Very Soft Tofu With Young Ginger and Sweet Peppers

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings.

2 teaspoons butter
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for garnish
1/2 cup julienned sweet peppers, preferably a mixture of red, yellow, and orange
2 tablespoons young ginger, cut in thin matchsticks
2 teaspoons orange marmalade
2 cups soft silken-style tofu, drained
Tangerine salt, or any other salt you like (see tip, at right)
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped chives

Directions

1. Beat the butter and oil in a small skillet over medium heat until the butter foams up a bit; then add the peppers and ginger. Mix well and continue to cook for about 5 minutes, or until the mixture starts to brown slightly. Add the marmalade, mix well, and turn off the heat.

2. Spoon 1/2 cup of tofu into each of four small bowls, and dust with salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil. Top with the pepper-ginger mixture and garnish with chives.

Tip: Author Eric Gower suggests making tangerine salt for this dish by whirring a few pieces of dried tangerine peel in a clean coffee grinder, adding a tablespoon of gray sea salt, and pulsing a few times.

Note: Young ginger has a pinkish hue and is plumper, smoother, and fresher than the ginger you typically see in the supermarket. Look for it in Asian markets and produce stores.

Recipe printed with permission from The Breakaway Vegetarian Cook: An Umami-Intensive Journey Into Vegetables, by Eric Gower (Breakaway Cook, 2011).