Tofu and Mushroom Piccata

Years ago, I bought  Robin Robertson's 'The Vegetarian Meat & Potatoes Cookbook'. I grew up in a regular ol' Canadian household, with lots of nourishing comfort meals. I got the book thinking it would be full of more of those comfort type dishes and it certainly is! Also included are some things a little more elegant. One that caught my attention was Tofu & Mushroom Piccata. Now, readers of my old blog know that I am adverse to those little fungi, but Jim likes them, so I followed the recipe and just didn't put any mushrooms on my plate.

This is so simple to make and comes together quickly, so why not dine fancy on a weeknight? 

The bright fresh flavours of lemon and parsley mingle nicely with the salty bite of the capers. It truly is a nice balance. 

Tofu and Mushroom Piccata 

1 large lemon, peeled and white pith removed
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 pound extra firm tofu, cut into ¼ inch thick slices
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/3 cup dry white wine
4 ounces white button mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons capers, drained
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
2 tablespoons butter or soy margarine (optional)

Preheat oven to 275 degrees F. Cut the lemon into very thin rounds, discarding the seeds, and set aside.

Put the flour in a shallow bowl. Season the tofu with salt and pepper and dredge in flour, tapping off any excess. Transfer the tofu slices to a platter and set aside.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add tofu, in batches, and cook, turning once, until golden brown on both sides, about 2 minutes total. Place the tofu slices on a baking sheet and keep warm in the oven.

Deglaze the skillet with the wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom.  Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring a few times, until slightly softened, about 2 minutes.

Stir in the lemon slices, capers, and parsley and simmer until hot. Stir in the butter, if using, to enrich the sauce. 

Arrange tofu on a serving platter or individual plates. Pour the sauce over the tofu and serve at once.

Serves 4

©Robin Robertson