Olive Bar Medley with Tofu “Feta”

Colorful and briny, small servings of this appetizer go a long way. Choose two or three different varieties of pitted olives from your supermarket's olive bar. Add one extra item, as listed in the last ingredient suggestions, in this list, such as pickled peppers or garlic, to spice up the mix. If you'd like to pair this up with another appetizer, my suggestion would be something mellow, such as Green Pea, Parsley, and Pistachio Dip with raw veggies, plus fresh sliced baguette. Recipe adapted from Vegan Holiday Kitchen. Photos by Susan Voisin.

Serves: 12

8 ounces extra-firm tofu
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon oregano

1 ½ cups mixed cured pitted olives
2 celery stalks, thinly sliced on the diagonal
1 small red bell pepper, cut into narrow strips
½ to ¾ cup, cherry peppers, other small pickled peppers,
or pickled garlic, or a combination

Slice the tofu into 4 slabs, crosswise. Blot between layers of paper towel or clean tea towels until you get out as much moisture as you can. Cut the slabs into ½ inch dice.

Place the tofu in the serving container in which you plan to serve this. Toss with the lemon juice and oil; sprinkle with the salt and oregano. Let stand for 30 minutes.

Add the remaining ingredients to the container and toss gently. This can be made ahead of time and refrigerated until needed, or served at once. Spoon small portions of this onto small plates; serve with cocktail forks or toothpicks.

Nutrition Information:
Per serving: 139 calories; 11.7g fat; 784.2mg sodium; 85.8mg potassium; 6.1g carbs; 0.5g fiber; 0.9g sugar; 3.3g protein