Coconut and Berries

Healthy, Vegan Recipes by Emma Potts

Chili-Lime Crusted Tofu with Creamy Herbed Rice

I typically rely on beans and lentils, whole grains, nuts and seeds for the bulk of my protein needs and am more than happy eating this way most of the time. Every now and again though I get a hankering for a good chunk of tofu or tempeh- perhaps the vegan equivalent to an omnivore’s steak cravings?!

Chli-Lime Crusted Tofu with Creamy, Herbed Rice

If you’ve cooked with tofu before it’s almost inevitable that the first few times it was verging on inedible. Learning to cook tofu well is definitely something that took me some time. For the weekly @veganrecipehour chat on Twitter last week (Thursdays 8-9pm GMT #veganrecipehour) we were talking about all things tofu, sharing tips and recipes and so I dug out a few of my favourites from the archives:

Cauliflower Fried “Rice” with Grilled Asian Tofu

Nutty Crusted Tofu, Mediterranean Israeli Couscous Pilaf & Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

Cheesy Tofu Scramble & Chipotle Sweet Potato Tacos

The key to good tofu almost always comes down to pressing and marinating. You need to first squeeze out the watery liquid in the tofu so it can soak up your marinade and give it the flavour it doesn’t have on its own.

Chili-Lime Crusted Tofu with Creamy, Herbed Rice

I used a recipe similar to my simple Asian grilled tofu, then added a crunchy cornflake topping spiked with lime zest, chili and herbs before putting it in the oven to get nice and chewy.  In the pictures It’s shown cut into two but I would actually recommend cutting the rectangles in half again to get thinner slices for a better texture.

The tofu is quite spicy but the creamy, herbed rice is a lovely cooling contrast and will soothe your tingling lips!

Chili-Lime Crusted Tofu with Creamy, Herbed Rice

Chiil-Lime Crusted Tofu with Creamy Herbed Rice:

1/2 400g/14oz pkg Firm Tofu, Pressed and sliced into 2 (or 4) rectangles
2T Mirin
3/4T Tamari
1/2T Lime Juice
1/2t Toasted Sesame Oil
1/3C Crushed Cornflakes OR Breadcrumbs
1 Small Chili, deseeded and minced
Zest of 1 Lime
1T Chopped Fresh Basil
1T Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper

For the Rice:

1/2C Long-Grain Brown Rice
1/2T Olive Oil
1/4 Red Onion, diced small
1/2 Red Pepper, diced small
Large Handful of Spinach (approx 50g/2oz)
2T Chopped Fresh Basil
1/2C Unsweetened Non-dairy Yogurt
1T Lime Juice
Salt & Pepper

Combine mirin, tamari, lime juice and sesame oil, place tofu rectangles in a dish and pour over this mixture. Leave to marinade for a minimum of 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 180C/350F

Combine cornflakes ( use a food processor or a rolling pin to crush them), chili, lime zest, basil and oil and season well with salt and pepper.

Transfer tofu to an oven-proof dish and top with the cornflake mixture.

Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Cook brown rice according to pkg instructions. I use the absorption method.

Sauté onion and pepper in the oil until soft (5-10 mins) then stir through the spinach just to wilt.

Add the vegetables to the rice along with the yogurt, basil and lime and again season well with salt and pepper.

Serve alongside the baked tofu.

Serves 2

I’m submitting this recipe to the weekly link-up, Wellness Weekends.

Chili-Lime Crusted Tofu with Creamy, Herbed Rice

If you liked the dish I brought along to the Virtual Vegan Potluck- Vegan Crepes with Date & Orange Compote & Cinnamon Ice-Cream-I’d really appreciate you voting for Coconut and Berries in the dessert category. You can select your favourite for each of the 8 course categories here. Thank you!

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Comments

  5. I would never think of doing something like this with tofu. It looks amazing. Will be giving this a go. I am loving learning new ways of cooking with it. Thank you for the inspiration.

  7. Oh, delicious! I haven’t had tofu steaks for a long time but now you’ve set off a craving :) Interestingly, though, I have shifted from mostly eating legumes in my earlier veggie days to having far more tofu now. I guess learning to cook it well sparked a love affair! I try to keep it to a few days per week so as not to overdo it, but I do love the stuff.

  8. I’m the same way - I only eat tofu, tempeh, etc when eating out. These recipes look good for some experimentation and when the craving hits!

  12. I was wondering what that was on top of the tofu when i saw the picture. the cornflakes are a brillin idea.. all the flavors work so well together

  13. We have similar cravings…I can go a long time without wanting tofu or tempeh and then all of a sudden a craving will hit! Maybe it’s something in the soy? Or a need for calcium? Who knows. I love how you’re prepared it here! So beautiful!

  14. I love the topping idea, using cornflakes, that’s so creative. I would have to pass on this dish I’m afraid, I think it would be way to spicy for my liking. I voted for you in the potluck competition :)

  15. Reblogged this on Dose Dependent and commented:
    I just adore finding new delicious recipes and ways to enjoy tofu! I had to reblog this so I would be sure to find it and try it. As the author mentions, tofu can be tricky when you are first starting to try it in recipes and I am certainly no expert with it but I have had quite a bit of success with several recipes thus far. if you are a bit shy of new foods, trying tofu at a trusted restaurant can be a nice way to dip your toe in the water but if you are the sort who likes to take the plunge, I’d say give it a whirl. Oh, and tofu makes great desserts as well - very versatile. Let me know if you try this recipe before I do!

    Happy Cooking!!

  17. I often find myself having discussions with non-vegans about tofu - I think so many have had bad experiences, it’s quite difficult to persuade them that it can actually be a thing of wonder if treated right. Yours looks lovely - I can see the crunch of the tofu and the creamy rice being rather heavenly together!

  19. oh that recipe looks so delicious - I rarely cook tofu as a steak but we eat it quite a lot and never tire of it (but I did have a bad experience the first time I cooked it - it can be bland) - especially love the crunchy crumbs and your method is so much easier than dipping in crumbs

  20. I love savory and tart tofu with a bit of texture, what a brilliant way to use cornflakes. The creamy herbed rice is a fantastic side dish - I’ve never used yogurt as a base for creamy dishes.

  22. That rice looks delicious! I too get cravings for tofu and tempeh. I’ve started to keep a stash of pressed tofu in the freezer, so when a craving (or recipe!) hits, I’ve got some ready to marinate and cook. Thanks for sharing this recipe.

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