Tofu with Porcini Mushroom Jus

"A woman who cuts her hair is about to change her life."

These are the wise words from Coco Chanel and on Sunday morning I just had the urge to cut my hair.  I had had long hair for the past 7 years but new look, new attitude, new life.  I found a hairdresser that took walk-in appointments and in thirty minutes I came out as a changed woman. And I felt better.  Changes, no matter how insignificant, from a haircut to a piercing to a tattoo -- somehow signify something so much bigger. 

And since I felt better, I came home and I cooked.

To be honest though I'm having slight regrets now as I look like I'm 16.  And as I've said in my last post, I unfortunately have to walk around with my big head phones, so that with the hair... I need to be IDed.  But my goodness short hair is so much easier to manage, I barely have to comb it, I use much less shampoo and it takes no time to dry. 

Here I am.  This is also my first ever solo selfie.

So let's talk more about this tofu dish.  It's meat free week here and it oddly coincides with butchers week.  I've decided to go veggie for three weeks instead of going for the butchers theme.  I'd like to think that this dish is an example of how to put flavor into vegetarian/vegan dishes and most importantly, how to make tofu not taste disgusting.  Mushrooms, especially porcini, are packed with flavor.  Get the dry ones, soak them in water and that water becomes a fantastic stock.  Here the sauce is made with that stock reduced down with some shallots and wine and I'm shamelessly telling you that it's just delicious.  I didn't add cream but please do if you want it to be richer. 

Serves 2
Ingredients
400g tofu
2 shallots, thinly sliced
1/2 cup dry porcini mushrooms
1/4 cup white wine
spring onion, sliced, to garnish
lemon juice (optional)
cream (optional)

Method
Pour 1 cup of hot water over the porcini mushrooms in a bowl (should be enough to cover) and leave for twenty minutes to rehydrate. 

Cut the tofu block into slices and pat dry with kitchen paper. 

In a pan with a few tbsp of vegetable oil, shallow fry the tofu until golden on both sides and drain on kitchen paper.

In the same pan sweat the shallots until softened - no color.

Drain the porcini mushrooms, but reserve the liquid, and roughly chop. 

Add the mushrooms to the pan, increase the heat and fry for two minutes before adding the white wine and leaving that to reduce by half. 

Add the mushroom liquid, and let that reduce until the consistency thickens to a jus.  Season to taste.  Add some lemon juice and cream if you wish.  Add the tofu back into the pan, turn the heat down and just let that cook for a few minutes.  Serve with chopped spring onion.