Indulge in a culinary symphony of flavors with our tantalizing Sesame Tofu with Coconut-Lime Dressing and Spinach. This delightful vegan dish showcases the perfect harmony of textures and tastes, featuring crispy tofu coated in a savory sesame crust, drizzled with a refreshing coconut-lime dressing, and nestled amidst a bed of tender spinach. Alongside this main course, we present a medley of complementary recipes to elevate your dining experience. Embark on a culinary journey with our delightful Quinoa Salad with Roasted Vegetables, bursting with vibrant colors and flavors. Discover the zesty freshness of our Cucumber-Mint Salad, a refreshing accompaniment that cleanses the palate. Dive into the creamy goodness of our Avocado-Tahini Dip, perfect for dipping vegetables or spreading on sandwiches. And for a satisfying end to your meal, indulge in our delectable Coconut-Lime Sorbet, a tropical treat that leaves a lingering taste of paradise.
Here are our top 6 tried and tested recipes!
BAKED TOFU WITH PEANUT SAUCE AND COCONUT-LIME RICE
A spicy, fragrant peanut sauce reminiscent of the groundnut stews that are popular across West Africa anchors this recipe. Any protein would be lucky to be doused and marinated in it, but tofu soaks up the peanut sauce's flavors and chars up nicely upon roasting. The tofu's neutral flavor allows the other flavors in the dish to break through. Red miso and fish sauce provide umami, honey lends a subtle sweetness and the lime zest in the coconut rice brightens it all. Finished with pickled peppers and fresh sliced scallions, this dish comes together to make an exciting but quick weeknight dinner.
Provided by Yewande Komolafe
Categories dinner, weekday, grains and rice, vegetables, main course
Time 25m
Yield 4 servings
Number Of Ingredients 16
Steps:
- Heat the oven to 450 degrees and lightly brush a large rimmed sheet pan with oil.
- In a small bowl, stir 4 tablespoons lime juice with 1/2 teaspoon salt until salt dissolves. Add the sliced peppers, a few cracks of black pepper and set aside.
- In a small pot, combine the rice with 1 cup water and the coconut milk. Season with salt and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook over medium-low until the rice is just tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let sit, covered, until ready to serve.
- In a medium bowl, whisk 4 tablespoons lime juice with the peanut butter, miso, ginger, fish sauce (if using), habanero, 2 tablespoons oil, 1 tablespoon honey and 3/4 cup water. Stir until smooth and season to taste with salt.
- Arrange the tofu pieces in a single layer on the oiled baking sheet and season with salt. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the peanut sauce over each, covering the top and allowing the sauce to run down and coat the sides. Drizzle the tops with some oil, and roast until glaze is set, deep brown and caramelized along the edges, 18 to 20 minutes. Add the remaining lime juice and 1 tablespoon honey to the leftover peanut sauce in the bowl to make the dressing; set aside.
- Divide the greens among bowls. Add the lime zest and half the sliced scallions to the rice, then fluff with a fork. Top the greens with the rice, then the tofu. Spoon the peanut dressing over everything, and garnish with the drained pickled peppers and remaining sliced scallions.
TOFU AND HERB SALAD WITH SESAME
Tender sweet herbs are the foundation of this lovely, delicate salad that's dressed with a creamy yogurt sauce flavored with sesame, lime juice, ginger and green chile for kick. Feel free to use any combination of the herbs mentioned in the recipe, though you could also incorporate large leaves of butter lettuce. Topped with cool cubes of soft tofu, this dish is a very flavorful and refreshing first course or light lunch.
Provided by David Tanis
Categories easy, quick, salads and dressings, appetizer, side dish
Time 20m
Yield 4 to 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 15
Steps:
- Make the sauce: In a small bowl, put ground sesame seeds, lime, ginger, chile, sesame oil and soy sauce. Add yogurt and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper. (If necessary, thin with a little water.) Set aside.
- On individual plates, arrange watercress, parsley and cilantro, then the mixed herbs. Scatter cucumber slices here and there. Top with the tofu cubes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Drizzle sauce over each plate, and garnish with sesame seeds, if desired.
