Spicy Tofu with Zesty Banana-Orange Sauce
This tasty vegan meal takes only minutes to prepare, but its unique flavour combinations and exotic appeal will have your family thinking you’ve fussed for hours.
Tofu
1 Tbsp (15 mL) paprika
1 tsp (5 mL) ground cumin
1 tsp (5 mL) ground coriander
Salt and pepper to taste
12 oz (340 g) firm organic tofu, divided into 4 quarters or “steaks”
1 Tbsp (15 mL) extra-virgin olive oil or avocado oil
Sauce
1 cup (250 mL) orange juice
Zest of 1/2 orange
2 Tbsp (30 mL) coconut palm sugar or sucanat
2 large bananas, sliced on the diagonal into 1/2 in (1.25 cm) pieces
Add paprika, cumin, coriander, salt, and pepper to small bowl. Stir to mix.
Pat tofu dry with paper towels to remove any excess water. Rub some spice mix onto each tofu “steak,” pressing spice down into tofu with your fingers to make sure it adheres.
Heat oil on medium heat in frying pan. When oil is hot, add tofu steaks and cook on either side until tofu is nicely browned and crispy on both sides. While tofu is browning, make the sauce.
Place orange juice, zest, and coconut palm sugar in small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until sugar is completely dissolved and sauce starts to thicken somewhat.
Turn down heat and add sliced bananas. Remove from heat and let sauce stand for 2 minutes. Serve warm over sautéed tofu.
Makes 4 servings.
Each serving contains: 261 calories; 14 g protein; 11 g total fat (2 g sat. fat, 0 g trans fat); 31 g total carbohydrates (18 g sugars, 5 g fibre); 40 mg sodium
source: "Go Bananas", alive #376, February 2014
Spicy Tofu with Zesty Banana-Orange Sauce
Directions
READ THIS NEXT
SEE MORE »
Farro, Lentil, and Vegetable Soup
Adding farro, with its nutty bite, is a delicious and convenient way to increase your soup’s fibre and nutritional value. This hearty soup is the perfect remedy to a cold January day. Lemon and chervil add a bright contrast to the fibre-packed earthy flavours. Farro timesaver With a long cooking time, it’s worth it to cook a larger amount of farro and freeze it in small-portioned batches which can be thawed quickly. Using a ratio of 1:4 farro to water, cook on medium-high heat until farro is al dente, in a similar manner to the way you would cook pasta. Drain, rinse, portion, and freeze for later use. To thaw, simply run frozen farro under water or add directly to soup.
Arugula Salad with Roasted Delicata Squash, Pomegranate Molasses, and Pine Nuts
Oven-roasted delicata squash makes a crispy treat atop this green salad. As its name suggests, this squash has a thin, delicate skin that’s tasty when cooked. Pomegranate molasses, an ingredient common in Lebanese and Middle-Eastern cuisine, brings a sweet and sour flavour to the dressing. No pine nuts? Use squash seeds! Simply collect about 1/4 cup (60 mL) seeds from cleaned squash, rinse, and mix with 1/8 tsp (0.5 mL) of the spice mix used to roast the squash and 1/2 tsp (2 mL) olive oil. Roast at 425 F (220 C) on parchment-lined baking sheet for 20 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.
Cardamom and Ginger Scented Farro Breakfast Porridge
Look for whole grain farro, which leaves the germ and bran intact, for this satisfying porridge that’s sure to kickstart your day. While the cooking time is longer than for pearled or semi-pearled varieties, you’ll get more nutrition. Take the time to enjoy the delicate scent of cardamom and ginger wafting through your kitchen as you prepare this. Ancient grain Farro (also referred to as emmer or einkorn) is a variety of wheat known as an ancient grain, which means that it hasn’t changed over time through breeding as is the case with many varieties of modern wheat.
Sheet Pan Golden Tofu Medley
This easy, yet impressive, vegan dinner is packed with oven-roasted flavour and proves that creating satisfying weeknight plant-based meals is entirely possible. If working with a small oven with only room for one sheet at a time, you can prepare the tofu and vegetables in batches separately.