All spiced up: tofu stir-fry without the “tofu taste”

By Danielle Rosenberg

There are two kinds of people in this world: those who love tofu and those who simply turn their noses up at it, declaring that it has a distinct taste that  just can’t be reconciled no matter what spices are used to flavor it.

I definitely belong to the former category but can (almost) sympathize with those who are of the latter.

With this in mind, I decided when using a container of tofu to try to make it as friendly to those who don’t love tofu as possible, as in, I really just threw every Asian spice in the pan I could think of, and somehow it turned out bursting full of flavor—the tofu just soaks it right up.

This was almost an accidental discovery, but it has a pretty good balance between all of the different flavors and the perfect amount of spice.

Recipe:
Tofu Stir-fry without the “tofu taste”
Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1 Tbsp. Sesame Oil
¼ Package extra-firm tofu, cubed
¼ of a small red onion, diced
¼ to ½ of a yellow or red pepper, diced
5 or 6 button mushrooms, diced
1 small slice ginger, minced
1 Tbsp. Tamari (soy sauce)
1 Tbsp. white miso
2 tsp. sriracha (to taste)
1 tsp sweet chili sauce
1 large handful mixed salad greens

Directions:
Heat a small sauté pan, heat the olive and sesame oil and throw in all of the ingredients, save the salad greens. Stir frequently to coat all the tofu in the seasonings, and let cook until the peppers are just getting soft, and everything is really fragrant.

Then just serve over a bed of salad greens.

Serves one person.

Time Required: 10 minutes at most.

Drink Pairing:
In sticking with the Asian-inspired theme: I love Sake—especially the more traditional kind which is almost milky in color and consistency and is great chilled and served with a slice of cucumber.