Sesame Soy Marinated Tofu With Swiss Chard Food

SWISS CHARD AND TOFU STIR-FRY

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
• Add the garlic and heat for just a minute or two, until lightly browned.
• Add the cubed tofu and cook until lightly golden brown on all sides, stirring occasionally as needed.
• Once the tofu is almost cooked, add a splash of soy sauce or tamari, stirring to coat the tofu well.
• Add the mushrooms and cook with the tofu for another minute.
• Add the chopped Swiss chard. Drizzle with the sesame oil and stir.
• Sprinkle with a bit of sea salt and a dash of cayenne pepper.
• Allow the Swiss chard to cook down just a bit, until slightly wilted but still tender, rather than soft.
• Serve immediately over brown rice and enjoy.

SESAME MARINATED TOFU WITH VEGETABLES

Steps:

• Press tofu: Slice tofu into 1-inch slabs, and place in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with cheesecloth or paper towels. Cover with another layer of cheesecloth or paper towels, and place another baking sheet or plate on top. Weight evenly with canned goods or other heavy items. Let stand about 30 minutes. Drain off liquid, and pat tofu dry with paper towels.
• In a large shallow dish, combine mustard, sesame seeds, garlic, and soy sauce. Place tofu in dish, and turn once to coat evenly with marinade. Let marinate at least 20 minutes at room temperature while preparing ingredients for stir-fry.
• Heat a 12-inch nonstick saute pan or a wok over medium-high heat, and add 1 1/2 teaspoons canola oil to pan, swirling pan to coat. Add tofu; cook until lightly browned on each side, about 1 1/2 minutes per side. Transfer tofu to a platter; cover loosely with aluminum foil to keep warm.
• In same pan or wok, heat remaining 2 teaspoons canola oil. Add ginger and garlic; cook, stirring constantly, until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Add mushrooms, red pepper, Chinese broccoli, and scallions; cook, stirring constantly, until vegetables are crisp-tender and bright, about 7 minutes. Add soy sauce and sesame oil, and stir to combine. Season with pepper, and serve immediately spooned over the tofu.

TOFU AND SWISS CHARD STACKS

Steps:

• To prepare tofu, combine the first 4 ingredients, stirring with a whisk. Cut tofu lengthwise into 4 equal slices.
• Carefully place tofu in an 11 x 7-inch baking dish. Pour the soy sauce mixture over tofu. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes, carefully turning once.
• Preheat broiler.
• Remove tofu from dish; discard marinade. Place tofu on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray.
• Broil 10 minutes on each side or until tofu is lightly browned.
• To prepare greens, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms, ginger, pepper, and garlic; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently.
• Add chard and sesame seeds; cook 3 minutes or until chard wilts, stirring frequently. Stir in 2 teaspoons soy sauce.
• Place 1/4 cup chard mixture on each of 2 plates; top each serving with 1 tofu slice. Repeat layers with remaining chard and tofu.

SAUTéED SESAME CHARD

Steps:

• Chop the leaves and stems of 2 bunches rainbow chard; keep separate. Heat 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil and 4 sliced garlic cloves in a large pot over medium-high heat until golden. Add the chard stems and 1 sliced shallot; cook until just tender, about 4 minutes. Add the chard leaves and 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt; cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Top with toasted sesame seeds.

SWEET AND SPICY TOFU WITH SOBA NOODLES

Steps:

• Drain the tofu in a colander, or dry on paper-towel lined plate while you prep the remaining ingredients, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, bring a small pot of water to a boil for the soba noodles.
• Cut tofu into 1-inch cubes. Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the vegetable oil and 1 tablespoon of the sesame oil. When the oil shimmers, add the tofu in a single layer, in batches if needed and cook until golden on all sides, turning as needed when the tofu releases easily from the pan, about 8 to 10 minutes total. Lift the tofu out of the pan with a spatula and transfer to a new paper-towel-lined plate.
• Meanwhile, cook the soba in boiling water for 5 to 8 minutes (or according to package directions), until just al dente, stirring frequently. Drain and rinse in cold water until the noodles no longer feel sticky.
• Add garlic, ginger and whites of the onions to the skillet, along with the remaining tablespoon sesame oil, reduce the heat to medium, and cook until the oil is fragrant, stirring constantly, about 1 minute.
• Add cooked and drained soba noodles to the pan, along with soy sauce, sugar, black pepper, red pepper and reserved green onions; toss together until the noodles are coated. Gently toss in the tofu until all the pieces are covered in the sauce.
• Remove from the heat, and sprinkle cucumber, radish and cilantro on top. Serve warm or at room temperature, with lime.

TOFU AND HERB SALAD WITH SESAME

Steps:

• Make the sauce: In a small bowl, put ground sesame seeds, lime, ginger, chile, sesame oil and soy sauce. Add yogurt and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper. (If necessary, thin with a little water.) Set aside.
• On individual plates, arrange watercress, parsley and cilantro, then the mixed herbs. Scatter cucumber slices here and there. Top with the tofu cubes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Drizzle sauce over each plate, and garnish with sesame seeds, if desired.

STIR-FRIED TOFU WITH RED CHARD

Steps:

• Mix together the soy sauce, 1 teaspoon of the ginger and the sugar. Toss with the tofu in a bowl, and set aside. Marinate for 15 minutes or longer. Refrigerate if not using right away. Meanwhile, fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Fill a bowl with ice water.
• When the water comes to a boil, salt generously and add the red chard leaves. Cook the chard 1 to 2 minutes, until just tender, and transfer with a slotted spoon or deep-fry skimmer to the ice water. Drain and squeeze out the water (you don't have to squeeze it completely dry). Chop coarsely and set aside.
• Trim the ends of the chard stalks, clean them well and slice crosswise, about 1/4 inch thick.
• Heat a large, heavy nonstick skillet or wok over high heat until hot enough to evaporate a drop of water on contact. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil, swirl to coat the pan and reduce the heat to medium-high. Lift the tofu from the marinade, and add to the pan. Stir-fry for two to three minutes, until lightly colored. Add the chard stalks, and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil and the garlic and remaining ginger, and stir together for about 30 seconds until fragrant. Stir in the blanched red chard, and stir-fry with the tofu for one minute. Add the tofu marinade and cook, stirring, for another minute or two, until heated through and fragrant. Remove from the heat and serve, with rice or noodles.