I ate what and liked it? Tofu? Really?

You can probably tell from the title of this post that I haven't been the biggest fan of tofu. I've tried it many times, in many forms and just can't get past the texture. Yes, I know there are various grades of firmness available, but none of them have worked for me. OK, maybe a few pieces in a good hot and sour soup, like at P.F. Chang's, but that's where I've typically drawn the line. Well, last night, at least for one meal, that might have changed.

Cynthia tells me that I need to give her some latitude for supplying an appropriate amount of protein in our diet on Meatless Mondays and that one of the better options is tofu. Lovers of this coagulated soybean curd will tell you it has a "subtle flavor" that works well with many spices and flavors. I'm pretty sure that dried Elmer's glue would fit that description also but the nutritional value just wouldn't be there. Cyn informed me we were out of Elmer's anyway, so, tofu it was. She insured me it would not be the dominant ingredient.

Our dinner started out with a very nice asparagus dish, simply blanched and covered in hazel nuts that had been chopped, lightly toasted in butter and shallots and just a dash of campaign vinegar. Yum.

Next course - stuffed peppers. One of my favorite comfort foods. However, these stuffed peppers were not only vegetarian, they were vegan.The stuffing consisted of crimini mushrooms, onion, garlic, the pepper top trimmings, long, hot Thai peppers, carrots and Lundberg wild rice blend.

Ah, yes, there was also tofu. There were 12 ounces of extra firm tofu, cut into small cubes which had been simmered in 1/2 cup of a "special sauce" - a tomato based curry sauce with sherry, crushed red pepper and garlic. The tofu, as it always does, absorbed the flavor of the sauce. After stuffing, the peppers were baked at for about 45 minutes at 350 degrees (covered) and then an additional 10 minutes uncovered. Don't tell anyone, particularly Cynthia, but I really liked it. I'm planning on eating the leftovers for lunch on Wednesday when, as is the case for most leftovers, it will probably be even better.