Not sure how to sink your teeth into this idea of eating dinner without a flesh food? Not sure how you are going to bring others in your home to share in your enthusiasm for meatless? With this recipe tofu never tasted so good! Actually tofu has no flavor, so you are free to season it any way that suits you and your mood. Last night I made this old standby recipe, with several alterations. I simply used the vegetables that we had on hand, since it is the sauce that makes the dish. It is spectacular. Truly, test this on any reluctant tofu eater, even if that person is you!
Stir-Fried Tofu with Vegetables in Curried Almond Butter Sauce (Original Recipe from is from New Vegetarian Basics by Nettie Cronish)
Sauce
1/4 cup almond butter
3 T tamari (natural soy sauce)
2 T mirin (Asian sweetener, can substitute with honey)
2 T toasted sesame oil
2 t curry powder
Stir-Fry
12-16 oz block of firm or extra firm tofu
2 T ghee butter (or olive oil)
3 cloves garlic, chopped finely
1 red or yellow onion, sliced thinly
3 cups of vegetables from your crisper
Extra tamari
Leafy green vegetable, washed, stemmed and lightly chopped
In a bowl mix the ingredients for the sauce together and set aside. The smell is amazing, the taste is sensational, so have a small sample right now! Mmmmmmm!
Rinse the tofu, wrap completely in a kitchen towel. Lay it on the counter and put a plate on top and apply some weight, with something that cannot break! The weight helps to drain the tofu. Drain for about 15 minutes. Then cut the tofu into 1/2″ cubes.
Heat a wok or frying pan, add the ghee butter and let it melt and heat up a bit. Add the tofu and cook until it is brown. Remove from the pan and add it to the bowl of sauce. Stir lightly to cover all of the tofu with sauce.
Now cook the garlic and onion for about 3 minutes (pan should be fairly hot), then add the remaining ingredients and toss well. Add 2 T of water to the pan and quickly cover with a lid. Cook for a further 3 minutes (although length of time will depend on the size of your vegetable pieces). Turn off the heat, remove the lid and quickly add the leafy green vegetables. Stir well, cover again with the lid and let the leafies cook! Then add the tofu with the sauce and stir throughout to mix well, and to warm completely.
Top with a chopped herb, if you have it. Cilantro is nice!
We ate this dinner with some cooked barley (rice, quinoa, couscous are all good accompaniments) and had a salad as well.
Serves 4.
Leftovers are wonderful for lunch the next day, or even for breakfast!
Cost (approx numbers)
Tofu – $2.00
Vegetables – $5.00
Sauce – $3.00
Barley – $.25
Salad with dressing – $5.00
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