DIRTY GOURMET PLANT POWER - Tea-Infused Tofu Bites Review - Outdoor Recipe & Review
"Dirty Gourmet PLANT POWER" is a book filled with recipes for the outdoors...on the trail, backpacking, and camping. Authors Aimee Trudeau, Emily Nielson, and Mai-Yan Kwan have tested and perfected these "outdoor" recipes.
The book is available at the shop and on-line.
This "outdoor cookbook" offers a wealth of information, so much more than just the recipes. You'll find meal planning for week-end or more extensive trips, how to convert your favorite recipes to be outdoor-ready, the Plantry (all about ingredients), how to dehydrate foods, Base Kit checklists for the variety of outdoor excursions you may take, cooking techniques for car camping and the backcountry, and much more.
A very valuable resource for all of us who love getting outdoors and want to make feeding ourselves delicious, nutritious and plant-based.
The authors.
Fellow foodies, we’re exploring the wonders of OUTDOOR recipes from “Dirty Gourmet Plant Power” on a weekly basis, savoring each morsel along the way.
This week, we passed the culinary baton to Will, who delivered the enticing “Tea-Infused Tofu Bites.”
Drawing inspiration from the venerated Chinese Tea Egg, this rendition substitutes Firm Tofu for the classic hardboiled egg to arrive at this vegetarian version.
While Will whipped up this trail snack easily.
As part of the prep puzzle, choosing the perfect black tea for the infusion was left to the cook’s discretion. Here, Assam black tea was the preferred choice.
There was one tweak to the recipe - he opted for freshly grated ginger over ground ginger. At the kitchen counter, the ginger swap was made on a one-to-one basis. After a little googling, we could concede that an alternative ratio (that of 1/4 tsp ground to 1 Tb fresh) might have proved favorably flavorful (but considerable doubt still remains as you’ll see).
The taste verdict was delivered with candor, as Will confessed, “The combination of savory garlic and soy sauce with tea and Asian Five Spice is an acquired taste I’ve yet to acquire.”
Unanimity echoed among the Chalet crew. Sorry to say, no one will be including these tofu bites on future escapades.
As in all endeavors, the pursuit of gastronomic delights is an ever-evolving journey, where tastes evolve and palates expand! (Should your review read differently, please let us know.)
Until our next foray on our culinary exploration…here’s this week’s recipe.
Tea-Infused Tofu Bites
1 (16 oz) block extra-firm tofu cut into bite-size cubes
2 1/2 cups water
4 bags black tea
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp five-spice powder
2 bay leaves
1Tb soy sauce
1 tsp dark soy sauce
1sp sugar
1tsp salt
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
Arrange the tofu cubes in a single layer in an 8-in square or 2-quart baking dish. Set aside.
In a small saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Turn off the heat and steep the tea bags in the hot water for 5 minutes, then remove them.
Add the ginger, five-spice powder, bay leaves, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar, salt, and garlic, and bring the mixture to a gentle boil over low heat for 5 minutes.
Pour the hot tea mixture over the tofu and cover. Marinate in the refrigerator over night. The sauce should mostly cover the tofu cubes, but if it doesn't, consider flipping them halfway through the marinating process so they are evenly "browned."
When the cubes are done marinating, drain all the liquid and pack the cubes in a leakproof container. Make sure to pack a fork.
Thank you for your passion for the outdoors.
The Crew at Mountain Chalet.