Crispy Tofu Sandwiches with Ginger Peanut Sauce

I have a thing for magazines.

People always say that print is dead and that the internet has replaced magazines and newspapers. Well, clearly these people do not know me. Because I will take a print magazine over the internet any day. There’s something about magazines that gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling inside.

It’s probably because I grew up reading magazines. My grandma subscribed to just about every publication under the sun–Cosmopolitan, Allure, Good Housekeeping, Lucky. But my favorite were the tabloids. Once a week, my grandparents would drop off a big shopping bag full of old magazines for my mom to read and I’d immediately rifle through them, pull out The National Enquirer, and bring it up to my room. I was quite possibly the only third grader who knew all about Jessica Hahn or that Kitty Dukakis was drinking rubbing alcohol before her stint at Betty Ford. And when I grew up, it was kind of fitting that I was a periodicals librarian. For a while, at least.

Although I still love tabloids, most of my magazine subscriptions are food-related now. If it’s a magazine and it involves food, you can bet I probably get it delivered to my mailbox once a month. Years ago, I used to tear out all the vegetarian recipes, but lately I gravitate towards the recipes made with meat. It’s more of a challenge! And so many of the vegetarian recipes in magazines are similar–vegetable lasagna is nice, but I don’t need 20 recipes for it, you see.

I clipped out a recipe for a Grilled Thai Chicken Sandwich from the most recent issue of Eating Well because I thought it would be good with tofu instead. I ended up making a lot of changes, but the resulting meal was super tasty.

If you read my tofu for tofu haters post, you might remember this cooking technique–I cut the tofu into 16 triangles and then fry it in a tablespoon of oil. It gives the tofu a crunchy exterior and a bit of a nutty flavor. But the real nutty flavor comes from peanut sauce. Delicious ginger peanut sauce!

(I also have a thing for peanut sauce.)

Crispy Tofu Sandwiches with Ginger Peanut Sauce

Crispy tofu triangles are topped with gingery peanut sauce and fresh veggies in these easy vegan sandwiches. Inspired by Eating Well’s Grilled Thai Chicken Sandwiches; sauce adapted from The New York Times’ Tofu with Peanut Ginger Sauce.

• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Yield: 4

Ingredients

Crispy Tofu

• 1-14 oz. package extra-firm tofu, pressed for 30 minutes (you can use a tofu press)
• 1 tbsp. vegetable or peanut oil

Ginger Peanut Sauce

• 6 tbsp. creamy peanut butter
• 2 tbsp. rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp. soy sauce
• 2-3 tsp. light brown sugar (to taste)
• 1 tbsp. ginger juice (see note)
• cayenne to taste (optional)
• 1 tbsp. lite coconut milk or water

Sandwiches

• 1 small carrot, peeled and shredded
• 1 small sweet red pepper, sliced
• 1/4 c. sliced green onion
• 2 tbsp. chopped cilantro
• 4 sandwich wraps, pitas, tortillas, or naan (if you don’t eat dairy, make sure the naan is vegan if you use it!)
• lime wedges (optional)

Instructions

Crispy Tofu

1. Cut tofu crosswise into 8 slices; cut each slice into two triangles. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high eat. Carefully place tofu in skillet (the oil may spatter a little!); cook about 5 minutes on each side, until golden and crispy. Transfer tofu to plate lined with paper towels to absorb any extra oil.

Ginger Peanut Sauce

1. Whisk together all ingredients. Add additional coconut milk or water, one tablespoon at a time, to thin sauce if necessary. (Some peanut butters are thicker than others, so the amount you need depends on the type of peanut butter you use.)

Sandwiches

1. Heat sandwich wraps, tortillas, pitas, or naan according to package instructions–you want them to be pliable so they can be folded over without breaking. Top each with 4 pieces of tofu, shredded carrot, red pepper, green onion, cilantro, and peanut sauce and fold. Serve with lime wedges, if using.

Notes

To press tofu, use a tofu press, or place between two plates or cutting boards lined with paper towels and weighed down with a heavy object for at least 30 minutes. To make ginger juice, grate about 2 tablespoons of ginger (you can use a ginger grater like this one), wrap in cheesecloth and squeeze juice into small bowl. Discard pulp.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 sandwich