Oh, how I wish I had my computer already so I could have uploaded some photos of last night’s dinner. It was so colourful and crisp and summery! Alas, no computer of my own means no photos yet. *Sigh* Okay, mourning period over…on to the food!
And while I’m on the subject of food I ate yesterday, I have to get sidetracked by the pound or so of cake I shoved into my gullet thanks to Isa’s amazing East Coast Coffee Cake in Vegan Brunch. I followed the recipe exactly, adding 1 cup of chopped rhubarb as a substitute for berries. It was the most intensely delicious coffee cake I have ever eaten. Husband actually groaned when he tried his first piece! If you haven’t already bought/borrowed a copy of Vegan Brunch, do so immediately! It’s worth it for that cake recipe alone. The cake actually tastes a little like an old-fashioned cinnamon donut…how could you NOT eat a pound of it?!
Anyway, back to my very healthy dinner. It was crunchy and chewy, crisp and cool, refreshing and absolutely delicious. And because it’s essentially a sandwich, you can substitute ingredients at your will. It’s almost silly to include the recipe for such an easy meal; but, it was so tasty I had to share.
Baked Tofu Salad Wraps with Peanut Sauce
First, prepare the sauce. It will be used as the tofu marinade and also as a sandwich spread. Whisk together until smooth:
-1/2 cup natural peanut butter
-1/4 cup water
-1 T. + 1 tsp. rice vinegar
-2 tsp. tamari
-1 tsp. brown sugar
-1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
-1/2 tsp. garlic powder
-a 1/2″ piece of fresh ginger, grated
Slice a pressed brick of tofu in half horizontally. Then slice each half into five approximately 1/2″ strips. Lay the tofu in the marinade and cover. Marinade for at least 1 hour (I recommend longer), turning over halfway through. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Transfer the tofu pieces to a baking sheet, reserving leftover marinade. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until they are slightly golden and firm. Cool completely.
Once the tofu is cooled, begin assembly. You will need:
-4 full leaves of cabbage (I used a small Chinese cabbage)
-1/2 of a red pepper, julienned
-1/4 of a small field cucumber, julienned
-1/2 of an avocado, sliced
-2 T. fresh mint, chopped
Spread a little of the leftover marinade in the centre of each cabbage leaf. Fill the leaves with the tofu and veggies and garnish with fresh mint. Wrap the edges of the leaf around the ingredients as much as you can. Serve immediately.
Good call to use rhybard, early summer brings the goodness of rhubard. My favorite is the strawberry rhubard. I enjoyed the recipe for the coffee cake, very easy to make and very tasty.