SWEET AND SPICY TOFU WITH SOBA NODDLES
This is from Sarah Copeland at The New York Times cooking enewsletter. For this yummy recipe, Sarah wrote, "If you don’t cook tofu often (or even if you do), this unfussy tofu dish is for you: There’s no flour-dredging or shallow-frying, and no marinating at all. As long as you pat the tofu dry (a bit fussy, but not by much), the vegetable oil’s high smoke point will yield crisp edges, while the sesame oil imparts flavor, putting you well on your way to making tofu taste great. What’s more, a ginger-and-garlic-laced soy sauce coats noodles and tofu alike, giving you chopstick after chopstick of toothsome pleasure. Serve these warm or cold, and be generous with the cool, crispy vegetables on top, especially for summer picnics where you can stretch this to serve 6 or even 8 as a side."
Total Time: 30 minutes; Yield: 4 servings
To view this online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1019471-sweet-and-spicy-tofu-with-soba-noodles. While you're at it, if you haven't already signed up for The New York Times cooking enewsletter, I highly recommend doing so. Great recipes, guides, and more.
Ingredients
1-1/2 (14-ounce) packages firm tofu, drained
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 (8-ounce) package all-buckwheat soba noodles
4 garlic cloves, smashed
1 (1-inch) piece ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
1 small bunch green onions, white and green parts separated, cut into 2-inch matchsticks
1/3 cup soy sauce or tamari
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon black pepper
Pinch of red-pepper flakes
4 mini or 1 large, thin-skinned cucumber, thinly sliced
4 radishes, thinly sliced
Handful of cilantro leaves, for serving
1 lime, cut in wedges, for serving
Preparation
Drain the tofu in a colander, or dry on paper-towel lined plate while you prep the remaining ingredients, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, bring a small pot of water to a boil for the soba noodles.
Cut tofu into 1-inch cubes. Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the vegetable oil and 1 tablespoon of the sesame oil. When the oil shimmers, add the tofu in a single layer, in batches if needed and cook until golden on all sides, turning as needed when the tofu releases easily from the pan, about 8 to 10 minutes total. Lift the tofu out of the pan with a spatula and transfer to a new paper-towel-lined plate.
Meanwhile, cook the soba in boiling water for 5 to 8 minutes (or according to package directions), until just al dente, stirring frequently. Drain and rinse in cold water until the noodles no longer feel sticky.
Add garlic, ginger and whites of the onions to the skillet, along with the remaining tablespoon sesame oil, reduce the heat to medium, and cook until the oil is fragrant, stirring constantly, about 1 minute.
Add cooked and drained soba noodles to the pan, along with soy sauce, sugar, black pepper, red pepper and reserved green onions; toss together until the noodles are coated. Gently toss in the tofu until all the pieces are covered in the sauce.
Remove from the heat, and sprinkle cucumber, radish and cilantro on top. Serve warm or at room temperature, with lime.
COCONUT RED CURRY WITH TOFU
This is from Melissa Clark in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. Melissa wrote, “This simple weeknight red curry relies on jarred or canned red curry paste for flavor, which you can find at larger supermarkets and specialty markets. Transfer leftover canned curry paste to a jar, top it with a little oil and store in the refrigerator for up to a month. Or freeze for longer storage. Feel free to substitute other vegetables for the mushrooms and snow peas, though you might have to increase the cooking time slightly if using something dense like carrot or cubed winter squash.”
Yield: Serves 4; Time: 30 minutes
This was featured in “Curry and Coconut Milk Fire Up a Weeknight Basic”, and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1016196-coconut-red-curry-with-tofu.
Ingredients
14 ounces extra-firm tofu
1 tablespoon peanut or safflower oil
1-inch ginger root, peeled and minced
2 shallots or 1 small onion, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Thai chile or 2 serrano peppers, seeded and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro stems
8 ounces cremini mushrooms, quartered
1/2 teaspoon sea salt, more to taste
3 tablespoons prepared red curry paste
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
2 teaspoons Asian fish sauce
Zest and juice of 1 lime
1 cup snow peas
Basil and/or cilantro leaves, for garnish
Brown or white rice, for serving
Preparation
Cut tofu into 1-inch slabs and place on paper towel-lined baking sheet. Cover with another layer of paper towels and place another baking sheet on top. Let sit for 20 minutes. Cut into 1-inch cubes.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add ginger, shallots, garlic, chile and cilantro stems, and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and sauté until golden brown and tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt. Stir in curry paste and cook 2 minutes. Pour in coconut milk, scraping up any curry paste with a wooden spoon. Add fish sauce, lime zest and juice. Add tofu cubes and snow peas. Simmer until the sauce thickens slightly and the snow peas are tender, 7 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Taste and add more salt and/or fish sauce if needed.
Serve warm with brown rice and a scattering of torn basil and/or cilantro leaves on top.
CHOCOLATE MOUSSE
I saw something similar to this a few years back and tweaked it a little. For anyone who is sure that he or she won't like tofu, this may be the game-changer.
Ingredients
1 10-12 ounce tub of silken tofu
12 ounce bag of chocolate chips
2 - 3 tablespoons milk (you can use soy milk, if you prefer)
1 tsp vanilla
1 tablespoon maple syrup
Directions
Melt chocolate chips along with the milk over low to medium heat, stirring constantly.
