Sesame Baked Tofu with Snow Peas and Almonds

This time of year I start to crave fresh, healthy food.  I check on my garden frequently, willing the veggies to grow faster.  Tired of those earthy winter vegetables like potatoes, this recipe caught my eye because it calls for my favorite green vegetable, snow peas.  This is the type of pea you typically see in Asian cuisine.  You eat the pod and all and they are sweet and crunchy when they're fresh.  They are also very easy to grow and I plant them every year but never get enough.

For this recipe you want to buy extra firm tofu.  You need to let it drain by putting it in a sieve or colander and weighting it down for about 20 minutes, then turn it over and let it drain on the other side for 20 minutes.  This will get out some of the water so that you can achieve those crispy edges which are so nice.  Be gentle with it or you'll end up with messy crumbles.  I like this recipe because you can put the tofu in the oven and then work on the rest of the recipe without babysitting a skillet the whole time.

This recipe is taken directly from the book The Moosewood Restaurant Kitchen Garden by David Hirsch.  There are a few ingredients here that you might not have on hand but are well worth trying.  I don't think this recipe would be very good at all if you do too many substitutions.  Fresh ginger can be found in the produce section at your grocery store.  Buy a small piece that looks plump and juicy, take it home and wash it and peel it before using it.  The fresh scallions make a huge difference in this recipe as well.

Sesame Baked Tofu with Snow Peas and Almonds

1 12 ounce block extra firm tofu

2 Tablespoons sesame oil

2 Tablespoons soy sauce

1/2 cup whole raw almonds

2 cups snow peas

1 1/2 Tablespoons vegetable oil

2 teaspoons sesame oil

2 Tablespoons rice vinegar

2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander seed

1 teaspoon honey or brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup thinly sliced scallion for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Cut the tofu into 1 inch cubes and place in a singe layer on a baking sheet.  Mix the 2T sesame oil and 2T soy sauce together and pour over the tofu.  Bake for 30 minutes.

While this is baking, bring a small pot of water to a boil and blanch the snow peas for 30 seconds, then drain.  To blanch just means to drop them into the water for a very quick boil, the vegetables should have a bright color and still be crunchy when you pull them out.  I used half sugar snap peas and half carrots because of course I didn't have enough peas.  You could substitue other fresh vegetables as well, but I wouldn't recommend anything frozen.

Now, set a timer for 5 minutes and bake the almonds on a separate sheet in the oven.  When the timer goes off, take out the nuts and let them cool.  Pull the tofu out also and gently turn it all over with a spatula and put it back in the oven. Do this twice more before it's done so that all sides get browned and crispy.

I served this over rice, so I got that going while the tofu was baking as well. 

The rest of the ingredients are for the dressing.  Combine the vegetable oil, 2t sesame oil, rice vinegar, fresh ginger, coriander, honey and salt in a bowl and mix well.  When the tofu is crisp enough for your liking, take it out of the oven and gently toss it with the snow peas, almonds and dressing.  Garnish with scallions and serve alone as a side dish or over rice for a very healthy meal.  I consider it a success when my husband and child willingly eat tofu, and this recipe meets their approval.

 

Comments

[sonya]

I know - I wanted to buy some to supplement my measly harvest, but none looked worth eating. (It's so nice to hear from you.)

[jennifer cantwell]

and yes, super easy......my only problem was finding snow peas that didn't look horrible! we ended up buying bagged, but fresh ones. maybe i should plant some next year:) all of the ones i saw at kroger were just not good looking.

[jennifer cantwell]

yay! i think the key is just being patient with the tofu and turning, turning, turning to get it all nicely toasty. i think i could've gotten more water out before cooking, but it was delish. my bff mandy was here and she loved it, too!

[sonya]

YAY! I think you are the first reader to try this recipe - I'm so happy it turned out well. Pretty easy too, right? Thanks for telling me!

[jennifer cantwell]

this was SOOOOOOO good! i made it last night. i added a little more honey, ginger, rice vinegar and added fresh lime juice to the dressing.....and topped it with fresh lime juice! i also chopped up the almonds after roasting.....and addded fresh cilantro from the garden to the garnish. seriously, lick the plate good! i can't wait to make it again:)