I love Tofu again!

I had a brief love affair with tofu a few years ago and then got tired of my 2 tried and true recipes (one of which I have lost) and everything else I made failed in both the texture and taste categories. So, that coupled with all the recent articles I have read questioning the benefits vs. risks of unfermented soy products (read tofu v tempeh), made me give up tofu. Then I have been reading the Feeding the Whole Family book and falled in love again....

Here's her basic recipe (which also had an accompanying video at http://www.cookusinterruptus.com/index.php?video_id=48) DELICIOUS! And, even reheats well as I had it for a dinner and 2 lunches! I served it with the Asian Soba Noodle Salad whose recipe I am attaching....

Pan-Fried Tofu
Recipe reprinted with permission from Feeding the Whole Family (third edition) by Cynthia Lair (Sasquatch Books, 2008)

Tofu can be bland. But if you marinate it and fry it in coconut oil it is flavorful with great texture.

Marinade:
3 cloves garlic, sliced
4-5 slices (1/8-inch thick) of fresh gingerroot
1 cup water
1 tablespoon brown rice vinegar
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1/3 cup tamari or shoyu

1 pound firm tofu
2 tablespoons unrefined coconut oil

In the morning, combine all ingredients for marinade. Cut tofu into 1/2” slabs, and then cut slabs into triangles. Put marinade and tofu in a glass storage container with a tight-fitting lid for ½ hour to 8 hours. The longer it sits, the stronger the flavor in the tofu.

Heat ½ of the coconut oil in a skillet to medium high. Remove tofu from marinade and pat dry with a paper towel. This will protect you from sputtering oil. Place ½ of the tofu pieces in oil and brown on both sides. Repeat with remaining oil and tofu. Set aside.

Preparation time: Overnight for marinade; 10 minutes to fry tofu
Makes 4 servings


Asian Noodle Salad with Toasted Sesame Dressing
Reprinted from Feeding the Whole Family, 3rd ed. by Cynthia Lair.
I have taught a class called "Whole Foods Salads" many times and Asian Noodle Salad is often the favorite dish. You can create a most impressive summer meal by serving this with Nori-Wrapped Wasabi Salmon. Nutritionally impressive too!

Salad:
1 8-ounce package soba noodles
¼ cup chopped cilantro leaves
¼ cup toasted sesame seeds

Dressing:
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
3 tablespoons tamari or shoyu
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 tablespoon hot pepper oil

Optional Additions:
Blanched vegetables
Chopped red cabbage and scallions

Cook soba noodles according to package directions. Drain and rinse in colander. To toast sesame seed, place in a dry skillet over medium heat. Keep seeds moving until they give off aroma, pop and begin to change color. Remove and set aside.

Combine dressing ingredients (toasted sesame oil, tamari, vinegar, maple syrup, and hot pepper oil) in small bowl; whisk together. Place drained noodles in a large bowl. Add dressing, cilantro and sesame seeds; toss gently. Add optional ingredients and toss again. In this video we took 1/2 pound of grass-fed flank steak and marinated it with some of the dressing, then pan-seared it and broiled it for 7 minutes. It was sliced on the diagonal and added. Vegetarians could add Fried Tofu to the dish which makes a delicious whole meal.

Preparation time: 20-25 minutes
Makes 4-6 servings