Tofu Salad with Curry Veganaise Dressing & Coconut-Infused Israeli Couscous

Last Friday Bo and I went grocery shopping at Whole Foods.  I can't tell you how excited I was to learn that Jacksonville has a Whole Foods approximately 15 minutes from our home.  Like many people, and especially like many vegetarians/vegans, I LOVE Whole Foods.  Even if you don't buy anything, it is so much fun to walk around looking at their stock.  We found ourselves salivating over:

• a million different kinds of cheese (ok, only Bo salivated over that one!);
• wines from around the world;
• two dozen (or more!) kinds of nut butter;
• produce arranged in a beautiful spectrum of color; 
• freshly baked bread; and
• of course - one can't forget - the prepared foods bar!

I wasn't much in the mood for cooking anyway, so I asked Bo if I could make my own "carry out" box of prepared foods for dinner.  After agonizing over my choices, I ended up with a random hodge-podge of different salads jammed into a cardboard box.  Everything was delicious, but one salad in particular really stood out on my taste buds.  This salad was a spin on the classic chicken salad, with a twist!  Instead of chicken, this salad had browned tofu in it, and was tossed in a creamy, yet spicy, dressing that made the whole dish mouthwateringly good.  

After two bites my decision was made.

I had to figure out how to recreate this recipe at home.

Three days later, I did just that, and it turned out wonderfully!

Comfort food with a twist, this salad takes some traditional ingredients and makes them extraordinary.  Don't be scared of the curry veganaise dressing...it makes the dish!  If you don't have raisins or almonds, feel free to substitute with craisins and/or pecans/walnuts.  Make this dish suite your own tastebuds, and at your next backyard barbeque, consider adding this salad into the mix!

Tofu Salad with Curry Veganaise
Serves 2

1 block of tofu, drained/diced/browned
1/3 C raisins
1/3 C sliced almonds
2 stalks of celery, diced
1 apple, diced
3 heaping T veganaise
1 T honey
1 T lemonjuice
1/2 tsp curry
1/4 tsp cinnamon
3-4 dashes tumeric

Directions:

• Add the raisins, almonds, celery, and apple into a large salad bowl.
• In a separate bowl, mix the veganaise, honey, lemonjuice, curry, cinnamon, and tumeric.
• Pour the dressing into the salad bowl and mix well.
• Add the tofu and toss to incorporate.
• Serve chilled, atop a bed of lettuce, and alongside Coconut-Infused Israeli Couscous.

To go with the tofu salad, I decided to whip up something other than rice, millet, or quinoa (my standard go-to's).  Israeli couscous to the rescue!  In case you don't know, Israeli couscous is larger than regular couscous, and is great at absorbing flavors.  I opted to play up the Indian twist from the curry dressing by adding coconut oil, shredded coconut, and coconut extract to the couscous.  It turned out great!  I can't wait to serve this dish alongside a short-cut Indian dinner soon!

Coconut-Infused Israeli Couscous
Serves 2

1/2 C Israeli couscous
1 C water
1 1/2 T coconut oil
3-4 T unsweetened shredded coconut
1/4 tsp coconut extract
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Directions:

• Place the couscous, water, and oil in a medium saucepan.
• Boil the water, and then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
• Stir in the shredded coconut, coconut extract, and cinnamon.
• Serve immediately.

Next up - 30 X 30 is officially on!  If you missed my BIG post about 3 Steps to a Better Style, feel free to catch up here.  Today was Day 1 of 30.  So stay tuned over the course of the next month for updates on this fashion experiment!  I can't wait to show you what I chose for my month of mixing and re-mixing!

Question of the Day:

Have you ever been inspired to recreate a recipe from a restaurant in your home?  If so, how did it turn out?!

Blessings,
Ally and Bo