Breakfast is such a rushed affair for me these days, and with so little time in the mornings to dedicate to this most pivotal meal, I generally prefer to keep it simpler.  But these hastily prepared meals, devoured too quickly, are symptomatic of a larger, problem.

We are all always in such a hurry, and perpetually running around for one reason or another. There’s little time in our society allotted to savour simple things – to be successful in our highly competitive culture often mean discarding or sacrificing your own well-being and contentment.  While there may not be a whole lot I can do about a rigid and demanding schedule, and the pressure of everyday life, I’ve discovered that one of the best way to help negate, or least navigate the impact of this lifestyle, is by keeping myself properly nourished.  And by nourished I don’t necessarily mean meeting a particular nutritional quota – that too is important but nourishment also means indulging occasionally and taking a moment to really sink into that indulgence and enjoy.

One of my favourite luxury breakfast experiences is a big helping of scrambled tofu.  With the right add-ons, it’s not only a tremendously filling and tasty, but protein packed. This recipe takes that fundamental plant-based breakfast and pairs it with the additional richness of a Cashew based Hollandaise sauce.  To get my morning greens, I usually serve this with steamed asparagus.

Ingredients (makes 5 to 6 servings)
220g of Cashews
2 tsp of salt
3/4 cup of lemon juice
1 tbsp of water
1/2 cup of vegan margarine
2 x 454g of firm tofu
1 tbsp +1 tsp of olive oil
1 tsp of Kala Namak salt (or regular salt if you can’t find Kala Namak)
1 tbsp of soy sauce
1/4 cup of nutritional yeast
1 cup of daiya shreds or other cheese alternative
1 package of Vegan Breakfast Patties (Optional – I used Gardein Breakfast Patties)
1 bunch of asparagus (optional)
5 to 6 English Muffins

Directions
For the Hollandaise Sauce:
1. Soak the cashews in water overnight.
2. Drain the cashews.  In a blender or food processor, blend the cashews with 2 tsp of salt, 3/4 cup of lemon juice, and 1 tbsp of water.  Blend until smooth.  You can add more water for a creamier sauce, but you’ll be sacrificing some of the flavour.
3. In a medium sauce, over low heat, melt 1/2 cup of vegan margarine.  Once melted, stir in the cashew mixture.

For the Tofu Scramble:
1. In a large frying pan, heat the 1 tbsp of olive oil over medium heat.  Crumble the tofu into the pan, and add in 1 tbsp of soy sauce, 1 tsp of Kala Namak salt, and 1/4 cup of nutritional yeast   Make sure that the tofu has crisped up some before adding the cheese -otherwise the texture will be a bit off. Stir until the cheese had melted.

For the Breakfast Patties:
1.  Heat 1 tsp of olive oil in a frying pan.  Cook the patty according to the directions on the box (usually 5 to 6 minutes on medium heat)

For the Asparagus:
You can cook the asparagus according to personal preference, just don’t overcook!  Soft, wilted asparagus is the worst.

Pile some of the tofu mixture on an English muffin.  Top with a breakfast patty, some asparagus and Hollandaise sauce and serve.