Tofu Cacciatore

I made Chicken Cacciatore for Robin the other night. It looked and smelled so good I modified the recipe to be vegan so I could enjoy it too! Here’s what I made.

Ingredients:
12 ounces firm organic tofu
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ cup all purpose flour for dredging
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large red bell pepper (chopped)
1 onion (chopped)
3 garlic cloves (minced)
4 ounces mushrooms (sliced)
¾ cup dry white wine
1  28-ounce can diced tomatoes with juice
¾ cup low sodium vegetable broth
3 tablespoons capers (drained)
1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano leaves
¼ cup fresh basil leaves (coarsely chopped)

Directions:
Cut tofu into 1-inch squares. Pat dry with paper or other moisture absorbing towels. Place tofu squares in a baggie with flour and shake to coat squares.

In a large heavy sauté pan, heat the oil over a medium-high flame. Add the tofu to the pan and sauté on all sides just until brown, about 3-4 minutes per side. Remove tofu to paper towels and drain. Set aside.

Add bell pepper, onion and garlic to the same pan and sauté over medium heat until the onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the mushrooms and wine and simmer until reduced by half, about 3-4 minutes. Add the tomatoes and juice, the broth, capers and oregano. Return the tofu to the pan and turn them to coat in the sauce. Bring the sauce to a simmer. Cover and continue simmering over medium-low heat until the tofu is warmed through, about 15 minutes.

Garnish with basil and serve over rice, linguini or rigatoni noodles.