Tofu Parmegiana
1) An important step of this is to marinate the tofu first. We use medium-firm tofu and then pour in japanese cooking mirin (wine will suffice, or sweet sherry) and light soy sauce, then a dash of dark soy, make sure there is no msg in those and try to avoid pearl river. The tofu should be cut into equal cubes. So preferably do this the night before you cook because this will enhance the flavour. If you don't have this time than an hour in a cold fridge before you cook would suffice.
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*Ingredients
Medium/Firm Tofu
Soy Sauce
Mirin/Wine/Sherry
Breadcrumbs (we get a ready processed wholemeal pack)
Soy cheese/regular cheese/nutritional yeast (whatever floats your boat)
Salt
Mixed herbs
Tender pieces (its TVP, so get your regular TVP as you'd like it)
Garlic
Mushrooms
Canned tomatoes
Brown sugar
Tomato puree
Onions
Veg stock for frying
2x slice bread (toast this an hour before you cook and leave it in the toaster)
1. To make the sauce: Sautee garlic and onions together, fry this in vegetable stock if you have instead of oil, and a bit of mirin.
2. Add half a tin of diced/whole tomatoes, you can add a whole one if you want more sauce.
3. Salt it to taste, add a tbsp of tomato puree, a tsp of mixed herbs and any other flavourings you'd like e.g. pepper.
4. Reduce the sauce until it's relatively thick. If you don't have time use arrow root or corn starch and simmer on a low heat.
1. To make the mixture: Mix fine dry breadcrumbs mixed with a bit of salt, mixed herbs.
2. Take the tofu and coat it in the breadcrumbs. Drop it straight into the container you marinated the tofu in.
3. Fry this up. Do the same with the TVP.
4. Cut the mushrooms into slithers and fry them up. FRY!!!!
5. Take two dried out slices of bread.
6. Add it to your crumb mixture that you have left over and break it as fine as you can with your hands.
7. Grate some cheese or soy cheese to that and mix it together.
1. Take a baking dish and on the bottom layer put down the mixture of Tofu, TVP and mushrooms. Coat this with the tomato mixture you've made.
2. Coat this with the breadcrumbs.
3. Optional toppings and flavourings to taste.
1. Bake for 10-15 minutes on 190C.
2. Serve with roast kumara (sweet potato).