Cadry's Kitchen

Tempting red wine-marinated tofu is laid on a bed of barley and paired with steamed greens and shredded raw carrots for a filling and satisfying dinner.

I love the rich and savory flavor that comes out when cooking with red wine.  The full, round notes beg the eater to slow down and savor each bite.  That’s why one of my favorite dishes to make is my own Red Wine Marinated Tofu.  It is perfect served over barley cooked to chewy perfection in vegetable broth and a side of steamed kale topped with raw shredded carrots.  It’s also lovely with roasted Brussels sprouts and mashed potatoes with caramelized onions. For a meal worthy of dinner guests, serve it with roasted squash, sautéed spinach, and steamed broccoli.

If your dinner guests are new to tofu, break down the mystery by letting them know that the process of making tofu is similar to making cow’s milk cheese.  Soybeans are boiled and made into soy milk.  Then a coagulant is added like calcium sulfate.  Depending on the coagulant, the texture of the tofu will be softer or firmer.  After that, it’s pressed into blocks.

Speaking of cow’s milk cheese, it’s interesting to note that the coagulant most often used in making dairy cheese is rennet, which is an enzyme taken from a calf’s stomach.  Biologically speaking, rennet is an enzyme that helps a calf digest her/his mother’s milk.  All ruminant animals produce a specific kind of rennet to digest their mother’s milk.  Cheese-makers take advantage of this fact, and so when goat cheese is made, makers use rennet from a baby goat.  When sheep’s milk cheese, like feta, is made, the rennet comes from a lamb.  Because rennet comes from baby animals who have been killed, cheeses with animal rennet aren’t considered “vegetarian.”  It is very poignant and sad, I think, that for a mother’s milk to be made into cheese, often an element of a baby’s body is used for that cheese to form.  (Of course, it should come as no surprise that there’s so much more to animal-based cheeses than meets the eye.)

Depending on the type and purpose, tofu can be used in a myriad of ways.  The most common variety of tofu comes packed in water and can be found in the refrigerated section of the grocery store.  This inexpensive protein source generally runs from $1.00-$1.50 per 14 oz. package.  Dump the water out that it’s soaked in, wrap it in a kitchen towel, and press it under something heavy like a book and stack it with a can of beans or a kettlebell (my personal favorite).  Press it for thirty minutes to an hour in your refrigerator.  After it’s pressed, it’s ready to soak in your favorite marinade.  Tofu acts like a sponge, and with the excess liquid gone, it will soak up the delicious marinade of your choice.  Then the tofu can be taken out of the marinade and baked or fried.

For a chewier texture, freeze the tofu first while it is still inside of its water-packed package.  After it is completely frozen, let it thaw for at least 24 hours.  After it has thawed, open the package, take out the tofu, and give it a healthy squeeze.  The water comes out as if you were squeezing a sponge.  After that, continue as before by putting it in your favorite marinade.

Finally, there is also silken tofu, which is often shelf stable and comes in aseptic packages.  It can be used in desserts or as a replacement for chicken’s eggs in recipes.

For this recipe of Wine Marinated Tofu, use the water-packed extra-firm tofu.  Drain and press according to the directions above.  I highly recommend always buying organic soy foods (i.e. edamame, soy milk, tofu, and tempeh), because soybeans are one of the most commonly genetically modified crops.  When food is labeled “organic,” that means by definition that it can’t be genetically modified.

Red Wine Marinated Tofu

Serves 2-4 depending on your appetite

• 1 package organic extra-firm tofu, drained and pressed
• ½ cup dry red wine (My favorite is Albero Tempranillo.  A Chianti or Malbec is also delicious.)
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons tamari
• 2 tablespoons Hoisin sauce
• Juice from ½ of a lemon
• A big pinch of garlic powder
• A big pinch of dried basil
• A big pinch of dried oregano
• A big pinch of dried thyme
• 1 tablespoon of white unbleached flour or chickpea flour (Not for the marinade—Add this later to make a red wine sauce.)

Combine all of the ingredients except for the tofu and flour in a shallow bowl.  (I like to use a glass pie dish.)  This is your marinade.  Cut the tofu into eight equal pieces and let it soak in the marinade for an hour, flipping about halfway through.  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Farenheit.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and after the tofu is marinated, lay the pieces onto the baking sheet, and pop the tofu into the oven.  While the tofu bakes for 20 minutes, add one tablespoon of flour to the marinade and mix thoroughly.  Pour the marinade into a skillet under medium high heat, and stir with a whisk or spatula until a thick gravy-like consistency is reached.  At that point, turn off the heat.  Once the tofu has baked for 20 minutes, remove it from the oven, flip it over, and spread the sauce onto each piece of tofu by the spoonful.  (You may have some sauce leftover, and you can serve that on the side.)  Put the tofu back into the oven and bake for another ten minutes.