Tofu & Greens

Recently, I decided it would be a wonderful idea to become a more skilled cook, and to take on more challenging and complex recipes than I usually cook. I already cook quite well and quite often, but I decided I should improve my abilities, so I looked for new and exciting recipes to test out, and new ingredients to learn about.

Thanks to the catchy Denzal Sinclaire tune, I've always been curious about tofu & greens.
"So if you ever have the urge to try something new
Just go down to the grocery store and pick up some tofu!
Tofu & greens! Gimme some tofu & greens! (etc.)"

So I sought out a recipe, invested in the ingredients, and gave it a try tonight. Here's the one I used:
Crisp-Fried Tofu and Greens Ingredients
2 Cakes tofu; frozen overnight
1/2 c Water or vegetable stock
1 ts Cornstarch
1/2 c Cornmeal or cornstarch
MARINADE
1/3 c Soy sauce
1/4 c Rice vinegar
1 tb Finely grated gingerroot
2 Cloves garlic; minced or
1 ds Cayenne
SAUCE
3 tb Soy sauce
1/4 c Dry sherry
2 ts Rice vinegar
2 ts Honey or brown sugar
VEGETABLES
3 tb Oil
3 Cloves garlic
1 c Thinly sliced onion
6 c Mix of coarsely chopped pak or
9 c Chopped spinach

Instructions for Crisp-Fried Tofu and Greens
Source: The Moosewood Restaurant Kitchen Garden Gently squeeze as much liquid out of thawed tofu as possible. Cut tofu crosswise into 1/2-inch thick slices, then diagonally, to make 4 triangles.* Combine marinade ingredients and mix well. Arrange tofu triangles in one layer in a dish and cover with marinade. Allow to sit for at least 10 minutes to absorb the flavors. Prepare sauce mix by combining all ingredients in a small bowl. In a separate bowl mix the water or stock and the 1 tsp. cornstarch. Dredge marinated tofu pieces in cornmeal or cornstarch and fry over medium heat in 1/8 to 1/4 inch of oil, for 3-4 minutes on each side. Drain and keep warm in 200F oven. Add leftover marinade to sauce mix. Heat 3 tblsp oil in a wok. Stir-fry garlic and onion until onion is tender. Add greens and continue stir-frying until just wilted but not mushy. Add sauce mix and cornstarch mix and stir-fry just until sauce is thickened. Add reserved fried tofu. Serve with rice.

The process I went through trying to make this recipe was a bit comical. The trick is to either prepare everything before you turn any burners on, or to be really good at timing it all just right. My tofu didn't thaw very cooperatively, so I got a bit impatient with it; cleaning bundled spinach took longer than I thought, so my onions narrowly escaped burning; and the sauce wasn't thick when the veggies were finished cooking, so they came out limper than I would have liked. My kitchen was also transformed into a small catastrophe. BUT, in the end, it was all really good! I had never tried tofu until today. And whoever says it is bland has clearly never had it marinated. The tofu was my favourite part of all this. It fried to a great crisp in my grill pan, which even gave it those attractive little grill lines, and tasted fabulous! Coupled with one of my favourite ultra-refreshing beverages, iced white tea, it was a totally terrific meal, and definitely healthier than most other things I could have made.

Last night, I gave real fettucine alfredo a shot from scratch with good success, and tomorrow, now that I have this tofu, I will be seeking out another use for it! (If you know of any good recipes, do let me know.) The quest for excellent cookery skills continues! In the meantime, I have a horrific mess to clean up. Clearly, learning an art has its costs...