Tofu Steaks with Miso-Pinenut-Pistachio Glaze

I have to share something with you because I am a little unnerved about the whole situation. I went to bed. And I woke up. With 12 spider bites. T-w-e-l-v-e! Little sequential red splotches; very itchy. I was so freaked out, I immediately stripped the bedding, washed everything in sight, vacuumed the floors, scrubbed counters, and took a hot shower. No sign of any spider. Gross. I can't even let myself imagine what happened while I lay sleeping because I get too creeped out at the slightest thought of it.

Okay, I feel a little better now, not just because I shared my horrorifying experience, but because my apartment is clean. I mean, I always like a clean apartment (who doesn't?), but if for some reason it wasn't clean, it certainly is now.

Now that that is out of the way, I can talk to you about tofu. Tofu is like a blank canvas just waiting for some creativity to come rescue it from the depths of boredom. It begs for anything at all, so forgiving and so grateful for any little improvement you can offer. A friend of mine told me she wanted to eat more tofu, but didn't know what else to do with it besides soaking it in a little soyaki sauce.

So, I thought I would share my rendition of these creative little tofu steaks served up the lovely Medicine Eat Station in San Francisco.

INGREDIENTS:

* 1 block extra firm tofu
* 1.5 Tbsp. pinenuts, ground
* 1.5 Tbsp. pistachios, ground
* 1/2 Tbsp. white miso paste
* 1/2 tsp. soy sauce
* 1/2 Tbsp. agave nectar
* 1 Tbsp. water
* 1/4 tsp. rice wine vinegar
* 1/2 tsp. mirin

DIRECTIONS:

* Cut the block of tofu in half lengthwise and then in thirds so that you have 6 rectangles.
* Combine the ground pinenuts, ground pistachios, miso, soy sauce, agave, water, rice wine vinegar and mirin in a bowl and mix until it forms a paste. Set aside.
* In a skillet over medium high heat, heat a couple teaspoons of oil and cook the tofu steaks until the edges brown on all sides. Remove from heat and put into a heat safe dish.
* Spread out a scoop of the miso paste onto each tofu steak and place under the broiler for a few minutes until it bubbles a little and browns slightly on the top. Take care not to burn it because the miso topping will burn very quickly if left unattended!

Note: Serve over brown or red rice and a side of steamed edamame!