Homemade Tofu “Turkey”

INGREDIENTS

• 5 (16 ounce) packages extra firm tofu
  
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
  
• 1 red onion, finely diced
  
• 1 ⅓ cups diced celery
  
• 1 cup chopped mushrooms
  
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
  
• ⅛ cup dried sage
  
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme
  
• salt and pepper to taste
  
• 1 ½ teaspoons dried rosemary
  
• ¼ cup tamari (or soy sauce)
  
• 3 cups prepared herb stuffing
  
  Marinade Sauce
• ½ cup sesame oil
  
• ¼ cup tamari (or soy sauce)
  
• 2 tablespoons miso paste
  
• 5 tablespoons orange juice
  
• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
  
• ½ teaspoon orange zest
  
• 3 sprigs fresh rosemary

DIRECTIONS

1. Line a medium-size, round colander with cheesecloth or a clean dishtowel. Crumble the tofu and place it in the colander. Place another cheesecloth over the tofu. Place the colander on top of a bowl to catch the water from the tofu. Place a weight (plate and heavy can) on top of the tofu. Refrigerate the colander, tofu and weight for 2 to 3 hours.

2. Make the stuffing: In a large frying pan saute onion, celery and mushrooms in 2 tablespoons of the sesame oil until tender. Add the garlic, sage, thyme, salt and pepper, rosemary and ¼ cup of the tamari. Stir well; cook for 5 minutes. Add prepared herb stuffing and mix well. Remove from heat.

3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C). Grease a cookie sheet.

4. Combine ½ cup sesame oil, ¼ cup tamari, miso, orange juice, mustard and orange zest in a small bowl; mix well.

5. Remove the weight from the tofu. Hollow out the tofu so that there is one inch of tofu still lining the colander. Place the scooped out tofu in a separate bowl. Brush the tofu lining with a small amount of the miso seasoning. Scoop the stuffing into the center of the tofu shell. Place the leftover tofu on top of the stuffing and press down firmly. Turn the stuffed tofu onto the prepared cookie sheet, putting the leftover tofu side of the “turkey” (the flat side) down. Gently press on the sides of the “turkey” to form a more oval shape. Brush the tofu turkey with ½ of the oil-tamari mixture. Place the sprigs of rosemary on top of the tofu. Cover the “turkey” with foil.

6. Bake for one hour. After one hour, remove the“turkey” from the oven and remove the foil. Baste the "turkey" with the remaining tamari-oil sauce (reserving 4 tablespoons of sauce). Return the uncovered "turkey" to the oven and bake another hour or until the tofu turkey is golden brown. Place the tofu turkey on a serving platter, brush with the remaining tamari-oil mixture and serve hot.

HINTS

Press the tofu first, and then FREEZE it, for a chewier, meat-like texture. Then let it thaw out the day before you intend to bake it. After repressing, stuffing and turning it out in a dish, baste it with a brush. Let it sit maybe 30 minutes marinating in the dish BEFORE cooking. (If you put marinade on while cooking, it makes a salty skin and the tofu does not absorb it.)