Soft corn tortillas make a perfect vehicle for this tofu “chorizo,” which is so good you’ll find a lot of other uses for it too. Make it as soft or as crisp as you like, but use a nonstick pan for the best results; cast-iron is a good second choice. Since it’s easy to double the batch well ahead of time, you might think about making this dish the next time you have a brunch.

Makes: 4 servings
Time: 20 to 45 minutes, depending on desired texture

Ingredients

• Eight 6-inch corn tortillas

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 small red onion, chopped

• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 ⁄ 2 teaspoon pepper

• 1 1 ⁄ 2 pounds firm tofu (1 1 ⁄ 2 blocks)

• 1 red bell pepper, chopped (optional)

• 1 tablespoon chili powder

• 2 limes, 1 halved, 1 quartered

• 1 ⁄ 4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish

• 1 ⁄ 4 cup chopped scallions, for garnish

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 400°F. stack the tortillas on a large square of foil and wrap them loosely.

2. Put the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. add the onion and garlic; sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally until the vegetables soften, 3 to 5 minutes.

3. Crumble the tofu into the pan with your hands. Cook, stirring and scraping the bottom of the skillet occasionally, and adjusting the heat as necessary, until the tofu browns and crisps as much or as little as you like it, anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes.

4. When the tofu is almost ready, put the tortillas in the oven.

5. Add the bell pepper to the pan if you’re using it. sprinkle the mixture with the chili powder; stir, and cook, continuing to scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pan until the mixture is fragrant, less than a minute. squeeze the juice of the halved lime over all, garnish with cilantro and scallions, and serve with the tortillas and lime quarters.

Recipe from The VB6 Cookbook (Photo: Quentin Bacon)

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