I had tofu, plenty of fresh local citrus, and very little herbs or spices on hand. I am still in my temporary housing where the only handy dandy kitchen utensil I can put my hands on is my brand new Henckel Classic 8″ chef’s knife that I had to buy so I could cut anything. It has been hard and almost depressing to be stuck in a kitchen the size of my old master bathroom with one of each utensil including a roast fork? I am seriously wondering if the planners behind these furnished units actually cook themselves. Anyway enough complaining (for now). I will be back with my very own kitchen artillery and plenty of space for creativity soon enough. Now lets get back to the recipe, this dish uses mostly basic flavours and very few complicated ingredients, really showcasing that fresh citrus flavour. As with all my recipes this is one you can really play around with adding or removing, or just replacing parts. Enjoy.

What you need:

Garbanzo Salad:

1 16 oz can garbanzo beans (chick peas) drained and rinsed

1 Asian pear, peeled, and finely diced.

1/4 red onion finely diced

1 whole lemon quartered and de-seeded

1/2 white grape fruit quartered and de-seeded

1 TBL balsamic Vinegar (I used pomegranate infused balsamic but i’m sure any will do)

1 tsp salt

1 tsp ground black pepper

1 TBL olive oil

The Tofu:

Marinade:

1 Block super firm tofu, or extra firm if that’s all you can find

1/2 cup of apple cider vinegar

2 TBL Rice Seasoning (Seto Fumi Furikake)

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 TBL finely chopped bay leaves

The Tofu Crust:

1/2 cup Panko Bread Crumbs

1/4 cup regular bread crumbs

1/4 cup AP flour

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp onion powder

2 eggs (haven’t tried this with egg substitute yet but will soon)

AP flour for dusting

The Process:

1. Bring all the salad ingredients together in a bowl aside from the lemon and grapefruit, now squeeze the lemon and grapefruit over the salad to get all the juice out. Toss well, cover with saran wrap then refrigerate until the tofu is ready to serve (you might want to re-toss the salad once every 20-30 minutes to mix the juices around).
2. Cut the tofu into 1/2 inch slabs you should get about 8 slabs out of a block.
3. In a medium bowl whisk together all the marinade ingredients and set aside for 5 minutes to let the flavours mix.
4. Now gently press one at a time the pieces of tofu into the marinade and place in a single layer on a plate or serving dish large enough to hold them all. Once all the tofu has been dipped spoon the remainder of the marinade over the tops of the tofu, and let sit for 10 minutes to soak up the flavours.
5. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
6. In a large bowl whisk together all the dry crust ingredients, and in a second medium bowl whisk together two eggs, finally in a third bowl add some flour for dusting.
7. Now lift and gently shake off one piece of tofu at a time and dust with the flour, then coat in egg, and finally coat with the panko mixture so all sides are covered. Transfer to a baking sheet that has been sprayed with vegetable oil, then give the tops of the tofu a light spray with the oil to help with the browning.
8. Bake for 20-30 minutes until the crust is golden brown.
9. Serve with the Garbanzo salad.

Enjoy.