What the catbus? TOFU!?

Generally I am not a fan of stuff pretending to be other stuff. Those boca burgers that have fake grill marks and some odd imitation of grill flavor are just off-putting. I much prefer the Morningstar Black Bean Burgers from Costco (the Costco ones are bigger then the regular store ones), and they make a mean mid-day taco in a matter of minutes. My overall exposure to tofu has been limited to the “ribs” at Karen’s Cooked, and this just confirmed my anti-pretending stance, Mister Rogers not withstanding.

Extra Firm Tofu dried off and ready to cube.

Honestly though, I had never used tofu as it was intend, so Cecilia’s question got me off my butt to remedy that. I removed the tofu from the package and dried it as best I could. I sliced the tofu into cubes about a quarter inch thick and tossed them into a bowl with some sliced peppers and mushrooms. I mixed about a tablespoon of spice rub with a couple tablespoons of olive oil and gently tossed the tofu and veggies to coat everybody equally.

Olive Oil and West3 Spice rub on the veggies & Tofu

I had the pan pretty hot and coated the bottom with a teaspoon more of olive oil before everybody was dumped in the pool. I had dried the tofu as best I could and refrained from moving the gang much as it cooked because I was REALLY trying to get some color and crust on the outside of the tocubes™. Much to my dismay the tofu gave off about twice as much liquid as a mushroom, and I was veering towards boiling this breakfast. EWWWW!

EVERYBODY IN THE POOL!

I was able to crank the heat a little, and be patient to save things. I finished up with a decent crust on the tofu, but the veggies were a little overcooked. I took the dish from the pan and then quickly scrambled some eggs and grilled some pita bread with a light coating of parmesan cheese.

Extra Firm Tofu sauteed with Peppers, Mushrooms and Green Onions. Served over scrambled eggs and with grille pitas on the side.

In the end I did get the crust I was looking for and because there isn’t a TON OF SALT in the spice rub, it was a really nice compliment to the relative wallflower nature of the tofu. The second time I cook tofu I will cut it into larger patties and saute/cook them like french toast. This way I can get some crunch without overcooking the rest of things in the excess moisture.

To answer Cecilia’s question, yes West3 Spice rub works well with veggies. Thanks to your questions, I now can truthfully say that it brings some life into tofu as well.

Cheers!