Sweet and Salty Tofu Salad

One of my favorite go-to meals when I want something really light but also full of flavor and equally filling. I make some sort of variation of this salad at least once a week. Feel free to add extras like sliced bell peppers, chopped green onions, or even torn Thai basil. Also, the potions I list below just approximate servings. If you like less cabbage, add more lettuce. Hate Cilantro? Leave it out. You get what I’m saying…

BTW - Any leftover dressing will keep for 7-10 days and tastes absolutely delicious on top of cold rice noodles or rice.

Salad Base - makes 1 large salad as a main dish or 2-3 small side salads

• 1/2 of a 14oz block of extra firm organic ( ideally sprouted ) tofu cut into 1/2 inch cubes. I like the Wildwood brand.

• 1 Tb coconut aminos

• Oil spray ( like avocado )

• 2 cups thinly sliced romaine lettuce

• 1 cup thinly sliced Napa cabbage

• 1/2 cup thinly sliced purple cabbage

• 1/2 cup grated carrots

• 1/2 cup thinly sliced or grated cucumber

• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro

• 1 Tb chopped fresh mint

• 1 Tb chopped roasted peanuts or cashews

Dressing

• 1/3 cup lime juice

• 1/3 cup coconut aminos

• 1/4 cup maple syrup

• 1.5 Tb toasted sesame oil

• 1 Tb sambal ( optional but this will add the spice )

Lightly spray a neutral oil ( I like avocado oil ) on a medium skillet. Add cubed tofu and saute over medium-high heat until all sides are slightly golden in color, about 5-7 minutes. Add about 1 Tb of coconut aminos ( or tamari or light soy sauce ) and continue to saute tofu until all liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat, place sauteed tofu in a bowl, and then place in the refrigerator until cooled.

Mix all ingredients for the dressing together in a small mason jar. This makes more than one serving so place what you don’t use in the refrigerator for later use.

Thinly slice/chop romaine lettuce, Napa cabbage, purple cabbage, carrots, cucumber, and herbs.

In a large but shallow salad bowl, stack sliced lettuce, cabbage, cucumbers, and carrots. Add cooled tofu and top with cilantro, mint, and chopped nuts, and then drizzle dressing over the salad to your liking ( I like a lot of dressing! ) ENJOY!

Tofu Buddha Rolls

How pretty are these?! I gotta be honest though, I didn’t come up with this idea myself. Nope, I ordered something just like these pretty little rolls almost every time I dined at the Shady Shack in Bali. Lucky for us, these Buddha Rolls are fairly easy to re-create at home. No eighteen-hour flight required.

Tofu Buddha Rolls ( per serving )

• 1/2 cup shredded carrots

• 1/2 cup shredded purple cabbage

• 1/2 cup thinly sliced cucumbers

• 1/2 cup thinly sliced red cabbage

• a handful of mint leaves

• a handful of cilantro

• a handful of chives or green onions

• coconut amino marinated + pan-fried super firm tofu. I love the high-protein, sprouted organic tofu from Wildwood

• 1 large English cucumber thinly sliced into long wide “noodles”. You can use a mandolin or you can thinly slice the cucumber with a sharp knife.

Coconut Amino Marinated + Pan-Fried Tofu ( one serving )

• 4 oz super firm organic tofu

• 2 tbs coconut aminos

• 1 tsp sesame oil

To make the pan-fried tofu, take about 4 oz of tofu and slice into 1/2 inch “sticks” . Then place tofu sticks into a shallow dish and pour about 2 tbs of coconut aminos over the tofu. Cover and let marinate in the fridge for at least 20 minutes, turning once. Next, heat up a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat with a tiny drizzle of sesame oil ( for flavor ). Add marinated tofu and pan-fry until golden brown ( A few minutes on each side ) Remove from heat and let cool to the touch.

To arrange the Buddha Rolls, lay cucumber noodles on a large cutting board. At one end of each cucumber noodle, pile on a tofu “stick”, whatever veggie fillings you desire and then roll to enclose fillings. Rolls can be secured with a toothpick if need be. Enjoyed with the Spicy Peanut Sauce below.

Spicy Peanut Dipping Sauce - makes about 14 oz

• 1/2 cup creamy unsweetened peanut butter or almond butter

• 3/4 cup - 1 cup full-fat coconut milk ( depending on desired consistency )

• 1/4 cup of coconut sugar ( 2-3 tbs can be used instead if you want to reduce sugar content )

• juice of 1 juicy lime

• 1 tbs low-sodium soy sauce or tamari

• 2 tsp sambal ( or sriracha )

• 1/2 inch piece of fresh peeled ginger

• 1 clove of garlic

• Blend all ingredients in a highspeed blender until smooth. The sauce will thicken up ( a lot ) in the fridge. I’ve found that it’s better to reheat to thin out rather than adding additional liquids. Lasts for about 1 week in the fridge.

Hoisin Peanut Sauce - makes about 2 cups

• 1 and 1/3 cups of water

• 1 cup hoisin sauce

• 1 cup creamy peanut butter

• 1.5 Tbs minced shallot

• 1 Tb rice wine vinegar

• 2 tsp coconut sugar ( optional )

• 1 Tb sambal oelek or sriracha

*More water if needed for consistency

*In a small saucepan over med-high heat saute the minced shallot in a splash of water until translucent ( about 1-2 minutes ).

*Add water and hoisin and whisk until blended and bring to a low simmer. Add peanut butter, vinegar, sugar, and sambal and whisk until smooth. Remove from heat.

*I like to serve this with crushed salted peanuts sprinkled on top. This makes a lot of sauce so feel free to cut the recipe in half. Stores well in the fridge for several days. Add more water to thin out if needed.