Thursday's dinner had been already set. Derek wanted steak - I said "OK". However, when Thursday came around, I could only think of tofu. I had ordered a salad with grilled tofu from Pacific Catch the night before and enjoyed it so much that I had to have something similar again the next night. Perhaps it's sort of like how when I like a song, I keep playing it over-and-over-and-over again. The goal is not to get sick of the song - or the meal - but if it is something that is on my mind, why put a limit on my exposure?
Needless to say - I no longer wanted steak and let Derek know that he was on his own, knowing that the idea of tofu wouldn't excite him like it was exciting me. I picked out a recipe from Eatingwell.com that immediately stood out to me. I later realized that the recipe was quite similar to what I had eaten the night before - an Asian inspired tofu salad. Perfect.
Asian Slaw with Tofu and Shiitake Mushrooms
Ingredients
1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon chili-garlic sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
12 ounces firm silken tofu, drained and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
4 cups lightly packed shredded napa cabbage, (see Ingredient note)
2 cups lightly packed shredded bok choy, (see Ingredient note)
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 cups sliced shiitake mushroom caps
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 carrot, shredded
1/4 cup roasted peanuts, chopped
1 green onion, thinly sliced
Directions
1.Whisk soy sauce, lemon juice, chili-garlic sauce and garlic in a medium bowl. Gently stir in tofu. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 15-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2.Place cabbage and bok choy in a large serving bowl. Top with grated carrot.
3.Drain the tofu, reserving the marinade. Heat canola oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and sesame oil; cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes. Add the tofu; cook, stirring often, until the tofu is lightly browned, about 4 minutes.
4. Spoon the tofu mixture over cabbage. Add the reserved marinade to the pan and bring to a boil, stirring. Pour the hot marinade over the salad and toss gently to coat.
5. Sprinkle with peanuts and green onion. Serve immediately.
The addition of the carrot, peanuts and green onion was my only change to the original recipe. I thought the peanuts would add a nice additional meatiness and that the flavor would go superbly with the sesame-based dressing.
I ended up making a full recipe since I had so much bok choy, cabbage, and tofu. I knew this would be a delicious lunch (eaten the very next day, tofu overload perhaps). For reasonable serving sizes - meal sizes - I think you could get about three out of the recipe. For me, however, you can see that I mounded a bunch on a plate and probably had a bit more than necessary - it was just so good! Derek thinks tofu is tasteless. OK, maybe I'll give him that - but for some reason, I love it. The texture, the slight flavoring, the ability to take on other flavors...it works for me.
I'm not saying that a tofu meal is better than a good steak. That would be ridiculous. However, when the mood strikes, tofu can be an incredibly satisfying and delicious dish - at least according to my tastebuds.
Needless to say - I no longer wanted steak and let Derek know that he was on his own, knowing that the idea of tofu wouldn't excite him like it was exciting me. I picked out a recipe from Eatingwell.com that immediately stood out to me. I later realized that the recipe was quite similar to what I had eaten the night before - an Asian inspired tofu salad. Perfect.
Asian Slaw with Tofu and Shiitake Mushrooms
Ingredients
1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon chili-garlic sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
12 ounces firm silken tofu, drained and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
4 cups lightly packed shredded napa cabbage, (see Ingredient note)
2 cups lightly packed shredded bok choy, (see Ingredient note)
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 cups sliced shiitake mushroom caps
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 carrot, shredded
1/4 cup roasted peanuts, chopped
1 green onion, thinly sliced
Directions
1.Whisk soy sauce, lemon juice, chili-garlic sauce and garlic in a medium bowl. Gently stir in tofu. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 15-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2.Place cabbage and bok choy in a large serving bowl. Top with grated carrot.
3.Drain the tofu, reserving the marinade. Heat canola oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and sesame oil; cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes. Add the tofu; cook, stirring often, until the tofu is lightly browned, about 4 minutes.
4. Spoon the tofu mixture over cabbage. Add the reserved marinade to the pan and bring to a boil, stirring. Pour the hot marinade over the salad and toss gently to coat.
5. Sprinkle with peanuts and green onion. Serve immediately.
The addition of the carrot, peanuts and green onion was my only change to the original recipe. I thought the peanuts would add a nice additional meatiness and that the flavor would go superbly with the sesame-based dressing.
I ended up making a full recipe since I had so much bok choy, cabbage, and tofu. I knew this would be a delicious lunch (eaten the very next day, tofu overload perhaps). For reasonable serving sizes - meal sizes - I think you could get about three out of the recipe. For me, however, you can see that I mounded a bunch on a plate and probably had a bit more than necessary - it was just so good! Derek thinks tofu is tasteless. OK, maybe I'll give him that - but for some reason, I love it. The texture, the slight flavoring, the ability to take on other flavors...it works for me.
I'm not saying that a tofu meal is better than a good steak. That would be ridiculous. However, when the mood strikes, tofu can be an incredibly satisfying and delicious dish - at least according to my tastebuds.
No comments:
Post a Comment