Southwestern, Pan-Seared Smothered Tofu

Some days I stand in my pantry for a few minutes searching for something to make for dinner. This, despite the fact that the pantry and freezer are pretty well stocked, except at the end of the week ;) !!! I definitely wasn't expecting this on a Tuesday evening. Anyhow ... it turned out Tony had not eaten his lunch and was going to eat his leftovers for dinner. He's not a big fan of tofu so I decided that this would be my main ingredient. The rest of the recipe just kind of evolved around it, as I gathered up various items from the pantry and refrigerator. 

Southwestern, Pan-Seared Smothered Tofu

Prep Time: 20 min

Ingredients (Serves 2):

1. 1 x 14oz Pack of Firm or Extra-Firm Tofu (cut into 4-6 strips)
2. 1 x 12 oz Pack of fresh White Mushrooms, stems removed and halved.
3. 1/2 cup frozen yellow corn
4. 1/2 cup cooked Black beans, drained.
5. 2 tsp Taco Seasoning
6. 2-4 tbsp BBQ Sauce (your favorite)
7. 2-4 tbsp Salsa (your favorite)
8. Hot Sauce (optional)

Directions:

Heat a medium cast iron skillet to high heat (a drop of water should sizzle as soon as it is added to the skillet). Toss the mushrooms with a sprinkle of table salt and add to the heated skillet and dry roast for a few minutes until the mushrooms begin to darken. Remove mushrooms and set aside. Allow all the water released by the mushrooms to evaporate and the skillet to attain a nice uniform dry heat again. Move the mushrooms to the side and add each of the tofu slices directly onto the dry heated skillet. The tofu will sizzle immediately upon placing on the skillet. Do not move each piece for a couple of minutes. This allows a seared skin to form on the tofu which allows you to turn it without crumbling it. Sear the other side in a similar manner. 

Once each piece of tofu is well seared, add the mushrooms equally across the surface of the skillet, sprinkle taco seasoning over mushrooms and tofu, and then drizzle the salsa and BBQ sauce over the entire surface.  Next cover the tofu with black beans and corn, cover, reduce heat to medium low and allow everything to simmer for 5-7 minutes to allow the flavors to meld together. Garnish with hot sauce and serve with fresh bread, or toast as I did. Enjoy!! 

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving): Calories 458 (Fat Calories 85)
Total Fat 9.5 g; Carbohydrates 58.6 g; Fiber 11.5 g; Sugars 10.2 g; Protein 34.7 g