Revisited: Tofu and Collard Greens with Peanut Vinaigrette

I realize that I just made this last month but it was good, very good. And it fell within my greens + meatless protein cooking trend. My changes this time around were:

- More carrots (they make it beautiful and add a great texture variation)
- Added all the dressing while cooking
- Used grilled tofu instead of a fried egg, and marinated the tofu in the vinaigrette
- Used shallot instead of red onion (what the original recipe called for)

Otherwise, the recipe stayed the same. When it's not broken, why fix it? As a reminder, here's the fabulous recipe...a true keeper.

Ingredients

1/2 cup raw or lightly salted peanuts
1/4 cup grapeseed oil
1 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. hickory smoked salt
Kosher salt, to taste
2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 clove garlic, smashed and minced into a paste
1 shallot, minced
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
pinch cayenne pepper
2 medium carrots, peeled and shaved lengthwise into thin ribbon using a peeler
1 bunch collard greens, stemmed and thinly sliced crosswise
1⁄4 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves
1 block of firm tofu, pressed

1. Heat oven to 325˚. Toss together peanuts, 2 tsp. oil, paprika, and salt on a baking sheet and bake, tossing occasionally, until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Transfer peanuts to a rack and let cool. Coarsely crush peanuts and divide between two bowls; set one bowl aside. To one bowl of peanuts, add remaining oil, vinegar,
garlic, and shallots and whisk to combine; add cayenne and season with salt and pepper. Add pressed tofu block to the vinaigrette and let marinate for about 30 minutes.

2. Remove the tofu from the vinaigrette and set the vinaigrette aside. Grill the tofu for about 3 minutes on each side (though I used a George Foreman so that got both sides at once). Remove from grill and let cool slightly. Slice for serving.

3. Meanwhile, in a large pan, heat about 1 tsp EVOO over medium heat. Add the collard greens and carrots. Cook, stirring often, for about 3 minutes, just long enough to heat the mixture and slightly wilt the collard greens. Add dressing and mix thoroughly. Season to taste with addition hickory smoked salt and pepper. Cook for another minute or two. Remove the collard greens and carrots from the heat and plate. Garnish with reserved peanuts and cilantro. Top with tofu slices sprinkled with some hickory salt.


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