Mustard and Panko-Crusted Tofu with Kale and Yams

It seems appropriate to follow up a barbecuing post with an uber-healthy vegan recipe. Looking for an alternative to our usual Asian tofu preparations, The Gastronomer and I stumbled upon this recipe on epicurious.com. Aided by The Gastronomer's brilliant suggestion to supplement the prescribed mustard coating on the tofu with Panko bread crumbs, it turned out wonderfully.

Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit, September 2007, courtesy of Epicurious.

• 1 14-ounce package firm tofu
• 1/4 cup spicy apple mustard
• About 1 cup Panko bread crumbs
• Vegetable oil
  
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped
  
• 2 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
• 1 bunch kale, stem cut from each leaf, leaves thinly sliced crosswise (about 8 cups)
• 1 medium red-skinned sweet potato (yam; about 12 ounces), peeled, halved lengthwise, thinly sliced crosswise
• 2-3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Cut tofu into eight 1/2-inch-thick slices. Squeeze the slices between two paper towels to remove some of the moisture from the tofu. Spread both sides of each tofu slice with mustard, then cover them with breadcrumbs (this is easy to accomplish by pouring some breadcrumbs on a plate, then placing the tofu slices on the plate and flipping them over, taking care not to break up the tofu).

Heat about 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and ginger and sauté 4-5 minutes. Add the kale, sweet potato, and lime juice. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook until the potatoes are tender and the kale is wilted, 10-20 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat a small amount of vegetable oil in another large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the tofu; cover and cook until the bread crumbs are golden, about 2 minutes per side .

Arrange kale and sweet potato mixture on a plate. Overlap tofu slices atop vegetables and serve.

Yield: 4 servings
Estimated Start-to-Finish Time: Not given
Actual Start-to-Finish Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Substitutions: The original recipe called for 1/2 cup whole grain Dijon mustard--I chose to use spicy apple mustard and found 1/4 cup to be sufficient. I love ginger and used at least 2 tablespoons, while the original recipe only called for 1.