yep. It's as tasty as it sounds.One thing I could never really enjoy when I was a non-vegan was a good sammy. I was never a real meat eater, and I'm admittedly picky, so I just couldn't get down with the lusciously stacked sandwiches I would admire. I found this recipe in Real Food Daily, and I was pumped to try it. I was pumped even though I shy away from a "pesto," and to be honest, I shy away from "sun-dried tomatoes." Look, I don't have a reason for these things, okay?!
If I have any one bad thing to say about this dish, it's the texture, but that is kind of a given since it's tofu. I'm a weirdo when it comes to texture, so the softness of the tofu was a little cringe-worthy for me, but the crusty ciabatta bread combated that. I def recommend serving this on a nice bread that you like - ciabatta is my fave.
You'll need to marinate the tofu for at least 4 hours so plan ahead - this lack of reading has burned me on more than one occasion. Oh, reading. such a hassle!
this is the original recipe - Joe and I cut ours in half.
Grilled Herb Tofu
2 (12 oz.) containers water-packed extra-firm tofu
1/2 cup evoo
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup mirin
1/4 cup tamari
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup minced garlic
2 T chopped fresh dill
1 T fresh ground pepper
Drain the tofu and save the containers. Halve each piece horizontally, and pat dry with the paper towels. Cover a large baking sheet with more dry paper towels. Place the tofu in a single layer on the baking sheet and let drain for 2 hours, changing the towels after 1 hour.
Whisk up your marinade, and pour some into your saved tofu containers. Place 1 tofu slice, top with marinade, layer another slice, etc. with the remaining tofu and marinade. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours and up to 1 day.
Prepare a medium-hot grill or pan or skillet if need be. Grill the tofu, brushing with the marinade from your containers, for 4 minutes on each side, or until the tofu is heated through. OR, you can bake your tofu at 400 degrees for 10 minutes on each side.
Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto
2 cups water
1 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes (not packed in oil)
3/4 cup lightly packed fresh basil leaves
3/4 cup nuts (okay, it calls for pine nuts, but I'm pretty sure we used almonds)
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. fresh ground pepper
1/3 cup
Bring the water to a boil in a small saucepan and add the tomatoes, cover, and set aside for 30 minutes. Drain the tomatoes, reserving the soaking liquid. Combine the tomatoes, basil, nuts, garlic, salt, and pepper in a food processor (or blender) and blend until the tomatoes and basil are minced. With the machine still running, slowly add your oil. Blend in about 3 T of the reserved soaking liquid to form a thick and creamy spread.
Add the toppings you'd like - sauteed red onions and greens are what the book suggests. Serve warm :)
