Honey and I decided to challenge our bodies and minds in 2009 and go the entire year without eating meat. A “vegetarian” diet. We continued to eat fish, but stayed away from chicken and red meat. It was a great challenge and really opened our eyes (and stomachs!) to different kinds of vegetables and legumes. We have since returned to our carnivorous ways, but continue to try to eat vegetarian a couple of times per week. I came across this recipe in the latest edition of Vegetarian Times magazine, and decided to give it a try. We made a meal out of it, but it would also go well as a side dish. Makes for great lunch leftovers as well! I would recommend making the salad the day before you eat it – only because I think the flavors really developed by sitting in the fridge overnight. I enjoyed it much more the second day than I did immediately after throwing it together. And for those of you out there who are afraid of tofu – give it a shot! Tofu takes on the flavor of whatever you cook it in/with, so get creative! This recipe calls for pre-packaged five-spice tofu, but I’m not a fan of the pre-marinated tofu, and prefer to marinate it myself. Either way…happy eating!
Broccoli Slaw Salad with Five-Spice Tofu (adapted from Vegetarian Times, Nov./Dec. 2010)
Dressing:
2 TBSP. roasted sesame oil
2 TBSP. Chinese black vinegar (or 1 TBSP. rice vinegar plus 1 TBSP. balsamic vinegar)
1 tsp. sriracha or any chile-garlic sauce
1 tsp. sugar
To make the dressing: Whisk together all ingredients into a small bowl. Season with salt (and pepper), if desired.
Salad:
1-lb. package broccoli slaw (I used half broccoli slaw/half broccoli florets)
1 small red bell pepper, thinly sliced
7 ounces five-spice pressed tofu, sliced into matchsticks
1/2 chopped cilantro
2 green onions, chopped
4 TBSP. chopped roasted peanuts
To make salad: Toss together all of the ingredients in a large bowl. Add the dressing and toss well. Eat immediately, or put in the fridge overnight to let the flavors mingle. *You may also use plain extra-firm tofu, and let in marinate in your own mixture (ie. 1 TBSP. sesame oil, 1 TBSP. soy sauce, 1 tsp. chinese five-spice) for at least 30 minutes. I also fried the tofu in a little bit of vegetable oil before adding it to the salad, just enough to brown it and add some crispness.
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