation is! Adorable tofu scramble nests!
This is the perfect dish to serve for my weekend brunch with a girlfriend! But now instead of filling these with eggs and ham, I’ve filled them with tofu and vegetables – much healthier, and even prettier because now they’re super colorful!
But of course I had to include a little crispified soy chorizo for that decadent weekend-morning taste. Plus, I’m completely obsessed with soy chorizo and have to force myself to resist adding it to everything I make.
- 1 large russet potato (you want 1 C shredded)
- 1 T extra virgin olive oil
- 1 T Earth Balance margarine
- 2 T vegetable broth
- 1/2 bell pepper
- 1/2 C chopped onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/2 gala apple
- 1/4 C soy chorizo
- 7 oz extra firm tofu (half a normal-sized container), cubed or crumbled or whatever you like
- 2 C baby spinach
- 1/2 t turmeric
- 1/2 t smoked paprika
- 1 t salt, divided
- pepper to taste
- about 3 T cilantro, chopped
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Wash, peel, and grate russet potatoes. One large one is plenty for two people.
- Then wrap the shredded potato in a kitchen towel and wring out all of the excess liquid from the potatoes.
- I have a designated potato and zucchini wringing towel. Pretty, eh?
- So don’t use your favorite dish towel for this task.
- Put potato shreds in bowl, add olive oil, 1/2 t salt, pepper, and mix thoroughly.
- Use Earth Balance to grease six cups of your muffin tin. This is really important because without the butter, these stick in the pan like crazy, and you’ll have to destroy your cute nests to remove them. I tried copious amounts of cooking spray, but it does not work.
- Then pop in the oven for about half an hour, until golden brown.
- While the nests are cooking, chop your tofu scramble ingredients. You can use whatever vegetables and spices you’d like.
- I sauteed my vegetables in vegetable broth to avoid using more oil in this recipe. This really works just as well if you aren’t trying to brown the veggies. First saute firmer vegetables – for this recipe, it’s the onion and bell peppers.
- When soft, add garlic and apple, and saute about 3 minutes. Then add chorizo until it’s reached desired crispiness. Then add tofu, spices, remaining 1/2 t salt, and pepper, just until combined. Finally, add in 2 T of cilantro and spinach until wilted.When your potato nests are done, spoon the scramble into nests. Top with remaining cilantro and whatever other seasonings you like – salsa, ketchup, or hot sauce are always good!
For a printable version, click here.
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