In college, I invented a dish I called “apple tofu.” I was very proud of myself; it was the first recipe I’d ever made up on my own, and I thought it was pretty tasty. It was basically chopped-up apples, simmered with cubed tofu until they got soft and the tofu picked up the apple flavor. I don’t know anymore how good it was – I liked it, but it’s certainly a dish better suited to college lunches than work-night dinners.
We have an abundance of apples right now, and I wanted to try using them to cook something a bit more dinner-like, something more savory than sweet. A search for main-dish apple recipes revealed only that lots of people cook them with pork chops. I thought tofu would be a good partner, because it would absorb the flavors well. With some seasoning to round out the flavors, it was quite tasty, sweet but not overly so, and was balanced by a side of steamed kale. Next time, I might lightly brown the tofu in some oil before adding it to the apples, because otherwise it won’t get crisp if the apples are juicy.
I’m still on the lookout for other ways to use apples outside of desserts. If you know any, please share!
Savory Apple Tofu
- 1 lb tofu, well drained
- 1 large apple
- 1/2 large onion
- 1 clove garlic
- thyme and tarragon, or other savory green herbs
- vegetable oil
Chop the onion. Heat some oil in a medium-large pan, and saute the onion over medium heat until it is soft and brown. Add herbs and a bit of salt.
Mince the garlic, cut the apple into somewhat thin slices, and add to the onion. Turn up the heat, and spread the apple slices out so the undersides can brown. Let them cook for a few minutes, then stir and turn the pieces over.
When the apple is lightly browned and cooked through, add slabs of tofu. Bury the tofu in the apple/onion mixture and let it cook for five more minutes, turning occassionally.
Enjoy!