BRYANNA'S ALMOST-BLUE-CHEESE DRESSING

Yield: about 3 cups

I've been playing with this recipe for years. It's never going to be just like blue cheese dressing, but this is good! Try it on a classic Ruby grapefruit and avocado salad on baby organic greens-- it makes a great change from sweet dressings on a salad like that!

1 (12.3 oz.) box extra-firm SILKEN tofu, crumbled

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup soymilk

12 little cubes white Chinese fermented beancurd, gently rinsed (see Cooking Tips below)

3 1/2 Tbs lemon juice

2 1/2 Tbs tahini

4 tsp cider vinegar

1 Tbs light miso

1/2 tsp salt

1 large clove garlic, crushed

1/8 tsp white pepper

Blend everything in a blender until smooth, scrape into a covered jar, and refrigerate.

Nutrition Facts

Nutrition (per 2 Tbs): 26.3 calories; 49% calories from fat; 1.5g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 235.6mg sodium; 41.7mg potassium; 1.5g carbohydrates; 0.2g fiber; 0.3g sugar; 1.3g net carbs; 2.0g protein; 0.6 points.

Cooking Tips

To achieve the full "punch" in this dressing you need Chinese fermented or preserved bean curd (white doufu-ru) for it. This is a very inexpensive Chinese condiment that has a kind of "bleu cheese" flavor . (The cubes are very strong-tasting when eaten by themselves, which you aren't meant to do.)

      It comes in little jars (you can see little white cubes of tofu in a clear liquid) and you can get it in Asian stores or the Asian section of large supermarkets (I have never NOT been able to find it in a Chinese store, but I'm having a hard time finding it online!). It keeps forever in the fridge, so you can get a few jars when you find it, if you like this dressing.

      There are several varieties of this product and may be referred to by different names, but the jar is clear glass and you can see little white cubes in an almost clear liquid. If the liquid is reddish, it's got chile in it. You want the kind with just soybeans, salt, water and wine, but if all you can find is the one with sesame oil in it, that will do.  SEE MORE ABOUT THIS PRODUCT AT THIS POST.