Tofu + greens = power team
The protein:
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| My highly versatile, hugely yummy sesame tofu |
Tofu – it’s pretty polarizing. Meat-eaters mock it and even among
vegetarians, there’s not a clear consensus. While some are worried about the
alleged health risks associated with soy consumption, other are worried about,
well, making it taste good.
It’s not the easiest to prepare, after all. Making the most
of your tofu involves pressing it to remove excess water and then developing a
recipe chock-full of flavor for the tofu to absorb. The quality* (i.e. price)
of your tofu is also a factor in where your meal registers on the deliciousness
continuum.
Then, of course, there’s your preparation method – baking,
frying, stir-frying, steaming. Where to begin? What on earth to do?
You bake it up sesame
garlic style, as I did for this epic salad, and then you move on with your life.
The power:
Yet you’ll surely run up against some follow-up questions,
namely: now what? What do I do with a pan of perfectly browned sesame tofu?
When in doubt, my friends, go for garlic + greens. Sautéed
kale, spinach, or collards work wonderfully here. Sliced mushrooms bring a mild
meaty flavor, where your yellow peppers bring crunch and color.
You’ll need:
- 1 cup brown rice, cooked
- 1 large bunch kale, roughly chopped
- 1 yellow pepper, sliced
- ¾ cup mushrooms, sliced (white or Crimini variety)
- 1 small onion, sliced into half moons
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1-2 pinches red pepper flakes, to taste
- 1 TBSP EVOO
- 1.5 TBSP toasted sesame oil
- Sea salt and pepper, to taste
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| If you're tofu-ambivalent, try it sesame style over garlic greens! |
Heat the EVOO on medium and add the onion. Cook for 4-5
minutes, adding garlic and red pepper flakes once the onion softens. Cook for 1
minute before adding the yellow pepper and mushroom. Stirring often, cook the
peppers and mushrooms for about 4 minutes.
Finally, toss in the kale and stir
to incorporate. You may want to add a drizzle of EVOO or a few splashes of
water or veggie stock to create some stream. As your kale turns bright green, after
about 4-5 minutes, add a generous hit of sea salt and pepper. Finish up by
turning off the heat and adding a light drizzle of toasted sesame oil.
Prepare your bowl with couple heaping spoonfuls of rice, a
generous layer of steaming kale, and as many pieces of tofu as you deem
reasonable. Yes, it’s fantastic, but you don’t have to eat it all in one
sitting – it holds up in the fridge just fine.
* As a Connecticut native, I’m hugely fond of The BridgeTofu, out of Middletown, CT. Living in Boston, I’m lucky to still have access
to The Bridge’s handmade tofu, even if it retails at about 2x the price of
store-brand varieties.
