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. Β 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! Β ΓberΒ adorable!
I tried to re-enact it here but the asparagus didn’t want to play. Β Never mind. Β 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! Β High five, tofu!
This Coriander Cream was inspired by Snacking on Sunshine’s Coconut-Cilantro DressingΒ 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! Β xx
Pan-Fried Tofu Steaks with Coriander Cream & Asparagus Spears
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
Looks great, thanks dor sharing!
My pleasure, Sara! π
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!
haha, definitely magic. π
Yum, that looks delish! Love the presentation. I adore tofu and the ingredients in this recipe sound just like my type of flavours.
Thanks Mel! I’ll get that teepee action happening ONE day. π I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!
Beautiful Presentation, Bex! And I bet the coriander cream is amazing with that tofu! Yum!
It soooo is, Kristy! It’s definitely going to make a regular appearance in our house! π
Oh for the love of PETER that looks amazing. Hellooooo dinner tomorrow night!
I hope you loved it as much as we did, Eva! π
A delightful seasonal vegan dinner! Waw, even! Looks very delectable too!
Green & white asparagus are coming in season right now!
Ohhhh, your Spring time, Sophie! Enjoy all the delicious new season flavours!
OH MY GOSH! This looks amazing. PERFECT summer night dinner out in the backyard!
It was MADE for summer nights! π
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
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. π xx
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?
Whoops! Sorry about that, Maria! Yes, the chilli goes into the fry-pan with the steaks – updated now. π