breakfast and brunch

savory buckwheat breakfast scramble with soft fried tofu and scallion

savory buckwheat breakfast scramble with soft fried tofu and scallion [ via the briny ]

anyone else feel like they’re hibernating this winter? i love the lingering overcast sky but i think it contributes to my sense of slowness and lowness. aside from being lazy as a sloth and having a hard time finding balance in my sleep schedule, though, i feel good. peaceful. an ambiguous but vaguely forward momentum drifts and drives. with the end of each short day i find i’m not crossing nearly as many things off my lists as i might have hoped, but here i am: immersing myself in an unfamiliar pool of acceptance. it feels nice. it doesn’t feel ambitious and it doesn’t feel like disappointment. it feels healthy. alive and not impelled by the expectation of aspirations.

savory buckwheat breakfast scramble with soft fried tofu and scallion [ via the briny ]
savory buckwheat breakfast scramble with soft fried tofu and scallion [ via the briny ]

during this slow and strange season, heat and tang and zest and spice provide precious respite. pairings of sweet with deep and earthy with zingy tickle the tongue and awaken the senses. the mornings beg for bright and vibrant meals and a spicy and savory breakfast beckons warmth and light and sets us on our feet instead of back to bed. say hello to option hot. option savory. option bleak and beautiful winter morning made bright with food and love.

savory buckwheat breakfast scramble with soft fried tofu and scallion

about preparing buckwheat — it’s the best kind of easy. the kind where you don’t have to cut corners or compromise and still you reap real reward. soak the buckwheat groats to make them more nutritive and cook up a big pot of them to last through the week. put them in salads, toss them with roasted veggies, make sweet porridges, and enjoy a warm and welcoming breakfast like this one on a whim. or soak and sprout just slightly and stick them in the fridge until you’re ready to cook with them. the uncooked, soaked groats blend up easily to make an incredible flatbread or pizza crust, or crisp up in a dehydrator to top a vibrant winter fruit bowl.

this is my favorite way to prepare tofu lately. with its own lovely texture and consistency preserved in long and tender slices, this scrambled tofu feels less like an analogue or a substitute than the crumbly version, to my tongue.

for the buckwheat
olive oil
the white and pale green part of a scallion, sliced thinly
garlic powder
onion powder
nooch
tamari
salt if needed
about 1 cup cooked buckwheat groats per person

warm a drizzle of olive oil in a saucepan or pot over medium heat. throw in some garlic powder, onion powder, nooch, and a dash of tamari and allow mixture to heat through a little. add the cooked buckwheat and stir to coat. taste a few groats for seasoning and season with salt if needed. allow to heat through, stirring occasionally, while you cook the tofu.

for the tofu
olive oil
between 1/4 and 1/8 block tofu per person, sliced very thinly
nooch
garlic powder
onion powder
turmeric powder
tamari
black pepper
salt if needed

heat a skillet to medium. add a glug of olive oil and when hot, add the thinly sliced tofu and stir to coat. season with nooch, garlic powder, onion powder, turmeric powder, tamari, and black pepper. stir again and gently scramble until hot. season with additional salt if needed.

fixin’s
the green part from the scallion, sliced thinly / red pepper flakes or powder / more nooch / black pepper / flaky salt

finish & assembly
first the buckwheat, then the tofu, then all the fixin’s! the scallion makes it. don’t skimp!

notes & ideas
this would be so delicious with some vegetables scrambled with the tofu — broccoli or brussels sprouts being the first that come to mind.

i used to employ the same spices for a barley and fried eggs version of this. it’s crazy good.

other ways to break your fasts

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  1. Yum. Oh my god, yum! Love how this is gf and vegan and loving your post as well. The gloomy weather has made me feel sluggish, but not necessarily in a bad way. While I’ve definitely got the winter blues, the slower pace makes me feel calm and less anxious overall :)

    Reply

    • thank you, medha! my partner and i have decided to forego buying eggs unless we can get them from a trusted, humane, and local source, and we don’t do a lot of dairy anyway, so our pantry is now almost entirely made up of plant foods. i’m excited about it. i’ve had to get a little more creative (or maybe just resourceful and approaching dishes from a different angle) but so far, it’s been great.

      Reply

  2. I suppose because I just started my semester off, I have insanely more energy than I expected so far. But no worries, in a couple weeks or so I too will turn sluggish and slothlike, haha.

    This looks super delicious. I loove how healthy and satisfying this looks. And yay nooch! I just tried it the other day and it’s yummy!!

    Reply

  3. I have missed so many of your posts, and you’ve changed the layout! It looks so good, I love that watercolour back-drop, so pretty! And loving your take on this savoury buckwheat dish – yum!

    Reply

    • i had taken an extended holiday break from blogging, but sprang back to action just over a week ago. thanks for the kind words! (i’m so excited about that watercolor!) :)

      Reply

  5. i love how you give the different options. and i am laughing ridiculously hard at myself right now because i had to look up nooch. :) i’m glad you’re taking time for yourself right now and being okay with not getting everything done all at once. i have to remind myself of that too! xo

    Reply