Killer Tofu with the Beets

Who remembers the TV show Doug? Furthermore, who remembers The Beets and their hit song Killer Tofu?

When we received our CSA a couple of weeks ago, it was full of beets. I'd never cooked them before, but I knew I wanted to create a dish to go with The Beets' song from the '90s.

The primary spice I used in this dish was Chinese five-spice powder, a mix of ginger, anise, cinnamon, fennel, and cloves. It went perfectly with the mildly sweet flavor of the beets - mine came from an Asian foods store.

When you use the beet greens, be sure to discard the stems and even de-stem a good portion of the leaves - the stems can be tough and bitter, and the sweetness is the best part of this dish. And when you cook the rice, rather than adding water, try some vegetable stock for flavor.

Killer Tofu

5 medium beets, sliced 1/8 inch thick

Greens of 5 beets, chopped

1 sweet onion, chopped

1/3 package of tofu, pressed and crumbled

5 egg whites or 3 whole eggs, beaten

1 1/2 cups brown rice, cooked

1/2 tsp. ginger

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

Five-spice powder

Lay the beets on a greased baking sheet. Brush each with a light coat of oil, then sprinkle generously with five-spice powder and a little salt. Bake at 400 degrees until just tender - about 10-12 minutes.

Meanwhile, you can chop the greens and onion. If you have a fresh sweet onion, be sure to use the greens, too. When the beets are done, toss the beets, greens, and onion together.

Combine the crumbled tofu and egg whites in a small bowl with the ginger and ground pepper. Layer the bottom of a well-greased 9x9 baking dish with rice, then sprinkle it with five-spice powder. On top, put the beet mix, then pour the tofu mix on top of that. The tofu should lay on top of the beets - do not stir. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt.

Doesn't look very appetizing right now, does it? I promise you, this is a very tasty dish.

Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes, or until tofu is lightly browned.

Tofu may be a "strange bean curd," but there's no tastier way to eat it.