Sunday is by far my favorite day of the week. Perhaps it’s because it is both the beginning and the end of two weeks, or maybe it’s because I can do whatever I want. Or, maaaybe it’s just because I have every Sunday off from work.
Scratch all of that. SUNDAY IS BRUNCH DAY! Which is exactly why I love it SO much.
I love brunch so much that for the month of August, I’ve committed myself to brunch every Sunday. Last weekend was spent in Asheville with the family, this week I cooked for friends, and the next couple of weeks have fun plans in store as well! I turn 30 this month, celebrate my first year as Manager at Luna’s Living Kitchen, and also started training for a Half Marathon. I have so much to be excited about! What better way to celebrate than with food.
Scratch all of that. SUNDAY IS BRUNCH DAY! Which is exactly why I love it SO much.
I love brunch so much that for the month of August, I’ve committed myself to brunch every Sunday. Last weekend was spent in Asheville with the family, this week I cooked for friends, and the next couple of weeks have fun plans in store as well! I turn 30 this month, celebrate my first year as Manager at Luna’s Living Kitchen, and also started training for a Half Marathon. I have so much to be excited about! What better way to celebrate than with food.
 |  |  |
So this past Sunday, I opted to cook for great friends. These guys love to point out that I’m the “vegan one,” which is hilarious because they’ve been calling me that since long before I ever committed to the idea. I’ve been cooking mostly vegan dinners for years, though, which is so weird in their eyes. But when anyone asks who in the group knows how to cook- well, lucky me for being so weird, because apparently that goes hand-in-hand with being vegan. I’ll take it!
All of that is to say that Sunday's brunch was delicious! I believe I managed to make the best Tofu Scramble I’ve ever had. I’m a pretty modest gal - it is very rare for me to make such a statement - so please know that I don’t share that thought with ease. However, recently becoming solidly and consistently vegan has brought about new challenges to my cooking that I was able to overlook most of my time as an egg- and cheese-reliant vegetarian. I find it so cool now to really be able to cook to make flavor the star, as I teach myself how to season and spice in ways I never knew before. I can’t help but wonder how many meals I’ve cooked or eaten in the past that would have tasted like cardboard were it not for the seratonin-boosting, salty cheese I smothered on top. Or worse, how many times did I bury my veggies in eggs, only to be getting a fraction of my body’s need for the nutrients that would have otherwise piled abundantly on my plate in plant form.
All of that is to say that Sunday's brunch was delicious! I believe I managed to make the best Tofu Scramble I’ve ever had. I’m a pretty modest gal - it is very rare for me to make such a statement - so please know that I don’t share that thought with ease. However, recently becoming solidly and consistently vegan has brought about new challenges to my cooking that I was able to overlook most of my time as an egg- and cheese-reliant vegetarian. I find it so cool now to really be able to cook to make flavor the star, as I teach myself how to season and spice in ways I never knew before. I can’t help but wonder how many meals I’ve cooked or eaten in the past that would have tasted like cardboard were it not for the seratonin-boosting, salty cheese I smothered on top. Or worse, how many times did I bury my veggies in eggs, only to be getting a fraction of my body’s need for the nutrients that would have otherwise piled abundantly on my plate in plant form.
Nonetheless, I regret to inform you that I used to really like the taste of eggs. It was my saving grace as a vegetarian living on a budget in Chicago. When I was down to $20 per week for groceries, my shopping cart consisted of eggs, a block of cheese, potatoes, soy milk, bread, peanut butter, hummus, and whatever veggies I could squeeze into the last couple of dollars. My body is so thankful that even when I’m pinching pennies, I’ve at least reversed my grocery shopping priorities. I still shop frugally, but with the starches and dairy aside, replaced by greens and grains. And occasionally, I’ll throw in some tofu, tempeh, or whole-food based veggie burgers to add some convenience to my meals.
