We owe one of our favorite tofu recipes to one of our best friends, Rose, whom we will henceforth call Violet.
Violet is not a vegetarian, but she is a conscientious eater who grew up in a family that never ate red meat, never grilled a hotdog, and believed that apples were a legitimate substitute for cake.
This, minus the apple part, made her well-suited to be a co-chef with A when they were roommates. The tofu recipe below was one that Violet found and that she made with A many times over. The original recipe has been lost, but A continues to pay homage to Violet with this dish, and vegetarian and meat-eating guests alike continue to love it. It’s about time we recorded the ingredients and the process.
Easy Tasty Tofu a la Rose
(Serves 3-4 as a small side dish)
1 package extra firm tofu
2 tbsp tamari
1 tbsp and 1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp honey
1 1/2 tsp rice vinegar
4 cloves crush garlic (2 heaping tsp)
3 tsp lime juice (this is almost a whole lime, put the leftovers into Vodka tonics)
2 tsp maple syrup (true story)
2 tsp sriacha (yes, we know we are obsessed)
This recipe is another stupidly easy one. Mix all the ingredients together EXCEPT the tofu. Press the tofu in between plates and under something heavy so that the juices soaks into some napkins (see below).
Leave it there for as long as you want. We usually forget about it until the books slide off and go crashing to the floor. You probably want to press it for at least 20 minutes, but we often leave it for longer.
Slice the tofu into strips along the length of the tofu about 3/4 in wide (imagine that the tofu is a loaf of bread and you are cutting 3/4 in slices of bread). Cut the strips in half so they are now squares and and then cut the squares into two triangles.
Heat up a large pan, no oil needed. Gently place the tofu in the pan and fry it. The tofu should steam and sizzle a little. Let the triangles get good and golden brown and then flip them. If the pan is hot this should only take about 5 minutes per side.
Add the sauce once both sides are browned. This will sizzle big time — watch out. Let the tofu cook for about a minute until the sauce turns into a glaze.
Serve hot.
Check out that Kimchi and Somen Salad, too. It was a perfect combination.
Oh Yum!!!!! And I’ll have to tell Adrianne that i can’t get rid of ALL our books now! :D
Mom, you still need to get rid of all your old books. Just keep a few of the new ones.
Those are the prettiest tofu EVER!! I am definitely wanting to try this one out. It looks so good, the way you served it alongside the cucumbers and noodles! Zach is one lucky man!
I remember us making this in your old apartment! Damn, I can’t WAIT to try it again :)
Also, that title is adorable.
[...] Tomato and Rice soup with a grilled cheese, Chick-n nuggets with peas and mac and cheese, or Rose’s Tofu with rice and Orangette’s Cream Braised Brussels Sprouts — all usually with a glass of [...]
[...] If you had asked us a month ago how we felt about sweet potatoes A would have scrunched up her face and Z would have diplomatically said, “they’re aaallllll right.” Cue Rose. [...]