Golden Tofu Salad With Carrots And Hijiki Recipes

GOLDEN SESAME TOFU

Steps:

• Heat a fry pan over medium-high heat. Add sesame seeds and toast until golden and fragrant, stirring frequently. Remove pan from heat and place sesame seeds in small bowl to cool.
• Remove tofu from package and drain. Press the tofu gently between the palms of your hands to squeeze out water, then wrap the tofu in paper towels, place it on a plate, then put a another plate on top of it. Place a 28-oz. can of tomatoes or a cast iron fry pan on the plate. This will press out any remaining water from the tofu. Let sit for about 20 minutes.
• Unwrap the tofu and slice into eight rectangular slices. To make even slices, slice the block of tofu in half, then half each half, and then half each quarter. Then dust the slices with tofu evenly with cornstarch on all sides.
• Heat about 2 tablespoons of oil in fry pan over medium high heat. Add the tofu slices, but don't crowd the pan. You might have to fry in batches. Fry until the tofu is a light golden color, approximately 2 minutes, then turn the tofu over to cook another 2 minutes on the other side. Remove to drain on paper towels. If frying in batches, add more oil to the pan. It's normal for the tofu to splatter, so wear an apron if you don't want to ruin your clothes.
• While the tofu is frying, stir together the agave nectar or honey, soy sauce, gingerroot, sesame oil, mirin(or rice wine vinegar) and garlic together in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook until slightly syrupy, about 5 minutes or so. Add chopped scallions and toss lightly. Remove from heat and set aside.
• Place tofu in glass bowl to hold. Pour sauce over tofu and turn to coat. Sprinkle tofu with toasted sesame seeds and turn again to coat. Season with crushed red chili flakes.
• Can be served warm or chilled. Will keep for about 5 days refrigerated.
• Enjoy!
• Note:.
• I had accidently bought cubed tofu, so used that, and it turned out great! This would be wonderful in a stir fry or used as "chicken" in a recipe. I couldn't get mirin, so used rice wine vinegar.

HIJIKI WITH CARROTS

Steps:

• Rinse hijiki to remove any sand. (If you don't have a fine mesh strainer, just swirl the seaweed around in a bowl of water, then drain.).
• Place hijiki in a bowl with 1/2 cup warm water. Let soak for 15 minutes.
• In a small saucepan, heat sesame oil over low-medium heat. Add carrots and cook until softened.
• Add hijiki, citrus juice or vinegar, sea salt, and a dash of white pepper to the carrots. Heat through.
• Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve warm or cool.

TOFU HIJIKI SAUTé

Steps:

• In a covered saucepan, bring the rice and 2 1/2 cups of water to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer covered until the rice is tender and the water absorbed, 35 to 40 minutes.
• While the rice cooks, make the sauté. Place the hijiki in a small bowl, add warm water to cover by about an inch, and set aside for 15 minutes. Slice the tofu into bite-sized pieces or strips. Cut the onions into thin slices (2 to 3 cups).
• In a large skillet or wok, heat a tablespoon of the sesame oil. Add the tofu and sauté on medium heat, stirring frequently, for several minutes, until browned. Remove the tofu and set aside.
• Add the remaining tablespoon of sesame oil to the pan and sauté the onions and carrots until the onions are golden and the carrots are tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the drained hijiki, the reserved tofu, and the soy sauce, and cook long enough to heat thoroughly. Stir in the toasted sesame seeds. Serve on the rice.
• Dried hijiki seaweed is often sold in bulk in natural foods stores, and in many supermarkets it can be found in cellophane packets in the produce section.
• Check the produce aisle for bags of matchstick-cut carrots.