Freezer Week: Day 7 -- Tofu Pibil, Tostada, Plantains and Soyrizo

Dinner 5/28

Tofu Pibil w/ Arroz Blanco
(tofu, spice mixture: achiote/annato seed, cumin, mexican oregano, smoked paprika, garlic, salt, pepper, orange juice or white vinegar. Adapted from Diana Kennedy, see below)

Tostada
(black beans, wilted kale, FYH Monterrey Jack)

Mashed Plantains and Soyrizo

Day 7 also brings us the oldest thing in the freezer... Banana Leaves (2002). These are so old, the store that we bought them at (for $0.99!) has moved twice. They are indestructible, and amazingly still easy to work with -- after separating the sections and cutting out what you need just run them under some water and lightly brush off with a paper towel. Then place the leaf directly on your stove burner (set on low) until they change color and get glossy looking -- careful not to burn them though...

These were based on a Diana Kennedy recipe -- we changed things around a bit using pan-fried tofu cutlets coated with the spicy marinade (almost like a barbecue sauce) and then baking the tofu in the banana leaf with a mix of tomato and the spicy marinade along with fried onions.



Here's how it went...

step 1: lay the tomato / annato spice mixture out on the banana leaf


step 2: place the pan-fried (with annato spice mixture) tofu cutlet on top of the sauce.


step 3: place a layer of fried onion on top of the tofu


step 4: place another layer of the tomato / annato spice mixture to cover.


step 5: roll the bottom flap up, covering the tofu, the fold the two sides over and roll up. secure with a strip of banana leaf.


step 6: place the banana leaf packages into roasting pan and place in a 350F oven for 20 minutes


step 7: serve with white rice (to soak up all of that tomato/spice mix)

Tags: tofu, pibil, banana leaf, banana leaves, rice, tostada, plantains, soyrizo, black beans, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666