Golden Tofu with coconut curry sauce

One of the nicest things about this meatless journey is the opportunity to cook things that I've always wanted to try but didn't. I'm not even talking about the complex recipes that require obscure ingredients that have to be flown in from another country. I'm talking about simple things with few ingredients that are easy to find. It occurred to me this morning that when people cook with meat, they tend to focus more on the meat than the rest of the meal. With meatless cooking, it definitely shifts my focus on finding new ways to make things like rice and pasta more flavorful and interesting. I find myself treasuring fresh herbs that I never used before.

Today, I'm sharing my recent culinary treat: Golden Tofu with Coconut Curry Sauce. I'm not a girl who likes hot, spicy food. I think in the past I've steered clear of curry because I had this belief that it would send my mouth in to flames. I know now that curry comes in all kinds of varieties and different degrees of strength. For this recipe, I used a very mild curry paste. The result: a subtle warm plate of comfort food enhanced with coconut and peanuts.

Tofu in Curry Coconut Sauce

1 tablespoon peanut oil
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 small green or red pepper, thinly sliced
1 to 2 teaspoons of Thai Curry Paste or curry powder
½ cup of coconut milk
½ cup of water
salt
Golden Tofu (see below)
3 tablespoons roasted chopped peanuts

Heat a wok, add the peanut oil, and when it’s hot, add the onion and pepper and stir-fry for 1 minute. Stir in the curry paste, then add the coconut milk and water. Arrange the tofu on a plate and spoon the sauce over it. Serve with rice or noodles garnished with peanuts.

Golden Tofu:

One pound package of extra firm tofu, cut in to slabs about ¾ inch thick
Salt
2 tablespoons peanut oil

1. Get as much water out of the tofu by pressing the slabs between paper towels
2. Heat the oil in a medium, non-stick skillet over fairly high heat
3. Add tofu and fry until golden
4. It takes several minutes to color. While it should color, don’t let them get burnt or dried out.
5. Drain briefly on paper towels and salt lightly