Curried Cauliflower and Sweet Spicy Tofu

I’m getting my wisdom teeth out this Thursday, so I’m trying to clean out the fridge and get rid of anything that might go bad between Thursday and whenever I can eat solids again.

I’m not scared because I know they’ll drug me up good and it can’t be any worse than giving birth twice! I just hope I’m not useless afterwards. My mother-in-law and sister-in-law are coming to help take care of the kids, though, so it should be okay.

Knowing I won’t be able to eat for awhile makes me feel like I should eat all my favorite foods now, hence the tofu pesto panini I had for lunch today (and the day before). I’m still on my summer basil kick I talked about before. In fact, the basil sandwich has pushed aside my former lunchtime addiction, the BLT. I’m sure I’ll have another one tomorrow! Do you need to change up your lunch every day or can you eat the same thing for days at a time?

To make the panini, I sautéed ¼ block of tofu in margarine until golden brown, and put it on a halved ciabatta roll along with a scoop of basil pesto, a thinly sliced roma tomato, and a few halved kalamata olives. I smooshed it all together for a few minutes in the panini press. The heat of the press affects the tofu’s texture and makes it quite cheese-like. Not stringy, gooey cheese, more like a nice chunk of buffalo mozzarella (which I used to eat obscene amounts of).



Dinner was another favorite, cauliflower. I know it’s not in season and I think this is why I’d have trouble being a “locavore,” because sometimes I get such a craving for cauliflower and it doesn’t matter if it’s 100 degrees outside -- I want my winter veg! I don’t mind eating it raw, and it’s even better roasted with a little olive oil and salt, but I think it’s at its very best with curry.

Curried Cauliflower and Sweet Spicy Tofu
For the cauliflower:
1 head of cauliflower
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. curry powder
½ tsp. salt

For the tofu:
1 block firm tofu (pressed if you like)
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. agave or maple syrup
1 tsp. hot sauce (I like sriracha)
2 cloves garlic, minced

Preheat the oven to 425. Trim the cauliflower into florets and toss with olive oil, curry powder and salt. Spread it out on a parchment-covered baking sheet (use two if necessary to really spread it out). Roast for 25 minutes, tossing once during this time.

While the cauliflower is roasting, make the tofu. Heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil over medium heat and slice the tofu into small cubes. Saute them in the oil until lightly brown, about 7 minutes. Add the soy sauce, agave or maple syrup, hot sauce, and garlic. Turn down the heat a little and let it cook slowly so the tofu absorbs the flavors. Cook until the liquid evaporates. Serve with cauliflower.