Pan-Fried Tofu with Asparagus, Mushrooms and Cashews

I love tofu, I tend to eat it A LOT. Tofu is like a sponge and absorbs the flavors of a dish so beautifully. Some people are against tofu because they think it's too healthy or they can't get past the texture, but if you cook it the right way I guarantee anyone can be a tofu lover. I tricked a college roommate once into eating tofu. I made this Pad Thai one day and threw in tiny chunks of tofu, at a quick glance it kinda looked like chicken. My friend Jill starting eating the noodles and I asked her what she thought, of course she loved the dish. Then I told her I threw some tofu in there. Even though she was shocked with the news, she was more surprised that the tofu didn't taste terrible to her. Another person converted!

This tofu recipe is one of my favorites. I change up the veggies I use depending on what's in season. I have used snap peas, chinese broccoli and bok choy, it's fun to change up the ingredients. You can also serve this with sliced Asian pears to add a sweet component to balance the salty/spiciness of the tofu.

PAN FRIED TOFU WITH ASPARAGUS, MUSHROOMS & CASHEWS
Serves 2. Adapted from a Tyler Florence recipe.

INGREDIENTS
1 block extra-firm tofu, 15 oz, halved horizontally
2 Tablespoons peanut oil
1 Tablespoon sesame oil
1 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger, peeled
1 garlic clove, minced
touch of red pepper flakes (optional)
1/4 teaspoon of Chinese Five Spice powder
1/3 cup Trader Joe's Thai Chili Lime Cashews (use low-sodium roasted cashews if you can't find these)
2 Tablespoons of Hoisin sauce (Hoisin is a chinese barbeque-like sauce available in most grocery stores)
1 Tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
Juice from 1/2 lime
Half a bunch of thin asparagus, chopped into 1" pieces
6 cremini mushrooms, sliced

DIRECTIONS
1. Lay several layers of paper towels on a cutting board, then place the tofu squares on top, side by side. Cover the tofu with more paper towels to take out the excess water. Let this sit for 15 minutes.
2. In a large skillet, heat the peanut and sesame oils just to the smoking point. Fry the tofu on both sides, flipping occasionally with the spatula, until golden, about 8 minutes total. Remove the tofu from the pan and drain it on a plate lined with paper towels to remove excess oil.
3. Using the same pan, saute the ginger, garlic, red pepper, chinese five spice, cashews, asparagus and mushrooms. Cook for about 4 minutes or until the veggies are cooked, stir occasionally.
4. In a small bowl, mix the hoisin sauce, soy sauce and lime juice together.
5. Turn off the heat on the pan and stir in the hoisin mixture. Make sure the sauce is blended in with the veggies in the pan.
6. Lay 2 tofu slices on each plate and divide the veggie mixture and serve on top of the tofu. Serve this dish with some steamed rice and dinner is served!