THEME: Pistachio Crusted Tofu
Jamie R
Source: FatFreeVegan.com
by SusanV on May 19, 2008
Pistachio Crusted TofuAfter looking for them for months, I finally
managed to find a 1-pound bag of shelled, unroasted pistachios at the
Indian grocery. Of course, after all that time I'd forgotten what it
was I planned to do with them, so they've been languishing in my
fridge for a couple of weeks, tempting me to open the bag and just
start snacking.
Eventually they'll find their way into pilafs and pesto, but in this
recipe they add a little pizazz to breaded tofu. I dipped the tofu
into a sweet and spicy mustard-based sauce before dredging it in
pistachio-spiked breadcrumbs. The tofu was tasty on its own, but I
decided to carry the sweet and spicy theme one step further and add
my daughter's favorite sauce, an easy version of the "duck sauce"
found in Chinese restaurants. With so many competing flavors, it
sounds like a mess, but somehow it works: crunchy yet tender, sweet
yet sour, nutty yet�? Well, you get the idea. It's a symphony in your
mouth!
One note: Although the photo shows the sauce in a dipping bowl, I
found that it's better just to pour the sauce over the tofu;
otherwise the breading falls off, and you get a dipping bowl full of
soggy crumbs.
14 ounces tofu
2 tablespoons soy sauce, low sodium
1 1/2 slices whole wheat bread
1/2 cup pistachio nuts
ground pepper - to taste
2 tablespoons spicy mustard
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1/2 tablespoon soy sauce, low sodium
1 tablespoon tofu mayonnaise
Preheat oven to 400F; prepare a baking sheet by either oiling it
lightly or lining it with a silicone liner.
Cut the tofu into 8 1/2-inch slices and dry them lightly with paper
towels. Brush both sides of the tofu with the 2 tablespoons soy sauce
and set aside to marinate for at least 10 minutes.
While the tofu is marinating, place the bread into the food processor
and pulse into fine crumbs. Measure out 1 cup of crumbs into a wide,
shallow bowl. (Save any remaining crumbs for another use.) Pulse the
pistachios in the processor until they are reduced to fine crumbs.
Add them to the bread crumbs along with a generous grating of black
pepper, and mix well.
In another shallow bowl, combine the mustard, syrup, soy sauce, and mayo.
Dip a slice of tofu into the mustard mixture, lightly coating all
sides; then place it into the bread crumbs, sprinkle crumbs over the
top and sides, and lightly press them into the tofu. Place on the
prepared baking sheet. Repeat with all slices of tofu.
Put the tofu into the oven and bake for 20 minutes, or until bread
crumbs are golden brown. Serve with the sauce of your choice, such as
the Easy Sweet and Sour Sauce below.
Makes 4 servings. Per serving, excluding sauce: 243 Calories (kcal);
15g Total Fat; (50% calories from fat); 14g Protein; 19g
Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 570mg Sodium; 4g Fiber. Weight
Watchers 5 Flex Points.
Ridiculously Easy Sweet and Sour Sauce
3 tablespoons peach preserves or All-Fruit spread
1 1/2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon soy sauce, low sodium
1/4 teaspoon chili paste
Mix all ingredients together well. Serve over tofu or as a dipping
sauce for spring rolls, wontons, etc.
Makes 4 servings, about 1 tbsp. each. Per serving: 38 Calories
(kcal); trace Total Fat; (0% calories from fat); trace Protein; 10g
Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 33mg Sodium; trace Fiber. Weight
Watchers 1 Flex Point.