Pan Seared Tofu w. Roasted Vegetables, Sauteed Kale, Farro & Lemon Garlic Sauce

April 23, 2011 Pan Seared Tofu w. Roasted Vegetables, Sauteed Kale, Farro & Lemon Garlic Sauce

Sometimes, you come home from work, you open your fridge and while there may in fact be a bevy of ingredients staring back at you, nothing seems to be saying, “hey you, cook me”. It was on one such an evening that I put this dish together. Tofu, has come to symbolize everything that people who aren’t vegan or vegetarian despise about the plant based diet. Is it mystery un-meat? Does it grow on the bottom of old sneakers? Must it always be followed by, “and steamed brown rice”? Well, to answer all of your questions as succinctly as I can, 1) no, 2) no and 3) NO. In many Asian cultures, Tofu is not seen as a meat replacement at all. It is a vegetable protein that has been made in the same traditional way for centuries (this guy knows what I’m talking about). You will often find it on menus along side meat, as well as in its place. Regardless, I have found that it tastes best when it is seasoned properly and is allowed to really take on the flavors of whatever it is you are pairing it with. In and of itself, it’s bland. But hey – so is chicken. And while good tofu doesn’t “taste like chicken”, it does taste good when treated right.

Roasted vegetables are a staple round these parts from November-May. We just can’t get enough. Once the weather gets warmer the roasted veg becomes grilled veg and the fun just continues all year long. Yay Vegetables. Side note – I really hate those Hillshire Farms “GO MEAT” commercials. Not because I don’t eat meat, but mainly because I don’t understand what’s going on in the commercial. Did these people just wake up? What’s GOING ON IN THERE???

A quick note about the sauce. It involves making a slurry, a classic technique employed to thicken sauces (among other things). Making a slurry is really simple.  Just mix equal parts kuzu or cornstarch and water, stirring together to form a runny, but slightly viscous mixture. You will then whisk this into the sauce and simmer it until the sauce reaches the desired consistency. Kuzu is the root of a vegetable native to China and Japan as well as the southern US.  It looks and feels like chalk, so you will first need to grind or crush it into a powder (I usually do this with a mortar and pestal – it takes about 5 seconds…).  Kuzu can be used in place of cornstarch which is highly processed and treated with chemical bleaches and toxic extracting agents.

Pan Seared Tofu w. Roasted Vegetables, Sauteed Kale, Farro & Lemon Garlic Sauce
Serves 2

Ingredients

For The Vegetables
2 Yukon Gold Potatoes, medium dice
2 Parsnips, roll cut (cut on a diagonal)
2 medium Carrot, roll cut (cut on a diagonal)
8 medium Brussels Sprouts, quartered
2 Garlic Cloves
Sprigs of fresh Thyme and Rosemary
2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 Tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar
2-3 Good pinches of sea salt
Fresh ground black pepper to taste

For the Farro
1 cup Farro
2 cups vegetable stock (or water)
1 bay leaf (2 if you’re using fresh)
1-2 good pinches of sea salt
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

For the Tofu
8oz Firm or Extra Firm Tofu – rinsed, dried, drained of its liquid (wrap in paper towel and then place a heavy object on top for 20-30 mins) and cut into triangles
3-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

For the Sauce
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 cup vegetable stock
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 sprig of fresh thyme, minced
1 tablespoon of kuzu or cornstarch dissolved in equal amount of water
Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

For the Kale
1 bunch Kale, stems removed, chopped into medium sized pieces
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon fresh chili
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup of water

1 tablespoon of fresh chives for garnish

Procedure

1. Pre-heat oven to 400F.
2. Place an oven-proof roasting pan in the oven with a teaspoon or so of olive oil.
3. In a medium bowl, toss vegetables with oil, vinegar, salt, pepper and herbs.
4. Remove the roasting pan from oven, fill with vegetables, put back in the oven and roast for 30-40 minutes.
5. Add oil to a small sauce pan, fill with farro and stir until completely covered.
6. Add stock, bay leaf, salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil, then lower heat and cover, simmering until liquid has mostly evaporated but grains still have some firmness.
7. In a medium sauce pan, add oil and garlic.  Sweat until fragrant.  Then add lemon zest and juice, cooking briefly.
8. Add stock, herbs, salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil and reduce until 1/2-3/4 of the liquid has evaporated.
9. Strain liquid into a bowl, put back in pot, bring back to a boil, reduce heat and slowly whisk in kuzu/cornstarch slurry.  Stirring constantly for a minute or so until sauce has thickened.  Cover and set aside.
10. Meanwhile, in a medium saute pan, add oil over medium-high heat until it starts to shimmer.
11. Add tofu to pan, searing first side for 5-7 minutes or until golden brown.
12. Turn tofu over searing the other side.  Remove from pan and place on paper towel (to remove excess oil) and season well with salt and pepper.
13. In the same pan, add a little more oil, the garlic and chili.  Saute briefly and add kale.  Add a little water to help the cooking process.  Season with salt and pepper.
14. Plate, garnish with fresh chives and serve (refer to photo for plating suggestion).
15. ENJOY.

Copyright © 2011 David Wallace. All rights reserved.

Tags: Bitter Greens, Brooklyn Chef, Farro, Kuzu, Roasted Vegetables, Tofu, Vegan Entrees, Vegetarian, Vegetarian Entrees

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