Vegan day 90: Lauren’s tofu delight
Every holiday season at work, we have a “cook your favorite dish” potluck type party. My friend Lauren made such a delicious combination of baked tofu with roasted vegetables and mango that I have been talking about it ever since.
It’s so good that the “vegetarians and vegans” have to tell the rest of our co-workers that it’s not chicken – “go eat the meat foods” lol. Actually, we do want everyone to know how good vegan food is so that they are not afraid of it – so they have options – so they can be healthier and so that we can together reduce the animal and environmental stresses caused from the industry.
Twice I had tried to recreate this delicious meal and twice my tofu was too soft and moist and the vegetables a bit over cooked. I had the procedures backwards and I got caught red-handed for not following directions. We made it together now- I will take you step by step.
The key is– to dry out the tofu first, then bake it (just the tofu) and afterwards, roast the vegetables from hardest to softest on the stove top for a short time.
Lauren’s tofu delight
Ingredients:
Tofu (one package for every 2-4 people; extra firm)
Carrots
Broccoli
Mushrooms
Snap peas
Orange bell peppers
Red bell peppers
Garlic
Onion
Mango
Water (2 cups)
Teriyaki sauce
Tamari
STEP (1)
DRY the tofu! Take the tofu out from the water packing. Lay it flat on a paper towel with another paper towel on top and press gently. Do this a few times. Next cut the tofu depth wise into 3 pieces so each piece is still in the same length and width dimensions. Lay these pieces on new paper towel and press gently again. You can now cut these pieces of tofu into cubes- still patting the tofu with paper towel. Put the cubes onto a lightly greased (coconut oil) baking tray and then into an oven that has been pre-heated to 425 degrees. Lower the oven slightly and bake for about 15 minutes until lightly browned.
STEP (2)
Cut the veggies into nice size chunks. Begin with a wok or medium to large sauce pan: add the vegetables that may take longer. The idea is for all the vegetables to be ready at the same time. Start with some olive oil- put the broccoli in first, onions, garlic and carrots. Add the water when needed. The faster cooking vegetables are next- the mushrooms and pepper – then the snap peas! You can change up the order. 
STEP (3)
While the veggies are roasting- put the baked tofu in a separate small sauce pan and add a teriyaki sauce of your choosing- hopefully, a healthier style one with less sugar, salt and calories. I personally like tamari and sesame oil.
STEP (4)
Combine the sauced up tofu and the diced mango into the veggie wok or saucepan. Fresh cut pineapple and it’s juices also work great! Top with tamari and sesame oil if needed! This is a great dish to make family or party style.
Video to make your own teriyaki sauce
Disclaimer: The information given here is for educational purposes only. You should not use this to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease without consulting with a qualified health care provider.
[Friday 30th 2012 blog]
