Mediterranean Tofu Scramble

This recipe was created for the 2021 Recipe Reset and it was an instant favourite. Say goodbye to that dry tofu crumble. This dish is quick and easy and packed with flavour your whole family will love! In this recipe you will find a few great ideas for pantry items to have available such as olives, artichokes, sundried tomatoes and pickled vegetables. Having these flavour boosters in your fridge or pantry make throwing together a meal so much easier! I buy a lot of these items at Costco and keep them at the back of my pantry when I need a last minute meal such as pizza toppers, brunch additions and an easy flavour boosters for salad! This is an excellent brunch item to serve as it can be kept warm in advance and feeds/pleases a crowd of all nutritional needs as its dairy/egg/gluten free! I suggest serving this with a bit of feta or vegan cheese to be added at the end, topped with some parsley and fresh tomatoes . It would be delicious in a breakfast wrap as well. If you want to follow the same recipe with eggs it would work well too. You could even do half and half to incorporate different types of proteins.

Dressing

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon garlic

powder

2 tablespoons oil

1 tablespoon nutritional yeast

1 teaspoon salt plus more to taste

1 lemon squeezed

1 block firm tofu

Filling: Optional

1 cup artichoke

1/2 cup olives

1/4 cup sundried tomatoes

Onion or top with pickled onions

Kale or spinach

2 Tbsp capers

Parsley chopped

Feta cheese to top

Greek Yogurt/Sour cream to top

Method:

1. Crumble your tofu (I do this with my hands) and place in a small bowl. Heat a skillet with a bit of oil I use my cast iron because I like the crispiness it gives. Mix your spice mixture together with the oil and then add to the tofu.

2. 2. Let your tofu sit and marinate while you add the olives artichoke sun-dried tomato, capers, greens and if you're using, red onion to the pan. Let this cook together for about 5 minutes so that the greens and onions saute.

3. 3.Mix in your tofu mixture and make sure it is all evenly coated in the sauce. Let this cook for about 20 minutes on medium low heat. You want it to get a bit crispy on the bottom. Alternatively you could cook this in an ovenproof skillet and transfer it to the oven at 375 for 15-20 minutes.

4. Top with feta, pickled vegetables or hot sauce. This makes great leftovers!

Breakfast Traditions: Dutch Baby A New Way

I have always been a breakfast fan. It’s that time of the day where though it tends to be a rush, it can actually be quite relaxing. I love getting up and knowing the next meal is around the corner...I also love food.

My family has always been big into Saturday brunch, growing up we would all pile into our (tiny) kitchen and join in the fun. Nowadays we all live around the country and so it’s actually become even more special as we are often together on holidays. This means no timeline and lots of caffeine :)

Dutch Pancake as my family refers to it as, is a family favourite! It’s simple and you most often have all the ingredients, it’s also just a whole lot easier than making a bunch of individual pancakes. Now it’s a staple in my own apartment and with many of my brunch dates.

Though it’s delicious there is something about breakfast that really makes me want to get all the goodness out of a meal. It’s the first food that will hit your stomach and it really does set the tone for the day. For that reason I love to mix up the traditional recipe and instead pack it with all kinds of goodness!

I often alternate Conventional Flour with Oat Flour. There is something about those Oats that really get me. They are an affordable grain, I always have them in my kitchen and they are packed with vitamins and fibre!

For this recipe I simply blend them in my coffee grinder and though it makes the pancake a bit more dense- I still love it. You could even just sub in a bit of the Oat Flour!

Ingredients

6 eggs

1/4 cup butter/coconut oil

1 1/2 cup milk of choice (coconut would be nice too)

1 1/2 cups Oat Flour (or can stick to All Purpose Flour)

1/4 tsp salt

Method

Place butter in 425 degree oven. Let melt (but watch so it doesn’t burn).

In a large bowl mix eggs, milk flour and salt until just mixed. Pour the batter over the melted butter and return to oven for 20-25mins. I often will add something directly to the batter such as berries, or something savoury like cheese. You can also make a Chia Jam (check out my recipe) and add it when serving!

