Tofu & Asparagus

During Cooking Club last week, I decided to expose our students to tofu in a gentle way: Sloppy Tofu Joe's--something that hides the tofu taste/texture. The kids liked them and I LOVED them! I also got some left over joe-mix and tofu (since we didn't have as many students there as I'd expected.) I made a mix of asparagus/tofu/rhubarb that was definitely an experiment. 

Roasted Asparagus with Rhubarb Vinegar

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/claire-robinson/roasted-asparagus-with-rhubarb-vinegar-recipe/index.html

Total Time:

40 min

Prep

10 min

Cook

30 min

Yield:

4 to 6 servings

Level:

Easy

Ingredients

• 2 bunches fresh asparagus, about 2 pounds, trimmed
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
• 1 small shallot, sliced
• 3 stalks rhubarb, chopped
• 1/2 cup white balsamic vinegar

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Arrange the asparagus on a rimmed baking sheet, in a single layer, and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and roll the stalks around to coat evenly. Transfer the pan to the oven and roast, shaking the pan several times to turn the asparagus, until the tips are browned and crisp, 15 to 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the rhubarb and cook an additional 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the vinegar and simmer until the rhubarb is broken down but not mushy and the flavors are infused, 10 to 12 minutes. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-low heat and simmer until thick and syrupy, about 5 minutes.

To serve, arrange the asparagus on a large platter, drizzle with the rhubarb vinegar and season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Roasted asparagus!!

Asparagus with tofu/rhubarb mixture over brown rice!

And here's the recipe we used for Cooking Club (sorry no pics!):

Sloppy Tofu Joe’s
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Sloppy-Tofu/Detail.aspx

Ingredients

• 1 (12 ounce) package extra firm tofu
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups ketchup
• 2 tablespoons white sugar--use brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons prepared yellow mustard
• 3 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
• salt to taste
• 4 whole wheat hamburger buns, split and toasted

Directions

1. Place the block of tofu onto a plate, then place another plate on top. Set a 3 to 5 pound weight on top (a container filled with water works well). Press the tofu for 20 to 30 minutes, the drain off and discard the accumulated liquid.
2. Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease a baking sheet.
3. Cut the block of tofu down the middle, then widthwise into 1/4 inch thick squares. Arrange on the prepared baking sheet.
4. Bake in the preheated oven for 6 minutes, the turn the pieces over, and continue baking 5 minutes more. Remove the baking sheet from the oven, and allow to cool. Once the tofu is cool enough to handle, cut into 1/4 inch dice.
5. Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onion and green pepper; cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the diced tofu, ketchup, sugar, mustard, and vinegar; season to taste with salt. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer for 10 minutes. Serve on the whole wheat hamburger buns.