I was hungry one afternoon, looked in the fridge and saw some raw firm tofu that would soon go bad if it wasn’t used quickly. With all my vegetarian friends influencing me lately and my tofu filled childhood, I decided to do something with that healthy lump of protein. It’s too boring raw in a salad or raw with olive oil or flax seed oil on top, which is how I usually consume it. Why not do something fancy like all those people on the WC blog? They are always whipping something special with simple ingredients like this. So I put my cooking ad-libbing to the test.

I hadn’t the slightest idea at first what to make, but then I thought, “Soy sauce, ah yes…now we’re cooking!” Soy sauce is always good on tofu, maybe because their both soy products. Then since I love ginger and garlic, it seemed like a good idea to add these, too. Then it hit me: the recipe for “Timely Tasty Tophu.” Healthy cooked food that doesn’t take long to prepare.
My Dad always used to put tofu in stir-fries when I was a child, so this may have been the roots of my inspiration. He always served it with brown rice, chard and probably less garlic than I would use today, as now I am a total garlic & spice hound! The dulse (seaweed powder) that I added is very “hippy Mendocino,” the town where I grew up. My Mom used to harvest seaweeds off the rocks along the Pacific coast. It adds a subtle flavor of the ocean to the dish. So here’s to my parents: Cheers, I used to loathe tofu when I was little but now I appreciate its healthfulness, versatility, tastiness and how easy it is to make in a rush.

Timely Tasty Tophu

Ingredients:

12-16 ounces of firm tofu
3-4 teaspoons of light soy sauce
3-4 tablespoons of finely chopped ginger
3-4 cloves of chopped garlic (use more if desired)
Sprinkles of dulse powder
Sprinkles of Cayenne pepper
½ chopped onion or shallot

Process:

Slice tofu into 2 inch squares
Heat pan at medium heat with olive oil or cooking oil
Add ginger, garlic and onions begin sautéing
Place tofu squares onto pan and turn burner up a bit so you hear a little sizzle
Use a spatula or big spoon to turn when one side is browned
Cook opposite sides moving the garlic ginger onions around for flavor
When topside is also browned slightly splash on the light soy sauce and season with dulse powder and cayenne

This process takes a total of 15-20 minutes so it’s a quick healthy protein portion of a meal.

Plate and serve alone, perhaps over leafy salad as a chicken breast alternative or with rice (brown if you’re going extra hippie-style.) Enjoy!