Crisp Tofu and Spicy, Bitter Greens w/ Peanut Sauce

Sometimes you just need something to pummel the sh*t out of your taste buds.  You know what'll do that.  Easy?  Turnip Greens.  They're like a swift kick to the face....nose tingling, sinuses opening up with all the force of a raging inferno, eyes watering.  But in a pleasant way.  I gathered a giant handful of them at the community garden a few days back and decided I would pair them with tofu for a quick, pungeant, nutricious lunch.  Since I also still have an abundance of my favorite green, kale...I threw a good handful of that in, too. I modeled it on a Mark Bittman recipe in which he pan fries some tofu hooray!  Another chance to use my magical TofuXpress, then sautés up some Asian greens.  He uses baby bok choy. chinese broccoli, tatsoi, or napa cabbage...those are all puppies compared to the rabid pitbull that is the turnip green  please, no rants about how wonderful and misunderstood the pitbull is.  It's a metaphor people. And I'm a cat person.  I ended up adapting the recipe a bit to match what I was putting in...and this was a serious all-night rager disguised by a sunny day.  Not a plate for the meek.

Crisp Tofu w/ Spicy, Bitter Greens and Peanut Sauce

adapted from Mark Bittman's Kitchen Express

serves 2-3

Slice firm pressed & drained overnight tofu into strips or cubes and pat dry no need; roughly chop a bunch of the greens one handful turnip greens, one handful kale.  Pan-fry the tofu in some vegetable coconut oil until it browns on all sides, about four minutes; remove and pour off all but a little of the oil. Add the greens and a pinch or two of red chile flakes, and continue cooking until the greens turn dark, about 3 minutes.  Mix together a half cup 1/4 c. of peanut butter, a couple of Tbs. soy sauce, and fresh lime juice to taste.  Also added a drizzle of sesame oil & some sesame seeds; and a bit of water if necessary to get a nice consistency I ended up adding a lot of water in order to get a drizzl-able sauce.  Add the sauce to the pan along with the reserved tofu and toss to coat. I removed the greens from the pan first.  Garnish w/ crushed peanuts and serve.

Told ya I adapted it a bit. HA! 

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