Finnish Cabbage and Tofu over Rice

Aunt Cookie's Note:

This is from "Sundays at Moosewood," with a few minor changes. The recipe as written calls for pressed tofu, but I like to freeze the tofu instead. When it's thawed and the moisture has been squeezed out, the texture changes to chewy and firm, rather than slippery and mushy. I always use the one-pound blocks stored in water, rather than the silken type.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 5 mins
• Prep Time: 35 mins
• Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

Tofu and marinade

• 16 ounces tofu , pressed
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 ½ tablespoons tamari soy sauce
• 2 ½ tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon vegetarian worcestershire sauce
• ½ teaspoon ground allspice

Cabbage

• 1 medium onion , chopped
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 4 cups shredded savoy cabbage (about 1/2 medium head)

Sauce

• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon vinegar
• 1 teaspoon dried dill
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon sweet Hungarian paprika
• ¼ cup water
• black pepper , to taste

Serve with

• cooked rice or mashed potatoes
• 1 dill pickles , minced
• sour cream

Directions:

1. To prepare the tofu:.
2. Preheat the oven to 375°F Combine the marinade ingredients in a 9-inch baking dish. Cut the tofu into cubes or triangles. Place the tofu in the baking dish with the marinade.
3. Bake, turning the tofu two or three times during the baking. Bake for 35-45 minutes.
4. To prepare the cabbage:.
5. While the tofu is baking, saute the onion in the oil in a large heavy skillet. When the onion is almost translucent, add the cabbage. Stirring occasionally, saute until the cabbage is somewhat reduced, about 5 minutes, but don't let the onion brown.
6. Combine the sauce ingredients and pour the over the cabbage, stirring to coat. Remove from the heat. Cover the skillet with a lid or foil, and bake in a 375 F oven for 30 minutes.
7. Serve the cabbage over rice or mashed potatoes (barley or egg noodles could be used instead). Top with minced pickle and baked tofu. Add a spoonful of sour cream, if desired.

Reviews

[jewelsf]

This is such an amazing recipe! When I first read the recipe I thought the flavor profile for the tofu seemed strange in combination with the cabbage and sauce, but having tasted it, it works wonderfully in this dish and adds an umami taste that would be missing otherwise. I strongly suggest also including pickles and sour cream when eating this :)

[VegSocialWorker]

This is really great- we loved it. I eat baked tofu often, and this is a really great marinade- love the deep color and the allspice- that's a tasty surprise. The cabbage is my favorite, however. The sauce is just the best. We served this over brown rice, but next time I think we'll use whole wheat wide egg noodles. Yumm. We were so excited to eat this that we totally forgot the pickle and sour cream, but I'm sure that would be tasty as well. Thank you so much for posting this- we'll make this again for sure!