With just over a week left in Louisiana, I am making every effort to get out and enjoy this state as much as possible. Most days, as the sun gets low, I have been packing up my family and a super simple dinner and taking it to one of Shreveport's many gorgeous parks. It may seem as if all of my easy dinners are one handed affairs, and while that's not entirely true, a meal sandwich sure does come in handy when you're dining outside in the Bayou State. It's good to have a hand free to bat away the mosquitoes.
This sandwich consists of:
big crusty rolls
1 package firm tofu, frozen and defrosted
about 1/2 cup barbecue sauce
about 1/2 cup water
As you probably know, when you freeze and defrost tofu it changes the texture. You can squeeze the excess water right out of it with your hands. It gets more spongey and rugged - making it a good candidate for shaving thin and soaking up barbecue sauce. It becomes chewier and a bit heartier. I quickly browned this shaved tofu in a bit of oil before adding some diluted barbecue sauce (about a cup I'd say, but enough to cover the tofu in a medium sized skillet). Simmer the tofu in the sauce until most of the liquid is absorbed/ evaporated, about 10 minutes over medium-low.
While the tofu is simmering, toast your rolls and make your slaw (though you could also make the slaw as far ahead as yesterday.)
For each sandwich, I shredded a leaf of kale and half a carrot. Then I moistened the vege with some vegenaise and chow chow (I love all of the pickles and preserves you find here.). With this sweet spicy relish from the farmers market here, I found that my slaw didn't need anything else, but by all means, please, taste it. Add salt, or perhaps hot sauce if it needs more zing. Or if you don't have chow chow, use any ol' slaw you desire.
To assemble the sandwiches: butter your rolls with vegenaise and cram in as much barbecue and slaw as you can comfortably fit. There were enough fixins for 3 large sandwiches. Please bring vinegary Louisiana-style hot sauce for garnish.
Happy, happy summer, my friends.
