• Fast
• Healthy
• Vegetarian

Ingredients

1. 1/4 cup rice vinegar
2. 3 tablespoons white miso paste
3. 2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
4. 1 tablespoon tahini paste
5. 1 tablespoon agave syrup (see Note)
6. 2 teaspoons mirin
7. 1/8 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
8. 1 pound extra-firm tofu, drained and cut into 4 blocks
9. Vegetable oil
10. Three 7-by-8-inch sheets of toasted nori (seaweed), cut into strips
11. 1/2 cup water
12. 1 tablespoon honey
13. 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
14. 1/4 teaspoon sambal oelek or other Asian chile paste
15. Salt and freshly ground black pepper
16. 1 pound medium asparagus
17. 1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
18. 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
19. 2 teaspoons sesame seeds
20. 1/2 cup cilantro leaves
21. 1 large scallion, thinly sliced

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425°. In a medium baking dish, whisk 2 tablespoons of the rice vinegar, 2 tablespoons of the miso and 1 1/2 tablespoons of the soy sauce with the tahini paste, agave syrup, mirin and Chinese five-spice powder until smooth. Add the tofu and turn to coat. Let stand for 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a blender, combine 1/4 cup of vegetable oil with the nori, water, honey, lemon juice, sambal oelek and the remaining 2 tablespoons of rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon of miso paste and 1 tablespoon of soy sauce. Puree until smooth and season lightly with salt and pepper. Refrigerate the vinaigrette.
3. On a baking sheet, toss the asparagus with the sesame oil; season with salt, black pepper and the red pepper. Roast for 10 minutes, until tender and browned.
4. Meanwhile, in a skillet, toast the sesame seeds over moderate heat until fragrant and lightly browned, 1 minute. Let cool.
5. Light a grill and brush with vegetable oil. Remove the tofu from the marinade and grill over moderate heat, turning once, until browned and heated through, 6 minutes. Cut each block into 3 slices.
6. Spoon some of the nori vinaigrette onto plates. Top with the asparagus and tofu. Sprinkle with the toasted sesame seeds, cilantro and scallion and serve.

Notes

Sweet agave syrup, made from the agave plant, is available at health-food stores and Whole Foods Market.

One Serving 361 cal, 25 gm fat, 3.2 gm sat fat, 19 gm carb, 5.6 gm fiber.