Okay, so I'm detoxing again. And adapting recipes again to ensure they are gluten, sugar, and animal-product-free. Here's my latest, adapted from this wonderful recipe at Epicurious. I was really quite surprised by the richness of this recipe. Normally we see tofu in Asian-style dishes, not Mediterranean ones. This one was delightful — very rich flavors. I did not deep fry the tofu, but shallow fried it instead. I used safflower oil because it's what I had in the cupboard. I also didn't have any mirin, so used some white wine with a tablespoon of brown rice syrup dissolved in it (yes, I realize detox means no alcohol, either, but the alcohol gets cooked off in this recipe, so I'm not too worried).
- 4-8 tablespoons safflower oil, for frying (variable)
- 1 1/4 pound firm tofu, drained, pressed, and cut into 1 1/4-inch cubes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 yellow or white onion, cut into 1/4-inch slices
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 3 Roma or 2 vine-ripened tomatoes, cut into 3/4-inch wedges
- 4 tablespoons white wine
- 1 tablespoon brown rice syrup
- 1/4 cup green onions, cut into 1-inch-long pieces
- lemon wedge
Preparation
Heat oil in a deep saucepan, wok, or frying pan with tall edges. Working in batches, shallow-fry the cubes of tofu until golden brown, making sure they don't stick to each other. Drain tofu on paper towels.
Dissolve brown rice syrup in white wine.
Heat olive oil in a wok or large skillet over medium high heat until hot. Add onion and garlic, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring. Do not let the garlic brown, but allow it to turn golden. Add tomatoes and cook, stirring carefully, just until tomatoes are soft and begin start to break down. Deglaze with white wine and cook for approximately 1 to 2 minutes, allowing the wine to burn off alcohol (you will smell it). Add the tofu and green onions, stir, and season with salt to taste. Squeeze lemon wedge over top just before serving.
Serves 2.