004 / 75 · Breakfasts That Teach the Basics
Spinach Tofu Scramble in Toasted Pita
2 filled whole-wheat pitas, each with half the tofu-spinach mixture · Active 20 min · Total 35 min
Print recipe · PDFA block of plain firm tofu can be crumbled with your hands, so this filling needs no careful knife work beyond a little onion. The sequence is useful: soften the onion, let the tofu lose some moisture, then wilt the spinach. The pita is toasted separately and filled at the end. Trying to warm an overstuffed bread pocket in the skillet usually makes assembly harder than it needs to be.
Drain the block before adding flavor
Choose plain firm tofu prepared with calcium sulfate, not silken tofu or a flavored ready-made scramble. Pour off the packing liquid, wrap the block in clean kitchen paper and press gently for several minutes. The aim is to remove surface water, not squeeze the tofu until it is dry and crumbly. Break it into pieces about the size of soft scrambled-egg curds. In the pan, let these pieces sit briefly between stirs. Constant turning keeps the whole mixture wet and makes it difficult to see any light browning.
Make room for the leaves
Spinach takes up a lot of space before it wilts. Add it in two handfuls and turn it into the hot tofu rather than pressing raw leaves into the bread. Continue cooking until released liquid has evaporated. That last minute matters because a wet filling quickly softens pita. Paprika and a very small amount of turmeric give the mixture warmth and color; both are measured ingredients rather than a reason to add an unlisted sauce. Cut the warmed bread just far enough to open a pocket, then support its bottom on a plate as you spoon the filling in.
Ingredients
- 10 1/2 oz plain firm calcium-set tofu, drained (300 g)
- 4 cups fresh spinach, washed and dried (120 g)
- 1/2 small onion, peeled and chopped (60 g)
- 2 whole-wheat pita breads (120 g total)
- 2 teaspoons olive oil (10 ml/about 9 g)
- 1 teaspoon ground paprika (2 g)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric (0.5 g)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice (15 ml/about 15 g)
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt (1.5 g)
Set out
Stovetop, 10-in/25-cm skillet, Clean kitchen paper, Knife and board, Spatula, Toaster or dry second skillet, 2 plates
Allergens
Soy, Wheat; pita can add milk or sesame—check labels. Check labels and substitutions.
Make it
- Drain tofu and press gently in clean paper for 5 minutes while chopping onion. Crumble tofu into broad small pieces. Heat oil in the skillet over medium heat. Cook onion 4–5 minutes until soft.
- Add tofu, paprika, turmeric and salt. Cook 7–8 minutes, stirring every minute or so, until hot throughout and some edges are lightly golden. Follow any longer cooking instruction on the tofu package.
- Add spinach in 2 batches. Cook 3–4 minutes, turning, until fully wilted and excess liquid has evaporated. Stir in lemon juice. Toast pitas just until warm and flexible, then cut an opening and divide all the hot filling between them. Serve promptly.
A beginner skill to practice
Practice letting surface moisture evaporate before filling bread. A hot, wet mixture and a hot, drier mixture behave very differently in a pocket.
A useful detail
The 35-minute total includes brief draining, chopping and cooking. This is tofu, not egg; its doneness cue is full package-directed cooking and a hot, fairly dry filling, not deliberately runny curds.
Another way
- Use 120 g well-drained cooked frozen spinach instead of fresh, thawing in the refrigerator first. The starting weight and estimate differ from 120 g raw leaves.
- Serve the filling on 120 g whole-wheat toast instead of pita if a pocket is difficult to open. Read the bread label and recalculate the base estimate.
Keep it well
Refrigerate leftover filling in a shallow container within 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F/32°C, at 40°F/4°C or below. Use within 2 days or the shorter tofu-package deadline. Reheat filling to 165°F/74°C. Warm fresh bread and fill at eating time rather than storing a moist assembled pita.