Roasted Rosemary Tofu

Roasted Rosemary Tofu with Salsa Verde

 So sorry for the extended silence! We just returned from an absolutely fabulous weekend in Florida (my first time!) for my cousin's wedding. We swam, went to the beach, saw alligators in the Everglades, ate hibachi, danced and enjoyed some sun and warm weather--two things we were beginning to think were just figments of our imagination.


But now we're back in New York, where it's still stubbornly winter and I see I have yet to write up the 

Tofu

recipe for the tofu variation of last week's Roasted Rosemary Cod. Enjoy!


Roasted Rosemary Tofu

• 2 tablespoons peanut oil
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper, freshly ground
• 1 lb. firm tofu
• 1 skewer fresh rosemary
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 sprig fresh thyme
• 2 tablespoons salsa verde

Cut tofu in half height-wise, wrap in a clean towel and place on a plate. On top, place a colander or bowl filled with a couple of bottles or boxes (I use a bottle of olive oil and a box of kosher salt). Press for at least an hour.

Warm a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add peanut oil. Swirl around pan. Unwrap pressed tofu and salt and pepper each side. Place tofu in pan. Pan-roast for 7 minutes. Flip over, reduce heat to medium, and add rosemary leaves, butter and thyme. Cook another 5 minutes. Remove from pan and serve with

Rosemary and Tofu

 

salsa verde.

Make it a meal: We also had this with pearl barley, spinach, and Beaujolais Nouveau. For dessert: tangerines. Bon appetit!

Links to other Rosemary Roasted Tofu noshes:

• Roasted Rosemary Pears from A Life (Time) of Cooking
• Lentil and Eggplant Pasta with Rosemary from Tofu for Two
• Garlic and Rosemary Roasted Shrimp Skewers with Fuyu Persimmon from Kalyn's Kitchen

Tofu with Cranberry Paste

Tofu with Cranberry Paste

A few days after Valentine's Day, here's part two of my Valentine's Day-appropriate Cornish Hens (and Tofu) with Cranberry Paste. Obviously, today is the tofu version of the recipe. Now, just as a disclaimer, this isn't an entirely vegetarian dish. There is chicken stock in the paste and, when I made it, I cooked the tofu in the same pan as the Cornish hens. If you are cooking for a strict vegetarian, you could substitute the chicken stock with a strong-flavored vegetable stock (or even a mix of vegetable stock and cranberry juice) and if you do, I'd be fascinated to know how it turned out. However, for the sake of total honesty, I'm only writing up what I did. The Vegetarian loved it, with a side of couscous, some cinnamon sweet potato slices and a delirium tremens and I hope you do too. Enjoy!


Tofu with Cranberry Paste

• 1 pound extra-firm tofu
• 1/4 cup + 1/4 cup pistachio nuts, crushed
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper, freshly ground
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 6 shallots, sliced
• 2 tablespoons thyme leaves, fresh
• 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
• 6 ounces cranberries, frozen
• 4 leaves basil

Wrap tofu in a clean dish towel and set on a clean plate. On top, place a colander filled with heavy bottles or boxes (I usually use a bottle of olive oil and a box of kosher salt). Let rest for as long as possible, preferably at least an hour. This removes excess moisture from the tofu and helps it to better soak up the flavors you're cooking it in.

Preheat oven to 350F. Once tofu is sufficiently pressed, slice tofu in half depthwise. Coat both sides in 1/4 

Tofu, ready for the oven

cup pistachio nuts, salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Sear tofu for 2-3 minutes on both sides. Place in a roasting pan, on a roasting rack. Once oven is heated, place tofu in oven and roast for 30 minutes.

While tofu is cooking, add shallots to pan and saute 6 minutes, mixing shallots well with any pistachio nuts that fell into pan. Stir in thyme, then deglaze with chicken stock, using a wooden spoon to get all the nuts from the pan. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. 

In a food processor, combine remaining 1/4 cup pistachios, cranberries and basil. Add shallots and pan drippings. Pulse 

Cranberry Paste

until all is a uniform texture.

Serve tofu with at least two tablespoonfuls of cranberry paste. You will have plenty left over!

Links to other tofu cranberry noshes:

• Leftover Cranberry-Soy Sauce Sticky Sweet Tofu Steaks from Healthy. Happy. Life.
• Toasted Tofu Sandwich with Cranberry & Arugula from Gluten Free Cooking School
• Cranberry Fruit Muffins from Tofu for Two
• Spelt-Oat Cookies with Chocolates and Cranberries from Tofu for Two 
• Vegan Turkey Breasts from Albion Cooks

Happy New Year! and Tofu Nicoise Salad of Roasted Red Onion, Potatoes, Green Beans, and Olives

Happy New Year and welcome to 2011! We had a quiet celebration with a visit from Jess, a friend from college, with whom we went to see Harry Potter, ordered in Mexican food, read aloud and watched Sherlock, a splendiferous new series from BBC. All in all, a quiet, restful beginning to what I sincerely hope will be a wonderfully delicious year.

