I love breakfast, it is my favourite meal of the day. So, any opportunity I have to eat brunch or brinner, I will jump all over it. This is a sweet potato hash, with a smoky tofu scramble on top, marinated overnight to make sure the flavour is bold. The dish is nicely tied together with a bit of heat from the jalapeno and some ancho chili powder to bring that signature chili powder flavour without more heat. 

This dish can be eaten as any meal of the day as it has the form of a classic hash, but with lots of vegetables and a protein. The tofu marinade calls for a barbeque sauce, my personal favourite is Stubb’s Smokey Mesquite, which can be found in most grocery stores. Try to avoid using a barbeque sauce with a lot of sugar, considering there is also ketchup, this mix lead to a very sweet marinade. The recipe itself is vegan, but a sprinkle of shredded cheddar or crumbled feta on top are a nice addition for those who are not vegan.

I actually began writing this dish last summer. Halfway through writing it, I realized that it was far more complicated than it needed to be and I literally stopped mid-recipe. While looking through my files recently, I saw my half-completed recipe and decided to pick it up again. I have simplified it while keeping all of it’s awesome flavours intact. Hopefully you find it as delicious as I do! 

Active time: 45 minutes

Cook time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

Tofu

• 1 block of extra firm tofu
• 3 tbsp barbeque sauce
• 2 tbsp ketchup
• ½ yellow onion, finely chopped (save the other half)
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• Hot sauce to taste

The sweet potatoes

• 2 – 2 ½  lbs sweet potatoes
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp ancho chili powder (mild chili powder)
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• Salt and pepper

The rest

• 1 ½ yellow onions, thinly sliced
• 2 red bell peppers, thinly sliced
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 ½ tsp ancho chili powder (mild chili powder)
• Neutral oil, for cooking
• Avocado, to top
• Nutritional yeast, to top
• Salt and pepper

Directions

Tofu (the night before)

1. Quickly press the tofu: Drain the tofu from its packaging, then wrap it in paper towels and put a weight on it (I like to use my cast iron skillet). Let it be pressed for around 10 minutes. 
2. In the meantime make the marinade: add all the barbeque sauce, ketchup, white onion, garlic powder, salt and hot sauce, if adding, to a medium sized bowl and whisk together. 
3. Break the tofu down into crumbles. Either do this with your hands into the bowl with the marinade, or on a cutting board, scratching it off with a fork. Mix the tofu with the marinade, cover the bowl and put it in the fridge overnight. 

Hash

1. Preheat the oven to 425 F. Peel and cut potatoes into small cubes, about a half inch across. Try to be consistent, even though they never turn out uniform. Add the potatoes to a large bowl and drizzle the olive oil. Then, add in the chilli powder, paprika, cumin, black pepper and 2-3 generous pinches of salt. Mix thoroughly so that the spices and oil coat the potatoes uniformly. Roast for 20-25 minutes, until there is a bit of charring and they are thoroughly cooked. 
2. While the potatoes cook, heat a large heavy bottom pan on medium heat. Once hot, add in 1 tbsp of neutral oil and toss in your marinated tofu scramble. Cook for 6-8 minutes stirring regularly until evenly heated and cooked. Transfer to a bowl and set aside. 
3. In the same pan, still on medium heat, add in another 1 tbsp of neutral cooking oil. Toss in the onion, jalapeno and garlic and a generous pinch of salt. Cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Add in the red bell peppers, another generous pinch of salt and the chili powder. Cook for 6-8 minutes until softened and much of the liquid from the bell peppers and onion has evaporated. 
4. Add the tofu back into the vegetable mixture and combine, just to heat it all once again. Turn off heat and serve over a bed of the roasted sweet potatoes. Top with fresh avocado slices and nutritional yeast, enjoy!