Korean-Inspired Sautéed Tofu

Serve this as a first course for an Asian-themed meal, or make brown rice and steamed spinach to go with it for an entrée. Draining and pressing the tofu yields a crisp crust when pan-fried; it also helps the tofu absorb more flavor from the zesty pan sauce.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: about 1/2 cup)

Ingredients

• 2  tablespoons  rice vinegar
• 2  tablespoons  mirin (sweet rice wine)
• 1  tablespoon  low-sodium soy sauce
• 1  teaspoon  dark sesame oil
• 1/8  teaspoon  kosher salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  ground red pepper, divided
• 1  (14-ounce) package water-packed soft tofu, drained
• 2  tablespoons  canola oil, divided
• 1  ounce  fresh ginger, peeled and julienne-cut
• 3  tablespoons  diagonally sliced green onions
• 1  teaspoon  minced fresh garlic
• 1/4  teaspoon  kosher salt
• 1  teaspoon  sesame seeds

Preparation

1. Combine vinegar, mirin, soy sauce, sesame oil, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon red pepper in a medium bowl; stir with a whisk.

2. Cut tofu crosswise into 8 (1/2-inch-thick) slices. Arrange tofu on several layers of paper towels. Top with several more layers of paper towels; top with a cast-iron skillet or other heavy pan. Let stand 30 minutes. Remove tofu from paper towels. Cut tofu into (1-inch) cubes. Sprinkle tofu with remaining 1/8 teaspoon red pepper.

3. Heat 1 tablespoon canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add tofu to pan; sauté 8 minutes or until crisp, carefully turning to brown on all sides. Remove tofu from pan; keep warm. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon canola oil in pan. Add ginger and green onions to pan; sauté 30 seconds. Add garlic to pan; sauté 30 seconds or just until golden. Add ginger mixture to vinegar mixture; stir well. Pour vinegar mixture over tofu; sprinkle evenly with 1/4 teaspoon salt and sesame seeds.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

128

Fat:

9.1g (sat 0.9g,mono 3.9g,poly 3.7g)

Protein:

6.3g

Carbohydrate:

4.9g

Fiber:

0.5g

Cholesterol:

0.0mg

Iron:

1.1mg

Sodium:

208mg

Calcium:

135mg