Place silken tofu, melted chocolate chips, vanilla, and syrup into blender. Blend on a medium setting, pulsing if needed to combine.
Pour into 4 bowls or small cups, and let cool for 10 minutes or so.
Dig in! Yum!
SPICY TOFU WITH VEGETABLES
This is from Taste For Life. Prep Time: 25 minutes; Makes 4 servings. Recipe Source: Complete Book of Thai Cooking, by Linda Stephen
To view this online, go to https://tasteforlife.com/healthy-recipes/veggie/spicy-tofu-with-vegetables.
Ingredients
3 Tbsp vegetable oil, divided
12 oz firm tofu, patted dry, cut in 1/2-inch cubes
3 shallots, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 carrot, cut in matchstick pieces
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and cut in thin strips
1 C sliced asparagus or green beans, cut in 1-inch pieces
2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp lime juice
2-1/2 tsp fresh red chilies, chopped
2 tsp granulated sugar
1/2 tsp black pepper
Directions
Heat a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons oil. Add tofu and stir-fry for 4 minutes, turning carefully, until golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and reserve.
Add remaining oil to wok. Add shallots and garlic. Stir-fry for 1 minute.
Add carrot, red pepper, and asparagus or green beans. Stir-fry for 2 minutes.
Add soy sauce, lime juice, chilies, sugar, and pepper. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
Return tofu to wok. Cook for 1 minute, or until combined and heated through.
SMOKED TOFU FARFALLE CASSEROLE
This was on the Vegetarian Times web site, and begins, "Here's a new twist on old-fashioned tuna noodle casserole." Serves 6
To view this online, go to https://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/smoked-tofu-farfalle-casserole/.
Ingredients
4 tsp. olive oil
1 small yellow bell pepper, chopped (about 1 cup)
1-1/2 cups frozen baby peas
3 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 Tbs.)
2-1/2 tsp. minced fresh thyme
8 oz. farfalle pasta (bows)
1-3/4 cups low-fat milk
3 Tbs. all-purpose flour
3 oz. sharp Cheddar cheese, grated (about 3/4 cup)
6 oz. smoked tofu, diced
3 Tbs. Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
Preparation
Preheat oven to 425F. Heat 1 tsp. oil in 6-qt. Dutch oven over medium heat. Add bell pepper, and cook, stirring often, 3 minutes. Stir in frozen peas, garlic and thyme, and cook, stirring often, 2 minutes more. Transfer to bowl and set aside.
Wipe out Dutch oven; fill with water, and bring to a boil. Add pasta, and cook about 4 minutes, or until just al dente. Drain and transfer to clean bowl. Drizzle with 2 tsp. olive oil, and toss to coat. Return Dutch oven to stove.
Heat 1 1/2 cups milk in Dutch oven over medium heat until almost simmering. Whisk together remaining 1/4 cup milk with flour in small bowl, then whisk into hot milk. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, 2 minutes, or until sauce thickens and bubbles. Remove from heat, and stir in cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add pasta, bell pepper mixture and tofu, and stir to combine.
Mix breadcrumbs with remaining 1 tsp. oil in small bowl; sprinkle over casserole. Bake uncovered, 20 minutes, or until golden. Serve hot.
SILKEN TOFU WITH CRUNCHY LETTUCE AND FRIED SHALLOTS
This is from Ali Slagle in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. (If you haven't signed up for their newsletter, I highly recommend it!)
For this recipe, Ali wrote, "Built like Japanese hiyayakko, in which cold, pudding-like tofu is heaped with toppings, this 20-minute dish is lively with contrasting textures and temperatures. Here, crunchy lettuces dressed with soy sauce, vinegar and seasoned oil are piled atop cold silken tofu, then scattered with crispy fried shallots and jalapeño. Eat the dish on its own, with rice or fish, and maybe a cold beer."
Yield: 4 servings; Time: 20 minutes
To view this online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1023348-silken-tofu-with-crunchy-lettuce-and-fried-shallots.
Ingredients
1 large shallot, halved and thinly sliced
1 jalapeño or other fresh hot chile, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons neutral oil (such as grapeseed or canola)
Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
8 cups torn romaine or Little Gem lettuce (about 3/4 pound or 2 heads)
1 tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 (14- to 16-ounce) blocks silken tofu, drained and refrigerated
Preparation
In a large (12-inch) skillet, add the shallot, half the jalapeño slices and the oil. Sprinkle with salt, then set over high heat. Once sizzling, reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally with a fork, until golden, 4 to 6 minutes. Remove from heat, then use a slotted spoon or fish spatula to transfer shallot and jalapeño slices to a paper towel-lined plate. Leave the oil in the skillet.
To the skillet, add the lettuce, remaining jalapeño, vinegar and soy sauce. Toss until the lettuce is slicked with dressing and just barely wilted. (You want to maintain most of its crunch.) Season to taste with salt.
Invert the tofu onto a large platter (or divide among four plates). Using a knife or spoon, break the tofu into large chunks. Top with the wilted lettuce and any dressing from the skillet, then sprinkle with the fried shallots and jalapeño. Eat right away.
