Creamy tarragon-jerk pasta with orange peppers, mushrooms and tofu

March 29, 2006 Update:

This recipe is now featured in And They Cook, Too a bloggers’ fundraising coobook for Doctors Without Borders!

Own it now in handy, spiral-bound format!

I made this up last week from the stuff in the fridge and I’ve had it about 45 times since then. It’s creamy, low-fat, high-vegetable, with a lovely fragrant tarragon aroma and just a soupcon of jerk seasoning.

I have no accurate measurements. The following instructions are per person.

1. In a fry pan on med-high, sautee some onion or shallots in olive oil for about 2 minutes
2. Add crushed garlic, sautee 2 more minutes
3. Throw in a splash of dry sherry, sautee until onions achieve that almost mythological transparent state that is so easy to envision but so difficult to actually achieve.
4. Slice up about a quarter block of extra-firm tofu– razor-thin, into wee little rectangles, toss into pan and sautee on high until it they start to brown.
5. Throw in a quarter to a half orange pepper, also sliced razor thin…
6. … Then some chopped mushrooms.
7. Reduce heat to med-low
8. add tarragon, salt, pepper, a dash of allspice, a quarter tsp of maple syrup, and a pinkie fingernail’s worth of jerk seasoning (mine is Star brand), toss all ingredients well
9. cover, simmer until mushrooms are tender
10. sprinkle contents of pan with flour, then with nutritional yeast, stir until all objects in pan are coated like shake n’ bake, only without either the shaking or the baking.
11. Slowly add soy milk, perhaps a quarter cup at a time, stirring well so yeast and flour are disolved. Assess relative thickness of resulting sauce between milk additions. First aim to get it wetter, then raise heat back to medium and simmer, stirring, until it thickens, resulting in a wonderful, creamy, fragrant tarragon-jerk sauce.
12. Serve orver whole wheat pasta. I like it with penne or fusili.

vegan, recipe, vegetarian