For many years, I was squeamish about tofu. Grilled, fried and sautéed versions that promised to taste “just like” their meat or fish counterparts left nothing but a bad taste in my mouth. It wasn’t until I was urged to try tofu as tofu—cold, unpretentious bites of creamy goodness—that I began to appreciate it.
Be sure to use the absolute best quality extra-firm tofu you can find for this trio. Chill the tofu before preparing the dish, or serve at room temperature.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Makes 6 servings
Two 12-oz (350-g) blocks firm tofu
4 tablespoons Amazu Sauce
1 tablespoon grated ginger
1 tablespoon grated daikon radish
2 tablespoons shredded carrot
4 tablespoons Vegetarian Eel Sauce
2 tablespoons fried onions (I like to use French’s)
8 cherry tomatoes, halved
4 tablespoons Vegetarian Ponzu Sauce
1 green onion (scallion), finely sliced
Have ready 3 small serving dishes with shallow sides.
Cut each block of tofu into 6 even squares. Arrange four squares of tofu on each serving dish.
On the first dish, spoon the Amazu Sauce over the tofu. Add the ginger in a mound on top, followed by the daikon. Arrange the shredded carrots around the tofu.
On the second dish, spoon the Vegetarian Eel Sauce over the tofu. Sprinkle the fried onions on top.
For the third dish, arrange the cherry tomatoes over the tofu. Spoon the Vegetarian Ponzu Sauce over the tomatoes and tofu. Sprinkle with green onions.
Serve immediately.
