Onion-Crusted Tofu-Steak Sandwich

Pan-fried tofu steaks make a delicious and quick sandwich filling.

Pan-fried tofu steaks make a delicious and quick sandwich filling. Splurge with a nice whole-grain bakery bun and top with a buttery lettuce such as Boston, a thick slice of fresh tomato, and a quick flavored mayonnaise spread that's created from store-bought mayonnaise. The Seven-Vegetable Slaw on page 263 makes a nice accompaniment for this sandwich. In fact, you can omit the aioli and top the tofu with slaw for another version of this sandwich.

lemon-cilantro aioli

1/3 cup canola or soybean oil mayonnaise

2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, minced

1 small garlic clove, minced

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1/4 teaspoon grated lemon rind

sandwich

1 (16-ounce) package extra-firm tofu, cut crosswise into 12 slices

1/4 cup oat or all-purpose flour

1/4 cup minced dried onion

2 tablespoons sesame seeds

1/2 teaspoon paprika

Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 large egg, lightly beaten

2 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons roasted peanut oil or canola oil

6 whole-grain sandwich buns

11/2 cups shredded butterhead (Boston/Bibb) lettuce

6 (1/2-inch thick) slices ripe yellow or red tomato

Combine the first five ingredients in a small bowl and set aside to let the flavors blend.

Place the tofu slices on double thickness of paper towels and let sit for 5 minutes.

Combine the next six ingredients (flour through pepper) in a shallow bowl. Place the egg in another shallow bowl and whisk in the water. Dip the tofu slices into the egg mixture and then dredge one at a time in the flour mixture.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add 6 tofu slices and sautee for 2-3 minutes on each side or until lightly browned. Remove from the pan. Repeat with the remaining oil and tofu. Place 2 tofu slices on the bottom half of a bun. Top with 1/4 cup lettuce and a tomato slice. Spread 1 tablespoon aioli on each top bun half and place the bun over the tomato. Serve immediately.

Note: Tofu packed in water makes the best tofu "steak." The texture is firmer, which makes it much easier to work with when breading and dipping. You can certainly use the silken or reduced-fat tofu in this recipe; you'll just need to be more careful since its delicate nature causes it to break apart more easily.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Yield: 6 sandwiches; Serving: 1 sandwich

Calories: 420; Protein: 20.3 g; Carbohydrate: 33.7 g; Fiber: 6 g; Sodium: 344 mg;

Fat 18.1 g (Sat: 3.1 g, Mono: 9.9 g, Poly: 8.1 g, Trans: 0 g); Cholesterol: 40 mg