Vegan Luau! (Take that, Winter.)

Ah, yes. There's nothing quite like teriyaki tofu and cocktails in colors insulting to nature to beat back the late-February blues -- that seemed to be the reasoning behind the vegan Hawaiian potluck I attended this past weekend, anyway. 

As far as party premises go, a luau-style escape from dreary NW weather seems like a no-brainer. As far as vegan potluck parties go however, the theme presents some challenges. And by "challenges" I mean that there is no such thing as vegan Hawaiian food...besides pineapples and coconuts, of course. 

Never having visited the island, the bulk of my knowledge about Hawaiian cuisine was largely based on rumors about some kind of SPAM obsession. But until this weekend, I didn't realize how central that spongy, pink, pork-flavored bastard cousin of actual pig meat really is to the Hawaiian diet.  I naively assumed that somewhere behind a mountain of blue-tinned meats and pigs on spits there were beans, grains, or greens to be had. A quick Google search on "vegan Hawaiian food" revealed otherwise, however; apparently, all Hawaiian salads (noodle or otherwise) come covered in mayo or fish sauce, nearly everything comes with pork, and there is nary a green in sight.  I did manage to find a relatively easy recipe for Teriyaki tofu with pineapple without too much difficulty though, which was especially nice since my first reaction to the invitation had gone something like this: "Woohoo! Blue cocktails, grilled pineapple, and teriyaki tofu!" 

(Just for the record, this picture does not adequately convey the deliciousness of this dish.)

Hawaiian-Style Sticky Tofu:

 Ingredients

14 oz. extra firm tofu, cut into 16 thin slices 

1/4 C. plus 2 T tamari

2 green onions, chopped

1 large garlic clove, peeled

1 tsp cornstarch

3/4 teaspoon agar agar, powder (this makes it sticky)

1/2 C plus 2 T hot water 

1/4 cup maple syrup or agave

1 1/2 teaspoons vegetarian "chicken" boullion

1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground mustard powder

1 (14 -19oz) can unsweetened pineapple chunks, drained

1 large green pepper or 1 large red bell pepper (or 1/2 of each), seeded and cut into squares 

Directions

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. 

Quickly brown the tofu slices in a nonstick pan until browned on both sides.

Place in one layer in a nonstick or lightly-oiled 9 x 13" baking pan.

Place the soy sauce, green onion, garlic, cornstarch, and agar in blender and blend well. Add the remaining ingredients except the pineapple and green pepper. Mix well, then pour into a saucepan and stir over high heat until it boils. Stir and let it boil for about 1 minute.

Add the pineapple and green pepper, then pour over the tofu in the pan. 

Bake for 15 minutes.  Garnish with scallions and serve with white rice.

**I followed this recipe exactly and thought the results were okay. It seemed to lack complexity...maybe fresh ginger, a squirt of lime, or some juice from the canned pineapple would have helped. On the other hand, my friends really liked it, and people went back for more. It was also way better the next day. I'm sure I'd make it again, but I suppose I'd recommend it to someone who was, oh I don't know, attending a vegan Hawaiian potluck...**