I know I’m a bit late to the party, but I’ve been seeing all these Superbowl recipes and although I’m not much of a football buff, they’ve made me a bit envious. So for the first time in a few years I turned on the TV and cooked up some ginger lime buffalo wings (which I’ll post later), a fresh loaf of bread and this tofu spinach artichoke dip.
My last tofu post seemed to get a good reception (I didn’t even get any hatemail), so here’s another tofu dish. This one was inspired by the stove-top Spinach Cheese Dip over at the fantastic White On Rice Couple.
I hope Diane doesn’t kill me for mutilating her recipe, but I love spinach dip, and seeing as I could eat a whole batch by myself, I figured I needed to do something to make it a little healthier (or at least to be able to justify it in my head). I’ve added artichoke hearts and swapped out the cream cheese and milk for silken tofu. I also use a 50/50 mix of Parm Reg and Gruyere, then sprinkle the top with some additional Gruyere before putting it into a hot oven to brown the top.
I won’t lie to you, it’s not quite as rich as the all cheese version, but it’s still creamy and in some ways I like it better. It still has all the cheesy flavor but is lighter, so you can eat more of it. If by some miracle there are leftovers, put it in an omelet the next morning.
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Before you conclude that I’ve totally lost it, let me explain. Tofu is one of those things that people either detest, or are just okay with. Unlike other broadly disliked foods (like brussel sprouts), you never hear anyone proclaiming their unholy love for tofu. People seem to either hate it for its blandness or because of that “tofu” flavor that comes through in almost anything you make with it.
So for all you tofu haters, here’s a dish where you can’t taste the tofu and is far from bland. It’s rich, nutty and decadent with a tart magenta gelée that “pops” both visually and flavourwise. Yes, mine looks a little ghetto because I didn’t strain the gelée, but that’s why you have me. To make the mistakes, so you don’t have to:-)
I know this wasn’t made in a terrine, and doesn’t really have any ingredients associated with a traditional terrine (i.e. liver, headcheese, etc), but I honestly couldn’t think of a better name for it. To prove it, here are some names I rejected:
Tofu cheese: While this is probably more accurate in terms of flavour and texture, it sounds like some kind of awful processed and vacuum sealed vegan product that doesn’t need to be refrigerated.
Tofu pâté: As if tofu isn’t disliked enough by itself, why not put it next to another food item that’s widely reviled.
Tofu dip: Well this is getting closer, but this still has a hippie health food connotation and besides that, this is so dense that if you tried to “dip” a chip or cracker in it, you’d break it off (and we all know that’s the #2 party faux pas after double dipping).
If you’re still not convinced, would it help if I told you this was good for you? Tofu is a great source of protein and has been proven to lower LDL cholesterol. For those concerned about such things, it’s also available in non-GMO organic varieties. Tahini is rich in manganese, calcium, Vitamin E and antioxidants and has phytosterols that help lower lower cholesterol as well.
While the red shiso/tahini combo is really what makes this dish, I realize that dried salted red shiso isn’t exactly easy to find. You could also make the gelée with salted plum (ume). Oh and if you’re vegetarian/vegan you could always just skip the gelée and roll the whole thing in Za’atar or Sumac.
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