I have to give serious credit to one of the most buzzed about chefs in the biz right now, Roberto Martin. “But Roberto Martin isn’t your grandmother!” you may be thinking. That is correct. But, I couldnt adapt this recipe into a pretty damn good version of the original without a very inspired vegan food technique I discovered in his new book Vegan Cooking for Carnivores. You may have heard of this one. It features the seal of approval from vegans Ellen DeGeneres and Portia DiRossi.
Anyways, he suggests marinating firm tofu in olive brine to replicate the taste an texture of feta cheese. Pure brilliance. And if you thought my eating straight up crisp topping for breakfast was an unhealthy childhood habit, try to wrap your head around me eating a full bowl of feta cheese by itself. I loves me some feta. I used a jar of kalamata olives for this recipe which explains the pink hue. But, you could totally use green olives to give it a more natural look.
The tofu mixed in with a deliciously tart tomato sauce, this recipe is everything I remember of the saucy bowls from my preteen years.
1 package of firm tofu, drained and diced into 1/2 inch pieces
1 jar of kalamata olives, brine reserved
1 c. chopped red onion
1 clove garlic, minced
3 c. sliced zucchini
2 cans diced tomatoes (19 0z)
1/4 c. white wine
2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. salt and crushed red pepper flakes
3 c. cooked rice
After draining and dicing the tofu, put it in a bowl with the olive brine and let marinate for 1 hour or up to 1 day. Reserve the olives to eat later.
Heat a splash of oil in a large frying pan (and I mean large). Add onions and garlic and cook 2 minutes.
Add zucchini and cook 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, wine, oregano, pepper, crushed red pepper flakes, and salt.
Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium and cook for 15 minutes uncovered.
Serve over hot cooked rice and sprinkle a handful of the marinated tofu cubes on top. So salty and delicious!
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