Once upon a time I thought that tofu was nothing more than little white squares of tastelessness thrown into vegetable dishes just to bulk them up.

Thankfully some very creative local fusion restaurants showed me the error of my ways and I came to learn how versatile it is. ย Throw on some fresh spices, sear it for a few minutes each side, and hey presto – it’s the star of the show!

We went out for dinner for my Lovebug’s Dad’s Birthday the other night and they served his asparagus spears standing upright in a little teepee shape! ย รœberย adorable!

I tried to re-enact it here but the asparagus didn’t want to play. ย Never mind. ย Party Poopers aside – the spicy tofu steaks, tangy herb dressing and fresh, crunchy (if somewhat disobedient) greens combined to create a delicious meal – in less than 30 minutes! ย High five, tofu!

This Coriander Cream was inspired by Snacking on Sunshine’s Coconut-Cilantro Dressingย partly because I lurrrrve coriander/cilantro and partly because I adore Stephanie’s blog and think her blog’s name is the cutest ever.

Enjoy, glitterbugs! ย xx

 

 

Pan-Fried Tofu Steaks with Coriander Cream & Asparagus Spears

Rebecca Weller - Vegan Sparkles
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 2

Ingredients
  

  • 1 small packet organic, non-GMO Extra-Firm Tofu, cut in half lengthways and sideways to make 4 'steaks'
  • 1 bunch Coriander leaves and stems washed and coarsley chopped
  • 1/2 cup Water
  • 1/2 cup Raw Macadamia Nuts or pine nuts
  • 3 tsp crushed Ginger
  • 3 tsp crushed Garlic
  • 1 Red Chilli chopped
  • 6 Asparagus spears chopped in half
  • 1 small Broccoli head chopped into small 'trees'
  • 1 Lemon
  • 4 Spring Onions chopped
  • 3 tbsp Tamari or soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp Oil coconut or sesame

Instructions
 

  • The night before (or as early as possible), soak macadamias in a bowl of water in the fridge (you can skip this step if you have a high-powered blender like a Vitamix).
  • Add coriander, drained macadamia nuts, 1tsp ginger, 1tsp garlic, 1/2 cup water, juice from half the lemon, and 2 spring onions to a high-speed blender or food processor and blend on high until smooth and creamy. Season with cracked black pepper and sea salt.
  • Heat oil in a large frypan over medium heat and add 2tsp garlic, 2tsp ginger, red chilli and tamari.
  • Add tofu steaks to the centre of the pan, and broccoli and asparagus around the outside edges of the pan.
  • Sear tofu for a few minutes on one side, whilst turning the greens regularly.
  • Flip the tofu steaks and sear on the other side for a few minutes, whilst again turning the greens regularly.
  • On plates, top tofu steaks with coriander cream and greens. Sprinkle with remaining spring onions, and serve with remaining lemon wedges and turmeric rice.
  • Enjoy! xx

 

19 Comments on Pan-Fried Tofu Steaks with Coriander Cream & Asparagus Spears

  1. sara
    March 18, 2013 at 2:43 am (11 years ago)

    Looks great, thanks dor sharing!

  2. Joey
    March 18, 2013 at 5:42 am (11 years ago)

    Tofu is a wonderstuff! It maybe a cliche, but I can’t get enough of it – you can get so many different textures and tastes from that one white square, there’s got to be some magic at work!

    I think the asparagus and tofu steak combo has got to be a solid gold winner!

    • * Vegan Sparkles *
      March 19, 2013 at 4:52 pm (11 years ago)

      haha, definitely magic. ๐Ÿ™‚

  3. Mel
    March 19, 2013 at 5:56 pm (11 years ago)

    Yum, that looks delish! Love the presentation. I adore tofu and the ingredients in this recipe sound just like my type of flavours.

    • * Vegan Sparkles *
      March 20, 2013 at 4:52 pm (11 years ago)

      Thanks Mel! I’ll get that teepee action happening ONE day. ๐Ÿ˜‰ I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

  4. Kristy
    March 19, 2013 at 11:41 pm (11 years ago)

    Beautiful Presentation, Bex! And I bet the coriander cream is amazing with that tofu! Yum!

    • * Vegan Sparkles *
      March 20, 2013 at 4:51 pm (11 years ago)

      It soooo is, Kristy! It’s definitely going to make a regular appearance in our house! ๐Ÿ™‚

  5. Eva
    March 21, 2013 at 5:00 pm (11 years ago)

    Oh for the love of PETER that looks amazing. Hellooooo dinner tomorrow night!

    • * Vegan Sparkles *
      March 26, 2013 at 7:22 pm (11 years ago)

      I hope you loved it as much as we did, Eva! ๐Ÿ™‚

  6. Sophie
    March 24, 2013 at 8:27 pm (11 years ago)

    A delightful seasonal vegan dinner! Waw, even! Looks very delectable too!

    Green & white asparagus are coming in season right now!

    • * Vegan Sparkles *
      March 26, 2013 at 7:25 pm (11 years ago)

      Ohhhh, your Spring time, Sophie! Enjoy all the delicious new season flavours!

  7. Brittany
    March 26, 2013 at 6:06 am (11 years ago)

    OH MY GOSH! This looks amazing. PERFECT summer night dinner out in the backyard!

    • * Vegan Sparkles *
      March 26, 2013 at 7:26 pm (11 years ago)

      It was MADE for summer nights! ๐Ÿ™‚

  8. Jade
    April 2, 2013 at 7:34 am (11 years ago)

    Wow these look delicious! I have to admit that I’ve only ever tried non flavoured tofu…until last week! And OMG I think I’m in love! It was only the packet one from Woolworths (chinese flavoured) and I fried it up and ate it all in one go :-/ so worth it! I’ll definitely be trying this recipe soon! xx

    • * Vegan Sparkles *
      April 2, 2013 at 6:35 pm (11 years ago)

      haha, there are some yummy ones out there now, aren’t there! The fresh flavours in this one taste even better than the packet ones so I think you’re gonna like it. ๐Ÿ™‚ xx

  9. Maria
    July 29, 2013 at 4:35 am (11 years ago)

    Great recipe…but what about the chili? I used cashews for the cream and it turned out nicely. Does the chili go in the sauce or do you cook it with the steaks?

    • * Vegan Sparkles *
      July 29, 2013 at 5:09 pm (11 years ago)

      Whoops! Sorry about that, Maria! Yes, the chilli goes into the fry-pan with the steaks – updated now. ๐Ÿ™‚

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