I serve mine with yogurt, syrup and fruit but you could also add cheese and serve it with tomatoes and avocado and take the savoury route!

Banana Oat Pancake with Chia Strawberry Jam

I absolutely love breakfast, whether it’s brunch on the weekend or a quick breakfast on the go- I don’t think flavour and nutrient density should be compromised! With this recipe it is easy to make ahead, making it possible to enjoy this delicious and hearty breakfast on any day of the week!

I cook up my pancakes in advance and keep a container to add the jam, yogurt and some other toppers such as nuts and seeds when I am ready to enjoy! You can make the pancakes thinner and use as more of a crepe wrap-up, or thick almost like a Mexican Sopa topped with all your favourites!

I love to include seeds in my daily diet, not only are they packed with hormone supporting fats for women’s health, they are also full of Omegas and are a very affordable addition to any meal or snack! Keep some stocked in your desk at work or in your glove box for an easy blood sugar balancing treat!

I love pancakes, but have found that a classic flour pancake with syrup doesn’t serve me well when starting my morning. Instead I like to pack a variety of phytonutrients, fats and proteins into the recipe to encourage healthy blood sugar and a helpful start to my morning!

Feel free to mix up this recipe and change up flours, add more or less eggs and different spices, it can really by a Choose Your Own Adventure recipe!

Banana Oat Pancake

3 eggs

3 mashed bananas

1/2 cup Flour of any kind

1/2 cup Rolled Oats pulsed but keep some flakes in tact for that perfect texture

1 tbsp ground flax seed

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp cardamom

1 tbsp honey

2-3 tbsp coconut milk or milk of choice to reach desired texture

Mix all wet ingredients (except milk- only added at end to find your perfect consistency), add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix well. Add Milk if necessary! I love to do all my recipes in a single bowl because- dishes. Be sure to let this sit for a few minutes so the oats have some time to soak up the liquid!

I recommend making all of the pancakes in advance and then heating them, or just enjoying them cold!

Almost Spoiled Strawberry Chia Jam

This name isn’t exactly appealing BUT this is honestly the best way to make this jam! I scour the reduced rack for those strawberries that look beyond end of life and save them for this perfect recipe! I hate to see food be wasted and also berries can be expensive so this is a great opportunity to use them!

Wash and chop off any sections that may be too far gone. Toss these into a pot with a few tbsp of water and let it boil down, stirring occasionally. I add in cinnamon but no sweetener as these types of berries are usually quite sweet on their own! Once it’s a soupy but a chunky texture- really depending on your own discretion- I remove from heat. I then add about 1/4 cup of chia seeds and WHISK (important as they will clump otherwise).

This can be served immediately or can be refrigerated and used for on the go breakfast or a perfect topper on yogurt, ice cream or in smoothies! I love putting these on my pancakes and add more seeds like hemp, pumpkin and some nuts!

Easy At Home Eggs

Eggs are the classic clean out the fridge meal for any time of the day! I begin by sautéing my chopped greens (kale, spinach whatever you may have). Once soft, I add in any veg that may be lying around like cabbage, zucchini even shredded carrot.

I then chop up any ‘dead-end’ herbs that I have, such as dill/cilantro/parsley- including all the stems, chopped up nice and fine.

I let this all cook for a few minutes to infuse the flavours, adding salt to taste. While this is cooking I whip a few eggs together (2-3 depending on portion and size of eggs) and then I let them nestle into the nooks and crannies of the veg and cook away. I sometimes even add a bit of quinoa or other grain that is cooked in the fridge.

Top this with some salsa, ferments like sauerkraut or kimchi and a drizzle of oil and it is the best 10 minute lunch around!

Fresh 5 Minute Salsa 

My five minute salsa is out of pure laziness. Jamie loves fresh salsa and instead of spending 20 minutes chopping everything I let my food processor do the work.

I start with a bit of garlic, red onion, lime juice and a handful of cilantro and then I toss the tomatoes in, depending on size chopped into quarters.

I add salt + pepper to taste and voila, the easiest salsa around. This is a great way to use up all those on the edge of extinction tomatoes! I often buy from the discount rack and use those!