beer battered and stuffed...tofu, that is

Another crazy "i need to make more entrees" moment, brought to you by RWV...

peach and walnut pilaf stuffed tofu with creamy julienne potatoes

tofu pockets
1 large pack of extra firm tofu
1 can peaches
1/2 cup crushed walnuts
1 tbsp minced shallot
3 cloves minced garlic
Broth (whatever kind you prefer)

breading for tofu
¾ bottle of light beer of your choice
Couple of handfuls of flour
1 tbsp Old Bay Seasoning
1tbsp Garlic Powder
1 onion bouillon
1tsp Hungarian paprika
Salt and pepper to taste

rice filling
2 cups of white or brown rice
4 cups water or stock
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1tbsp Garlic Powder
2 cloves minced garlic
1 large shallot, minced
1 can sweet peaches

creamy julienned potatoes
5-6 large white potatoes - julienne
earth balance
1/2 cup tofutti cream cheese
1/2 cup tofutti sour cream
2 onion bullion cubes - crushed
1/2 red onion - caramelized in earth balance

julienne your potatoes, put into a bowl and add the sour cream and cream cheese. you may need to warm up the cream cheese to get it to spread over the potatoes evenly. lay the potatoes in a shallow baking dish. caramelize your red onions and sprinkle on the top of the potatoes. bake in 375 degree oven for 30-40 minutes or until tender and browned.

while the potatoes are baking you can begin creating rice stuffing for the tofu. begin by boiling water for your rice and follow the directions per the package for 2 cups or rice, only substitute broth for the water for more flavor. set to the side. in a skillet add 2 tbsp olive oil, bring to a heat. add the garlic, shallots, walnuts and peaches, saute for 2-3 minutes or until the shallots are translucent. add the cooked rice and saute for another 3-4 minutes until all of the flavors have combined together. add salt and pepper to taste. set to the side to cool.

Now, for the tofu pockets. cut the tofu in 1/2 and then again into quarters, preferably in a triangular shape. you want a place to carve out part of the tofu so you can stuff it. i prefer using a melon baller to scoop out an area to stuff. (put the carved out pieces into a baggie and save for a tofu scramble on Saturday morning!) replace the scooped out portions with the garlic and peach rice. pack it in pretty good so that it's not easy to fall apart.

time for deep frying!

dip each stuffed cutlet into the batter, set into the deep fryer and deep fry for approximately 5 minutes. let cool and drain on a paper towel.

once potatoes are finished, serve each cutlet with a good heaping of the creamy julienne potatoes, garnish with fresh chopped flat leaf parsley and a big glass of red wine.