Craptastic College Cooking: Tomato Eggs

I have risen from the compost bin since my last awakening back in November, 2015 (has it really been 8 months!?). The reason why I’ve been gone so long is because WordPress was been all wonky and it kinda just looked like this since my last post: 

Being the lazy technologically-challenged fuck I am (with more pressing priorities to tackle), I just swept it under the carpet and didn’t bother with it. Until today, when I was prepping my lunch and thought the layout was too gorgeous not to take pictures of. Then came the sudden ~ surge of desire ~ to write a blog post.

Photo by Eileen Wang

I recently moved into my own studio apartment for the rest of my time at Berkeley, and I’ve had to consider more issues than what I had already very carefully thought through prior to making my first step into adulthood. The most obvious, cooking for one.

Photo by Eileen Wang

Money isn’t really a pressing concern, but I hate crowding up spaces with rotting groceries that will contribute to food waste (major issue). When I’m walking through the grocery store, I have these epiphanies that I will need X, Y, and Z to make a great dish, and for some reason, I tell myself that it’s a genius idea, when it usually isn’t. Sadly, I don’t realize that until after I arrive home.

Photo by Eileen Wang

We also know how items just miraculolusly end up in the shopping basket and a half-assed “oh woops – I mean I guess it’s too late to take back now” crosses the mind.

And so, I’ve decided to dedicate my blog to my college cooking endeavors! I’m temporarily (maybe permanently) calling this series “Craptastic College Cooking.” It will consist of episodes and/or recipes in which I will use ingredients I need to get rid of (before they go bad) in dishes that my body seems to be craving on a given day.

Photo by Eileen Wang

Why “craptastic?” Two reasons: the first of which there will always be a “crap” ingredient I need to use. Secondly (and evidently), there’s no guarantee whether the dish is going to be ingeniously tasty or flat out nasty, so we’re just gonna play along and pretend everything is A-OK. I mean, that’s what you sign up for when you become my friend ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Photo by Eileen Wang

Today’s lunch consisted of a Chinese-style tomato egg dish, and my crap ingredient was firm tofu. I actually really love tofu, but half a box had been sitting in aluminum foil (due to a lack of plastic wrap) in the fridge for a solid two weeks, and it had to be used. Seriously.

Photo by Eileen Wang

The last time I made this, I cubed the tofu but didn’t quite enjoy the mix of textures (and lack of flavor penetration). So this time, I blended it up in my crappy $20 blender to try to give it the texture of fluffy, scrambled eggs. I would not recommend that anyone do this in a shitty blender because it’s just messy. Plus, the thought of blended tofu inside of my green smoothie maker makes me shudder.

Photo by Eileen Wang

If you want to make this with tofu, feel free to just crumble it with your bare hands (relieve some stress, while you’re at it). I thought about making this vegan because it has a high potential of tasting great, but I didn’t have eggs for breakfast and was craving them badly.

Photo by Eileen Wang

I also normally would have eaten this with rice, but I bought a whole loaf of sprouted whole-grain bread and needed to eat the unfrozen half ASAP. Although it was a mind trip at first, the bread was a great carb for the tomato egg tofu dish.

Photo by Eileen Wang

The most entertaining part of any post will be the end, because I will always post a behind-the-scenes (BTS) picture of the final shot. I just think it’s important for people to realize that things aren’t usually picture-perfect and that I literally make the most of what I have because that’s an important life lesson to learn!!

The final shots were made possible with two unsturdy wooden chairs and an old room divider curtain still attached to the wall on a commando hook.

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Recipe

Level: Easy  |  Time: 15 – 20 min.  |  Serves: 2-4.

Ingredients:

• 3 large eggs
• a splash of regular/soy/almond/whatever milk (I used almond)
• 1 stalk of green onions/scallions, chopped
• 3 tomatoes, cut into wedges
• 1 tablespoon ketchup
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• ½ box of firm tofu, crumbled by hand
• 2 tablespoons cooking oil (canola, olive, etc.)
• salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Heat nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil when pan is hot.
2. Beat eggs with almond milk and a pink of salt and pepper until pale yellow and combined.
3. Add green onions to oiled skillet and soften. If you don’t like green onions inside your eggs, feel free to use them in the tomato portion, or omit completely.
4. Pour in egg mixture and cook for 20 seconds, or until eggs are slightly cooked but also runny. Remove from heat and set aside in a bowl or plate.
5. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in the same (but empty) pan. Perform step 3 if you skipped it earlier.
6. Add cut tomatoes and their juices into pan and stir occasionally. Cook for 5-8 minutes until softened. Tip: a small splash of water lets tomatoes steam and soften quicker.
7. Squeeze ketchup and sprinkle white sugar into cooked tomatoes and combine evenly. Add salt and pepper if preferred.
8. Add eggs and tofu to pan. Simmer for 1-2 more minutes, or until eggs are fully cooked and tofu is warmed up.
9. Serve with a carb of choice and enjoy!