Marinated Grilled Tofu

Marinated Grilled Tofu

I wanted to come up with a sexy name for this, but I just could not. It's a super-simple dish. Tofu simply marinated, and then cooked on the grill pan. You could probably pan-fry it or bake it as well, but I really think the grilling gives it extra flavor. I like this brand of tofu because it comes in two smaller blocks, and since it's usually just me eating it, I don't have to prepare more than I can eat in a day or two.

One block of tofu, about 8 oz., sliced into thirds and pressed between towels to remove moisture.

2 Tbsp or so of water

1/2 Tbsp or so of olive oil

1/2 tsp. onion granules (or powder)

1/2 tsp garlic granules (or powder)
1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp dry thyme

1/2 tsp dry basil

1/2 tsp dry oregano

1/2 tsp nutritional yeast

juice of 1/2 a lemon

While the tofu is being pressed, combine the remaining ingredients in a vessel suitable for holding the tofu planks. Place the tofu in the marinade and turn over a few times to ensure good coverage. Marinade for at least 20 minutes, up to several hours. If more than 20 minutes, refrigerate until ready to cook.

Heat a grill or grill pan over high heat and OIL WELL.  I also suggest spraying the tofu planks with spray oil so they don't stick.

Cook for about 8 minutes per side, turning 1/2 turn after 4 minutes for the groovy grill marks. Yummo!

Escarole and Bean Soup

This one is amazingly simple and delicious. It's my first time making it, but was inspired by the head of escarole in this week's CSA box.  I cooked the beans from dried, but canned beans could easily be substituted. Did I mention it's simple?

Escarole and Bean Soup

~3/4 cups dried white beans, cooked OR 1 can white beans

1 TBSP Olive Oil

2 Cloves Garlic, minced or pressed

1 Head Escarole, cleaned and chopped into roughly 1-inch strips 

Vegetable Broth OR Better Than Bouillion

Water

Cook the beans as you normally do (leave in cooking liquied), or use canned, rinsed and drained

Heat the olive oil in a soup pot. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds or so.  Stir in the escarole and stir frequently until wilted, about 5 minutes.

At this point, if you are using canned beans, add about 4 cups water to the pot with about 1/2 TBSP soup base (or use 1/2 water 1/2 broth). Stir in the beans and bring to a simmer. Add more liquid as needed to reach a soup consistency.

If you cooked the beans from dried, add the beans and cooking liquid to the pot. Mix about 1/2 TBSP soup base with 2 cups of water, and add to the pot.

Bring to a simmer and taste for seasoning. Add salt or liquid to taste. 

Buon appetito!

Tofu and Veggie Stir Fry with Cauliflower 'Rice'

We got a lot of baby bok choy in our CSA share this week, so of course I had to make some sort of Asian delight. Stir-fry seemed the obvious choice and I wanted to try something new (at least for me), so I went for a tofu and veggie dish. I have been experimenting with cooking tofu over the past several months, and the biggest challenge has always been getting a texture that I like. With that in mind, I started reading recipes for stir-fry tofu, and pretty much rejected anything that didn't involve pressing and somehow cooking the tofu before adding it to the stir fry.

I found a few recipes that called for baking the tofu first, but I was loathe to create more dishes, so when I read this recipe from Little Spice Jar, I decided to use it as my cooking guide. While I didn't follow her recipe for the sauce, I did use the method, and I was quite pleased with the results! My sweetie thought the tofu was a little  'over-fried', so I will keep that in mind next time as I continue experimenting.

I found this dinner to be completely satisfying and delicious. Also, I used cauliflower rice instead of regular white rice, and I was still completely satisfied after eating one bowl. As is the case with pretty much everything I make, the cast of veggie characters varies depending on what I have on hand. Tonight it was onion, baby bok choy, mushrooms, green beans, romanesco, and water chestnuts.

Tofu and Veggie Stir Fry

For the tofu:

1 block of extra-firm tofu

1-2 TBSP corn starch

Neutral Oil for Cooking

For the sauce: 

1 Tbsp Brown Sugar

3 Tbsp Water

3 Tbsp Soy Sauce

2 Tbsp Dry Sherry

1 Tbsp Rice Vinegar

1/2 Tbsp Corn Starch

1/2 Tbsp Sesame Oil

1-2 Cloves garlic, minced or pressed

2 tsp Fresh grated ginger

Veggies:

1/2 an onion cut into wedges

1 small head of romanesco, cut into florets

8 (or so) raw green beans, cut into one inch lengths

1 can slice water chestnuts (or whole if you bought the wrong ones like me, sliced by your awesome sweetie)

2/3 cup sliced mushrooms

1 bunch baby bok choy

I've seen tofu blocks in a variety of shapes. Slice yours into roughly 1/2 inch pieces, I got three of these from the block I had today. Fold these into a folded-over tea towel between two cutting boards or plates, weight them, and let sit for at least 20 minutes, up to however long you have. 60-90 minutes is great, no need to go longer as far as I can tell. 

