This recipe started out with me going through the refrigerator and trying to decide what I had and how they could go together. At the center: a close-to-expiring tub of tofu. Luckily, we had hit the farmer’s market yesterday, so I had plenty of veggies on hand. The flavors of the breaded tofu and the savory, sage-y sauce, is a beautiful combination. The pine nuts on top are a fabulous addition if you happen to have some on hand.

INGREDIENTS:
Tofu
1 14-oz tub extra firm tofu, cut lengthwise into 6 steaks
1/4 C tamari or soy sauce
1/2 tsp Worcestershire
2 tsp tomato sauce
1 Tbs yellow or red miso
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 tsp agave
1 C panko
1/8 C nutritional yeast
Salt and pepper
Sauce
1 Tbs olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 orange bell pepper, diced
3 Tbs vegan margarine
6 Tbs flour
1/2 C white wine
1 C almond milk
1/2 to 3/4 C vegetable broth
1/2 tsp sage
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
2 tomatoes, diced
4 C spinach, chopped
The rest
1/4 C pine nuts, toasted

DIRECTIONS:
I recommend having all of your ingredients prepped and ready to go before proceeding; it’ll help out a lot.

Start with preparing the tofu. In a shallow bowl, whisk together the tamari, tomato paste, miso, Worcestershire sauce, sesame oil and agave. In another shallow bowl, combine the panko, nutritional yeast, salt and pepper. Next, heat the olive oil in a large skillet and add the garlic and bell pepper over medium heat. While the pepper is cooking, finish preparing the tofu. Coat the tofu steaks in the tamari mixture, then coat well in the panko mixture.
Spray a grill pan with some olive oil cooking spray and heat over medium. Lay the six tofu steaks in the pan and cook for about 8 minutes per side.
While the tofu is cooking, check the bell pepper. (You should also make sure you’re toasting those pine nuts—just a few minutes in a dry skillet, stirring often.)
Once the bell pepper softens and browns, transfer to a bowl. Using the same skillet, add the vegan margarine and let it melt completely. Whisk in the flour and blend well over medium heat. Slowly whisk in the white wine until the mixture is smooth. Next, add the almond milk, but just a little at a time. The sauce will gradually thicken as you go. (Check the tofu; you may need to turn it by this point.) Once the milk is all incorporated and the sauce is getting thick, add the vegetable broth. I used somewhere between half and three-quarters of a cup. I’d whisk a little in, let it thicken, then added more. I continued to do this until I was happy with the consistency. Season with sage, salt and pepper. Next, I folded in the tomatoes. The liquid from the tomatoes may thin out the sauce a little, but it ought to thicken back up with no problem. Your tofu ought to be finished about this time, so fold the spinach into the sauce.
 Serve the tofu with a ladle or two of the sauce on top. Sprinkle with pine nuts and enjoy!

Breaded Tofu with a Creamy Spinach, Tomato and Bell Pepper Sauce

 

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Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

40 mins

 

This recipe started out with me going through the refrigerator and trying to decide what I had and how they could go together. At the center: a close-to-expiring tub of tofu. Luckily, we had hit the farmer's market yesterday, so I had plenty of veggies on hand. The flavors of the breaded tofu and the savory, sage-y sauce, is a beautiful combination. The pine nuts on top are a fabulous addition if you happen to have some on hand.

Author: Epicurean Vegan

Serves: 3-6

Ingredients

• Tofu
• .
• 1 14-oz tub extra firm tofu, cut lengthwise into 6 steaks
• ¼ C tamari or soy sauce
• ½ tsp Worcestershire
• 2 tsp tomato sauce
• 1 Tbs yellow or red miso
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 tsp agave
• 1 C panko
• ⅛ C nutritional yeast
• Salt and pepper
• .
• Sauce
• .
• 1 Tbs olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 orange bell pepper, diced
• 3 Tbs vegan margarine
• 6 Tbs flour
• ½ C white wine
• 1 C almond milk
• ½ to ¾ C vegetable broth
• ½ tsp sage
• ¼ tsp salt
• ⅛ tsp black pepper
• 2 tomatoes, diced
• 4 C spinach, chopped
• .
• The rest
• .
• ¼ C pine nuts, toasted

Directions

1. I recommend having all of your ingredients prepped and ready to go before proceeding; it'll help out a lot.
2. Start with preparing the tofu. In a shallow bowl, whisk together the tamari, tomato paste, miso, Worcestershire sauce, sesame oil and agave.
3. In another shallow bowl, combine the panko, nutritional yeast, salt and pepper.
4. Next, heat the olive oil in a large skillet and add the garlic and bell pepper over medium heat. While the pepper is cooking, finish preparing the tofu. Coat the tofu steaks in the tamari mixture, then coat well in the panko mixture.
5. Spray a grill pan with some olive oil cooking spray and heat over medium. Lay the six tofu steaks in the pan and cook for about 8 minutes per side.
6. While the tofu is cooking, check the bell pepper. (You should also make sure you're toasting those pine nuts---just a few minutes in a dry skillet, stirring often.)
7. Once the bell pepper softens and browns, transfer to a bowl.
8. Using the same skillet, add the vegan margarine and let it melt completely. Whisk in the flour and blend well over medium heat. Slowly whisk in the white wine until the mixture is smooth. Next, add the almond milk, but just a little at a time. The sauce will gradually thicken as you go.
9. (Check the tofu; you may need to turn it by this point.)
10. Once the milk is all incorporated and the sauce is getting thick, add the vegetable broth. I used somewhere between half and three-quarters of a cup. I'd whisk a little in, let it thicken, then added more. I continued to do this until I was happy with the consistency. Season with sage, salt and pepper.
11. Next, I folded in the tomatoes. The liquid from the tomatoes may thin out the sauce a little, but it ought to thicken back up with no problem. Your tofu ought to be finished about this time, so stir in the spinach.
12. Serve the tofu with a ladle or two of the sauce on top. Sprinkle with pine nuts and enjoy!

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