Dreamy Creamy Tofu, Pickle, and Pea Salad

Sometimes I go weeks without eating tofu. I go through phases. Beans...tofu...tempeh. And repeat. Cycling through proteins. Today, I seem to be back to tofu. I was craving a little tofu salad for lunch, so I whipped this up in a snap. Tangy and creamy but still light, and perfectly paired with some fresh greens or rolled up in a soft wrap.

Honestly, I didn't measure anything. But here's a simple guide, so you can alter amounts to your flavor preference.

Ingredients:

• Tofu- I used a mix of super firm and silken (You can use all extra/super firm if you want your tofu to remain mostly in cubes; I combined so it would be part scramble, part cubes). This was a total of about 1 package tofu. 
• Olive oil (about 1 Tbsp)
• Maple syrup (about 1 Tbsp)
• Peas (about 1 cup)
• Vegenaise - about 1/2 cup (I used reduced fat)
• Sprinkle of nutritional yeast (optional)
• Dijon mustard of choice- about 1/4 cup (see note below)
• Pickles of choice, diced (about 1/4 cup)
• Freshly chopped dill and basil (about 1-2 Tbsp of each)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Steps:

1. Drain and press your tofu. Slice into cubes.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large pan. Add the tofu and saute until lightly browned on all sides. Then add the maple syrup, a little pepper, and the peas (lightly pre-cooked and drained if frozen), and cook for another minute or two.
3. While the tofu is cooking, add the sauce ingredients to a bowl and mix well. Taste it to alter amounts to your liking. I ended up going back out to the garden for more dill ;-)
4. Allow the tofu to cool a bit, and then add it to the sauce and mix gently to coat well. Chill until serving.

This keeps well for a day or two, and makes for great lunches or a pot-luck dish. See my other Tofu Salad post for a different variation.

Notes:
See my post on tofu if you aren't super familiar with tofu types & prep. Or if you are tofu-wary ;-)

I used "award winning" mustard (at least, that's what the guy told me lol) from our Farmer's market. It is really good, and it definitely adds a lot to the flavor here. Since I'm assuming most of you don't live in my neighborhood, I recommend a good stone-ground mustard you like, and perhaps adding a little roasted garlic. But if you are in the Bay Area, it was Home Maid Company's roasted garlic mustard.

If you've never tried Vegenaise, I recommend giving it a go. I was really wary of trying a vegan version of mayonnaise, since I pretty much NEVER used mayo as a vegetarian (not really a fan). But there are plenty of different flavors and varieties, the taste is really mild (at least the original, anyway), and the consistency perfectly smooth, so it serves as a really good base for recipes like this.

Best enjoyed on a sunny day, enjoying some time outside with a best friend ;-)