Eggplant-and-sundried-tomato-stuffed tofu "steaks" -AND- Balsamic roasted red potatoes and onions

As promised, for dinner tonight I baked up one of the stuffed tofu "steaks" that I prepared last night, and I also roasted some farmers'-market red potatoes and red onion as a side-dish. The meal, in addition to being strictly gluten-free, would have been entirely vegan if I hadn't given in to the impulse to put a little reduced-fat cheddar on my salad.

Eggplant-and-sundried-tomato-stuffed tofu "steaks"

NOTES: Since tofu takes the flavor of anything it touches, it really is best to assemble this a day ahead of time. This recipe gave me my first opportunity to use my new food grinder attachment for my Kitchen Aid mixer. I think I'm in love! A food processor fitted with the sharp blade would probably also work, or if you're really determined, you can chop the filling by hand.

1. Drain a block of tofu (usually around 1 lb) and place it between two large, flat plates with something heavy on top such as a textbook. Leave for 30 minutes to press out excess water.

2. Meanwhile, cut two 1/2-inch-thick round slices from a medium-large-sized eggplant. Salt slices thoroughly on both sides, and leave in a colander 30 minutes, to sweat out excess moisture.

3. Place about six sundried tomatoes in the bottom of a small, non-reactive bowl, and cover with boiling water, then place a plate over the bowl to keep in heat and steam. Wait five minutes, then drain.

4. Feed sundried tomatoes, five peeled cloves of garlic, and 1/2 white onion (peeled and cut into small chunks) through food grinder. When eggplant has sweat sufficiently, pat it dry (or spin it in a salad spinner), cut it into chunks and feed it through grinder.

5. Heat about 1 Tbs olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add ground eggplant mixture and cook, stirring occasionally, until just starting to dry out and stick to pan. Deglaze pan with dry white wine (I used Pinot Grigio), about 1/4 cup, and continue to cook, stirring, until most of the liquid has cooked off.

6. Drain tofu and place on a cutting board. Slice into five thick slices, then cut a pocket into the long side of each one. Use a teaspoon to fill each tofu "steak," gently pushing as much filling into each as possible. I used about three spoonfuls per "steak," and had only a little filling left over.

7. Place "steaks" in a container with a tight-fitting cover and drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Spoon any leftover filling into the container, as well. Close tightly and refrigerate overnight.

8. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350°F, lightly coat a pan with olive oil, and place desired number of "steaks" on pan. Bake 45 min. Serving size: 1 "steak."


(appearance before baking)


Balsamic roasted red potatoes and onions

NOTE: This dish has the same baking temperature and time as the tofu "steaks" above, and can be cooked simultaneously. All measurements are approximate, and estimated after the fact.

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. In a (preferably Pyrex) 9"x13" baking dish, combine 1-2 Tbs olive oil, 3 minced garlic cloves, 1/2 red onion (chopped into chunks and layers separated), 2-3 Tbs balsamic vinegar, 3 cubed red potatoes, and about 1/2 tsp each of oregano and salt (to taste). Stir gently with a wooden spoon to coat potato pieces thoroughly.


(appearance before baking)

3. Bake 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes with a long-handled wooden spoon.

As pictured above, I rounded out these two greenless dishes with a nice, fresh salad. Portions for the tofu and potatoes were decently small, and the salad made the plate look full without adding too much additional weight. In the future, I'll probably go easier on the serving size for the potatoes - I'm totally stuffed, even about 30 minutes after finishing my supper!