Citrus-Herb Maple Tofu and Arugula Salad

Maple and soy sauce marinated, sweet, herb-seasoned tofu over fresh arugula and spinach with cinnamon-nutmeg orange slices and fresh avocado. In under 30 minutes. It's a delicious big fresh flavorful salad meal!

This salad came together because I found this citrus-herb blend at the grocery, and the rest went from there:

If you don't have something similar or can't find it, no worries- just throw together some sesame seeds, diced orange and lemon peel, garlic and onion powder, parsley, coriander, and fennel. But especially the coriander and citrus peel- they're what make it go so well with the rest of the ingredients in the salad.

Maple-Orange Tofu and Arugula Salad
Serves 2-3
Ingredients:

• 1 package extra or super-firm tofu
• 1/4 cup Soy Sauce
• 1/4 cup Maple Syrup, divided
• Citrus-Herb seasoning blend (see above if you don't have this)- about 1 Tbsp total
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 large ripe avocado, cubed
• 1 can mandarin organges
• Juice from 1/2 small orange
• 4-5 large handfuls of arugula or argula/spinach mix

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 450F.
2. Make sure you have drained the tofu well (press with paper towels until no more water comes out). Slice into 1-inch thick slices.
3. In a low bowl, mix together soy sauce, 3 Tbsp of the maple syrup, and the herb seasoning. 
4. Add the tofu slices (a few at a time, whatever fits in your bowl) and let sit on each side until the marinade soaks in a bit (about 30 sec-1min each side for each slice).
5. In a large pan, heat a little olive oil. Add the tofu slices and cook until golden brown, about 4-5 minutes each side. 
6. Spray a cookie sheet with a little cooking spray, and transfer the tofu slices to the sheet. Drizzle the remaining ~1Tbsp maple syrup over the tofu slices, and sprinkle a little more seasoning over  the top. Place in the oven for about 10 minutes.
7. For the salad, toss the mandarin oranges in the cinnamon & nutmeg. Place your greens in a large bowl and drizzle the juice from the 1/2 orange over the greens. Add the spiced mandarin oranges and gently toss. Then add the avocado, and top with tofu slices to serve. 

Kind of like Christmas in a salad bowl. It's fresh and zesty, but warmed by the spices and maple. The tofu tastes great hot or even cold the next day, too.

The avocado isn't a must here.... but isn't everything better with avocado? ;-)

I rarely use dressing on my salads... I love letting light, fresh greens speak for themselves. Drizzle a little citrus, or balsamic; use a little hummus or avocado, or sometimes salsa- and that's usually enough to bring everything together and let you really enjoy a fresh salad. Here, the little bit of fresh squeezed orange does just the trick.

Enjoy!