Asian Tofu Salad with Roasted Peanuts - Series 7

I love this salad…a one-dish meal that’s light, fresh, but deeply satisfying. Smoky baked tofu is beautifully offset with crisp greens, sweet roasted peanuts and sensually sweet mangoes for just a hint of the tropics.
 

What You'll Need
Toasted sesame oil
2 cloves fresh garlic, thinly sliced
3-4 shallots, halved, thinly sliced into half moon pieces
5-6 thin slices fresh ginger, finely minced
grated zest of 1 lime
soy sauce
1 red bell pepper, roasted over an open flame, peeled, seeded, diced
1 carrot, fine matchstick pieces
mirin
4 slices packaged backed tofu
1 bunch watercress, rinsed well, finely diced
brown rice vinegar
One half cup Valencia peanuts
2 tablespoons brown rice syrup
pinch sea salt
1 mango, peeled, pitted, thinly sliced

Instructions
Place about 3 tablespoons of oil in a deep skillet and turn heat to medium. When the oil is hot, add garlic, shallots, ginger and lemon zest, a splash of soy sauce and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Stir in red pepper and carrot, another splash of soy sauce and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add one half cup mirin, season lightly with soy sauce and reduce heat to low. Cook vegetables, uncovered, until liquid has reduced to a thin syrup, 10-12 minutes. Stir in baked tofu and lay watercress on top. Cover and turn off heat. Allow watercresss to steam until just wilted, 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in a sprinkle of brown rice vinegar.
To make the peanuts, place the peanuts in a heat-resistant bowl. Bring rice syrup and salt to a foaming boil over high heat. Pour over peanuts and stir well to coat. Immediately stir sweet peanuts into tofu dish.
Transfer cooked tofu mixture to a serving platter and arrange sliced mangoes around the rim of the dish.

Makes 4-5 servings.