TOFU CHALLENGE ENDS IN WALK-OFF HOMERUN

Last week, the stage was set for a knock-down, drag-out battle between myself and Gina of FiMP to see whose tofu cuisine reigns supreme. Not one to take a challenge lightly, I used most of the week to prepare myself. I decided to go the traditional route: Wheaties, weight-lifting, and performance enhancing drugs.

Unfortunately, I learned that none of those things actually help when it comes to working with curdled soybean milk. Who knew?! But I did lose 2 pounds in the process, and I became an absolute beast in the batting cages. In a way, I already felt like a winner!

But alas, I still had a promise to uphold, and that was to crank out a competition-worthy tofu dish by this Friday. Left with nothing but my basic instincts and a strong sense of pride, I headed straight for the grill. Let's play ball!

Grilled Tofu and Veggies* w/ Pesto

Ingredients:
1 block extra firm tofu, patted dry and cut into wedges
1 zucchini, sliced lengthwise
1 portobello mushroom, cut into strips
1 red bell pepper, cut into thick strips
1/2 eggplant, sliced lengthwise
1/2 red onion, cut into thick slices
3/4 cp pesto (store-bought or homemade)
1/4 cp olive oil for pesto, extra for brushing
salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper to taste
parmesan cheese, toasted pine nuts, and fresh basil for garnish



Directions: (serves 4)
1. Set grill to medium heat. Brush tofu, zucchini, portobello, bell pepper, eggplant, and onion with olive oil. Season everything with salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper. Grill 5 minutes per side, check for doneness. Grill longer if necessary. Remove from heat when done.

2. Assemble veggies on a platter. Top with slices of tofu. Whisk together pesto and 1/4 olive oil until combined, and pour sauce over everything. Garnish with parmesan cheese, toasted pine nuts, and fresh basil. Woot woot.

*Yea, I know most of the produce listed here aren't technically vegetables. For all intents and purposes, let's just go with it.


But Wait...There's More!!!


Tofu Key Lime Pie

Ingredients:
1 block firm tofu
8 oz cream cheese (you know it's gotta be Philly)
1 pkg instant Jello Vanilla Pudding Mix
1/2 cp key lime juice (yes, you can sub reg lime)
1-2 tb agave syrup or other sweetener
pinch of salt
1 prepared graham cracker crust

Directions: (serves 6-8)
1. In a blender or food processor, combine tofu and key lime juice until smooth. Add the remaining ingredients and combine until smooth. Give it a taste. If it's too sour, add more sweetener. Regular limes tend to be more sour than key limes, in case you're curious.

2. Pour mixture into pie crust. Refrigerate at least 2-3 hours.

3. If the pie doesn't up correctly, you have two choices: serve it up as a pudding or throw it in the freezer to harden. It's incredibly difficult to predict what consistency you will end up with when using tofu, because it's always different. Don't let it get you down, it's delicious no matter how you slice it! (couldn't resist)

7 days, 3 boxes of cereal, hundreds of reps, and 2 banned substances later, here is the final product. Would I say it was worth it? You're damn right it was.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have an acceptance speech and a baseball swing to work on.










**Update: Gina posted her entry- Tofu Picatta w/ a side of Baked Rice,Tomato, Spinach, and Tofu. Not gonna lie, I'm a little impressed. Capers and garlic make me weak in the knees, and she took it to the nines. Well played Gina, you have proven to be quite the adversary...this time around.