A tofu experiment on Sexy Vegetarian Thursday!

It's been a long week, dear readers, since we last met here at Cheeky Caprice. I decided that for this week's Sexy Vegetarian Thursday post, I would play around with a reliable chicken recipe inspired by a Rachel Ray dish. Mr. J and I enjoy sweet lemon chicken, a dish made with lemon curd and lemon juice served atop rice that is quick, easy, and really delicious.

The process was something like this:

I thought, "Why not replace the chicken with tofu? That actually sounds really yummy and light. Why haven't I thought of this before?!" *facepalm*

However, when I mixed the tofu in with the lemon sauce, it looked absolutely horrific. It was chunky, thick, and a bizarre white/brown color. Morbid curiosity led me to taste the disgusting goop. Low and behold, it tasted AMAZING. It was subtly sweet yet savory.

The only logical option, in my mind anyway, was to blend the mixture into a smooth, creamy sauce. It had the consistency of hummus, which I think threw Mr. J off a bit because the flavor was citrusy. I loved it, though! I was so surprised by how thick the tofu sauce was, and now I can see why vegans use it to replace cream and cheese based sauces.

If you're feeling creative, perhaps my little experiment will inspire you to play around with textures and flavors.

Lemon Tofu Sauce

1 package firm tofu
flour to dread
2 tsp. white vinegar
4 Tbs. lemon juice
3 Tbs. lemon curd (I like Dickinson's)
1/2 tsp. lemon extract
3 Tbs. water
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. lemon pepper spice or just black pepper

Drain the tofu and press with a paper towel. Cut the tofu into small cubes and dredge with flour.

Place a large skillet over medium heat. Pour the vinegar into the skillet and watch carefully as it evaporates.

When the vinegar evaporates, put the lemon juice, lemon curd, lemon extract, spices, and 2 Tbs. water in the skillet. Whisk the ingredients as they heat until the lemon curd dissolves. Bring to a simmer.

Turn heat to low. Add tofu and stir until heated through.

Transfer to blender or food processor. Add last Tbs. water and blend until smooth.

Serve hot on top of rice.

Enjoy!