i heart corinader!

coriander, and its green incarnation, cilantro, take the center stage in this recipe for seared spiced tofu steaks with mango coriander salsa.   served over zucchini-yam fritters or a salad, these delicious tofu steaks are a wonderful, colorful meal for a hot summer evening, though the comfort factor of this meal would hit all the right notes on an autumn or winter night just the same. versatile and colorful, this meal will engage all of your senses! 

the key to making delicious tofu "steaks" is the marinade.  the longer they get to "soak", the more flavorful they will be when you sear or grill them. the marinade in this recipe features toasted coriander seeds, mustard seeds and cumin (in a little oil), fresh grated ginger, lime juice, rice vinegar, olive oil, agave nectar and a a little coconut milk.  see recipe below.

finally, the mango corinader salsa is a quick and tasty addition to these steaks.  use one mango, half a bell pepper and a little finely chopped red onion, combine with toasted coriander seeds (in a little oil to release the flavor), fresh lime juice, a little sea salt and fresh, chopped cilantro.  let the mixture chill in the fridge for a couple of hours to get the flavors nicely integrated. 

marinade for the spiced sear tofu stakes

you'll need about 1T (table spoon) of each of the seeds: mustard, coriander and 1T of cumin, 

half an inch piece of ginger, 

juice of one lime, 

2T each of rice vinegar and coconut milk, and 

1T of oil and agave nectar.  

toast the seeds in the olive oil, combine the rest of the ingredients in a shallow dish that will fit the tofu steaks, add the toasted seeds into the marinade.  cut tofu into 1/2 inch thick slices and place in the marinade. marinate the "steaks" for at least 2 hours, keeping in mind that longer is better. when ready to cook, heat a little oil in a pan, place the "steaks" in the pan and press them occasionally with a spatula to sear evenly.  pour a little marinate onto the tofu and into the pan, let it absorb. 

plate the steaks over some greens or zucchini-yam fritters (1 yam, 1 small zucchini, grated, salt, 1T cumin, 1 egg, 2T spelt flour, mixed, fried in a little grape seed oil), topping with the mango salsa.