Mapo Tofu Scramble

[Celerity]

https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1025693-mapo-tofu-scramble

https://archive.ph/xlKdK

The bold, savory, spicy flavors of mapo tofu are paired with the creamy richness of scrambled eggs in this hearty and comforting anytime-of-day meal. The dish comes together quickly and all in one skillet: Ginger, scallions and spiced pork are first sizzled and simmered, making way for eggs that are soft-scrambled then folded into the tofu mixture. Round out this superfast meal with a sprinkling of freshly sliced scallions or chopped herbs and some buttered toast.





Preparation

Step 1
Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a 10- or 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high. When hot, add the pork and use a wooden spoon to mash it up into pieces as small as possible. Cook, stirring frequently, until browned all over, about 3 minutes. Turn heat down to medium-low.

Step 2
Stir in the peppercorns, red pepper, ginger, white and light green parts of the scallion, black bean sauce, tomato paste, soy sauce, sugar and ¼ cup water. Stir very well to break down tomato paste and black bean sauce, then gently stir in the tofu. Turn off heat, transfer the tofu mixture to a bowl and wipe the skillet clean.

Step 3
In the same skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high. When hot, add the eggs and cook, pushing and folding with a spatula until cooked just a little less than you’d like them done. Turn off heat and push the scrambled eggs to one side of the pan to make room for the tofu mixture.

Step 4
While eggs and the skillet are still warm, return the tofu mixture to the skillet and gently fold into the scrambled eggs, combining the two, doing your best to keep the tofu from breaking up too much. Transfer to serving plates or a platter, sprinkle with the sliced dark green parts of scallion and serve with the buttered toast on the side, if desired.

[eppur_se_muova]

1. Why so many dishes that combine tofu -- a vegetarian/vegan mainstay -- with meat, eggs, butter, cheeze ?

It's like these were written by people who are trying to trick carnivores into eating tofu, or maybe vegans into trying meat, eggs, and dairy (all at once, usually).

[Celerity]

2. Because that's how the cultures its use comes from use it. I'm not a vegetarian, certainly not vegan, but I often eat it

[Warpy]

3. Probably becaus so man USians still feel deprived

if they don't get heavy meat protein 3 times a day.

I agree, this one would be way too heavy for me. I was always a poverty vegan, so now that I'm not poor, I'm far from vegan, but I do have limits.

This kind of my limit. Not only does it weigh down a signature dish of China with unnecessary triple protein, it also requires the house cook to rise an nour early to make it.

If you require pork, eggs and cheese iun the morning, consider the breakfast burrito. You can even spice those up with red chile sauce, something that will get your eyes open faster than your coffee does.