Summer Tofu Skillet
July 29, 2009 by Shannon
Sometimes, those days when I have no idea what we’re going to have for dinner often generate the very best recipes. This is one of those recipes.
It makes use of what what you can easily find at your local farmer’s market or in the vegetable garden right now: green beans, fresh basil and tomatoes. With some almonds, almond butter and tofu, you have the makings of a delicious summer skillet. This would be great by itself for a light lunch, or serve it with some hearty bread for a summer dinner that’s healthy, yet filling.
Oh, and did I mention that this dish passed the toddler taste test with flying colors? Especially since he had his own little dollop of almond dressing to dip his tofu in. That’s always a hit around here.
Summer Tofu Skillet
- Small bowl of fresh green beans (maybe 1/3 of a pound)
- 1 package extra firm tofu, cut into strips
- Generous handful of cherry tomatoes, halved (we used yellow, but red are great too)
- Handful of fresh basil leaves, torn
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 10 grinds of roasted garlic & sea salt shaker (optional)
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds
- 1/4 cup almond butter
- 1/4 teaspoon curry powder or 1/2 teaspoon red curry paste
- 1/3 cup hot water
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- Extra virgin olive oil, about three turns of the pan
- Put a pot of water on to boil and fill another bowl with cold water.
- When water begins to boil, dump the green beans in and boil for two minutes. When the time is up, immediately immerse the beans in cold water. Set aside.
- Put a large skillet on medium high heat. Pour in some extra virgin olive oil, about three turns of the pan.
- Once oil is hot, grind the roasted garlic/sea salt mixture into the pan, about 10 turns. (You could add some salt and dried garlic if you don’t have a salt/garlic shaker. I got mine at Costco.)
- Carefully put tofu strips into the pan, once the garlic begins to brown. (Beware of hot oil!)
- While the tofu is browning, wash put almond butter and curry paste in a bowl. Add hot water a little at a time, and whisk until it reaches the consistency of a thick liquid. Add the lemon juice and a sprinkle of salt, whisk and set aside.
- Make sure to keep checking and turning the tofu to brown each side.
- Dry and tear the basil leaves. Wash the tomatoes and slice them in half.
- Remove tofu and place on a piece of paper towel. Return pan to the burner and pour in more olive oil, about one turn of the pan. Once oil is hot, dump in the green beans, minced garlic and sliced almonds. Heat for about 2-3 minutes.
- To serve, dump the beans, garlic and sliced almonds onto a plate. Top with 3/4 of the torn basil, then the tofu strips. Finally, add the halved tomatoes, drizzle with the almond dressing and sprinkle on the rest of the basil. Serve with hearty rolls or bread.
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Comments (7)
Hi Shannon~
Just gotta ask you about Tofu
What is it made of
I have never tasted it or cooked with it
so want your input as to if I will enjoy it
thanks
Hi Leann!
Try it!!! Tofu is made out of soybeans. It’s actually soybean curd, which sounds really weird, but I guarantee it’s not as weird tasting as it sounds.
The thing about tofu is, if you’re a first timer, choose the firmest stuff you can buy — it should say ‘Extra Firm’ on the package. When you take it out of the package, wrap some clean paper towels around it and press on it firmly to squeeze out more moisture. You can even wrap it and sandwich it between two plates and leave it for a while to let gravity do the work for you. That will give it a nice, solid texture that is definitely more pleasing to a meat-eater’s palate than the mushy, smooshy soft stuff!
Next, remember that tofu is BLAND by itself. You have to pair it with a yummy sauce or marinate it. In fact, marinate it just like you would your favorite meat and put it on the grill for a 4-5 minutes on each side. Then slice it up and put it on a salad. Yum.
Here’s another idea: slice it into cubes and put it in a big plastic container with a tight-fitting lid. Toss in a few tablespoons of cornstarch, put on the lid, and give the whole thing a good shake. Cook the tofu in a skillet, but don’t turn the cubes too often. You want them to get a nice, crusty brown texture on each side. Then dip ‘em in your favorite sauce or dressing — even plain ‘ol Ranch could be yummy!
Let me know if you decide to give it a try, and feel free to ask more questions. I hope you like it!
I think I can be brave enough to give this a try
The one that holds my interest is the last one
Thanks
Will keep you posted on this!
I love your recipes Shan!! You explain them so well too, it really is fun to try them and they are all so different and YUMMY that I have tried.
I do have a question, Do you use a nonstick pan for your tofu? Mine always falls apart! I have been using a wok, but it’s not working…
Shelly
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