Recipe: Shirae Tofu Dressing – CBS News

Connie Masuoka, of Ikoi no Kai, an elder nutrition program run by the Japanese Ancestral Society of Portland, Oregon, shares a recipe for a tofu salad dressing.

Ikoi no Kai means “place of rest,” and the program gives folks an opportunity to socialize and bond over comfort food. She writes:

“This dressing is high protein, low fat, and vegan. It can be used on any vegetable that can be parboiled. This dressing can be made in advance and frozen. I like to make a double or triple recipe and freeze them in 1 cup allotments.”

Shirae Tofu Dressing

Ingredients:

1 block of firm tofu
¼ cup of white miso
¼ cup tahini (sesame paste)
3 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp dashi no moto (optional)
2 tsp mirin
2 Tbsp roasted goma (sesame seeds)

Instructions:

Parboil tofu. (Put in a small pot with water to cover, bring to a boil and then remove from heat and drain). Place in a dry dish towel (smooth/flat works best), and squeeze out water until it appears crumbly but still moist.
Place in a mixing bowl and add all the rest of the ingredients and beat until well blended (an electric beater works the best). At this point the dressing should have the consistency of soft lumpy cream cheese. If it appears to be dry, add water a tablespoon at a time until it comes together.

Salad (New Year’s combination)

Ingredients:

3 bunches of spinach parboiled/blanched, rinsed with cold water and drained with excess water squeezed out
2 cups julienned carrots parboiled with a pinch of sugar. Rinsed with cold water and drained
1 block of konnyaku julienned and fried in a dry pan to remove excess moisture

Instructions:

Combine ingredients in a large bowl and toss with tofu dressing until well coated. Serve cold or at room temperature with a sprinkling of toasted sesame seeds.
Serves about 6-8 side-dish servings

Other vegetables that could be done separately or in combination are: