Here is a tofu recipe, from Serious Eats, that’s a fusion of two cuisines. Glazed with a combination of chipotles in adobo and miso, it’s spicy, umami and delicious.
Finely chop 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. Place them in a small bowl, along with some of the adobo sauce, and add 1 tablespoon of miso, 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil and 2 teaspoons of brown sugar. Mix well and reserve 1 tablespoon of this marinade in another small bowl or container. Slice 450g of firm tofu into rectangles and dry with paper towels. Combine with the marinade and leave for at least an hour or overnight if you prefer. The original recipe calls for cooking over charcoal, which I’m sure is super delicious. I took the easy way out and used a hot grill (broiler). Place the tofu in one layer on an oiled oven tray and grill for a few minutes on each side. Add 1 tablespoon of sesame oil and 1 teaspoon of soy sauce to the reserved marinade and brush it onto the tofu. Grill again on both sides until nicely browned. Serve hot.
I served my tofu with a salad of fried pumpkin and onions on a bed of spinach leaves.
Slice the pumpkin and some red onions and season with salt. Heat some vegetable oil in a large frypan that has a lid. Fry the vegetables over medium heat with the lid on, turning occasionally, until the pumpkin is soft and a little brown. Lined a platter with baby spinach leaves and arrange the pumpkin and onion on top. For the dressing I made a simple Japanese style pon shabu sauce. Combine approximately 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, 1½ – 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of mirin and 1 teaspoon of rice vinegar. Adjust these amounts according to taste. Drizzle over the salad and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.
michelle picker cooks 