In response to all the rich foods we've all been eating this month (and with an eye towards healthy New Year's resolutions), today's recipe is for a delicious main course salad we enjoyed a few weeks ago. It's my take on a Salad Nicoise, made vegetarian by substituting tofu for the tuna, with a few other tweaks as well. Great with a sparkling wine. Enjoy!

Tofu Nicoise Salad of Roasted Red Onion, Potatoes, Green Beans, and Olives

adapted from the Vegetarian Times

• 1 red onion, peeled
• 1/2 teaspoon + 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 purple potato
• 1 red-skinned potato
• 4 Yukon Gold potatoes, quartered
• 10 ounces green beans, trimmed (I used frozen ones which worked great)
• 1/4 cup Italian dressing
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 4 cloves garlic, pressed (in a garlic press)
• 1/8 teaspoon + 1/8 teaspoon black pepper, ground
• 5 ounces spring salad mix
• 4 sun-dried tomatoes, quartered
• 2 8-ounce packages baked tofu, cut into 1-inch slices
• 4 white mushrooms, sliced thinly
• 1/4 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and halved
• 1/4 cup Manzanilla olives, pitted and halved
• 1/8 teaspoon Fleur de Sel

Preheat oven to 400F. Rub onion with olive oil, place on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet and roast 40 minutes. When lightly charred, remove and let cool. Peel off outermost layer and cut into 1-inch chunks. Set aside.

Meanwhile, place potatoes in large saucepan with cold salted water to cover. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to medium-high and cook about 20 minutes. Drain and, when cool, cut into 1-inch chunks. Set aside.

Boil green beans in a small pot of salted water for 5 minutes. If whole, cut into 2-inch pieces and set aside.

Whisk together Italian dressing, lemon juice, garlic and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Let stand 10 minutes.

In a large bowl, mix together salad mix, tomatoes, tofu, green beans, mushrooms, olives, onion, potatoes, 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper and dressing. Toss thoroughly to combine. Serve at room temperature.

Links to other salad Nicoise noshes:

• Nicoise Salad from Simply Recipes
• Nicoise Salad from No Recipes
• Salade Nicoise from YumSugar
• Nicoise Salad from Guilty Kitchen
• Quick and Easy Nicoise-Style Salad from The Kitchn
• Salad Nicoise, American Style from Tea & Cookies
• Seared Swordfish Nicoise Salad from Stephencooks
• Nicoise Pasta Salad from Treat a Week Recipes
• Nicoise Salad from Macheesmo
• Classic Salade Nicoise from David Lebovitz
• Nicoise Salad from Je Mange la Ville
• Comme Ci Comme Ca Salade Nicoise from KarmaFree Cooking

IMBB #19: Vegan Feast

Sam, from Becks & Posh, is hosting this month's IMBB and the theme is to make something Vegan! Now, I'm a carnivore so I was a little nervous about this theme. A whole vegan meal? The simplest thing would be to make a salad, but a salad without meat or cheese just seemed rather boring to me. Finally, I decided to forget about it completely. I've been pretty bad about blogging lately, and a show I'm working on began tech yesterday, so I certainly have enough excuses. But then today tech ended early, one of the ladies I live with was feeling ill and I really needed to buy groceries. So I decided to make us a vegan feast with two dishes: A Tofu and Tomato Stir-fry and a Cherry Tomato Salad with Rice Wine Vinaigrette. While shopping, I was very careful to read all the ingredients and buy only Vegan-allowed foods. The result? A simple and healthy dinner, but not one I would eat every night. So thanks, Sam, for opening my eyes to what a nice change this can be, but I think in general I prefer a steak.

Cherry Tomato Salad

40 Cherry Tomatoes, halved
Green and Black Olives, pitted
2 Scallions, minced
Salt and Cracked Black Pepper, to taste

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and drizzle with a little Rice Wine Vinaigrette. Toss and serve.

Rice Wine Vinaigrette

1/3 cup Canola Oil
1/3 cup Rice Wine Vinegar
3 cloves Garlic, minced

Whisk together until well-combined. Perfect drizzled delicate vegetables, cooked or raw.

Tofu and Tomatoes

Canola Oil to grease pan
1 Plum Tomato, diced
5 cloves Garlic, minced
2-3 teaspoons Olive Oil
2 packs Extra-Firm Tofu, cubed
Trader Joe's 21-Seasoning Salute (or favorite spice blend)
1 tablespoon Soy Sauce
Salt and Cracked Black Pepper, to taste

Grease pan with Canola Oil. Saute Tomato and Garlic until Garlic is fully cooked and Tomato is soft. Remove from pan and reserve. Add Olive Oil to pan. Heat, then add Tofu Cubes. Saute until Tofu begins to color. Add 21-Seasoning Salute. Return Tomato mixture to pan. Add Soy Sauce and move tofu bits around so everything is well combined. Add Salt and Cracked Black Pepper to taste. Serve.

recipe and IMBB # 19 + Vegan