Mango-Ginger Tofu

Yet another marinated tofu recipe. This is a recipie from Vegan With a Vengance by Isa Chandra Moskowitz.

For the Marinade

Ingredients

  • 2 tsp peanut oil
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • ¼ C fresh ginger, coursely chopped
  • 1 jalepeño, seeded and chopped
  • 2 large mangos, peeled and coursely choppend
  • ¼ C pure maple syrup (none of this fake business)
  • 1 C white cooking wine or veg. broth
  • 2 Tbsp rice vinegar (apple cider or red wine vinegar are acceptable, also)
  • Juice of 2 limes
  • 1 C orange juice
  • ¼ tsp ground allspice
  • Fresh black pepper to taste
  • Dash of salt

Execution

Preheat a medium-size saucepan over moderate heat; combine th oil, garlic, ginger, and jalapeno, and sauté for 7 minutes, being careful not to burn the garlic. Add the chopped mango and sauté for 5 more minutes.

Add the maple syrup and wine, cover and simmer for 35 minutes. Uncover and simmer for 5 more minutes

Add the vinegar, lime juiice, orange juice, allspice, black pepper, and salt; let cool, then transfer the mixture to blender and puree until smooth

Place the prepared tofu in the marinade in a sealable plastic bag or tightly lidded plastic container. Marinate in the fridge for at least an hour an up to overnight.

For the Tofu

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs extra-firm tofu, drained and pressed, cut into isoscles shapes
  • 1 mango, sliced into long, thin slices
  • 1 Red bell pepper, seeded and cut into long, thin slices

Execution

Prehear oven to 375°

Reserve about half of the marinade. Lay the marinated tofu in a single layer in a large rimmed baking sheet or baking pan. Bake for 20 minutes. Flip over the tofu and add more marinade. Coat the peppers and mango in the reserved marinade and add them to the pan. Bake anouther 15 minutes

Heat the remaining marinade in a suacepan and put in a bowl on the table so guests can pour it over thier tofu. Serve over Jasmine rice with a steamed vegetable, such as asparagus or broccoli.

Personal Reactions

Tofu unfairly gets a bad wrap from the omnivour community. That being said, I would not recommend this dish as a first foray in to the world of the animal-free. Here the tofu is the star and if you are trying to impress those who are skeptical about tofu on principle alone this is probalby not the way to go. With that in mind...it's not bad. Particularly when served over a bed of Jasmine rice.

Necessity dictated that I made a couple modifications:

  • I used 1 mango rather than 2 in the marinade (uneaten mango's don't remain in that condition for very long in my apartment)
  • I was out of fresh ginger and had to resort to powerded. I would advise against this...it was a little overpowering
  • I used 2 jalepños rather than 1. What can I say...I like heat