One day while I was working late, Penny ran home, whipped up this salad and brought some back. We ate “linner” together in the office; it hit the spot and held me over nicely. It was delicious.
Here’s one for the veggie heads out there. Serve it warm or at room temperature. It can be a main dish or a side dish.
TOFU SALAD
2 blocks Firm Tofu
1/4 of a small Maui Onion (or other mild/sweet onion), sliced paper thin
3/4 c. Sweet Peppers – small bite size pieces
1 1/2 c. Asparagus sliced into bite size pieces
1 1/2 c. Kale - bite size pieces
A pinch of Chili Flakes
1 T. finely sliced green onion (for garnish)
1 tsp. Toasted Sesame Seeds (garnish)
Dressing: Mix together:
1/3 c. Oyster Sauce
1 T. Sesame Oil
1 T. Shoyu
Cut tofu into cubes and drain on paper towels. Thinly cover bottom of fry pan with oil, on medium to medium high heat. When pan is hot, place tofu in pan, letting the cubes sit for a few minutes, allowing enough time for the cubes to become lightly browned. Then gently turn the cubes to brown the rest of the sides. Moving the cubes around too much will cause the tofu to break up and not hold its shape. Tofu will get easier to handle as it browns. Drain fried tofu on paper towels, transfer to a bowl and toss with the round onion slices.
To the frying pan, add asparagus and stir fry until almost tender, then add sweet peppers and chili flakes and cook till crisp/tender, adding kale last, stirring until slightly wilted.
Toss together vegetables with the tofu/onion mix. Add dressing in small increments to the salad, mixing and tasting as you go. Most likely you will have more dressing than you need, as a little goes a long way. Garnish with sesame seeds and green onions.
What to do with leftover dressing: You can use it to marinate slices of chicken or beef to be used in a stir fry, or use the dressing to make a stir fry sauce, adding chicken broth to make a gravy (thicken with cornstarch).
This dish lends itself to personal interpretation. Use whatever type of vegetables you prefer and in any amount .
