Tofu with Thai Curry Sauce

From EatingWell: February/March 2005, The EatingWell Diabetes Cookbook (2005) — Subscribe Now!

Creamy Thai curry sauce gives tofu a spicy, satisfying kick. You can adjust the amount of curry paste depending on your spice preference. Serve with brown basmati rice and lime wedges.

READER'S COMMENT:

"I would say this is a solid base of a recipe. The flavor was not powerful enough - next time I'll probably add more red curry paste (or rooster chili sauce) and maybe more cilantro and even some lime juice for that sour contrast usually...

4 servings, generous 3/4 cup each

Active Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Nutrition Profile

Ingredients

Sauce

1 cup “lite” coconut milk, (see Ingredient notes)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon red curry paste, or to taste (see Ingredient notes)
1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Tofu & vegetables

14 ounces extra-firm tofu, preferably water-packed
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 cups baby spinach, (6 ounces)
1 medium red bell pepper, sliced (1 1/2 cups)

Preparation

To prepare sauce: Whisk coconut milk, cilantro, curry paste, brown sugar and salt in a small bowl.
To prepare tofu: Drain and rinse tofu; pat dry. Slice the block crosswise into eight 1/2-inch-thick slabs. Coarsely crumble each slice into smaller, uneven pieces.
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add tofu and cook in a single layer, without stirring, until the pieces begin to turn golden brown on the bottom, about 5 minutes. Then gently stir and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until all sides are golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes more.
Add spinach, bell pepper and the curry sauce and cook, stirring, until the vegetables are just cooked, 1 to 2 minutes more.

Tips & Notes

Ingredient Notes: Look for reduced-fat coconut milk (labeled "lite") in the Asian section of your market.
Red curry paste is a convenient way to add heat and complexity to a recipe. Look for it in small jars in the Asian section of the supermarket.

Nutrition

Per serving: 179 calories; 11 g fat (4 g sat, 3 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 12 g carbohydrates; 11 g protein; 4 g fiber; 409 mg sodium; 241 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin A (90% daily value), Calcium (20% dv).

1 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 2 vegetable, 1 medium-fat meat, 1 fat (saturated)