Sweet Chili Lime Tofu with Wok Steamed Collards and Quinoa

                                    from VeganYumYum
Goddamn.

That's all I have to say about this recipe.

No no no.

God-motherf-ing-damn.

Let us just say, it's moments like these that remind me why everyone loves Lolo's recipes so freaking much. Best thing I've made in months. But if you want to know the whys, hows, and whats of my goddamns, you're just gonna have to make it for yourself.




[*NOTE: Anything that is asterisked in the ingredients below was not used when I cooked this myself.]

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 Block Tofu, extra firm, 14 oz

Sweet Chili Lime Sauce

• 3 T. Sugar


• 3 T. Reduced Sodium Tamari (or soy sauce--if you don't use reduced sodium, definitely cut out the salt below)


• 1 3/4 T. Fresh Lime Juice


• 1/2 Zest of the Lime


• 1/2 t. Red Chili Flakes (or 1-2 fresh hot chilies, minced)


• 1 Clove Garlic, pressed, optional


• 1/4 t. Salt*


• 4 Mint Leaves, chiffonaded

Quinoa

• 3/4 c. Quinoa, rubbed/rinsed in cool water, drained


• 1/2 Zest Lime


• 2 Bruised Cardamom Pods, optional*


• 1 Tiny Stick of Cinnamon (a broken piece of a larger stick), optional*


• 1/4 t. Salt*


• 1 1/3 c. Water


*Other options: For brown rice, adjust water to 1 1/2 cups, for medium/long grain rice, water measurement is the same. Noodles can be boiled, drained, and given a light splash of soy sauce and lime juice for some background flavor. The tofu is very flavorful, so whatever base you choose, it needs only subtle additions, if any at all.

Wok Steamed Collards

• 1 Bunch Collard Greens, middle veins removed, washed


• 2-3 T. Water


• 1 Pinch Salt


• 1 t. Lime Juice

DIRECTIONS

Quinoa:

Option 1: Combine all the ingredients for the quinoa in a pot that has a tight fitting lid. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to low. Cook for 20 minutes, then turn off heat. Do not open lid. Let steam for 10 minutes before serving.

Option 2: Combine all the ingredients in a rice cooker and let it cook 'til it's all done.

Sauce:

Prepare the sweet chili lime sauce by whisking all of the ingredients together until the sugar and salt is dissolved.

Tofu:

Drain tofu and cut it into small triangles. [I did sort of like Lolo recommends and sliced the block into 8 rectangles, then each rectangle in half to make two squares per rectangle. I cut each square diagonally to make four triangles per square. Tofu geometry is my favorite kind of math! You can cut the tofu however you please, but a thinner, smaller shape will work best for this method.]

Heat a well-seasoned cast iron or non-stick skillet over medium heat. (A 10" skillet will fit all the tofu, so if you're using a smaller skillet, you'll need to do this in batches. In order to properly "dry fry" the tofu, you'll need a pan the tofu won't stick to even without any oil.) Spread the tofu out in one layer in the pan.

Using a spatula, press the tofu. The liquid will squeeze out and boil away, and the tofu will begin to turn golden. The more water that evaporates, the sturdier the tofu will be, so be gentle at first to prevent the tofu from breaking up. After several minutes, flip the tofu over and press the other side. After about 10 minutes of dry frying, you can turn off the heat and set the tofu aside for finishing later, or proceed to adding the sauce. (You might want to set the tofu aside before finishing in order to to prepare the collards, below.)

Collards:

Stack the collard leaves on top of each other, 3-4 at a time, and roll. Slice the roll in 3/4 inch segments. Run your knife through the chopped collards to make smaller pieces, then add them to a wok with the water, lime juice and salt. Cover with any lid that will contain the collards and cook over high heat for 3-4 minutes until the collards are steamed and tender.

[Alternately, you can just use a regular old pot and do the same thing.]

All together now:

To finish the tofu, bring the pan back up to temperature if it's not already very hot. You want to heat the pan and the tofu over high heat, making sure the tofu is hot all the way through. Add the sauce and stir to coat the tofu. Turn off the heat. The sauce will bubble up, reduce, and form a glaze. If it isn't bubbling up and forming a glaze, turn the heat back on high and cook until the glaze is.. well.. glaze-y.

For plating, arrange the collards atop of a bed of quinoa. Add tofu over the top, drizzling any leftover sauce over the dish. Garnish with lime slices and mint leaves. Serve.

(Makes 2-4 servings)

(from Vegan YumYum)