We invented a dish tonight! Inspired in part by the grilled tofu salad at Magic Carpet, the vegetarian food cart from which we order lunch almost daily, our creation features an attempt to create MC's amazing grilled tofu, plus a ton of other crunchy veggies that we love.
Basically, anything works in a chopped salad. We wanted tofu for some protein, and decided to marinate it in a balsamic vineagrette with some oregano for a few minutes before searing it up and throwing it on top of everything else. The warmth of the tofu softened the dish, and made definitely made it filling enough to work as a main course. Hardly any cooking was involved, and we absolutely loved this.
Ingredients: (makes slightly more than enough for two people)
1 1/2 heads romaine lettuce, chopped
1 cucumber, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
1 cup mushrooms, chopped
1 avocado, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
1/2 can chick peas
1 package extra firm tofu
2/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1/3 olive oil
2 tbsp oregano
salt and pepper
Instructions:
Combine all of the chopped vegetables except the tofu in a large bowl. Drain the tofu, pat dry and cut into one inch cubes. In a bowl, combine vinegar, olive oil, oregano and some salt and pepper. Pour over the tofu and let it sit (we left it about 10 minutes). In a pan, sear the tofu for about 6 to 7 minutes, or until it becomes slightly crispy. Put tofu over the salad, and serve. We recommend a balsamic vineagrette for dressing as well.
