Sesame Tofu Dressing Recipes

ASIAN SESAME DRESSING

Steps:

• Place ingredients in a jar and shake well until sugar is dissolved. Adjust saltiness with salt and sweetness with sugar to taste.
• Keep for up to 3 weeks, in the fridge (to be safe). Bring to room temp and shake well before use.
• Single serving batch is enough for 3 - 4 cups of shredded cabbage / leafy greens i.e. a side salad for 4 people.
• Big batch - my rule of thumb for how much dressing to use is generally 1 tbsp of dressing per 1 packed cup of shredded vegetables and 2 tsp per handful of leafy greens.

SESAME TOFU DRESSING

Steps:

• Place the tofu, yogurt, sesame seeds, soy sauce, vinegar, and salt in a blender. Blend until smooth.

SESAME TOFU WITH COCONUT-LIME DRESSING AND SPINACH

Steps:

• Prepare the dressing: In a medium bowl, whisk together coconut milk, lime zest and juice, sambal oelek and brown sugar until sugar dissolves completely. Slowly stream in the sesame oil and whisk until the mixture is emulsified and creamy. Taste and season with salt as needed; set aside. (You'll have 3/4 cup dressing. Save any extra in an airtight container in the refrigerator.)
• Prepare the tofu: Pat the tofu dry with a clean kitchen towel or paper towel. In a medium bowl, whisk together panko, sesame seeds and black pepper. Season the mixture generously with salt. In a second medium bowl, lightly whisk the egg whites. Using a pair of kitchen tongs, dip the tofu slices one at a time in the egg whites and coat well. Transfer to the bowl with the panko mixture, coating well on all sides, then move to a clean plate. Repeat with remaining tofu slices.
• Line a large plate with paper towels. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a medium (10-inch) cast-iron or stainless-steel skillet over medium-low. Working in batches to avoid crowding, pan-fry the tofu until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. (Don't overcook, or the sesame seeds will turn bitter.) Transfer the fried tofu slices to the prepared plate. Repeat with the remaining tofu, adding oil and wiping out the pan as needed.
• Prepare the spinach: Wipe out the skillet, and heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium. Add the shallot and sauté until translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 45 seconds, taking care not to scorch the garlic. Add the spinach by the handful, increasing the heat after the first handful and allowing the greens to wilt before adding more. Sauté until wilted and most of the liquid evaporates, about 10 minutes. Add the soy sauce and black pepper, and fold to coat well. Taste and add salt as needed. Remove the skillet from the heat.
• Place spinach in a serving bowl. Add fried tofu on top, and drizzle with half of the coconut-lime dressing. Sprinkle the chives over the tofu, and serve immediately, with more dressing on the side.

TOFU SALAD WITH SESAME PONZU DRESSING

Steps:

• Gather all the ingredients.
• Put dried wakame seaweed in water to rehydrate for 10 minutes. Once wakame is soft and tender, squeeze water out and set aside.
• In a small bowl, combine 3 Tbsp Ponzu, 1 Tbsp soy sauce, 1 Tbsp sesame oil, and ⅛ tsp Kosher salt.
• Add ½ Tbsp white sesame seeds and ⅛ tsp Yuzu Kosho (optional and more for spicy taste). Whisk all together.
• Stack shiso leaves and cut into julienned strips.
• Cut the tofu into small cubes.
• Cut the lettuce into bite size pieces and place on the serving platter. Top with corn kernels and cherry tomatoes.
• Place the tofu, wakame seaweed, and shiso leaves.
• When ready to serve, drizzle the dressings and put some remaining on the small cup/bowl.

PANFRIED TOFU ON SESAME WATERCRESS WITH SOY-ORANGE DRESSING

Steps:

• Pat tofu dry. Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté tofu until golden brown, about 3 minutes on each side. Transfer to a plate.
• Heat remaining 1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil in skillet over moderate heat until hot but not smoking, then cook watercress, turning with tongs, until just wilted. Stir in sesame seeds. Transfer watercress to a platter and arrange tofu on top.
• Simmer remaining ingredients in skillet 1 minute and drizzle sauce over tofu.

SILKEN TOFU WITH SPICY SOY DRESSING

Steps:

• Make the dressing: Combine the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, chile oil, sugar, sesame seeds and scallion in a small bowl. Whisk until the sugar has dissolved.
• Carefully drain the liquid from the package of tofu, and gently tip the block onto a kitchen towel. (Try to keep the block in one piece, if possible, but don't worry if it falls apart; it will still taste great.) Pat with another clean kitchen towel, removing as much liquid as possible. Transfer the blocks to one large plate or two smaller plates, and spoon the soy dressing over the top until the tofu is completely covered. Top with scallions and cilantro leaves, and eat on its own or with rice or noodles on the side.