spice-encrusted tofu
April 25, 2011
I learned something this weekend. Tofu doesn’t sweat. I was making Vij’s spice-encrusted pork for the family for Easter and, given my non-meat-eating-leanings, decided to make double the marinade and use half for tofu. A few of the flexitarians in the family had both and couldn’t believe the difference in heat! I realized then that OF COURSE pork sweats as it cooks and thus dilutes the marinade. Tofu does not. So if you like heat, charge ahead with the super-scrumptious recipe below. If your taste buds are a little more sensitive, just cut down on the cayenne and you should be fine. Way to go Vij. Awesome recipe.
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tbsp cumin seeds
4 tbsps crushed garlic
1 cup pureed onions
2 tbsps crushed ginger
1 cup pureed tomatoes
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp ground cayenne pepper
1 1/2 tbsps garam masala
1 1/2 tbsps sea salt
3 tbsps raw sugar
Heat oil in a medium-large pot on medium heat for 1 minute. Add cumin seeds and allow them to sizzle for 1 minute. Add garlic and saute for 2 minutes, then stir in onions and saute until brown, about 15 minutes. Add ginger and saute for another 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, turmeric, cayenne, garam masala and salt, cover and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in sugar. Coat tofu with marinade and let sit for 1 hour or so. Bake at 350 degrees for 1/2 hour, or place tofu on BBQ and cook until golden brown.
nice + spicy marinated tofu
September 17, 2010
I owe thanks to my sister Mary for this recipe. She used it at Christmas. She doubled the recipe – one batch to stick on some pork for the meat-lovers in the family, and one batch to put on some tofu. The tofu was fabulous. I can’t comment on the pork but I hear it was equally good. It’s super simple and very good. And the kids love it.
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
3 tbsps oil
2 tbsps lemon juice
1 tbsp paprika
2 tsps cumin
2 tsps coriander
1 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp cinnamon
tofu
Marinate the tofu in the marinade. Saute in a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat, or throw on the BBQ for that extra smokey flavour.
zucchini and tofu satay
July 10, 2010
This is from the rebar cookbook. Their recipe is actually eggplant and tofu satay but I don’t love eggplant and so substitute zucchini for it whenever I get the chance. We tried it tonight and it was really good. It would have been better had we started the marinade yesterday but we just aren’t that organized so, instead of 24 hours, it marinated for about 1 hour. Nevertheless it was still awesome and got the thumbs up from Rebekah!
1 tbsp minced lemon zest
2 tbsps miso
3 tsbps fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 tsp sesame oil
4 tbsps brown sugar
2 tsp minced ginger
1 tbsp wasabi
1 block extra firm tofu
2 zucchini
8 bamboo sticks
Prepare the glaze by whisking together the first eight ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside for 1 hour, then strain through a sieve to remove the solids. (I must admit I didn’t strain. Why bother?) Next, cut pressed tofu into 1-inch cubes. Arrange them in a single layer in a shallow dish with sides. Pour half of the glaze over the tofu, toss to coat, and marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour, preferably overnight.
Slice zucchini into 1/2″ thick coins and pour remaining glaze over the zucchini. Toss to coat and let marinate for 30 minutes.
To assemble, pre-heat the grill to 375 degrees. Thread 4 cubes of tofu and 4 half coins of zucchini per skewer, leaving a bit of space between each piece. Reserve glaze for basting. If oven-baking, arrange the skewers on an oiled baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes, or until the zucchini and tofu are golden and cooked through. Halfway through cooking, turn the skewers over and baste. Serve hot and use leftover glaze for dipping.
bok choi tofu stir fry
April 17, 2010
This is perhaps one of the quickest and easiest mid-week dinners for moms and dads on the run. We make this all the time because it’s so simple and so fast. I usually stick to the stated ingredients but I suppose you could substitute type of greens or type of mushrooms. You could also get fancy and other complimentary additions like red pepper or celery but, again, we make this when we’re on the run so tend to keep it simple.
2 tbps olive oil
9 oz. tofu, cubed
10 – 12 shitake mushrooms, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp ginger, minced
2 tbsps soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
2 or 3 heads of bok choi, chopped
4 spring onions, chopped
bunch of cilantro, chopped
Heat olive oil in a heavy frying pan on medium-high heat. Add tofu and sauté until nicely browned. Add mushrooms and sauté until they begin to sweat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant but don’t let it brown too much. Add ginger, soy sauce, and sugar stirring until mixed and bubbling away. Add bok choi, turn down the heat, and cook until it’s nicely wilted but still bright green. If, while cooking, the dish dries out too much, add some water or a little more soy sauce. A hit of lemon juice is also nice. At the very end, add spring onions. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve over rice.
v:gourmet 