So my husband isn’t the world’s biggest tofu fan… as most meat loving men might not be… so lately I’ve been trying to find ways for him to like it more. (If I throw a sauce on it and call it tempeh-he’s totally game). But besides my usual trickery I thought pan frying it with some strong spices would be a creation he would love. And as usual (just kidding) I was right. He was asking for more of this tofu after having it one night for dinner, which is when I created this salad. I don’t cook a lot of meat so sometimes my salads don’t pack a huge protein punch so this really worked out in more ways than one. I feel like it has an Asian feel to it, probably because of the tamari and rice vinegar… some real oranges sliced up on the salad would’ve been good too.
Any vegetables work as well! 
Ingredients:
For the Spiced Tofu:
1 block extra firm tofu (PRESSED for at least a half hour)
¼ cup tamari (or soy sauce)
1 TBSP sesame oil
1 TBSP garlic powder
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp pepper
½ tsp salt
For the Salad:
4 oz greens
½ cup sesame seeds
½ cup diced carrots
½ cup diced red pepper
½ cup deseeded and diced cucumber
½ cup diced onions (I used red onion, green would work too)
½ avocado, sliced
For the Dressing:
3 TBSP sesame oil
3 TBSP rice vinegar
1 TBSP honey
3 TBSP freshly squeezed OJ
2 TBSP tamari
2 TBSP Dijon mustard
Directions:
1. Press tofu as your first step- so important! I use a cast iron pan
2. After tofu is pressed combine marinade ingredients with diced/sliced tofu and allow to marinate 30-60 minutes *I like to slice mine into triangle for pan frying
3. While the tofu is marinating chop up your veggies and prepare dressing by combing ingredients in dressing shaker or mason jar
4. Once tofu has marinated, cook on the stovetop 3-5 minutes on each side
5. Assemble veggies on top of greens, add tofu and dressing. You can serve the tofu warm on the salads or allow it to cool. Also you might have so extra tofu which makes for a nice protein source for another meal- you’re welcome
