We can't stop eating this saucy tofu
Plus it’s a great way to get in your greens
Hey folks, and welcome back to Cool Beans! We’ve schmoozed with so many awesome epicureans about the plant-based dishes they keep on cooking, but now that fall’s comin’ at us with all its leafy green goodness, I couldn’t resist spotlighting one of my personal favorites for today’s edition of On Repeat. This kale and quinoa salad with tofu and miso from cookbook author Corinne Trang doesn’t sound like much of a stunner, but trust me: tofu + miso + dark leafies + any kind of grain = a lunch or dinner that’s way more than the sum of its parts.
Why I love it
It’s the perfect recipe trifecta: delicious, dead simple, and healthy. Plus it comes together fast, and while I don’t necessarily think of tofu, kale, or quinoa as thrilling ingredients, when you pull them together with this umami explosion of a sauce, the whole thing rocks. You also get super-bright flavor from the fresh ginger.
What I’ve changed
I didn’t have quinoa the first time I made this, so I used reheated leftover rice and it was awesome. Pretty much any grain will do: farro, brown rice, barley … I keep most of the sauce ingredients around, except for mirin, which I usually swap for a little sherry. (If I have neither, a splash of dry white wine or even water will do.) And while I’m a dedicated fan of a Sriracha-and-honey drizzle, a squeeze of hot honey definitely does the trick.
Check out the full recipe at The New York Times
The only real work in the recipe is frying the little cubes of tofu, which are supposed to brown on all sides. If I’m not in the mood to stand over the pan and keep turning and turning, I slice the tofu into larger slabs (maybe 2 by 4 inches and ¾ inch thick) and just brown the tops and bottoms.
What else I’m into right now
Avoiding microplastics. I don’t microwave plastic, but I have thrown reusable deli containers into the top rack of my dishwasher. Thanks to a PSA from our besties over at one5c, I now wash them by hand. I also swapped my plastic-and-metal reusable coffee filter for one that’s full-on stainless steel, and my pour overs have never been better.
Oil cans. Rather than buying bottle after bottle of olive oil, I lug home the big tins that hold three liters. Have funnel; will decant! Popular EVOO newcomer Graza even sells refills in pop-top soda cans. So far, the tins are the size of a single bottle, but here’s hoping they go bigger.
Brothy beans. Sometime last winter I found myself glued to a video of Alison Roman almost fanatically whipping up a pot of brothy beans. Then the mercury spiked and the bean pot got stowed. Now, with the promise of fall breezes wafting through the kitchen window, I’m jumping back on the no-soak homemade-bean bandwagon.