Name: Tofu Steak Veracruzana

Ingredients:

• One, 14-oz package extra-firm tofu
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup vegetable broth
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 medium red onion (10 ounces), thinly sliced
• 1 medium red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and thinly sliced
• 1 jalapeño chile pepper, stemmed, seeded, and thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup pitted green olives, chopped
• 1/4 cup capers, drained, rinsed, and chopped
• 3 large plum tomatoes (12 ounces to 1 pound total), seeded and thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1 tablespoon vegan butter

Instructions:

• Wrap tofu in paper towels or a clean dish towel and microwave on high for 1 minute. Unwrap, rewrap with fresh towels, and repeat. This gets rid of excess liquid.
• Unwrap tofu, let cool, and cut into four planks.
• Combine the tofu, half the garlic, the broth, lime juice, oregano, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.
• Cover and marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour, turning occasionally.
• Heat the oil until shimmering in a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat.
• Add the drained tofu and sear it without disturbing until browned, 4 to 6 minutes.
• Turn each piece over and sear the other side until browned, about 4 minutes.
• Transfer the tofu to a plate.
• Add the onion, bell pepper, and jalapeño to the skillet.
• Cook, stirring, until they start to soften, about 4 minutes.
• Stir in the olives, capers, and remaining garlic, and cook, stirring, until all the vegetables are tender, about 3 minutes.
• Add the tomatoes and wine.
• Reduce the heat to medium, and return the tofu to the skillet.
• Cook until the sauce is reduced slightly and the tofu is heated through, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in the butter.
• Taste and add more salt and pepper, if desired.
• Serve hot with the tofu planks whole or sliced, and with the sauce and vegetables spooned over them.

Comments: Suggested serving with rice and/or a green salad. Photo shows slices of lime.
7/25/2020 - I made substitutions: water plus minced onion for the vegetable broth, rice wine for the white wine, 8 ounces of salsa plus 1/2 tomato for the large plum tomatoes and the chile pepper, margarine for the vegan butter. I only used 1/2 a red onion, 1/2 a bell pepper, and 1/4 cup wine. I failed to follow the recipe sequence and sliced the tofu before microwaving it. Slicing tofu into four "planks" was hard, and some pieces were too thin; they broke apart on cooking. The four planks also did not fit side-by-side in the shallow bowl I used to marinate them or in the frying pan where I cooked them. They tasted okay, and I served them with rice, green beans from a can, and a green salad.

Source: Washington Post, 15 July 2020, derived from “ ¡Salud! Vega Mexican Cookbook”, by Eddie Garza

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