A couple of weeks ago, I returned home to find Caroline Chambers’ new book, What to Cook When You Don’t Feel Like Cooking, at my door. Its arrival could not have been more timely: we had just returned from England, and in addition to feeling jet lagged or perhaps because of the jet lag, well, I didn’t really feel like cooking. As I flipped through, I noticed the chapter organization — “15-ish Minutes,” “30 Minutes,” 45 Minutes,” etc. — and immediately felt inspired. Surely I could handle something in the 15-ish Minutes chapter, I told myself. Having eaten nearly every meal out for the past week, I was craving something fresh and healthy, and so I went with the Crispy Miso Lime Tofu, most of the ingredients for which I had on hand, and which looked and sounded so good. Friends! I have never made tofu like this before, and I was astonished not only by how incredibly tasty it was but also by the process, which felt all wrong. Rather than press the tofu, you squeeze out the liquid with your hands; rather than neatly cube the tofu, you crumble it; and at the end, when your tofu is completely crisp and brown, you douse it with a miso-lime dressing, which it drinks up, taking on all the sweet-and-savory flavors. The crumbles honestly tasted like meat — I could have eaten them straight from the skillet without any further adornments — but I pushed on, spooning them into lettuce cups and garnishing them with herbs and sesame seeds. We gobbled them right up. I have made this recipe a number of times in the past few weeks, and every time I make it I wonder how the recipe could be adapted to other dressings and seasonings — could it be made into faux taco meat?— or how I could use the crumbles in other applications, perhaps spooned over this favorite brown rice with broiled broccoli by its side. I will of course keep you posted. PS: Warm Tofu with Spicy Garlic Sauce What to Cook When You Don’t Feel Like Cooking:
Miso-Lime Tofu Crumbles, Step by Step
First, gather your ingredients. For the sauce you’ll need: fresh lime juice, soy sauce, rice vinegar, miso, honey, crushed red pepper flakes, ground ginger, and garlic powder. (I love Burlap and Barrel purple stripe garlic powder, which I buy by the 24-oz container.) Measure everything out. Then transfer to a bowl or a liquid measure and… … whisk until smooth. (This sauce is so tasty!) You’ll also need extra-firm tofu, Boston or butter lettuce, and some garnishes such as sesame seeds and scallions. I also like using fresh mint here. You do not have to press the tofu, but if time permits, do so — the tofu browns up a little bit easier. Crumble the tofu into pieces: Then heat a skillet over high heat, add some oil, and then the tofu. Let cook undisturbed for 3 minutes… … then stir. Repeat this process — letting the tofu sit; then stirring — 3 to 4 times total until the tofu is nearly all brown. Add the sauce and cook while stirring constantly until the tofu has absorbed nearly all of it. You will want to stop here with a spoon and eat every last crumble, but do try to push on… … and spoon them into lettuce leaves. Garnish as you wish, then squeeze some lime over the top and… … serve. I could eat this whole platter myself!
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Note:
Tofu: I have written the recipe as Caroline included it in her book, but having made this several times now, I find that the tofu browns up a little easier if you press it ahead of time. You absolutely do not have to press it ahead of time, so don’t let this deter you — again I have made it several times without pressing it — but if you have the time, press it: I like to wrap my block in a clean dish towel, set it on a cooling rack over a tray, and weigh it down with a 28-ounce can of tomatoes set in the container the tofu was packaged in. Honey: To make this vegan, replace the honey with maple syrup or brown sugar.
