For April’s Chef Spotlight dinner event, we’re highlighting vegetarian and vegan chefs. My friend Yumi prepared this dish for the dinner and the recipe comes from Chef Mark Shadle.
When it comes to creating mouthwatering macrobiotic vegetarian cuisine, Chef Mark Shadle is a natural. Classically trained at a world-renowned French restaurant in Hartford, Connecticut, he has been a professional chef for the last 20 years. Chef Shadle put his skills and talent to the test at the Culinary Olympics in Germany, where his outstanding vegetarian cooking helped lead his teams to victory. Today, he’s back in his hometown, cooking up healthy and humane cuisine at It’s Only Natural, the vegetarian restaurant that he owns and operates.
With Chef Shadle at the helm, it’s no wonder that It’s Only Natural has won numerous awards, including from the Hartford Advocate, Hartford Magazine, Connecticut Magazine, and Vegetarian Times. Priding himself on creating “nouveau natural cuisine,” he makes house favorites—like spicy Cajun tempeh cutlets smothered with caramelized onions and a roasted red pepper sauce, potato-and-spinach pierogies served with apple butter and tofu sour cream, and chocolate hazelnut cake with toasted hazelnuts—instant classics that are adored by carnivores and herbivores alike. — VegCooking
1 lb. fresh tofu
1 cup flour
For the Marinade:
1/2 cup red wine
1/2 cup white wine
2 Tbsp. tamari or soy sauce
1 tsp. garlic
2 bay leaves
1/2 cup water
1 Tbsp. dried sage
For the White Wash:
2 cups water
1 cup flour
For the Crumb Mixture:
1 1/2 cups bread crumbs
2 Tbsp. dried sage
Press the tofu between 2 plates to remove excess water. Cut into 7 to 8 equal slices.
Combine all the ingredients for the marinade in a bowl. Marinate the tofu for at least 4 hours.
In a small bowl, whisk together the ingredients for the white wash until smooth.
In another bowl, combine the ingredients for the crumb mixture. Have a third bowl filled with the remaining 1 cup of flour.
Dip the tofu into the flour, into the white wash, and then into the crumb mixture. Place on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Bake in a 400ºF oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes.
Makes 2 to 3 servings
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