Spicy Crisp Tofu On Mint Avocado Salad Food

SPICY, CRISP TOFU ON MINT-AVOCADO SALAD

Steps:

• Cut the tofu in half horizontally (slicing parallel to work surface). Keep the tofu stacked; cut crosswise in half to make 4 rectangles. Cut each rectangle into 2 triangles. Press).
• In a large bowl whisk together 1/2 teaspoon chili sauce, orange zest, orange juice, and olive oil. Season the mixture with salt to taste. Set aside.
• Pour the remaining 1/3 cup chile sauce into a shallow bowl. Place the panko in a separate shallow bowl. Piece by piece, gently coat the tofu in the chile sauce and then the panko, patting it on each piece to coat.
• In a large, nonstick skillet, heat half the canola oil over medium heat. Gently place half the tofu in skillet. Pan-fry the tofu, turning once, until outsides are crisp and brown, about 3 minutes per side. Remove from heat. Repeat the process with remaining oil and tofu.
• Add lettuce and mint to bowl with dressing; toss to coat. Place equal mounds of salad in center of four plates; fan avocado slices on top. Arrange 2 tofu triangles next to the avocado and serve immediately.

ASIAN CRISPY TOFU SALAD

Steps:

• Whisk all ingredients except for tofu in a 9x9 inch square baking dish.
• Drain and slice tofu in half lengthwise to make two thinner slabs. Blot with a paper towel.
• Preheat non-stick skillet over medium heat and spray with non-stick spray. Slide tofu slices onto skillet and grill for about 4-5 minutes per side, flipping carefully with a large spatula. Brown it nicely to give it color and texture.
• Slip tofu slices into marinade, and turn with spatula at least once. While the tofu is sitting in the marinade, cut each slab 3 times lengthwise and widthwise with a sharp knife to make 16 squares per slab. Toss carefully.
• Let marinate for up to 30 minutes and remove garlic and ginger slices before serving warm, at room temperature or chilled.

CRISPY PRESSED TOFU WITH GARLIC AND MINT

Steps:

• Slice each piece of tofu crosswise into 4 (1/2-inch) thick slabs. Place a clean kitchen towel onto a rimmed baking sheet so that only half the towel is on the sheet. Put the tofu in one layer onto the towel and fold the other half of the towel over. Gently press the tofu several times to extract the excess water.
• Mash the garlic to a paste with the salt. In a large bowl, whisk together the mint, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic paste, and pepper flakes. Whisking constantly, drizzle in the olive oil.
• Toss the tofu with the marinade, cover with plastic wrap, and let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes, or refrigerate it for up to 12 hours.
• When you are ready to cook, preheat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat for several minutes. Lift the tofu from the marinade, gently pat it dry with a paper towel, and place it in the pan. Reserve the marinade. Weight the tofu by placing a smaller pan with a clean bottom on top and weighting it down with a full tea kettle, a heavy can of tomatoes, or a clean brick. Cook for 5 minutes, then reduce the heat to medium and continue to cook until the tofu is well browned, about 5 more minutes. Flip the tofu over, put the weight back on top, and cook until the tofu is browned on the second side and cooked through, about 6 to 8 more minutes.
• Transfer the tofu to a serving platter. Pour the oil out of the pan, then add the reserved marinade. Stir and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan; pour over the tofu and serve.

SPICY TOFU SALAD

Steps:

• Cut tofu into 1cm cubes.
• Cut onion in half then into fine slices.
• Cut carrot and pepper into fine strips.
• Combine tofu, onion, carrot, pepper and dressing in bowl, mix well.
• Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
• Serve salad sprinkled with peanuts.
• DRESSING: Combine chillies, juice, sugar and lemon grass in jar and shake well.