Let start with this garlic sauce. I have only the warmest memories with it and it has been actively in our menu for a couple of years now. In the summer, I am not craving it at all. It is too hearty and too garlicky for the summer season. But in the winter season, it hits the spot every time. My mom also loves this sauce and serves it often with pasta or baked veggies. It's also delicious without the spring onions. It really suits almost everywhere, especially if you are huge fan of garlic like me. People should really use more raw garlic in their kitchen. It has tons of more flavor and aroma than the cooked one. When I am making a soup, I add raw crushed garlic along with herbs in the end of the cooking. I have eaten this garlic sauce with mashed potatoes, pasta, buckwheat, veggies and so on. It absolutely goes well with boiled pierogi too. And of course, it is perfect in Asian inspired dishes like this vermicelli and lemony tofu.
You can make little miracles with tofu. VeganSandra also has eight delicious tofu recipes. One of the best ways to use tofu, is to pan-fry it until crispy and then season it. And season it well, since tofu alone is a completely bland raw material. In this recipe, tofu is rubbed with fragrant lemony mixture and then baked in the oven until crispy. It goes amazingly well with fluffy vermicelli and tangy garlic sauce.
And now, it's time to talk about these vermicelli. I adore light and airy super-thin noodles like this. They are often made of rice or in this case, beans. I love to swirl them around my fork and then push the fork into this crispy tofu. This dish is absolutely delicious as it is, but I strongly recommend to serve it with some plum sauce. I love to use Thai Choice brand. I have been a fan of the plum sauce, since our friend René served it with some fluffy couscous and crispy lentil cutlets. Absolutely divine!
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Serves: 4 people
Ingredients:
For the tofu:
- 9 ounces / 250 g firm tofu
- grated lemon zest of one lemon
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce or tamari
- 1 Tbsp (olive) oil
- ¼ tsp turmeric powder
For the garlic sauce:
- 3 large cloves of garlic
- 3 Tbsp oil
- 4 Tbsp soy sauce or tamari
- 3 heaped Tbsp chopped spring onions
+ 7 oz / 200 g bean vermicelli
Directions:
Preheat the oven at 400 F / 200 C. Cut the tofu into triangles. Mix grated lemon zest with lemon juice, soy sauce, oil and turmeric. Dip the tofu triangles carefully into the lemony mixture. Place the dipped triangles onto the baking tray covered with parchment paper. Bake for 10 minutes, then turn the oven onto grill and bake for another 10 minutes until the tofu is crispy.
When the tofu is baking, make the garlic sauce. Crush the garlic cloves or chop them into tiny bits. Add oil, soy sauce and spring onions. Stir.
Boil the vermicelli for a couple of minutes. Drain and carefully mix in the garlic sauce. Serve with tofu. This dish is also good as a salad, but I liked it more when warm.
