Green Eats — Blackened Tofu Flair

A great way to help the environment and revitalize your own vigour is to diversify your recipe box with some meat-free dishes

By Jessica Ford | March 16, 2010

Vegetarian food doesn’t have to consist of unpronounceable meat substitutes and bunny chow. The modern take is to find protein and iron in accessible foods. While you’re at it, try including local, organic produce and sustainably raised animal proteins into the mix. We asked four restaurants from carnivorous coast to carnivorous coast to give your vegetarian reformation a kick-start or add a few exceptional dishes to your healthy leafy green repertoire.

The Wooden Monkey, 1707 Grafton St, Halifax, thewoodenmonkey.ca

The Wooden Monkey may as well be set next to The Ivy in Beverly Hills. Rolling Stones guitarist Ron Wood and his wife Jo ate at the restaurant before their concert on the Commons. Ellen Page referenced The Wooden Monkey on the red carpet at the 2008 Academy Awards. And Paul McCartney was one of the test subjects for their vegan crème brûlée. Talk about Haliwood. The local and organic Wooden Monkey was named the Most Vegetarian Friendly Restaurant 2009 by Halifax’s The Coast, meaning it is a good host for all tastes. Formerly an Argyle Street stalwart, the restaurant moved to a totally green Grafton Street location with chalk and milk paint on the clay and straw walls.

Serves 1

INGREDIENTS

1 package	firm tofu
Mixed	vegetables of your choice (e.g. broccoli, zucchini, carrots, snap peas)
1 cup	cooked brown rice
10 portions	flair paste (directions below)
8 portions	salsa (directions below)
1	lemon wedge, for garnish

DIRECTIONS

1.	Slice a couple slabs of tofu diagonally off of a block of tofu, resembling a fillet of fish (around ½ inch thick).
2.	Spread a thin layer of the flair paste over the top side of the pieces of tofu.
3.	Place in a hot pan with oil, flair paste down, and cook until paste is blackened (you can lift one of the corners to check for blackness). Then flip, turn off heat and let the residual heat from the pan finish cooking the tofu.
4.	Add salsa to the pan to slightly warm.
5.	At the same time in a separate pan, sauté off a side of vegetables of your choice.
6.	Place a portion of brown rice in the centre of the plate, place “fish” atop brown rice, and then the salsa. Add the vegetables to the side and garnish with a lemon wedge.

FLAIR PASTE (makes 10 portions)

INGREDIENTS

¼	med. red onion (small dice)
¼	med. Spanish onion (small dice)
2½	cloves roasted garlic
¼ tsp	thyme
¼ tsp	roasted fennel seed
¼ tsp	cumin
1 tbsp	paprika
pinch	cayenne pepper
¼ tsp	salt
1 tsp	black pepper
¼ cup	flour (spelt or white)

DIRECTIONS

1.	Place all ingredients (except flour) in food processor and blend.
2.	Add half the flour and blend. Add the remaining flour and blend once more. If paste is too thin, slowly add more flour to the mix and blend. If the paste is too thick, add water and blend. Do not over-blend.

SALSA (makes 8 portions)

INGREDIENTS

6	tomatoes
½	red pepper (small dice)
½	green pepper (small dice)
½	red onion (small dice)
¾ tbsp	minced garlic
1½	limes’ juice and zest
2 tbsp	minced jalapeño
1⁄8 cup	cilantro (chopped)
½ tsp	salt
½ tsp	pepper
1 tbsp	tomato paste

DIRECTIONS

1.	Dice two of the tomatoes.
2.	Purée remaining tomatoes with tomato paste in a food processor.
3.	Mix all ingredients together in large bowl.

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