Tofu With Tomatoes Basil And Mint Food

TOFU WITH TOMATOES, BASIL, AND MINT

Steps:

• Whisk together vinegar, soy sauce, and oil in a small bowl.
• Arrange tofu and tomatoes on a platter and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with dressing and top with sliced herbs and sesame seeds. Garnish with herb leaves. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.

SILKEN TOFU WITH SOY-SAUCED TOMATOES

Steps:

• In a small saucepan or skillet, combine the tomatoes, soy sauce, olive oil, and many grinds of black pepper. Place over low heat and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, just until the tomatoes start to soften and juices collect in the pan.
• Carefully cut the tofu into 2 wide slabs (or 4 smaller ones) and place on plates or in shallow bowls. Divide the warm tomatoes on top. Add a judicious drizzle of toasted sesame oil, then sprinkle with scallions and basil, if using. Serve immediately.

TOMATO TOFU BASIL PASTA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil; add penne and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 11 minutes; drain, reserving 2 cups of the water.
• Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over low heat. Cook garlic in hot oil until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes; add tofu and continue cooking and stirring until browned, about 5 minutes more.
• Arrange tomatoes in the bottom of the saucepan so the cut sides are down; cook until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Squeeze the tomatoes with the back of a fork to release their juices.
• Pour 1 cup reserved water over the tomato mixture; bring to a simmer and cook until the liquid reduces slightly, about 5 minutes. Add more reserved water if the liquid gets too thick.
• Remove saucepan from heat; add drained penne. Stir cheese and basil through the pasta mixture; season with salt and pepper.

CRISPY TOFU WITH BALSAMIC TOMATOES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
• Arrange tofu slices on a clean kitchen towel or on paper towels. Cover with another kitchen towel (or paper towels) and place a flat cutting board or baking pan on top. If your cutting board or pan is lightweight, stack a few cans or a skillet on top to weigh it down. Let tofu drain for at least 15 minutes, and up to 45 minutes.
• Transfer tofu to a cutting board and cut slabs into 1-inch cubes. Pat them dry with paper towels and season both sides of the tofu with 3/4 teaspoon of the salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.
• In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together 1 tablespoon oil, cornstarch, garlic powder (if using) and 1/2 teaspoon of the oregano. Add tofu to cornstarch mixture and gently toss until tofu is evenly coated. Dump tofu onto one side of the prepared sheet pan.
• In a large bowl, toss together tomatoes, onion, garlic, balsamic vinegar, remaining 1/2 teaspoon oregano, 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Drizzle in the remaining 2 tablespoons of the oil, tossing to combine.
• Arrange vegetables on other side of the prepared sheet pan. Bake until tofu is crisp and golden brown, and tomatoes are condensed, 25 to 35 minutes. Halfway through baking, flip tofu and toss vegetables while keeping the tofu and veggies separate.
• To serve, sprinkle cilantro on top and drizzle with balsamic and oil, if you'd like.

SCRAMBLED TOFU WITH TOMATOES, SCALLIONS AND SOY SAUCE

Steps:

• Put the oil in a deep skillet over medium heat. When hot, add the tomatoes, sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until their juices release and they begin to dry out slightly, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Crumble the tofu with your fingers and add it to the pan along with the scallions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tofu is heated through and dried out a bit, 5 to 10 minutes. Serve, drizzling with soy sauce at the table. Note: To make Scrambled Tofu With Corn, Tomatoes and Basil, use olive oil instead of neutral oil and reduce the amount of tomatoes to 1 cup. Substitute 3/4-cup corn kernels for the scallions and stir in some chopped fresh basil before serving. Skip the soy sauce and drizzle with a little more olive oil at the table if you like.

COLD TOFU SALAD WITH TOMATOES AND PEACHES

Steps:

• Prepare the tofu: Carefully drain the tofu in its packaging, then remove the tofu. Gently wrap it with paper towels or a clean kitchen towel to absorb excess moisture and set it on a plate.
• Meanwhile, prepare the peaches and tomatoes: Pit and cut each peach into 1-inch-thick wedges, then core and cut each tomato into 1-inch-thick wedges. Place tomatoes and peaches on a serving platter, pouring any tomato or peach juices from the cutting board over the dish. Season generously with flaky sea salt to draw out juices.
• Remove the tofu from the paper towels and place it back on the plate. Using a large spoon, scoop out tofu mounds onto the tomatoes and peaches. Season tofu with flaky sea salt.
• Prepare the dressing: In a small glass jar, combine dressing ingredients, cover and shake to combine. Spoon 4 tablespoons of the dressing over the tomatoes, peaches and tofu. Extra dressing can be served alongside.
• Just before serving, stack together the basil and mint leaves and roughly chop. Top the salad with chopped herbs and black pepper. Serve immediately, taking care to spoon extra dressing and juices from the bottom of the platter.