Who says tofu is bland? Pssh. This recipe combo was fairly simple, but did require items I didn't have in my kitchen, and frankly well, I had never heard of. For instance, pomegranate molasses. Dubbayu Tee Eff??? I ended up ordering some online. Tamari. Again, huh? I'm actually I'm still lost on that one, as Tamari is a brand of soy sauce. But sometimes she calls for soy sauce, and sometimes for Tamari.
So basically the key to this dish is firm, dry tofu cut into edible pieces. I think I
finally got this down. You FREEZE it first, then thaw completely. This takes time, so you have to plan when you are going to take it out to thaw. I recommend when you are chillin at home doing tedious tasks, or staring at the void of pretty lights and mindless information in a box. Anyway, once your tofu is good, you slice it and marinate it briefly in peanut oil (2tbsp)and tamari (1 tbsp), then bake for 15 min or each side. While that is baking, prep the sizzzauce.
First you saute the shallots in peanut oil. Add garlic and Chinese five spice. Poke it around for a minute. Add the veggie broth, simmer. Once that is simmering away, dump the rest of the goods in and boil. Then lower heat at simmer (simma down now) for another 15min. When the tofu is done, pour the sauce into the pan with the tofu and bake for another 15.
The sizzzauce:
1 tbsp peanut oil
1 cup shiizzallots
2 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp Chinese five spice
2 c veggie broth
dizzash black pepper
1 can tomato paste
2 tbsp creamy peanut butta
2 tbsp pomegranate molasses
2 tbsp tamari
1/4 maple syrup
1 tsp hot sauce
1 tsp liquid smiizoke
Coconut Rice
So this rice goes swimmingly with the tofu. I'm actually pretty dumb though, I tried to get coconut milk from an actual coconut. AHAHAHA. Yeah. So you don't have to do that. You don't even need a coconut to make this. I would like to take this time to also thank my hero Al Gore for "inventing the internet". What would I do without it? I think I'd die. I discovered through the intertubes, that one can make coconut milk simply by blending coconut with hot water in a blender or food processor. It worked like a charm. I put about a cup of shredded coconut with 1 1/2 cup of hot water, and I got the exact amount of milk needed. Oh, you have to strain it to get the milk all milk like, so you'll need a strainer thingy bobber.
So you make this like regular rice, but with a few extras. Start with 2 cups of washed Jasmine rice. Bring to a boil with 1 can coconut milk (or about 1-1/2 cup of your own darn milk as detailed above), 1 cup water, a dash of salt, and a stick of cinnamon. Reduce to low heat and simma for 20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Mine was already slightly burning after 15 minutes, so check it every few minutes and give it a stir. When it's done, add some lime zest from one lime and stir with a fork. Set aside and get the topping going:
Toast up some fresh coconut flakes in a little skillet. I used the stuff in the ready-made bag because I failed at the real thing- whichever you prefer or have the time for.
This combo was really good, I will definitely make it again. It does take some time and prep, but it makes enough for seconds, and is great to give to your meat eating friends. They'll turn.. oh yes. *insert evil eye here*
