Author Notes: I love roquefort and other veined cheeses, but I’m allergic to molds and can’t eat them. I’ve come up with a couple ways of fooling my tastebuds in things like salad dressings or salads/sandwiches. The principal thing I love about rooquefort is the kind of grab-the-back-of-your-throat zing it has, that and its saltiness. To try to duplicate that I use tofu and cracked Szechuan peppercorns or, if you have it and like it, Sancho pepper, just don’t overdo.
This is very simple to make, and I like to give it at least a an hour or two for the flavors to begin to meld, but you can use it sooner if you’re short on time. The olive oil is there to coat the tofu and keep the seasonings from all bunching up in one place. I use the zip closure bag because I can squeeze out the air, which keeps the tofu in place rather than banging around and getting turned to crumbs. If you don’t use plastic bags, you can do this in a container with a lid, adding enough olive oil to cover.
In addition to using this in a creamy salad dressing, you can throw it directly into a salad with a lighter dressing, like vinaigrette, or spoon some into a veggie or salad pocket sandwich. —beejay45
Makes: about 14 ounces
Ingredients
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1
block of firm tofu (12-14 oz)
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2
teaspoons sea or kosher salt, divided
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1
tablespoon cracked Szechuan peppercorns (or substitute)
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2
tablespoons olive oil or more if needed
Directions
- Remove the tofu from its liquid and drain until no longer exuding any moisture.
- Crumble the tofu into a bowl, making the pieces 1/2 to 1 inch. Add one teaspoon of the salt and gently toss to combine. Let set for 20-30 minutes and drain again.
- Put the mixture into a plastic bag with a zip closure. Seal the bag, pressing to get the air out. Add more olive oil if you think it’s needed to keep everything coated. Chill for a couple hours before using, if possible.
- Mix this into a creamy dressing base, for example, a Ranch kind of base, or make your own favorite combination. Serve as a dressing on seafood salad or anywhere else you’d use Roquefort or blue cheese dressing.
