Italian Tofu, Peppers and Onions

Italian sausage just doesn't do it for me. It's the fennel that ruins it. Plus I'm trying to incorporate more meatless meals into my family's diet. So I pulled out a couple packages of tofu out of the fridge and I'm sure glad I did. This is a nice vegetarian twist on a classic Italian dish...if I do say so myself.

Let's talk tofu: 

You gotta get that excess water out of your tofu for this dish to work. Press it between paper towels or clean dish towels. Don't smash it to death, but really press that tofu until your towels soak up as much water as possible. As you can see in the picture, I placed paper towels in a bowl after I chopped up the tofu so I could dry to tofu out some more before adding the salt and pepper.

Now, the onions and garlic:

Reduce your heat if the garlic starts popping out of the pan like popcorn. You want to cook the onions and garlic just a little. The onions will have time to soften more after you add the peppers. So you'll know it's time to add the peppers when your onions and garlic look like the lovely picture above. 

Okay, onions and garlic, I'd like you to meet peppers and herbs...

(I think they like each other)

Hey look, the tofu is ready! ;)

Be sure to flip and toss your tofu around as it cooks. Depending on your pan, you should be able to cook it at a pretty high heat. It will get light and bouncy as it gets brown. Try to brown all sides. 

Alas, tofu, peppers and onions!

Just let everything simmer for about 15 minutes, and you're all set. 

This dish pairs well with a nice salad. Like this one:

Ohhh yeah.

Italian Tofu, Peppers and Onions

2 packages firm tofu

3 Tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 Teaspoon salt

1 Teaspoon pepper

2 Teaspoons dried basil, divided 

2 Teaspoons dried oregano, divided

2 Tablespoons butter

4 cloves garlic, minced 

1 large onion, sliced 

5 Cups bell pepper, sliced 

1/4 Cup white cooking wine

Drain the excess water out of the tofu by pressing between paper towels or clean dish towels. Chop the tofu into cubes and press again with towels to get as much the water out as possible. Sprinkle tofu with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large nonstick pan over medium-high heat and add tofu to the pan. Let tofu cook until browned on all sides, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in another large nonstick pan over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic. Cook until onions begin to soften, stirring frequently. Add the bell pepper, 1 teaspoon of basil and 1 teaspoon of oregano to the pan of onions and garlic. Then stir in the white wine. Continue to cook and stir until the onions and peppers are tender. If they start to burn or if the pan gets too dry, reduce heat and add a little more white wine or water or vegetable broth to the pan. 

When tofu is browned on all sides reduce heat to low and stir in 1 teaspoon on basil and 1 teaspoon of oregano, distributing the herbs to all pieces of tofu. Then add tofu to the pan of vegetables. Cover the pan, reduce heat to low and let simmer for about 15 minutes.

So what do you think of this vegetarian dish? Share your thoughts in the Comments section below.

Garlic Tofu Steaks

Does tofu taste like steak?  Heck no. Not even close. But this tofu recipe is delicious, trust me. Tofu tastes like bean sprouts/nothing, so you're able to season it to make it taste like whatever you want. Lucky you. I hadn't cooked tofu in a while, but since me and the husband are trying to clean up our diet, I went ahead and picked up a couple packages from the grocery store this week. So glad I did! And my meat-loving husband is eating this, and loving it (okay, liking it) as I type this.  

Okay, let's make some steaks:

First you need to cut the tofu and remove some of the extra water. Be sure to cut it into equally sized pieces. Place the steaks between paper towels and gently push down. Don't worry about getting ALL the water out, we're just trying to dry it out a little.

Now, mix together the light soy sauce, granulated sweetener, and ground pepper.

Place the tofu steaks in a ziplock bag and pour the marinade inside. Let the air out and seal that baby shut. You can also use a covered bowl in place of a ziplock bag. Let it marinade in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to 3 hours. You really want the flavorless tofu to soak up all that goodness. The longer you let it marinate, the more flavorful your steaks will be.

Heat the olive oil in a nice nonstick pan over medium heat. Then carefully place each marinated steak into the pan. Pour the marinade into a small bowl and set aside. Cook steaks for 4-5 minutes on one side...

...then flip and cook for another 3-4 minutes on the other side. Since tofu is safe to eat raw, cooking time depends on how "well done" you like your tofu steak. And of course cooking time is also dependent on your stove and your pan, so just keen an eye on it and don't let it get too done. The sweetener and soy sauce will burn if cooked too long or at too high of a temperature. Okay, moving on...

Remove the steaks and turn the heat to low. Are you ready to make some yummy sauce? 

Mix the leftover marinade, water, and cornstarch in a bowl. Then pour it into the pan - which should be on low and should still have some olive oil in it. If there's no olive oil left in the pan, add about a tablespoon.  Then pour the sauce mixture in and stir frequently for a few minutes until it thickens.

And voila: Tofu Steaks!

I served mine with a steamed root vegetable medley and some edamame tonight. Last night I served it with a roasted sweet potato and cucumber slices. That's right, I made my husband eat tofu 2 nights in a row. *evil laughter*

Garlic Tofu Steaks

Yield: 2 servings (2 steaks each)

1 Package firm tofu
4 Tablespoons light soy sauce
1 Teaspoon granulated sweetener (I use Splenda)
1/2 Teaspoon ground pepper
1 Teaspoon cornstarch
3 Tablespoons olive oil
5 Tablespoons water

Prep Tofu:
Remove the tofu from its packaging and discard the water. Cut tofu lengthwise and width-wise to create 4 rectangular steaks. Press tofu steaks between paper towels to remove excess water.

Prep Marinade:
Mix the light soy sauce, granulated sweetener, and ground pepper in a bowl.

Marinate:
Carefully place the tofu steaks in a ziplock bag, add marinade and marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to 3 hours. The longer, the better!

Prepare:
Heat the olive oil in nonstick pan over medium heat. Carefully place each marinated tofu steak into the pan. Set the marinade aside to use later for the sauce. Allow tofu steaks to cook for 4-5 minutes over medium heat, then use a spatula to flip them over. Allow to cook for another 3-4 minutes on the other side, then remove from pan. Turn heat to low.

Make Sauce:
Mix the cornstarch with the water and add it to the leftover marinade, then pour it into the pan. The pan should have some leftover olive oil in it, if not, add about 1 Tablespoon olive oil. Stir to create a sauce. Cook/simmer on low, stirring frequently for a couple minutes.

Serve (Finally! Geez!):
Pour the sauce over the tofu steaks and enjoy!



So, how did you like your Garlic Tofu Steaks? Is this your first time cooking tofu? What side dishes did you make to go with your tofu steaks? Please let me know in the Comments Section!