Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Quinoa, Tofu & Vegetable Pineapple Boats


My husband has a weird obsession with eating things made with pineapple, out of pineapple. Usually if this is offered at a restaurant it is incredibly expensive for no real reason, as they would just throw the pineapple skin and core away. Being much cheaper to make and eat at home, I decided to make this for him upon his request.
Marinated tofu, sweet pineapple, red bell pepper, crisp broccoli, cashews and quinoa tossed in a sweet glaze and served in half of a fresh pineapple.

Pineapple Boats
1 1/2 cups pineapple juice
1/2 cup organic light brown sugar
1/3 cup soy sauce
1lb extra firm tofu, drained, pressed, medium chunks
1 cup quinoa
2 tbl canola oil
1 red bell pepper, medium dice
6 scallions, green and white parts separated
1 head broccoli, small florets
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 pineapple
zest of half lime
1/2 cup toasted cashews, chopped

Combine pineapple juice, brown sugar and soy sauce in a small pot. Bring to a boil and cook for 3 minutes. Pour over tofu and marinate for 1 hour to overnight.
Bring 2 cups of water to a boil, add the quinoa, return back to a boil, cover and cook for 12 minutes. Turn off the heat and let sit for 15 minutes then fluff. Set aside.
Preheat the oil in a large saute pan. Add the red bell pepper and white parts of scallions. Over medium heat, saute for 7 minutes until vegetables start to soften. Add the broccoli and garlic and 1/2 cup of the tofu marinade. Cook 7 minutes more.
Cut the pineapple in half lengthwise, remove the inner meat and toss the core. Roughly chop the pineapple and add to the vegetables along with the lime zest. Transfer the vegetable mix to a plate and add the tofu to the hot saute pan along with a bit of marinade. Saute over medium-high until crisp on all sides, adding a bit of marinade every time the pan gets dry.
Once the tofu is done, add the vegetables back in, the remaining marinade and quinoa. Toss to combine and stuff into pineapple boats.
Garnish with cashews and green parts of the scallions.

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