That Weird Tofu Salad Dish Paul's Grandma Makes

Summer is the best time, a time for potluck picnics and barbecues. Nothing beats a frantic morning of cooking followed by a lazy, luxurious day of eating and relaxing with friends long into the warm Californian evening.

One of my favorite go-to barbecue sides is based on something my grandmother makes. She never bothers with trivial things like measuring, so this represents some reverse engineering on my mom's part. I've been meaning to share it for some time (I took the photos over a year ago), but for some reason this post has been sitting in my drafts folder. Well, I've been spending the last few days on the couch with a cold, and I'm completely bored, so here we are.

Ingredients

Serves 8 as a side. 10-20 minutes prep, depending on how much time you spend cleaning the bean sprouts.

1. 1 Block Tofu
2. 1/4 Cup Sesame Oil
3. 1/8 Cup Vegetable Oil
4. 1/3 Cup Soy Sauce
5. 2 cloves Garlic
6. 8 oz. Moyashi mung bean sprouts
7. 1 stalk Green onion
8. Cilantro

Ava and I used to regularly get our tofu from the San Jose Tofu Company, and it tastes a lot better than anything sealed in a carton. Now that we live in the city it's a bit more annoying to go to Japantown, but fresh tofu is worth it if you can find some.

Directions

1. Drain the tofu. Cut it in half horizontally so you have two short slabs. Lay them flat in the bottom of a casserole container.
2. Wash and clean the bean sprouts. I like to snap off the ends because I think it looks prettier, but this takes a lot of time. Lay the bean sprouts on top of the tofu.
3. Sprinkle chopped cilantro and green onions over the top.
4. Mix the sesame oil, vegetable oil, soy sauce, and crushed garlic. Pour over the tofu and bean sprouts.

Serve chilled.

You can add the sauce just before serving for easier transport, but the longer the tofu gets to absorb the garlic and soy sauce the more delicious it gets.