Geralmente, the recipes I post are for a single dish rather than the whole meal but this composed dish was so amazing that I had to keep it all together. I knew I was making tofu for dinner and Tom said he wanted mashed potatoes so that was on the menu. The only question was how to flavor them.

All I knew was that I wanted the tofu to be caramelized and tamari is perfect for that. To balance the salty taste, I opted for spicy seasonings and chose chile powder as the main spice with my favorites, cominhos e coentros, in the mix as well. The tofu came out perfectly.

While the potatoes were boiling, I started to make the gravy. I didn’t know what I was making and kind of made it up as I went along. After making the roux and adding the milk, I looked in the fridge and saw the Dijon. Then I spotted the horseradish left over from Passover. It turns out that Dijon and horseradish is a delicious combination.

Rather than put milk or vegan butter into the potatoes, I just mixed a bit of the gravy into them and they were so creamy, I may do it this way from now on.

To top it all off, I sauteed asparagus which I’m so happy is in season. I love asparagus!

Writing it up, I not only decided to give you all the recipes as one meal but to write it up so you can also see the choreography of making the meal. One of the best lessons I ever learned from watching cooking shows on TV, especially Rachael Ray’s, is to time when you make each part of the meal so that you make use of the down times and have everything come out ready at the same time.

This Chile-Soy Tofu with Sauteed Asparagus and Mashed Potatoes with Dijon Horseradish Gravy was so good, I know I’ll be making it again. This is a lovely meal for a date or special dinner. Desfrutar!

Chile-Soy Tofu with Sauteed Asparagus and Mashed Potatoes with Dijon Horseradish Gravy

GF

For the Chile-Soy Tofu­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­

2 blocos extra-firme tofu, pressionado e drenado

¼ cup gluten-free tamari

1 Tbs. chile em pó

2 TSP. alho em pó

2 TSP. cominho em pó

2 TSP. coentro em pó

½ colher de chá. pimenta preta

Óleo vegetal, para fritar

For the Dijon Horseradish Gravy­­­­­­­­­­­

2 Tbs. manteiga vegan

2 Tbs. farinha sem glúten

2 xícaras de leite não lácteos

1 Tbs. Mostarda Dijon

2 TSP. rábano preparado

Kosher sal e pimenta do reino a gosto

Uma pitada de noz-moscada

For the Mashed Potatoes and Asparagus­­­­

8 red or Yukon gold potatoes, metade

Kosher sal e pimenta do reino

1 grande grupo de espargos, aparado

Extra-virgin olive oil

3 dentes de alho, picado

1 TSP. tomilho seco

Pré-aqueça o forno a 200 graus. Cut each block of tofu in half width-wise and then cut each half into 3 fatias. Em uma tigela rasa, combinar a tamari, chile em pó, alho em pó, cominho, coriander and black pepper. Place each slice of tofu into the marinade and turn to coat both sides. Place each slice on a paper-towel lined plate and pat dry.

Em uma frigideira, heat the oil over medium-high heat and pan-fry the tofu slices until browned and caramelized on each side, sobre 8 total de minutos. Depending on the size of your pan, you will need to cook the tofu in batches. Transfer to a plate or baking sheet and keep the tofu warm in the oven.

Em uma panela pequena, melt the butter over medium-high heat and then whisk in the flour until combined. Cook for one minute to let the flour cook. Slowly whisk in the milk and let cook a few minutes until it thickens. Stir in the mustard and horseradish. Tempere com sal, pimenta e noz-moscada. Cover and keep warm on low heat.

Place the potatoes in a medium-sized saucepan, add a tablespoon of salt and then cover with cold water. Cover the pot and bring the water to a rapid boil. Uncover the pot and let the potatoes cook until fork-tender, sobre 15 atas. Drain the potatoes and return them to the pot. Mash them until smooth. Add a few spoons of the gravy and mix until the potatoes are creamy. Season with salt and pepper and keep warm, coberto, on the stove.

Wipe out the skillet you cooked the tofu in and heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the asparagus to the pan and top with the garlic. Saute the asparagus until crisp-tender, sobre 8 atas, tossing regularly with the garlic. Season with thyme, sal e pimenta.

On each plate, place a serving of mashed potatoes. Arrange 3 slices of tofu over the potatoes and top with gravy. Finally top the tofu with asparagus spears and serve.

O “V” Palavra: Diga-. Comê-lo. Vivê-la.