SAAG TOFU (TOFU WITH SPINACH, GINGER, CORIANDER AND TURMERIC)
Raghavan Iyer, author of "660 Curries," describes the Indian cheese paneer as "fresh, firm and chewy" and "not unlike a block of extra-firm tofu," which you could substitute for paneer in a pinch. Tofu takes the place of paneer in this lighter version of saag paneer, a classic Indian dish made with fresh spinach sautéed in plenty of ginger, cumin, fennel seeds, chiles, coriander and turmeric. Here, seared tofu and yogurt are stirred in at the end, making it a creamy, satisfying, almost-vegan meal that's wonderful served with naan or over rice.
Provided by Martha Rose Shulman
Categories dinner, easy, quick, main course
Time 30m
Yield 4 servings
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- Drain the tofu on paper towels. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat in a wok or a large, heavy lidded skillet and add the tofu. Stir-fry until golden brown and remove from the heat.
- Combine the shallot or onion and the ginger in a food processor or mini-chop and blend until finely minced, almost a paste.
- Heat the remaining oil over medium-high heat in a wok or skillet and add the cumin seeds, fennel seeds and whole chiles. Cook, stirring, for about 15 seconds, or until the spices are fragrant and reddish-brown. Add the onion and ginger and stir-fry until it is lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Add the coriander, salt, cayenne and turmeric, stir for about 10 seconds and add the spinach in batches, adding the next batch after the first batch wilts and stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan to deglaze.
- Stir in the tofu, cover, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 2 to 3 minutes, until the spinach is uniformly wilted and the tofu is warmed through.
- Whisk the cornstarch into the yogurt. Remove the pan from the heat, remove the chilies, and stir in the yogurt. Taste, adjust salt and serve with rice or other grains.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 274, UnsaturatedFat 13 grams, Carbohydrate 15 grams, Fat 17 grams, Fiber 7 grams, Protein 22 grams, SaturatedFat 3 grams, Sodium 751 milligrams, Sugar 3 grams, TransFat 0 grams
SPINACH, TOFU AND SESAME STIR-FRY
You can serve this simple stir-fry with grains or noodles, or (my preference) use it as a filling for a whole wheat pita pocket.
Provided by Martha Rose Shulman
Categories dinner, easy, quick, weekday, main course
Time 15m
Yield 3 servings
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Heat the canola oil over medium-high heat in a large nonstick skillet or wok, and add the tofu. Stir-fry until the tofu is lightly colored, three to five minutes, and add the garlic, ginger and chili flakes. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about one minute, and add soy sauce to taste. Add the spinach and stir-fry until the spinach wilts, about one minute. Stir in the sesame seeds, and add more soy sauce to taste. Remove from the heat.
- Using tongs, transfer the spinach and tofu mixture to a serving bowl, leaving the liquid behind in the pan or wok. Drizzle with the sesame oil, and add more soy sauce as desired. Serve with rice or other grains, or noodles. You may also use it as a filling for whole wheat pita bread.
SPINACH AND TOFU SALAD
Here's a spinach salad that takes cues from Japan and is hearty enough to be a main course. Try to find crisp, medium curly-leaf spinach, which will hold up when dressed. (Baby spinach leaves will surely wilt.) Other sturdy greens - such as mizuna, curly endive or Napa cabbage - can stand in for spinach, or you can combine several kinds of greens.
Provided by David Tanis
Categories dinner, lunch, salads and dressings, main course
Time 45m
Yield 4 to 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 24
Steps:
- Heat oven to 375 degrees. Slice tofu into 1-inch-by-2-inch pieces about 1/4-inch thick and place in a deep bowl or on a platter.
- Make the marinade: In a medium bowl, whisk together soy sauce, sesame oil, vinegar, sake, brown sugar, ginger and cayenne. Pour marinade over tofu slices to coat well. Leave in marinade for at least 15 minutes. (You may marinate the tofu up to 24 hours in advance.)
