Thoughts on Tofu

Tonight I did something a little crazy and made tofu for dinner. I've never really been a tofu fan. I've had it a few times before in stir frys and curries, and while it was never really distracting, it was always just "okay." Well no longer my friends. I cut a recipe out of Cooking Light several months ago for panko breaded tofu steaks with a roasted red pepper and walnut sauce. I mean, that in theory sounds good, right? Plus, I'm always on the lookout for vegetarian friendly dishes for my sister in law. Well let me just tell you, it was more than good, it was actually great! I don't think I can take the plunge and be tofu's new BFF, but I tell you what, if I eat it like this occasionally, I'll actually enjoy it. Paired with some couscous (herbed orzo would have been a tastier pairing in hindsight) and fresh green beans, this meal was a winner!

Tofu Steaks with Red Pepper-Walnut Sauce (from Cooking Light)

1 (14 oz) package water-packed extra-firm tofu

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup water
2 TBS chopped fresh parsley
1 TBS chopped fresh thyme
2 TBS white wine vinegar
1 TBS Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 crushed red pepper
8 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup egg substitute

2 cups panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
2 TBS olive oil
3 TBS chopped walnuts, toasted
1 (12 oz.) bottle roasted red peppers, drained

1. Cut tofu in 1/2 to thin, then again to make 4 slices. Place tofu slices between two clean kitchen towels (or several paper towels if needed) Place a heavy book on top and allow moisture to absorb into towels for 30 minutes.
2. Combine basil and next 8 ingredients through garlic, place in a zip lock bag. Add tofu and seal, marinating in refrigerator 1 hour, turning occasionally.
3. Place flour in a shallow dish. Place egg substitute in another shallow dish. Place panko in yet another shallow dish.
4. Remove tofu from marinade, reserving remaining marinade. Working with one tofu piece at a time, dredge tofu in flour, shaking off excess. Dip tofu in egg substitute, allowing excess to drip off. Coat tofu completely with panko, pressing lightly to adhere. Set aside. Repeat with remaining tofu, flour, egg substitute and panko.
5. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil to pan, swirling to coat. Add tofu to pan. Reduce heat to medium and cook 4 minutes on each side until browned. Remove tofu from pan, keep warm.
6. Combine reserved marinade, walnuts, and bell peppers in a blender, process until smooth. Pour bell pepper mixture into pan, cook over med-high heat 2 minutes until heated. Serve with tofu.
*sidenote: marinating tofu is kind of awesome. Because unlike with meat, where you cannot reuse the marinate for fear of gross bacteria's, tofu marinates can be reused until your heart is content. A couple of other changes; I used canola oil instead of olive oil to fry the tofu steak, used dried thyme and frozen parsley/basil/and garlic, and added a lot more red pepper flakes plus a 1 tsp or so of "22 Italian seasonings" I had from Trader Joes.