Several years ago, when Steve and I were on one of our motorcycle adventures around Australia, we got stuck in a little town called Mount Morgan, half way up the Queensland coast. It had started to rain a few days before and, fearing flooding, Steve decided it best to start making our way to higher ground. We got as far as Mount Morgan before we pulled the pin, soaked to the bone, with the rain forecast to continue for the next three or four days.

Our choices for affordable accommodation were limited. In fact, most things in Mount Morgan seemed limited. There were a few tree lined streets, a small IGA, an odd museum dedicated to the nearby defunct gold and copper mine, and the town pub. In Australia of old, the town pub, or ‘Hotel’, was the hub. Usually a sprawling, ornate building that occupied a huge corner on the main street, the pub is not just a place to get a drink, but where you can find a room for the night, the main restaurant in town, sometime the post office, often the place to place a bet on a horse race or throw some coins in a pokie machine.

We’ve stayed in many pubs in many parts of Australia over the years.

They used to be a cheap and cheerful places, the fixtures are always dated – pink sinks, squeaky floorboards, high ceilings covered in tin – but the basic private rooms, usually a shared bathroom down the hall, always clean. They used to be $25 a night. A steal to be downtown, with the caveat that you were sleeping over the most popular watering hole for miles. Or attempting to if you arrived on a Friday or Saturday night.

But we arrived in Mount Morgan on a soggy Wednesday afternoon, so the pub seemed a reasonable choice for a few days. No longer $25, and no longer well kept, the Mount Morgan Hotel had a leaky roof (they kindly provided a bucket to put under the drip) and zero charm and was charging $80 a night. All the same, we were cold and wet and when they offered us our choice of rooms and a safe place to park the bike I handed over the cash.

To buoy our spirits, we headed to the bar that evening. Still the only ones in the building, beside the staff, we saddled up to the bar for a schooner of beer (not as large as a pint but large enough to be satisfying) and took a look at the menu. Nothing particularly caught my eye, except a sign, a flyer really, taped to the wall behind the bar.

2-4-1 Taco Wednesday!

Now, I am no marketing genius, but Wednesday isn’t the first day of the week that pops in my head when taking about 2-4-1 tacos. It is however, a memorable slogan. (Maybe the chef at the Mount Morgan Hotel was a marketing genius?) So much so that now, whenever I have a taco craving on board Kate, I try and make them on a Wednesday, just so I can make the announcement.

Sometime during the pandemic, when meat was hard to buy and boxes of tofu were dying of boredom in my little refrigerator, I did what everyone does these days when searching for inspiration. I Googled ‘Tofu Recipe.’ Scrolling past the Asian ideas (I have several Asian cookbooks and was, quiet simply, tired of eating rice) I stumbled upon a recipe for ‘Tofu Crumble.’ Prepared to have a ground meat-like texture and plenty of umami flavour, it seemed to be a popular vegan meat-alt without being ultra processed.

I decided to give tofu crumble a try and, to my surprise, LOVED it.

I got into a habit of making a big batch of tofu crumble and adding it to meals throughout the week to boost my meagre protein intake. That is, what was leftover after I spooned it into my mouth, still warm from the pan, while standing over the stove. (Two years of living alone and one’s manners may slip a little.) These days it is my go to taco filling. One even Steve gets excited about on a 2-4-1 Wednesday.

Making tofu crumble is pretty easy. Mix up the marinade/flavouring, crumble the tofu into it, mix well, fry in a pan or bake in the oven until a little crispy. Since tofu is pretty much a blank canvas, ready to take on any flavour combination, you can play around with spices to suit your palate.

I like to use a liquid base of gochujang, soy, worcestershire sauce and add ground cumin, paprika, oregano, black pepper, and garlic. I have also been known to toss in some gochujaru or other chili flakes. If you don’t have gochujang – a fermented Korean chili paste – firstly, go get some because it is amazing and you’ll find yourself adding it to nearly everything. Secondly you can sub in some miso and fish sauce for the funk and add some additional paprika and chili for the warmth.

If you want to do a meat-alt super cheat, make the tofu crumble naked and add it to your favourite packet of taco seasoning and TADA! (Although I think this version is much more tasty and complex.) You could even play with the seasoning a bit and use tofu crumble in lasagne or other meat sauce dishes. We’ve put leftovers on a pizza, sprinkled them on morning eggs, and eaten it cold on crackers. (Ok, that last one was me again when Steve wasn’t home.)

I serve this with the usual taco accompaniments.

Tortillas, grated cheese, refried beans (or pumpkin and black beans that have been sautéed with some similar spices until soft), a salsa of some kind (last nights was cucumber, pineapple, tomato, and onion) , some shredded lettuce or cabbage, pickled jalapenos, cilantro, lime wedges. (You gotta have a lot of crockery to serve tacos!)

I’ve even served this to a kid who is a die hard meat eater, unbeknownst to him, of course. Although he couldn’t quiet put his finger on it not being meat, he did devour it without complaint. (We may have been eating outside under fairy lights, but I am sticking to my guns that it was the flavour combo not the lack of light that kept him guessing.) Lately I’ve been doing a 50/50 mix of tofu and tempeh because tempeh is cheap and available in Malaysia and the difference in textures is a nice change.

However you enjoy your tacos, I hope you make them midweek, and tell everyone it’s 2-4-1 Taco Wednesday!

Love,

H&S

Tofu Taco Crumble

500 grams Firm Tofu Or 50/50 Tofu and Tempeh

*If you want to press your tofu to draw out some extra water it will shorten the cook time, but it isn’t required. The firmer the tofu the better, don’t even try this with soft or silken.

2 Tablespoons Gochujang or 1 Large Tablespoon Miso and 1 Teaspoon Fish Sauce

2 Tablespoons Soy sauce

2 Teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce

1 Teaspoon Ground, Cumin, Paprika, Oregano, Garlic, Pepper

1 Teaspoon Gochujaru or Chili Flakes

Add everything but the tofu to a fair-size bowl and mix well to combine. Break tofu (or tofu and tempeh) into bite-sized pieces. No need to be too picky, they will break down a little while cooking. Add to the sauce mixture and stir to coat. Let marinade for 3o-60 minutes if there is time, but don’t worry if there isn’t.

I usually fry my tofu crumble in a cast iron pan with a little oil over high heat, flipping and tossing often until I get some colour and hopefully some crispy bits. It is about 30 minutes on my gas stove. If you really want it crispy then I suggest you spread it on a baking sheet and toss it into a 180C/350F oven, stirring every 10 minutes or so, until you reach your desired doneness. Probably 30-40 mins. Either way, keep an eye on it and stir often but gently.