Wasabi Pea Crusted Tofu with Bok Choy and Ponzu-Soy Dipping Sauce

How does one come to enjoy eating tofu? Well, after severely abusing chicken on the George Foreman grill during my sophomore year of college, I cut myself off from the protein and decided to make the switch to tofu. I have since reintroduced chicken into my cooking rotation, but for about 2 years my go-to was the spongy scary white blob that many prefer to avoid.

While my use of the ingredient often leads to a stir-fry of some sort, I'm always on the hunt for ways to feature tofu as the main event. When I came across a recipe for pistachio crusted tofu, the hunt was over. I decided that a twist on the idea would be a great direction for my first tofu blog post (I can't believe it has taken so long!). Instead of using pistachios, the accompanying ingredient would be, drum rollll...wasabi peas!

Interestingly, wasabi as we know it in the US is really just a colored horseradish-based substitute, rather than the expensive and difficult to cultivate root vegetable found in Japan. "Western wasabi" is often found alongside sushi and sashimi or in this case, incorporated into a coating on green peas. Usually famous for their heat, this particular variety of wasabi peas did not have quite as much kick to them as others I have tried, however I still enjoyed the flavor they added to the tofu. I'm sure blending with some additional wasabi powder or paste would have solved the heat dilemma.

One of the funniest memories I have of tofu is my mom trying to get me to eat it in 4th grade through some sneaky tactics. By putting the tofu in "burger" form she managed to trick me...at least for a few bites. But with dessert on the line, I had to find a way to get through the meal. This phase of highly nutritious, tofu laden dishes often left my dad craving a greasy Whopper every now and then, but he too has come around.

One reason that I love cooking with this food that so many find repulsive is that it's very easy to transform the flavor into whatever you want. Almost like a blank canvas that gives you the artistic freedom to go to work. In this case I thoroughly enjoyed the added flavors of both the wasabi peas and the ponzu dipping sauce, which really added a memorable finishing touch.
As you know by now, adding green to my plate completes the meal for me. Bok choy is always a wonderful complement to tofu dishes so I opted to use it once again.The recipe:

(Adapted from Epicurious)
1/2 block firm tofu
1/2 c. ponzu sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup wasabi peas
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. sesame oil
1 tsp. soy sauce

Bok Choy:
2 heads baby bok choy
1 clove garlic, minced

Begin by draining the water from the tofu package and slicing the tofu block down the middle (long side). Return the unused half to the package, cover with some water and plastic wrap, unless doubling this recipe. Slice the remaining piece in half again and then form triangles from the 2 large rectangles. In reality you can do any shape you'd like.

Place the pieces of tofu between paper towels to absorb the excess water.

Mince the garlic and set aside the equivalent of one clove for the bok choy. Add the remaining garlic to a shallow dish with ponzu sauce. Then set the pieces of tofu in the dish. Be sure the tofu is at least partially covered and allow to marinate for about 15 minutes, turning halfway through.

Meanwhile, prepare the bok choy by simply washing and slicing the baby bok choy to the desired size and then saute over medium heat until softened. Pour the wasabi peas into a mini food processor and blend into a powder form. Once blended spread on a plate with the pepper.

Once the tofu is done marinating, dip the pieces in the wasabi pea powder to coat each side then saute in sesame oil over med-high heat until golden brown.

Reserve the ponzu marinade and combine with soy sauce for a delicious dipping sauce.