seasoning, coating it generously.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a cast-iron or other heavy skillet. When hot, add the tofu in a single layer. (You may have to do this in two batches, using extra oil.) Fry over medium heat without disturbing for several minutes until crusty and well browned, then turn and brown on the other side. (You can even brown them on the edges standing the pieces upright against the sides of the pan.) Remove to a plate when finished.
3. Return the skillet to the heat without washing it—you want those crusty bits remaining on the bottom of the pan—and add another tablespoon of oil. When hot, add the onions, bell peppers, roasted chiles, bay leaf, garlic, and reserved seasoning mix. Cook over high heat, stirring frequently, until the onions start to brown, 8 to 10 minutes. If the pan should become dry and sticky before the onions are done, add ½ cup of the stock and scrape vigorously to pick up the bits on the bottom. They will immediately thicken the liquid and lend their color. Taste for salt.
4. Lay the tofu on top of the vegetables. Add enough stock just to come up to the tofu without covering it. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and cover the pan. Simmer for 15 minutes.
5. Set several of the nicer-looking pieces of tofu aside and turn off the heat. Spoon several tablespoons of the liquid into the sour cream and stir until smooth, then stir the mixture into the pan. Next, stir in the cheese and let it melt. Return the pieces of tofu to the stew, add some fresh chopped parsley, and serve, in its pan, with rice.
PASTA (AND NOODLES), the universal food, is at home with tofu as it is with other foods, whether you’re pairing tofu with spaghetti, mung bean threads or buckwheatpasta, or whether you’re using ginger, chile, and soy, or sour cream and dill as seasonings and sauces.
Chilled
soba
and tofu have already met in the salad chapter, where they mingle with soy, ginger, and dark-roasted sesame oil. In a more discrete fashion, many of the tofu-based sauces can be used to coat a macaroni salad or salads based on somen or
udon
noodles. However, most of my pasta-tofu combinations are warm dishes and none of them feature tofu as a replacement for mozzarella or ricotta cheese. Instead, I’ve tried to feature tofu as itself, although recipes involving chicken and fish have proved more than once to be worthwhile as springboards.
There’s no one best way of using tofu with pasta or noodles. It needn’t be fried first, although sometimes it works best that way. It needn’t always be cut into large pieces. The Seared Mushrooms with Tiny Cubes of Tofu makes the most delicious filling for
wonton
wrappers, an intriguing mixture that can also be tossed with thin Chinese egg noodles. Thicker Chinese egg noodles are feature with glazed tofu and a peanut sauce. Curly American egg noodles make a tender bed for a sauce of tofu, sour cream, and paprika, while lo mein noodles drink up the tamarind-laced sauce that accompanies sautéed Mushrooms and Tofu . Although I haven’t called for them, I think saffron noodles would make a rather interesting base for any of the tofu curries, especially those involving coconut milk. No doubt there’s a type of pasta or noodle for virtually every tofu dish, even those where rice has been suggested as an accompaniment.
Mushroomsand Tofu in Paprika Cream over Egg Noodles
SERVES 4
I wasn’t sure how successfully tofu could replace chicken in this dish, but it turns out that paprika, sour cream, and dill are good seasonings for both. Not only is this an especially satisfying dish to eat, it’s easy to make, even on a busy week night
.
½ cup sour cream
1 carton firm tofu, drained
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 onion, finely diced
1 pound mushrooms, sliced about ⅓ inch thick
Juice of ½ lemon
1 tablespoon flour
1½ tablespoons mild (sweet) paprika
⅓ cup white wine or sherry
⅓ cup
2. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a cast-iron or other heavy skillet. When hot, add the tofu in a single layer. (You may have to do this in two batches, using extra oil.) Fry over medium heat without disturbing for several minutes until crusty and well browned, then turn and brown on the other side. (You can even brown them on the edges standing the pieces upright against the sides of the pan.) Remove to a plate when finished.
3. Return the skillet to the heat without washing it—you want those crusty bits remaining on the bottom of the pan—and add another tablespoon of oil. When hot, add the onions, bell peppers, roasted chiles, bay leaf, garlic, and reserved seasoning mix. Cook over high heat, stirring frequently, until the onions start to brown, 8 to 10 minutes. If the pan should become dry and sticky before the onions are done, add ½ cup of the stock and scrape vigorously to pick up the bits on the bottom. They will immediately thicken the liquid and lend their color. Taste for salt.
4. Lay the tofu on top of the vegetables. Add enough stock just to come up to the tofu without covering it. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and cover the pan. Simmer for 15 minutes.
5. Set several of the nicer-looking pieces of tofu aside and turn off the heat. Spoon several tablespoons of the liquid into the sour cream and stir until smooth, then stir the mixture into the pan. Next, stir in the cheese and let it melt. Return the pieces of tofu to the stew, add some fresh chopped parsley, and serve, in its pan, with rice.
PASTA (AND NOODLES), the universal food, is at home with tofu as it is with other foods, whether you’re pairing tofu with spaghetti, mung bean threads or buckwheatpasta, or whether you’re using ginger, chile, and soy, or sour cream and dill as seasonings and sauces.
Chilled
soba
and tofu have already met in the salad chapter, where they mingle with soy, ginger, and dark-roasted sesame oil. In a more discrete fashion, many of the tofu-based sauces can be used to coat a macaroni salad or salads based on somen or
udon
noodles. However, most of my pasta-tofu combinations are warm dishes and none of them feature tofu as a replacement for mozzarella or ricotta cheese. Instead, I’ve tried to feature tofu as itself, although recipes involving chicken and fish have proved more than once to be worthwhile as springboards.
There’s no one best way of using tofu with pasta or noodles. It needn’t be fried first, although sometimes it works best that way. It needn’t always be cut into large pieces. The Seared Mushrooms with Tiny Cubes of Tofu makes the most delicious filling for
wonton
wrappers, an intriguing mixture that can also be tossed with thin Chinese egg noodles. Thicker Chinese egg noodles are feature with glazed tofu and a peanut sauce. Curly American egg noodles make a tender bed for a sauce of tofu, sour cream, and paprika, while lo mein noodles drink up the tamarind-laced sauce that accompanies sautéed Mushrooms and Tofu . Although I haven’t called for them, I think saffron noodles would make a rather interesting base for any of the tofu curries, especially those involving coconut milk. No doubt there’s a type of pasta or noodle for virtually every tofu dish, even those where rice has been suggested as an accompaniment.
Mushroomsand Tofu in Paprika Cream over Egg Noodles
SERVES 4
I wasn’t sure how successfully tofu could replace chicken in this dish, but it turns out that paprika, sour cream, and dill are good seasonings for both. Not only is this an especially satisfying dish to eat, it’s easy to make, even on a busy week night
.
½ cup sour cream
1 carton firm tofu, drained
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 onion, finely diced
1 pound mushrooms, sliced about ⅓ inch thick
Juice of ½ lemon
1 tablespoon flour
1½ tablespoons mild (sweet) paprika
⅓ cup white wine or sherry
⅓ cup
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