During the time that I lived in Chicago, my closest friends and I developed a tradition of weekly Sunday brunch. My first roommate and I got it down to a science. I perfected the potato home-frieds, she made the tofu scramble, whoever woke up first made the coffee. And somehow we’d find a way to sneak dirty martinis or bloody marys in there. During my last year there, my other two closest friends and I rotated between our three apartments each Sunday. We all cooked together, lavishly drank mimosas, and spent the afternoon catching up and goofing off. Those are some of my favorite memories, which is why I think I still love brunch so much. No matter if I’m with other friends or alone, Sunday Brunch always takes me back to those delicious meals spattered with laughs and the occasional tear. I usually scratch the booze these days, though.
I went back to Chicago in March to see these friends. (They have names, by the way. Chrissy! Bekah! Matt! CoIleen! I love these guys.) They were so incredible to let me pick all of the restaurants, no matter if it meant they “had” to eat vegan or not. Fortunately for me, there was so much to choose from. And when I got back, I recommitted myself to the Sunday fun of eating brunch.
During the time that I lived in Chicago, my closest friends and I developed a tradition of weekly Sunday brunch. My first roommate and I got it down to a science. I perfected the potato home-frieds, she made the tofu scramble, whoever woke up first made the coffee. And somehow we’d find a way to sneak dirty martinis or bloody marys in there. During my last year there, my other two closest friends and I rotated between our three apartments each Sunday. We all cooked together, lavishly drank mimosas, and spent the afternoon catching up and goofing off. Those are some of my favorite memories, which is why I think I still love brunch so much. No matter if I’m with other friends or alone, Sunday Brunch always takes me back to those delicious meals spattered with laughs and the occasional tear. I usually scratch the booze these days, though.
I went back to Chicago in March to see these friends. (They have names, by the way. Chrissy! Bekah! Matt! CoIleen! I love these guys.) They were so incredible to let me pick all of the restaurants, no matter if it meant they “had” to eat vegan or not. Fortunately for me, there was so much to choose from. And when I got back, I recommitted myself to the Sunday fun of eating brunch.
So, I should probably tell you something before I divulge any further: I usually find Tofu Scramble to be the saddest item on a vegan menu. I’ve tried so many, and have had very few I loved. For one, it’s always made the same! Tofu, onions, bell peppers, curry, turmeric, salt and pepper. Okay, maybe some of them have mushrooms and garlic. Yet curry and turmeric are such delicate spices, and there is truly an art to using them that most people have not figured out, myself included. Just because your food turns bright and beautiful does not mean that it is suddenly going to be BANGIN’ with flavor. Hence, I rarely even attempt to make one, because every recipe I’ve found offers up the same orange variation. Secondly, as a sort-of "egg" dish replacement, I've always been saddened that the yellow mush would just never have that...eggy taste. Which is why I'm super excited to have discovered Black Salt! It gives tofu just that something- without actually tasting like fake eggs- that satiates the vegan brunchetarian's palate.
So Sunday, feeling extra zesty, with tofu in hand, I wanted to beat the tofu-scramble odds. And I also wanted eggs. So I figured I’d give Tofu Scramble a final shot. Not only to challenge myself to fixing something I knew could be delicious, but also because I’ve really been trying to learn how to season and spice well. I am sometimes lazy and often unadventurous, so taking on a venture that really demands good use of herbs was a bit scary. But I am so glad I did it! Here is a new take on the old orange classic, sans the bland, insert YUM. I hope you enjoy!
So Sunday, feeling extra zesty, with tofu in hand, I wanted to beat the tofu-scramble odds. And I also wanted eggs. So I figured I’d give Tofu Scramble a final shot. Not only to challenge myself to fixing something I knew could be delicious, but also because I’ve really been trying to learn how to season and spice well. I am sometimes lazy and often unadventurous, so taking on a venture that really demands good use of herbs was a bit scary. But I am so glad I did it! Here is a new take on the old orange classic, sans the bland, insert YUM. I hope you enjoy!
