This recipe is adapted from The Okinawa Program (a plan authored by the scientists of the Okinawan Centenarian Study), but we asked Sensei Yukie Miyaguni, head of a cooking school in Okinawa, to spice it up. This is a perfect main dish that will delight vegetarian friends and even satisfy meat eaters. Soybean-based foods, including miso and tofu, are key staples in the traditional Okinawan diet, which is high in nutrients and antioxidants but low in calories and fat.
1⁄2 pound firm tofu, sliced into four square pieces
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon vegetable or soybean oil
1 1⁄2 cups shiitake mushrooms
1 tablespoon mirin
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1 tablespoon red miso paste
1⁄4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1⁄2 cup chopped leeks or green onion
Cherry tomato halves, for garnish
Coat the wet tofu with flour.
In a sauté pan over medium- high heat, brown tofu in vegetable or soybean oil for 3-4 minutes per side.
In separate pan, sauté mushrooms, mirin, ginger, miso, and pepper flakes in sesame oil over medium heat for 3-4 minutes or until the mushrooms are cooked.
When done, turn off heat and add leeks or green onion to the pan, mixing to combine.
Place two pieces of tofu per plate and cover with seasoned mushrooms.
Garnish with cherry tomato halves.
The Blue Zones Kitchen fuses scientific reporting, National Geographic photography and 100 recipes that may help you live to 100. The Blue Zones’ food tradition is going the way of the dodo bird, thanks to the encroachment of the American Food Culture.
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