Veganized New Joe's Special (Tofu, Mushrooms, Spinach)

Have you guys ever heard of New Joe's Special? It comes from a restaurant in California called Joe's.  Joe's became New Joe's after it burned down. The special at New Joe's was a dish with lots of spinach and ground beef and egg. My mom figured out the recipe, and made it all the time. I grew up eating it. But ever since I've gone vegan I've craved it. Not in the OH I NEED MEAT kind of way but in the "this is a comforting food from my childhood" kind of way. So I decided to veganize it. Enjoy.

Ingredients

• 16 ounces tofu
• 6 cups of baby spinach
• 1 cup chopped mushrooms
• 2 cloves chopped garlic
• 1-3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
• 2 tablespoons ground flax seed
• 2 cups water
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Mix the flax seed and 6 tablespoons water in a bowl. Put in the fridge to gel.
2. Drain the tofu by putting it between two paper towels and pressing out the water. 
3. Chop the tofu into cubes. 
4. Fry the tofu in the oil in a large pan on high heat.
5. Once it has browned, add the mushrooms and garlic.
6. Stir until brown. 
7. Add spinach and stir.
8. Take the bowl of flax seed water out of the fridge and add the nutritional yeast. Stir in the rest of the water slowly until the nutritional yeast/flax is dissolved. 
9. Move the spinach/tofu/mushrooms mixture to one side of the pan and add the nutritional yeast to the other side.
10. Slowly incorporate the two sides of the pan. 
11. Stir until the nutritional yeast is no longer sticking to the bottom of the pan. Add salt and pepper and serve!

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Tofu Scramble on Toast with Avocado

This recipe is a result of having soft tofu and not knowing what to do with it. I normally cook with firm, so when my mom came back from the grocery store with soft, I had to make the most of it!

Ingredients:

• 8-10 ounces soft tofu (you can use firm, but soft tends to "scramble" better
• handful spinach
• handful broccoli
• handful, yellow squash
• small tomato
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons water
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
• 2 pieces of bread, toasted
• half an avocado
• olive oil

Directions

1. Prepare tofu by draining it of any excess water. Break into small pieces. They don't have to be even. 
2. Chop broccoli, squash, and tomato.
3. Combine cumin, thyme, salt, and water in a small bowl. Set aside.
4. Slice avocado, set aside.
5. Preheat a pan over high heat. Add a little oil to the pan once heated.
6. Place tofu in pan and begin "scrambling:" Stir the tofu with a wooden spoon or spatula, making sure it doesn't stick to the pan.
7. Once the tofu is golden brown, add broccoli, squash and tomato.
8. Stir until broccoli is bright green, but not brown.
9. Add spinach and mix well. It will drastically decrease in size.
10. Pour water, cumin, thyme mixture over the tofu and vegetables.
11. Pour the nutritional yeast evenly over tofu and vegetables. Stir until coated.
12. Toast the bread.
13. Once the bread has toasted and the tofu mixture is sufficiently coated with spices and nutritional yeast, prepare your plate by putting the tofu mixture onto one slice of bread. Add sliced avocado. 
14. Can be eaten as a sandwich or with a fork.
15. Bon appétit! 

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