Cornmeal Crusted Tofu + Raw Kale Salad

Another quick weeknight meal - this cornmeal crusted tofu is simple and delicious. I highly recommend serving a little BBQ sauce alongside the tofu for dipping as plain, the tofu is a little bland. We rounded out this dish with some mashed roasted sweet potatoes (with skins on). Not only are roasted mashed sweet potatoes easy, they are high in Vitamin C, B6 and potassium. Don't let the raw kale salad deter you - it's super easy to make and is a fantastic way to get some nutritious greens in your day. While kale is usually a bit tough when raw, marinating and rubbing the chopped kale with a little olive oil tenderizes the leaves and enhances their flavor. I suggest using a high quality oil for this - we used the Koroneiki olive oil from Oliver's in San Clemente although, I could see where using a truffle oil or a walnut oil would work fabulously as well. Kale is such a nutrient dense vegetable that I've been attempting to include it in our diet 2-3x a week! A single cup has over your RDA for Vitamins K and A and almost all your RDA of Vitamin C in addition to fiber, minerals, flavenoids, and almost no calories.

The raw kale salad is garnished with a handful of hemp seeds for added crunch and nutrition. Maybe you haven't heard of hemp seeds or the very notion of "hemp" conjures up your extra-curricular activities in college...but before you call me crazy let me tell you a little about this special seed. Hemp seeds are just like any other high nutrient seed that you might be more familiar with such as flax or chia. They are high in protein, omega-3 fatty acids and are an excellent source of zinc, magnesium, phosphorous and iron. For those of you who are veggie/vegan iron can be a hard thing to get enough of so here's a great source!

Serves 4
INGREDIENTS:

• 1 package of extra-firm organic tofu
• 1/4 cup cornmeal, ground finer in coffee or spice grinder
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• BBQ sauce for serving alongside tofu

• 3 large sweet potatoes, halved lengthwise
• cooking spray
• 1/4 cup soy or almond milk

• 4 cups kale, ribs removed and leaves chopped 
• 1/2 small red bell pepper, minced
• 1 small shallot, minced
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• squeeze of lemon (from about half lemon)
• 1/4 tsp dried thyme
• 3 Tbsp hemp seeds
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375' and line baking sheet with foil. Spray foil with cooking spray and place sweet potatoes cut side down on foil. Bake until tender, about 30-45 minutes.
2. Remove from oven and place in bowl with soy milk. Mash with potato masher or fork and set aside, covered, to keep warm.
3. Prepare salad by combining kale and 1 Tbsp olive oil in large bowl. Massage oil into kale for 1-2 minutes. Add remaining ingredients (except hemp seeds) and toss. Set aside to marinate while you do the tofu.
4. Drain the tofu and press with paper towels to remove excess water.
5. Combine the cornmeal and spices in shallow bowl. 
6. Slice the tofu into 8 pieces and lightly coat in cornmeal mixture.
7. Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat and add tofu. Pan fry each side until golden brown about 2 minutes per side.
8. Serve tofu with BBQ sauce alongside, kale salad (garnish with hemp seeds) and mashed sweet potato.