- While the tofu marinates, pick over spinach leaves and remove any tough stems. Swish the spinach in a deep bowl of cold water. Lift leaves from water into a colander. If you see any sand in the water, repeat up to 3 times, using fresh water each time. Drain well and dry spinach, then wrap in a kitchen towel and refrigerate until ready to use. (You may wash the spinach up to 24 hours in advance.)
- Make the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together lime juice, brown sugar, sesame oil, vegetable oil, soy sauce, miso, garlic and ginger.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and arrange the tofu pieces in a single layer. Spoon remaining marinade over tofu. Bake, uncovered, for 15 to 20 minutes, until slightly crisped. Remove and leave at room temperature.
- To make the salad, arrange spinach in a low, wide salad bowl or on a deep platter. Scatter cucumber, daikon and edamame over spinach, then sprinkle with sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds and peanuts. Tuck slices of tofu here and there.
- Sprinkle a pinch of salt over everything, then drizzle salad with dressing and serve.
GADO-GADO
Gado-gado is a beloved dish across Indonesia. Each region has a different spin: In Jakarta, it is a "double-carb" dish, featuring both potato and lontong (rice cakes). In West Java, it is known as lotek atah or karedok and served with raw vegetables. At the heart of any gado-gado is the spicy peanut sauce: Some versions call for tamarind, lime, terasi (shrimp paste) or coconut milk. Others use peanut butter instead of freshly pounded peanuts. This particular recipe is inspired by a home-cooked gado-gado eaten in Bali, where the rich, aromatic sauce was powered by shallots and garlic. Its sweetness comes from kecap manis, the thick, caramelly soy sauce foundational in Indonesian cooking, but, if you can't find kecap manis, make your own (see Tip) or use sweet soy sauce.
Provided by Hetty McKinnon
Categories vegetables, main course
Time 45m
Yield 6 to 8 servings
Number Of Ingredients 18
Steps:
- Heat a large frying pan over medium-high. When hot, drizzle with 1 to 2 tablespoons oil and add the tofu slices. Season the tofu well with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium and fry for 2 to 3 minutes on each side until golden brown. Remove from the pan and allow to cool. Cut tofu into squares or triangles.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add green beans and blanch for about 4 minutes or until just tender. Just before the beans are ready, add cabbage and bean sprouts to the pot and shock them in the water for about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Transfer the vegetables to a colander, refresh under cold water and drain well.
- Bring the same pot of water (add more water and salt, if required) to the boil, and add the potatoes and cook until tender, about 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the satay sauce: Place the peanuts, sliced shallots, garlic and chile into a blender or food processor, and blitz until it becomes a chunky paste. You can add a splash of water to get the blender going, or if you prefer a smoother paste. (It is traditional to use a mortar and pestle to make the paste, so if you have one, use it.)
- Heat a medium saucepan over medium-low, drizzle with remaining 1 tablespoon oil, and add the paste, stirring constantly, for 2 to 3 minutes, until fragrant. Add the kecap manis, palm sugar, salt and 1 cup water. Stir for 2 to 3 minutes, until the sauce is well combined. (Peanut sauce can be stored in a jar in the refrigerator for 7 days.)
- To serve, divide the blanched vegetables, potatoes, tofu, cucumber, tomatoes and eggs over several serving plates or assemble it all on one large serving platter. Drizzle each plate generously with the peanut sauce and top with crispy fried shallots.
Tips:
- For the best flavor, use firm or extra-firm tofu. Extra firm tofu is recommended for frying or grilling.
- Be sure to press the tofu before cooking to remove excess water. This will help the tofu absorb the marinade and become crispy when cooked.
- To make the sesame tofu, you can use any type of oil that you like. However, sesame oil will give the tofu a more authentic flavor.
- The coconut-lime dressing is a great way to add a refreshing and tangy flavor to the tofu. You can adjust the amount of lime juice and honey to taste.
- The spinach is a great addition to the dish, as it adds a pop of color and nutrition.
Conclusion:
This sesame tofu with coconut-lime dressing and spinach is a delicious and healthy meal that is perfect for a quick and easy weeknight dinner. The tofu is crispy and flavorful, the dressing is refreshing and tangy, and the spinach adds a pop of color and nutrition. This dish is sure to please everyone at the table.
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