Spicy Tofu

This is called spicy tofu for a reason, but the flavors of mushroom, celery, and garlic all come together perfectly. I hesitantly tried and modified this recipe from 'Simply Delicious Vegetarian' by Carla Bardi. This cookbook is not my favorite, but I bought it from the discount shelves of Barnes & Noble for $5 and figured I'd eventually give a few of these recipes a shot. Happy to have tried this one, though I reduced the liquids called for quite a bit and added mushroom soy sauce (which is thicker than regular soy sauce) for extra flavor.

1 floret of dried black flower mushroom, soaked for 15 minutes in hot water, drained, water reserved, and diced finely

1 block tofu, cubed

2 tbs peanut oil

2 stalks celery, finely diced

3 cloves garlic

2 red chilli peppers, sliced on the diagonal

1 vegetable bullion cube

1 tbs soy sauce

1 tbs mushroom soy sauce

1 tbs toasted sesame oil

1 tsp sugar

1 tbs water

1 tsp cornstarch

ground pepper

1.) Dry fry the cubes of tofu in an un-oiled skillet, tossing gently every few minutes, for about 10 minutes, until the tofu is golden on all sides. This removes a lot of moisture and firms up the tofu for better texture.

2.) Meanwhile, soak the black mushrooms in hot water.

3.) Heat peanut and sesame oil in a skillet. Add the peppers, garlic and celery and cook for several minutes to soften.

4.) Add the soy sauce, mushroom soy sauce, half cup of the drained mushroom soaking water, vegetable bullion cube and sugar to the skillet and continue to stir.

5.) Add the tofu and mix well, adding water if needed.

6.) Mix the cold water and cornstarch together in a cup and mix slowly into the skillet, stirring constantly. This will thicken the mixture and give it a nice glazed look.

7.) Season with pepper and sprinkle with diced black mushrooms.

Serve with rice, bok choy, or other grains and vegetables for a complete and completely delicious meal.