An old friend from high school - and fellow vegetarian - has been kind enough these last few months to send me new vegetarian recipes she's tried and loved. All of the ones she's sent me have tasted/looked great, but this last one is in a league of its own. It also happened to be the first meal we cooked in our new place.
Oh, and for the omnivores - you won't miss the chicken with this dish. I promise you.
Tofu Parmigiana
Yields: 4 servings
Original source: Unknown
-1/4 cup plain breadcrumbs
-1 tsp Italian seasoning
-1 14-ounce package extra-firm tofu, drained
-1/4 tsp garlic powder
-Salt and pepper, to taste
-2 teaspoons plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
-1 small onion, chopped
-8 ounces white mushrooms, thinly sliced
-1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
-3/4 cup prepared marinara sauce
-Crushed red pepper flakes
-1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
Directions:
1.) Combine breadcrumbs and Italian seasoning in a shallow dish. Cut tofu lengthwise into four "steaks" and pat dry. Sprinkle both sides of the tofu with garlic powder, salt and pepper, and then dredge in the breadcrumb mixture.
2.) Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, until beginning to brown, about 3 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook until they release their juices and begin to brown, 4 minutes more. Transfer to a bowl.
3.) Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the pan. Add the tofu steaks and cook until browned on one side, about 3 minutes. Turn over and sprinkle with Parmesan. Spoon the mushroom mixture over the tofu, pour marinara over the mushrooms, add crushed red pepper, and scatter mozzarella on top. Cover and cook until the sauce is hot and the cheese is melted, about 3 minutes. Serve (preferably with garlic bread and whole wheat pasta).
The end result tasted exactly like chicken parmigiana, but without the added grease chicken can bring to the dish. The texture of the tofu also held up surprisingly well - it wasn't mushy, although it did crumble a bit when I was dredging it in the bread crumbs.
Overall, this was a comforting, delicious first meal in our new home.
On a side note, I picked a winner for the Stonyfield giveaway using Random.org. The winner is...Julie!
"My son Andrew loves yogurt-I think he would really like to try the blueberry."
While I ADORE tofu, I'm not sure if I could give up my chicken parm for a tofu substitution! :-) Glad to see you cooking again!
ReplyDeletelooks like the perfect first meal in your new kitchen!
ReplyDeleteI will absolutely try this! Looks delish and glad to hear it doesn't taste like a second class dish.
ReplyDelete