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Asian Tofu with Vegetables

Grady Wells (1948-2008) was a writer, editor, and radio producer who devoted much of his time to developing recipes for a prize-winning Finger Lakes winery and contributed to a column on wine and food pairing for that winery's newsletter. Wells lived in Ithaca (Tompkins County). This recipe is from his book Wine Tour of the Finger Lakes.

 

ASIAN TOFU WITH VEGETABLES

Serves 4

1 block of marinated extra firm tofu, halved lengthwise (Like opening a book in the middle)

4 tablespoons peanut oil

½ large onion, sliced radially

½ large red pepper, julienned

2 tablespoons hot pepper, diced

½ cup Finger Lakes Dry Riesling

½ cup vegetable or chicken broth

Riesling Marinade (see below)

1 tablespoon cornstarch or arrowroot

1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds

 

Pat marinated tofu dry with paper towels. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium to high heat for a minute. Add tofu halves, and fry for 5 to 6 minutes until brown on one side. Turn halves over, and cook for 5 to 6 minutes on second side. Remove tofu to a platter; keep warm.

 

After discarding oil, wipe pan with paper towels, add remaining oil, and fry onion and peppers for 3 to 4 minutes, until soft. Add Riesling and broth, and bring to a boil. (Using homemade chicken or vegetable broth instead of canned broth adds a lot of dimension to the already complex flavors of this dish. Also, try adding dried porcini mushrooms if you make you own broth.) Add tofu, and cook gently for 5 minutes, turning once. Whisk cornstarch into reserved marinade, and pour over tofu and vegetables in pan. Stir until sauce thickens, and cook gently for 1 more minute.

 

Sprinkle sesame seed over finished stir-fry, and serve over steamed brown rice. Service with Dry or Semi-Dry Finger Lakes Riesling.

 

REISLING MERINADE

½ cup Finger Lakes Dry Riesling

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 ½ teaspoons minced ginger

1 tablespoon minced garlic

3 strips lemon zest, about 1 inch wide

 

Place tofu slabs on a tilted surface, cover with a cutting board, weight with a heavy object like a cast-iron frying pan, and press for an hour or longer. Mix marinade ingredients, and marinade pressed tofu in a shallow dish 6 to 8 hours or overnight, covered and refrigerated, turning tofu several times. Bring to room temperature before cooking: drain and reserve marinade, discarding lemon peel.

 

Reprinted with permission of the author from Wine Tour of the Finger Lakes by Grady Wells, McBooks Press, Ithaca, NY, 2004.

 

 

 

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