I love making different variations of tofu and vegetables. This happens to be one of my favorites. Thinly cut pieces of tofu, called scaloppine, are dredged in seasoned chickpea flour and pan fried to perfection.
I have to admit that I usually make this when I have an open bottle of Vegan Vine chardonnay, which, when cooked with the shallots, reduces down into a nice, very light sauce. And then I add peas (that kind of shriveled up!) and fresh asparagus finish it off.
Serves 2
1/2 block extra firm tofu *
1/4 cup chickpea flour
1 big shallot
1/2 cup frozen peas, defrosted
6 stalks of asparagus
1/2 cup white wine
Water, as needed
S and P, to taste
1 teaspoon sunflower oil, for sautéing the tofu
*I use extra firm tofu that I have pressed for at least a day. Press it for as long as you have time for but I would suggest buying a tofu press and using it to press the tofu in the refrigerator.
Peel and slice the shallot. Add to pan with sides and add the white wine. Bring to a slight boil and cook until the shallots are starting to soften. Add water if the pan seems dry, but the wine will mostly evaporate and kind of thicken up.
Cut off the tough end of the asparagus. One way to do this is to bend back each stalk and let it snap off. Discard the tough end side and cut the rest into small pieces. Add to the pan with the shallots. Add a touch of water to ensure that the asparagus have liquid to cook in. Add the peas right before you are ready to serve and heat them through.
Thinly slice the tofu into 4 pieces.
Season the chickpea flour with a pinch of salt and a turn of the pepper mill. Dredge the tofu in the chickpea flour and shake off the excess.
Heat a nonstick skillet and add 1 teaspoon of oil. Gently place the tofu scaloppine in the oil. Shake it around just slightly so that the tofu doesn’t stick. Flip over after a minute or two and cook on the other side. It should be golden and hot.
To serve, top the tofu with the vegetables. Enjoy!