Best Chile And Ginger Fried Tofu Salad With Kale Recipes

KALE SALAD WITH FRIED TOFU AND MISO GINGER DRESSING

Steps:

• Open the container of tofu and drain out the water. Wrap tofu block with two layers of paper towels and place it on a plate. Press the tofu by positioning a pot on top or another plate with something heavy in it (a bag of sugar or flour works well). Let it stand for 15 minutes.
• Place chopped kale in a bowl and sprinkle a pinch of salt. Massage the kale by grabbing a handful of it and giving it a quick squeeze. Continue doing this until the kale leaves turn into a slightly darker shade of green (no more than 30 seconds). Set aside.
• Whisk the miso ginger dressing ingredients together. I find using a fork helps to break up the miso paste. Set aside.
• Chop the tofu block into cubes. I sliced the block into 6 sections along the length of the tofu block and 5 slices along the width. You should end up with 6 smaller rectangular sections. Slice each section in half so that you get square tofu pieces, but don't break the tofu apart. It will be easier to fry the tofu in the larger rectangular sections instead of smaller individual cubes.
• Heat a large pan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add the 6 rectangular tofu sections into the pan. Sprinkle some salt and pepper over the tofu. Fry it for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the tofu is a nice golden brown. Flip tofu, sprinkle more salt and pepper, and fry it for another 3 minutes. You can fry the remaining 2 sides of the tofu sections, if you like. Dish tofu onto a plate lined with a paper towel. Let tofu sections cool for at least 5 minutes before breaking it up into cubes.
• Toss all the salad ingredients, fried tofu, and dressing together. You probably won't need all of the dressing. I used about half and refrigerated the rest for another salad. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top of the salad if you like. Serve immediately.

KALE AND TOFU SALAD

Steps:

• Toast the millet in a dry medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, 3 to 5 minutes. Add 1 cup water and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to medium low and cook until the water is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Set aside.
• Meanwhile, pat the tofu dry between paper towels. Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the tofu and cook, turning once, until well browned and slightly crisp, about 15 minutes.
• While the tofu is cooking, remove the kale stems and chop the leaves into bite-size pieces; place in a large bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice and rub it into the kale with your fingers until the kale softens, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Whisk the remaining lemon juice with the tahini and honey in a small bowl; add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and whisk until smooth. Whisk in 2 tablespoons water and season with salt and pepper. Add 2 tablespoons dressing to the kale; add the cabbage, onion and a pinch of salt and toss well.
• Fluff the millet with a fork and add to the kale mixture along with the sunflower seeds and sesame seeds; toss to combine. Divide the salad among bowls and top with the tofu. Drizzle with any oil from the skillet and the remaining dressing.

KALE AND QUINOA SALAD WITH TOFU AND MISO

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, combine the quinoa with 3/4 cup water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then cover and cook over medium-low until the water is absorbed, 10 to 12 minutes. Turn off the heat and let sit for 10 minutes. Fluff it with a fork.
• Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the vinegar, miso, mirin, sesame oil, 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil and 1/2 teaspoon sriracha. Stir in the ginger.
• Add the kale, massage it with the dressing and set aside to marinate. Spoon the cooked quinoa onto the kale and toss to coat.
• In a nonstick skillet, heat the remaining 4 tablespoons grapeseed oil over medium. When the oil shimmers, cook the tofu, turning occasionally, until crisp on all sides, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to absorb any excess oil, then scatter it over the kale salad. Drizzle lightly with sriracha and honey and serve immediately.

SESAME TOFU SALAD

Steps:

• To make the dressing: Put the soy sauce, vinegar, ginger, brown sugar, sesame oil, red pepper flakes, garlic and 2/3 cup of the olive oil into a blender. Blend until completely emulsified. Taste the dressing and adjust to your taste, adding more vinegar or sugar as needed. Pour half of the dressing into a jar and refrigerate for the salad.
• Put the tofu cubes into a bowl and pour over the remaining dressing. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour.
• Remove the tofu from the dressing and pat dry. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the tofu on all sides until nicely browned and crisp, about 10 minutes. Toss in the sesame seeds and cook for another minute. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate.
• To assemble the salad, put the mixed greens, halved tomatoes and sliced onion in a large bowl. Pour on half the remaining dressing, reserving the rest for later use. Toss to coat. Arrange the tofu and mandarin oranges all over the greens. Serve immediately.

HONEY-GINGER KALE SALAD

Steps:

• Whisk together vinegar, juice, soy sauce, honey, and ginger in a small bowl. Add oil slowly, whisking constantly until incorporated.
• Put kale in a large bowl. Drizzle with dressing, and mix well. Using your hands, massage kale until softened, wilted, and reduced in volume by about half.

KALE AND CUCUMBER SALAD WITH ROASTED GINGER DRESSING

Steps:

• Dressing:
• Heat broiler. Broil ginger in its skin, turning once, until very dark brown and beginning to scorch in places and a paring knife passes through the center with relative ease, 40-50 minutes (if skin is getting too dark before flesh is tender, turn down the heat or move to the oven). Let cool; slice (leave on the skin).
• Pulse ginger, chile, garlic, fish sauce, sugar, oil, and 2 Tbsp. water in a food processor, adding additional water by tablespoonfuls if needed, until a smooth paste forms.
• Assembly:
• Toss kale and 1/4 cup dressing in a large bowl to coat; massage with your fingers until kale is slightly softened.
• Toss English and Persian cucumbers, onion, lime juice, and sugar in a medium bowl to combine; season generously with salt. Let sit 10 minutes to allow cucumbers and onion to soften slightly.
• Add cucumber mixture to bowl with kale and toss to combine, adding additional dressing if desired. Serve topped with cilantro and fried onions.
• Do Ahead
• Dressing can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and chill.

SPICY STIR-FRIED TOFU WITH KALE AND RED PEPPER

Steps:

• Bring a medium saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil, add the kale and blanch 1 minute. Transfer to a bowl of cold water, drain and squeeze out excess water. Chop coarsely and place in a bowl near your wok.
• Cut the tofu into dominos and place them on paper towels. Place another paper towel on top and prepare the remaining ingredients.
• In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine the soy sauce, rice wine or sherry, stock and cornstarch. Combine the salt, pepper and sugar in another small bowl. Have all the ingredients within arm's length of your wok.
• Heat a 14-inch flat-bottomed wok or 12-inch steel skillet over high heat until a drop of water evaporates within a second or two when added to the pan. Swirl in the canola or peanut oil by adding it to the sides of the pan and swirling the pan, then add the tofu. Stir-fry 1 to 2 minutes, until it begins to color. Add the garlic, ginger and chili and stir-fry for no more than 10 seconds.
• Add the red pepper and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the kale, salt, pepper and sugar and toss together. Add the soy sauce mixture and the sesame oil. Stir-fry for another 30 seconds to a minute. Remove from the heat and serve with grains or noodles.