Years ago when Zach moved to New York, I introduced him to one of my favorite meals – tofu stir-fry. As a dedicated carnivore, I wasn’t convinced he would be into it but he proved me wrong. Since then, we’ve come up with dozens of variations on the tofu stir fry — with spicy Hungarian pepper sauce, with hummus and eggplant and fragrant Middle Eastern rice, with Greek feta and fresh veggies and orzo. But this is probably our favorite and one that always enters the dinner rotation just as the sweet corn starts showing up at the market. It’s a really easy quick fix for a healthy supper. Bonus: it’s vegan-friendly, too!
SOUTHWESTERN SALAD WITH STIR-FRIED TOFU
Serves 2-4
| for the tofu: 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil 1 block extra-firm tofu a squeeze of fresh lime juice salt or garlic salt generous dash of cumin tabasco / hot pepper sauce to taste |
for the salad: 1 cucumber 2 ears of raw sweet corn kernels 1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed 1/2 green bell pepper 1/2 red bell pepper 1 big jalapeno, diced 3 green onions, sliced 1/2 bunch cilantro juice from 1 whole lime salt, pepper, and tabasco to taste |
Heat the oil in a skillet on medium-high. While it’s getting hot, slice the tofu in half lengthwise and drain. Squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Bonus points if you do this in advance, because it takes less time in the skillet. Sprinkle with sea salt or garlic salt and add to pan. Let the tofu cook until it’s brown on both sides, and season with cumin and a splash of lime juice. Tobasco optional (or if you’re like me, use half a bottle). Set aside on a towel to rest and drain.
Chop up all your veggies and herbs (corn, cucumber, bell pepper, jalapeno, green onion, cilantro) and mix in a big bowl. Add drained and rinsed beans and the juice from a whole lime. Ground fresh pepper, sea salt, and add Tabasco to taste. Toss the salad and slice the tofu, and chow down!
Optional: a delish frosty Dominican rum with pineapple juice, just because it’s been taunting you from the freezer for eight months. Reddddd rummmmm. Reddddddddd RUMMMMMMM.
