Tofu Stuffed with Brown Rice and Mushroom
Dressing
The Tofu
1 pound extra firm tofu (hard Asian tofu is best)
1 cup vegetable broth (I used No-Chicken broth by Imagine Foods)
1/4 tsp. sesame oil
1 1/2 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. minced garlic
1/4 tsp. poultry seasoning (or blend of ground thyme and sage)
Cut the tofu in half through the middle (hard tofu will already be cut).
Then cut each of the halves in triangles by cutting down through the top on the
diagonal. (Yes, my favorite knife is purple.)
Turn the triangles cut-side down, and cut in half to form eight equal triangles.
Using a slender knife, carefully cut around the edges of the long side of each
triangle, about 1/4 inch away from the edge. Be sure to hold the knife at the
same angle as the edge of the tofu to avoid cutting through the outside of the
tofu. Make your cuts as deep as you can without risking cutting through the
outside wall.
Making additional cuts in a grid pattern helps in getting the tofu out.
Use a spoon (a grapefruit spoon works great here) to remove the tofu from the
middle of each triangle. Go as deep as you can, being careful to keep the pouch
intact. Set aside the tofu that you take out of the middle--you can use it in
the gravy.
Put the tofu pouches in a shallow pan that will hold all of them on their
sides. Mix the broth with the remaining ingredients and pour it over the tofu,
making sure that some goes into the pouches.
Marinate for at least 30 minutes; then carefully turn the tofu over and marinate
the other side for 30 minutes or more. When the rice is done, proceed with
stuffing.
Brown Rice and Mushroom Dressing
1 large onion, chopped
1 rib celery, chopped
2 tsp. garlic, minced
6 ounces mushrooms, chopped
1 1/2 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. rubbed sage
1/2 tsp. rosemary
1/8 tsp. black pepper
1 cup long-grain brown rice
2 1/2 cups water
1 tsp. salt (optional)
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
Spray a large, non-stick pot with canola oil and set it on medium-high heat. Add
the onions and celery, and cook until the onions start to become translucent,
about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, mushrooms, herbs, and rice and sauté for
another minute. Add the water and salt and cover tightly. Turn the heat very low
and cook for about 45 minutes, or until rice is tender and water is mostly
absorbed. Resist opening the lid until 45 minutes have passed!
Stuffing the Tofu
Preheat the oven to 400 F. Drain the marinade from the tofu and reserve it.
Add the parsley and 1/4 cup of the marinade to the rice and stir. Spray two
medium-sized baking dishes with non-stick spray. Using a small spoon, gently
stuff each piece of tofu with as much rice as you can fit in. Stand the stuffed
tofu in one of the two baking dishes. Put the remaining rice dressing in the
other dish. Put both dishes into the oven and bake until the tofu is becoming
light brown, about 35 minutes. Watch closely to make sure it doesn't burn on the
bottom. Serve atop additional rice dressing with gravy (recipe below), if
desired. Serves 4.
Tofu-Mushroom Gravy
This can be made without the tofu or mushrooms,
if you choose.
1 small onion, minced
extra tofu from making Stuffed Tofu
1 clove garlic, minced
5 mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup unbleached white flour (or gluten-free flour of choice)
tofu marinade
about 1 1/4 cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup plain soymilk
1 tsp. poultry seasoning
1 tsp. thyme
1 tbsp. nutritional yeast
1/8 tsp. Liquid Smoke seasoning
salt and pepper, to taste
Add enough vegetable broth to the reserved marinade to make 2 cups of liquid.
Spray a non-stick sauce pan with canola oil. Add the onion and sauté for
about 3 minutes. Add the tofu and garlic, and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add
the mushrooms and cook until they exude their juices. Stir in the flour and cook
for about 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Slowly stir in the vegetable broth
mixture. Add the remaining ingredients and cook, stirring, until mixture
thickens, about 5 to 10 minutes.
