Appetite for Reduction (28 page)

Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Spray the pan with a bit of nonstick cooking spray. Add the tofu slices and reserve the marinade. Cook the tofu for 10 minutes, flipping often, adding the marinade as you go. Add the remaining marinade and turn up the heat to high. Let the liquid boil and cook down for about 5 minutes. Serve!

SERVES 4 • ACTIVE TIME: 15 MINUTES • TOTAL TIME: 2 HOURS

(CAN BE MADE GLUTEN FREE IF USING GF MISO AND GF TAMARI IN PLACE OF SOY SAUCE)

W
hen you think “miso” you probably don’t instantly think “apples,” but they go incredibly well together. The very umami fermented flavor of miso is begging to be tempered by something sweet and fruity. Miso even has cidery undertones that make the pairing all the better. I hope I’ve made my case! Serve with brown basmati rice or
Scallion Potato Pancakes
(page G1) and
Orange-Scented Broccoli
(page 100). This is weeknight fare if you marinate the tofu early in the day and then just pop it in the oven when you’re ready for dinner. If you press the tofu it will absorb more marinade, but it’s not completely necessary.

Mix the marinade ingredients together in an 8 by 13-inch baking pan.

Cut the tofu widthwise into eight equal pieces. If you like, slice those pieces corner to corner to form triangles. Add the tofu and let marinate
for about an hour, or up to 12 hours, flipping once to make sure everything gets coated.

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Add the apples to the pan; it’s okay if they are not all submerged. Cover the pan tightly with tinfoil and bake for 30 minutes.

Remove the pan from the oven and remove the tinfoil. Bake for another 20 minutes. The tofu should be lightly browned and the apples should be nice and soft. Serve over rice and garnish with arugula, if desired.

SERVES 4 • ACTIVE TIME: 30 MINUTES • TOTAL TIME: 30 MINUTES

(CAN BE MADE GLUTEN FREE IF USING GF HOISON SAUCE AND CF TAMARI IN PLACE OF SOY SAUCE)

I
ceberg lettuce gets a bad rap, but this is a really good wrap! Terrible puns aside, iceberg does provide the perfect pocket for this flavorful, Chinese-inspired glazed tofu. I love the contrast of cold and crisp with warm and sweet. The tofu is basically “fried” in a dry pan, coated with only a little bit of nonstick cooking spray. It gives the tofu a nice chewy exterior. You’ll need a well-seasoned cast-iron pan for this, although a good-quality nonstick will work, too. Just avoid any cookware that has a tendency to stick. Serve with
Unfried Fried Rice
(page 70) and
Five-Spice Delicata Squash
(page 106), but remember to start those first since they take a while.

Prepare the tofu: Preheat a cast-iron or heavy-bottomed nonstick skillet over medium heat. Spray it with a little nonstick cooking spray. Add the tofu and cook for about 10 minutes, flipping it with a thin spatula once in a while, until it is browned on most sides. The thin spatula is important, because you should be able to slip it underneath the tofu and flip it easily, keeping the tofu intact. About midway through, drizzle with the soy sauce and toss to coat.

Preheat a separate large pan over medium heat. Saute the red pepper, onion, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes in the sesame oil, using a little cooking spray if needed. Cook for about 210 minutes. The veggies should be soft and browned. Add the mirin and let it cook out for about 3 minutes. Add the hoison and mustard, and cook for about another minute.

Add the tofu to the sauce and toss to coat. Serve alongside lettuce leaves, to stuff like a taco.

SERVES 4 • ACTIVE TIME: 10 MINUTES • TOTAL TIME: 30 MINUTES

(CAN BE MADE GLUTEN FREE IF USING GF TAMARI IN PLACE OF SOY SAUCE)

I
f you don’t have a hundred years (or an hour) to pump lots of flavor into your tofu via a marinade, then the next best thing is a super-flavorful coating. Enter “the rub.” Rubbing tofu with assertive flavors, in this case chili powder and lime, is a great way to bring the noise to the dinner table. The noise being, “Mmmm ...” This is great with
Pasta de los Angeles
(page 177).

1 block extra-firm tofu (about 14 ounces) sliced into
8 pieces widthwise
2 tablespoons mild chili powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice (from about 2 limes)
1 teaspoon oil
1 teaspoon soy sauce
2 cloves garlic
Zest from 1 lime

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Poke each slice of tofu with a fork three or four times, to let the flavors seep in.

Mix together the chili powder and salt in a small ramekin and set aside.

Pour the lime juice, oil, and soy sauce into an 8 by 13-inch pan. Use a Microplane grater to grate in the garlic, and mix in the lime zest.

Toss each slice of tofu in the pan to coat with lime and stuff. Now rub each slice with a big pinch of the chili powder mixture, until well coated. Don’t dredge the slices or they’ll pick up too much coating. Arrange the tofu in the pan in a single layer.

Bake the tofu for 10 minutes on one side, flip it over, and bake for another 10 minutes. Serve!

SERVES 4 • ACTIVE TIME: 10 MINUTES • TOTAL TIME: 20 MINUTES

S
crambled tofu is a quick, flavorful way to get your soy on, and I think it’s one of the best recipes for tofu beginners. I have a bazillion different recipes for it, but this one is the simplest, most pantry-friendly, and in all my years of serving tofu, this one has been the most universally appealing. Wilting the arugula at the end gets you a nice splash of green without having to chop anything, so this can really be thrown together in no time flat.

1 teaspoon olive oil
1 medium-size red onion, diced finely
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 block extra-firm tofu (about 14 ounces)
2 to 3 teaspoons curry powder
½ teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
¾ teaspoon salt
A few pinches of freshly ground black pepper
2 cups baby arugula