Whisk all of the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

Slice all of the veg into whatever size and shape you like in stir-fry.

Remove the tofu from the toweling and cut into squares or rectangles. Toss with cornstarch and cook in hot oil until golden brown and delicious. I didn't time this but I estimate it took close to 10 minutes. I thought the tofu was perfect, but my sweetie thought it went a little long at this stage, so use your judgement. Remove the tofu with a slotted spoon.

Add the onion to the wok and cook for about 4 minutes. Add the romanesco and green beans and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add in the mushrooms and stir for a minute os so, Stir the sauce again and add it to the wok.When it has settled down,stir in the water chestnuts and the bok choy. Cook and stir until the bok choy is completely wilted. Serve with rice or cauliflower rice.

Grain and Vegetable Soup

This soup is a variation of this other veggie soup that I posted previously. This one is loosely based on Bob's Red Mill Veggi soup mix. I call it grain soup because I make it with whatever little bits of grains I have leftover in the pantry on the day I am making it. I will write up what I used today, but you can use pretty much anything, just make sure you have about a cup total of the grains.

I also just use whatever veggies I have on hand, but always at least onions and usually carrots and often celery, but not always. Today I added kale, but I also love this soup with regular ol' cabbage. Summer squash, tomatoes, radishes, potatoes or anything else can also be used.

Grain and Vegetable Soup

Olive oil

1 onion, diced

2 small or 1 big carrot, diced

1 celery stalk, diced

1/4 cup bulgur

1/4 cup barley

1/4 cup split peas

1/4 cup brown rice

8-10 cups water

1 bunch kale

Better than bouillion soup base to taste (or use half broth half water)

Cook the onion, carrot, and celery in the oil in a large soup pot until soft and starting to caramelize, about 10 minutes. Stir in the grains and coat with the veggies and oil. Add 8 cups of water and bring to a boil. After it boils, reduce heat to a gentle simmer, cover the pot, and cook, stirring every 20 minutes or so, until the grains are tender. Depending on what you used this can take from 1-3 hours.

When the grains are tender, or nearly so, add in the soup base to your desired level. For 8 cups of water I'd start with about 1/2 Tbsp and add more if you think it needs it. If the soup seems too thick at this point, you can add more water.

Stir in the kale and continue simmering until it's done, about 10-15 minutes. 

Again, you can use any grains or veggies you have on hand in this soup. If you want them to maintain some of their freshness, add them near the end with the kale. If you like them mushier (like sweet potatoes, maybe) add them earlier on in the process.

Southwest Quinoa Salad

Southwest Quinoa Salad

1 - 1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa (I like to cook mine in veggie broth for more flavor)

Dressing : 

1 tbsp or so olive oil

1 tbps or so chili powder

2 tsp cumin powder

1/2 tsp dried Mexican Oregano

juice of one lime

salt and pepper to taste

chopped veggies of choice, this time I used: 

one carrot

one small zucchini

about 6 green beans (raw)

two green onions

a handful of cherry tomatoes

a handful of fresh cilantro

but seriously use anything. Whatever you have on hand and you think will taste good.

1 14 oz. can corn
1 14 oz. can beans (black, kidney, garbanzos, pinto...whatever you have on hand) I used kidney this time


Whisk the dressing ingredients in a large bowl. Stir in the quinoa and chopped veggies. Add in the beans and corn and stir to combine everything. Serve now or chill for later use.

I like to make a big batch of this and eat it for lunch until it's gone, so I know it lasts at least 4-5 days in the fridge.

For dinner tonight I served this over a bed of spring salad mix with some sliced avocado. Deeee-lish!

Barbecue Tofu

I am finding my favorite way to eat tofu is grilled. I have made this spicy Asian tofu over and over again, but was having a hard time finding another flavor profile that was as good. Finally I decided to try regular old barbecue sauce, and it was delicious! Also super-simple which equals a big win in my book.

Barbecue Tofu

One block of extra-firm tofu

barbecue sauce of choice (This one is my favorite : Big Daddy Sam's)

oil for greasing the grill

Cut your tofu into roughly 1/2 inch planks and press wrapped in towels between two cutting boards (top one weighted) for 30 minutes or so.

Brush the planks with barbecue sauce on both sides. Let marinade until ready to cook, but at least 20 minutes.

Get your grill pan or grill nice and greased up, then heat to medium-high to high heat. Grill the tofu planks for about 5-6 minutes per side, turning a quarter turn halfway through to get the cool grill criss cross marks.

Brush with extra sauce if desired and serve. 

These were great as is with some grilled veg, but also made a delicious sandwich with avocado, red onion, and salad mix.