wild Javelina

Made this a bit ago and have been too swamped with life to get it posted. I had tried blackened tofu one other time and I managed to burn holy shit out of it, this time however everything came out spot on delicious. This has been absolutely inspired by Melt’s current sandwich of the month- however rad that sandwich is… and really it is a killer, I thought for the home setting, it stood fine on it’s own- sans bread. The tofu spice rub recipe was adapted from Bryant Terry’s Vegan Soul Kitchen. 

Blackened Tofu
1 package extra firm tofu: drained, pressed and sliced into 8 slabs
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon sweet parprika
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ancho chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon coriander
1/2 tablespoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon pepper
Olive oil: to coat.

Mango Peach Salsa
1/2 mango- I used frozen, thawed and diced
1 ripe peach, diced
1 teaspoon brown sugar

Avocado to top.

Mix the mango and peaches with the brown sugar and allow to set while the tofu is cooking.

To prepare the tofu, dump all of the listed spices together in a wide shallow bowl. get them mixed really well and set aside. Spray, brush or drizzle to coat the tofu cutlets with a bit of olive oil. Toss the oiled tofu in the spice mixture to cover all sides. A quick toss or a few flips in the bowl should do it. Heat a non stick skillet for about a minute and place the coated tofu slabs in the pan- be sure to leave the pan dry- no extra oil is needed here… then- leave them be! don’t flip, shake or move them, just let the spices cook onto the tofu. Leave these for about 2-3 minutes, keeping an eye that the heat is low enough to prevent the spices from burning- flip the tofu and repeat the cooking process for the other side.

Serve topped with the mango salsa and slices of fresh avocado.

Really quick dinner last night that would work well with any pasta you have on hand. You can certainly add or subtract to the veg based on what you’ve got around or are in the mood for- I think some zucchini or summer squash would be excellent, maybe some fresh peas, chard or greens would make a nice addition as well.

8oz. Farfalle Pasta
1 package extra firm tofu: drained, pressed and cubed
1 14oz can cannellini beans 
1 green pepper julienned-I used a light fleshed one from this weeks csa-any variety is fine.
1 hungarian hot pepper julienned
1 yellow onion julienned
3 cloves of garlic- smashed and finely diced
3 tablespoons olive oil
handful of cherry or small heirloom tomatoes- halved
salt
pepper
fresh basil- very finely sliced
crushed red pepper flakes 

Prepare the pasta as directed- careful not to overcook. Drain and set aside.

Heat a 10-12” skillet and add the oil and garlic- stir for about two minutes until the garlic begins to soften being careful not to brown. Add the onions, peppers, beans, tofu and a pinch or two of kosher salt. Stir fry over a medium to high heat for about 10-12 minutes until the peppers and onions begin to soften and the tofu begins to crisp up a little bit.

To serve: Plate the pasta and top with the stir fried veggies. Top that with the fresh tomatoes, basil, crushed red pepper flakes, a quick shake of quality olive oil and pepper. As the above photo would tell, I made some fresh corn with this as well- rounded out the dinner quite nicely.