Asian Flare African Inspired Stuffed Tofu

Thoughts & Inspiration

So this one is definitely more complicated, but one of my absolute favorites.  It screams flavor, creates an amazing texture, and will make you see tofu in a whole different way!  

I had a small dinner party with friends one night and made a yellow vegetable thai curry with kimchi fried rice.  I thought I needed one other small dish.  I saw tofu in my fridge and decided to be adventurous and create something totally different... I combined some of my favorite ingredients in a flavor profile that just rocked altogether! 

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Tofu Preparation Ingredients

1 package extra firm tofu

1 tsp olive oil 

Sauce Preparation Ingredients

2 limes, juiced

2 Tbls light soy sauce

2 tsp sriracha

2 Tbls Trader Joe's General Tsao's sauce (or any other brand)

1 Tbls black sesame seeds

2 Tbls chopped cilantro

2 stocks green onions (scallions), thinly sliced

Vegetable Stuffing Preparation Ingredients

1 tsp olive oil 

1/4 white onion, thinly sliced

1/3 cup baby spinach leaves 

1/4 cup red cabbage, thinly shredded

1/4 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

Additional Ingredients

Optional:  2 Tbls Harissa spread (can be bought at any grocery store)

I love the flavors in Harissa!  Harissa is a Tunisian hot chili sauce that generally contains red roasted pepper, chili peppers, cumin, garlic, coriander, lemon juice...  Note: If you cannot find Harissa, the dish tastes delicious even without it!  It can be a great addition to many dishes to add in some flavor!

Preheat oven to 350F.  Take 3-4 paper towels and stack them together on a flat plate.  Place tofu on paper towels for about 5 minutes (per side) to remove excess water from within the tofu.  Once the excess water is soaked up by the paper towel, cut tofu width wise so you have two identical rectangular pieces which are approximately 1 inch thick.  Brush 1 tsp olive oil onto a baking sheet.  Place tofu slices on sheet and bake tofu for 15 minutes per side.

For sauce:  In a bowl whisk the following together: lime, soy sauce, sriracha, general tsao sauce, sesame seeds, cilantro and scallions.

In a saute pan, heat olive oil on medium heat.  Add onions and saute for 2 minutes.  Next, add spinach, red cabbage, cherry tomatoes and 3 Tbls of sauce.  Mix and cook for 3-4 minutes.

Assembling tofu:  Turn oven to high broil.  Spread 1 Tbls of the harissa spread on each piece of tofu.  In a small baking dish, spread 2 Tbls of sauce on bottom of dish.  Place one piece of tofu with harissa side facing up in baking dish.  Top tofu with the spinach saute and then place the other tofu piece, harissa side down onto the spinach.  Pour remainder of sauce over tofu.  Broil tofu for about 5-7 minutes.

Cut into either 2 or 4 piece squares and enjoy immediately.