Roasted Sumac Tofu and Onions

I have had sumac in my spice rack for a while, and it's mostly gathered dust. Thanks to the prodding of my friend Emily I did some research and found Yasmin Khan's recipe for Mussakkhan. I cannot believe I ignored my sumac for so long! This is a lower fat version of the Palestinian dish and I've added a lemon-yogurt sauce to bring everything together. The onions smell amazing as they roast and we've been eating this tofu (and the chicken version) on repeat.

Here the tofu is a blank slate for the richness of the sumac and unbelievable buttery sweetness of the red onions. The yogurt sauce brings all of the flavors together in perfect harmony. You make this dish in JUST ONE pan. Marinate your onions and tofu for 30 minutes to 3 hours before you want to start cooking. It bakes in 35-40 minutes. Serve it over over naan or other flat bread.

A Note About Sumac. If you've never used it, it's not spicy. It has both a sharpness acidity balanced with a deep earthiness. My kids find the flavor to be a bit strong for their tastebuds, but my mild yogurt sauce and sweet onions balance it all out.

Note about Protein: this recipe works well with chicken too.

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Roasted Sumac Onions and Tofu

Adapted from Yasmin Khan's "Mussakkhan" in Zaitoun: Recipes from the Palestinian Kitchen

Serves 4. Prep 10 minutes. Marinate 30 minutes- 3 hours. Cook 35-40 minutes

Ingredients

1 pound extra firm or super firm tofu, patted dry and sliced lengthwise into 5 even slices

2 medium or one very large red onion sliced into thin 1/4 inch thin strips

1 medium lemon, juiced

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons sumac

3 cloves of garlic crushed

1 teaspoon cumin

1/8 teaspoon ground clove

1/4 heaped teaspoon cinnamon

4 tablespoons pine nuts (for garnish)

Lemony Yogurt Sauce

1/2 lemon juiced

1 teaspoon lemon peel

1/2 cup greek or regular yogurt (any fat)

2 tablespoons mayonaise

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon sugar (trust me)

2-3 tablespoons chopped mint (mint is ideal but parsley, dill cilantro will work)

*Serving Suggestion: serve with Naan (rice, or steamed riced cauliflower also work well)

STEP ONE

Prep your onions and tofu and put them in a non-reactive pan to marinating ingredients. Create spice mix with sumac, garlic, cumin, glove, cinnamon, and lemon. Rub 2/3 over tofu. Add olive oil to remaining 1/3 and use to coat the onions. Put in fridge for 30minutes - 3 hours.

STEP TWO

Preheat oven to 425. Spread onions evenly on a sheet pan with an edge. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Pull the pan from the oven and stir the onions and push them towards the sides of the pan. Put the tofu in the middle of the pan but make sure that there's a little space in between the different pieces. Continue to roast for another 15 minutes or until tofu takes on a little color. It won't change that much.

STEP THREE

While tofu and onions roast, make your lemon yogurt sauce: combined all the ingredients and stir. Toast pine nuts: heat a skillet on medium heat and then add roughly a 1/2 tablespoon of oil on a skillet. toast the nuts until fragrant and they take on color. Once they start toasting, don't walk away from them or they'll burn!

STEP FOUR

Remove tofu and onions from the oven. warm some naan in the oven (we like trader joes frozen naan or the fresh naan from our local Indian restaurant). Plate tofu and onions on top of naan sprinkle on pine nuts and drizzle yogurt sauce. ENJOY!