Tackling Tofu

I have always wanted to like tofu.  In so many of the magazines and cookbooks I read, I see recipe after recipe for tofu, and the recipe always sounds great-until you get to the tofu part.  I have tried it a few times.  The times I’ve enjoyed it was when it was pureed into oblivion and used for something like a mousse or a filling- specifically, places where the texture was severely altered.  The few times I tried to cook tofu- I followed the directions of every example I could find, and I just wasn’t digging it.  In fact, the last time I made it, I specifically remember identifying that I was having a problem with the texture- it literally made me gag.

But it’s been awhile since I’ve tried it, and I figured I was about due for another run, so when I was flipping through my new cookbook and seeing recipe after recipe for tofu, I knew I was going to try one.  Then, as I was turning pages, I found a recipe that specifically mentioned tatsoi.  I have tatsoi growing in my garden, and I’ve been stumped as to what to do with it.   I read through the recipe, and while it called for a couple of things I didn’t have on hand, I was intrigued.  The tofu made me pause, but I was so enamored with a recipe that specifically called for tatsoi, that I had to try it.  I made my shopping list, and off to the market I went.

Woodman’s Markets in Appleton and Green Bay both have fantastic selections when it comes to Asian foods and ingredients.  They always surprise me by having the rather obscure ingredients that I couldn’t find anywhere else.  What I was looking for this week was fermented black beans.  I’ve never had them, but the recipe called for them as an optional ingredient, and I was hoping to find them.  I had no luck with the fermented black beans specifically, but I did find a black bean and garlic sauce which was made with fermented black beans.  A few CLBB posters assured me that my sauce would work fine and away I went.  My noodles were boiling, my sauces came together in mere seconds, and then we came to the tofu.

I had purchased the Westsoy brand extra-firm tofu for this recipe- it comes in a little package packed in water.  It used to come in a tub, actually, but I guess they changed to a more environmentally friendly package.  Just make sure you don’t buy tofu in that shelf-stable aseptic packaging- that’s silken tofu, and what you would use for a mousse or salad dressing or smoothie- not the kind of tofu we need here.  I sliced the tofu into half inch slices, and then halved the slices, so I had little sticks.  Then I took the sticks and cut further into little 1/2 inch cubes.  I placed them on a plate with some paper towels and then put more paper towels on top of them and pressed down a bit.  There’s a lot of moisture in tofu, and I wanted to get most of it out.  I let it sit on the plate for about 20 minutes or so while I did a couple of other things.  The tofu was cooked very simply.  I used peanut oil- the recipe called for roasted peanut oil- not a thing to be found at my store- and tossed the cubes into the oil.  Every once in a while I would stir the tofu around, as I was looking for a nice golden color on as many sides of the tofu as possible.

The tofu came out of the pan and the greens went in.  In about a minute they’d wilted and it was time to add the aromatics. Another minute or so later and I was adding the noodles and sauce to the pan.  A quick toss of all, and then I added the tofu back in.  The whole process was very quick and in minutes I was sitting down to a bowl of Chinese Noodles with Golden Tofu and Greens.  I admit that I was afraid to take a bite at first.  But I got over it and popped a tofu cube into my mouth, and I was pleasantly surprised.  Sauteing it in the oil until golden gave it a texture that was a lot like chicken, actually, so I wasn’t instantly turned off from it.  I thought it needed more flavor though, so the next bite I made sure had a bit of the greens with it, and by golly, I actually enjoyed the tofu.   This wasn’t a superstar amazing dish, but I really enjoyed it.  It was a satisfying dinner as a whole, and I really liked all the flavors combined.  The cooked tatsoi was really good, and the tofu wasn’t bad.  In fact, when I was done, I went back to the bowl and snapped up a few more cubes of tofu, I was that surprised that I like it.  Overall, the only thing I think the dish needs is more heat- but that was my fault.  I couldn’t find a fresh Asian chile, and I didn’t want to use crushed red pepper flake, so I picked up an Asian chile paste and just didn’t add enough of it.  Today when I heat up leftovers for lunch I’ll add another dab of chile paste.

Since I only used half the block of tofu for myself, I’m off to find a recipe to put on next weeks menu.  Was this week’s tofu a freak moment in time? Or did I manage to channel my inner vegetarian enough to actually enjoy the stuff. We’ll find out… In the meantime, here’s the recipe I used, and also, if you want to know a little more about tatsoi, check out the Garden Notes, where I went a little more in-depth and took some photos of it.  I’ve got the tomatillos over there too today, so check it out.

Chinese Noodles with Golden Tofu and Greens

from A Year In A Vegetarian Kitchen by Jack Bishop

Salt

1 pound fresh Chinese noodles (I used Udon)

2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon roasted peanut oil (I used less)

2 tablespoons hoisin sauce

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons rice wine or sherry

3 medium garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoons minced gingerroot

1 medium fresh chile, stemmed and minced or 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon fermented black beans, finely chopped (I used 1 tablespoon black bean and garlic sauce)*optional

8 ounces extra-firm or firm tofu, cut into 1/2 inch cubes and blotted dry between several layers of paper towels

6 cups stemmed and thinly sliced tender leafy greens (spinach, chard, tatsoi, bok choy, etc)- I left stems on

1. Bring 4 quarts water to a boil in a large pot for cooking the noodles.  Add 1 tablespoon salt and the noodles and cook until al dente.  Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water and drain the noodles.  Toss the noodles with 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large bowl. Set aside.

2. Whisk the reserved cooking water, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, and rice wine together in a small bowl. Set the hoisin mixture aside.

3. Place the garlic, ginger, chile, and black beans, if using, in another small bowl.  Set the aromatics aside.

4. Heat 1 tablespoon of the remaining oil in a large, deep nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.  Add the tofu and cook, stirring several times, until the cubes are golden on most sides, about 5 minutes.  Transfer the tofu to a small bowl.

5. Add the greens and 1/2 cup water to the empty pan and stir-fry until the greens have wilted and the water has evaporated, about 1 minute.

6. Clear the center of the pan and spread the aromatics out over the empty spot in the pan.  Drizzle the remaining 1 teaspoon oil over the aromatics and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Stir the aromatics into the greens to combine.

7. Add the noodles and hoisin mixture and use two forks to pull apart the noodles.  Sitr-fry, continuing to pull the noodles apart, until they are hot and well-coated with sauce and greens, about 30 seconds. Add the tofu and toss with the noodles once or twice to distribute the tofu cubes and heat them up, about 30 seconds.  Serve immediately.

**Note: If serving this dish to a vegetarian or a vegan, make sure you check your Hoisin sauce.  It’s frequently made with anchovies, and would be unacceptable for a vegetarian diet.  There are brands of hoisin without the anchovy, so just pay close attention in that regard.