Wednesday, January 21, 2009

tofu poke lettuce wraps

in celebration of obama's inauguration yesterday we decided to go with a hawaiian theme for dinner. after poking around for a poke recipe (sorry) on the internet we decided on a modifiable tuna poke recipe. though i'm still not entirely clear on what exactly poke is and what makes poke poke. does it have to be raw? or maybe just cold? is it in the sauce? beats me, but i'm calling this tofu poke and if it's not i apologize. the important part is that it was yummy!
ok so maybe it's not the most photogenic dish ever.

tofu poke lettuce wraps
(modified from Emeril's ahi tuna poke)

ingredients:
1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter (or creamy with a handful of peanuts thrown in...)
1/2 cup coconut milk
1 tablespoon soy sauce, plus more for seasoning
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce (or more to taste)
1 teaspoon sesame oil, plus more for seasoning
16 ounces extra firm tofu, pressed and drained
1/4 cup minced red onions
2-3 sheets nori, toasted and crumbled
5 teaspoons chopped roasted almonds
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 lime, juiced
pineapple (we used one can of pineapple rings, in juice, and chopped 'em up)
1 head butter lettuce (for wrapping)

in the bowl of a food processor, combine the peanut butter, coconut milk, soy sauce, lime juice, hot sauce, and sesame oil, and process on high speed.

after draining tofu cut into slabs (about 1/2 inch thick). heat a pan (don't oil it) to medium-high heat and cook the tofu for a couple minutes on each side until golden brown and bouncy to touch. let tofu cool a few minutes then cut it into cubes.

in the same pan, quickly toast the nori sheets (just a few seconds on each side).

place tofu in a large bowl. add the red onions, nori, almonds, cilantro, and lime juice.

pour the peanut butter mixture over the tofu mixture and combine. Season with sesame oil, soy sauce, and salt, to taste. to serve, place some pineapple on a lettuce leaf, top with tofu, wrap and enjoy!

-d