Lemon Tofu with Kefir Sauce
So in an effort to fight the battle of the bulge (which I am currently winning) I’m trying to eat healthy. One of the health foods I’ve always enjoyed but never really cooked myself is tofu.
My problem with tofu (which I think is everyone’s problem with tofu) is that without proper preparation it tastes extremely bland. Even in dishes that are otherwise flavorful the tofu can sometimes be bland and unresponsive to the other flavors of the dish. The obvious way to combat this is by preparing tofu with “strong” flavors that infuse easily (such as in a lot of Thai food) or by marinading the tofu for long periods of time, often overnight. So over the last week or two I’ve been experimenting with other flavors trying to make a tofu entree that’s not super spicy and doesn’t require an overnight marinade– I think I’ve hit on something I like:
Lemon Tofu with Kefir Sauce
Ingredients:
- 1/3 lb firm tofu, cut into squares about an inch square and 1/8 of an inch high
- 1 medium yellow onion, peeled, halved, and sliced thinly
- 1 tbs juice from of fresh lemon (about 1/3 of the lemon)
- 1/2 cup fat free kefir
- 2 fresh basil leaves, chopped
- 1tsp vegetable oil
- fresh ground black pepper to taste
Put tofu, onions, lemon juice, pepper, and oil in non stick pan and cook at medium-high (turning when necessary) until edges of tofu are nice and crispy and the onions become translucent.
Turn heat to low and add kefir heat for another 3-4 mins.
Plate and sprinkle with basil leaves.
Serves one.
Notes:
In case you’ve never had kefir it’s a similar thing to yogurt but it’s more liquid and has a slightly different bite to it. It’s flavor combined with the onion and the lemon makes a really nice combination.