Grilled Tofu with Avocado Edamame Pate, Marinated Cucumbers & Crispy Kale

Since tofu is such an open invitation for flavor, I have really run the gamut of spice blends and marinades. This one takes a stand as a top 5 favorite. The flavor is pronounced and savory but doesn't lend its hand to be forced to be paired with any one specific cuisine. Consider this to be your new favorite all-purpose spice blend.
 
Spiced tofu grilled until firm and sandwiched between creamy avocado and edamame spread. Serve with a cold marinated cucumber salad and crispy kale leaves.

Grilled Tofu
2 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp coarse sea salt
1 tsp celery seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp caraway seeds
1 lb extra firm tofu, drained, rinsed and cut into 1/2" squares
2 tbl extra virgin olive oil

Combine all of the spices and coarsely mash in a mortar and pestle or spice grinder.
Preheat a grill pan to medium high and lightly drizzle with some olive oil.
Drizzle the tofu as well with some olive oil and sprinkle a heavy amount of spice on each side, pressing down into the tofu.
Grill for 10 minutes a side.

Avocado Edamame Pate
6oz frozen, shelled edamame
2 garlic cloves
1 1/2 avocado
1 tbl extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp champagne vinegar
1 tsp white miso
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste

Bring a small pot of water to a boil and add the edamame and garlic cloves. Boil for 6 minutes then drain and rinse in cold water to stop the cooking.
Combine the edamame with the remaining ingredients and blend in a food processor until smooth. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

 Marinated Cucumber Salad
1 cucumber, thinly sliced
1 shallot, thinly sliced
1 tbl extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tsp champagne vinegar
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp dried dill
1/4 tsp salt
pinch of black pepper

Combine the cucumbers and shallots with the remaining ingredients and let marinate for at least 20 minutes before serving. Serve chilled or at room temperature

Crispy Kale
1 head kale, stems removed
2 tbl extra virgin olive oil
sea salt

Preheat oven to 300.
Toss the kale leaves with olive oil and season lightly with salt. Arrange on a baking sheet but do not crowd or the kale will steam instead of crisp. Bake for 20 minutes until crispy.

Grilled Tofu Fiesta Salad with Black Beans

Three of my favorite things: salad, tofu scramble and mexican flavors! Why not combine it into one flavorful meal good for any time of the day?

Two Years Ago Today Confit Red Potatoes with Crispy Artichokes & Stewed White Beans

One Year Ago Today Fennel Grapefruit Truffles

Grilled tofu, red bell pepper, jalapeno and slow simmered black beans on top a fresh salad of romaine, cilantro and basil with creamy avocado and your favorite salsa.

Black Beans
1 tbl extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup minced yellow onion
1/2 jalapeno, seeded & diced
1-15oz can black beans, undrained
1 tsp green hot sauce
salt and pepper

Saute the onion and jalapeno in olive oil until soft and tender, 7 minutes. Add the black beans along with the juices and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Add the hot sauce and season with salt and pepper.

Fiesta Scramble Salad
serves 3-4
3 tbl extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 lb extra firm tofu, drained and pressed, cut into 1/2" slices
1 cup minced yellow onion
1 red bell pepper, small dice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 jalapeno, seeded & diced
1 zucchini, halved & thinly sliced
1 tbl cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
salt and pepper
1/2 head romaine lettuce, thinly sliced
1/4 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
5 basil leaves, thinly sliced
1/4 cup toasted sunflower seeds
1 avocado, thinly sliced
vegan sour cream
salsa

Preheat a grill over medium high. Drizzle the tofu with 1 tbl of olive oil and grill on both sides for nice char marks, 10 minutes total.
While the tofu is grilling, saute the onion and red bell pepper in 2 tbl of olive oil until soft, 7 minutes. Add the garlic and jalapeno and cook 3 minutes more. Add the zucchini, cumin, oregano and season with salt and pepper. Crumble in the grilled tofu and continue to cook the scramble 10 more minutes. Taste and season.

Combine the romaine, cilantro and basil and divide among plates. Top with scramble and black beans and garnish with sunflower seeds, avocado, sour cream and salsa.

Mango Agave BBQ Tofu, Spring Peas with Walnuts & Dates

This spring pea dish combines all three kinds of peas; sugar snap, snow and English for a great fresh crunch with a hint of buttery walnuts and sweet dates.

Mango Agave Barbecue Tofu
serves 2
2 scallions, rough chop
1 mango, peeled
1 garlic clove, smashed
1 red chili, seeded, rough chop
1 tbl chopped fresh ginger
1/4 cup tamari
2 tbl water
1 tbl organic light brown sugar
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 lb extra firm tofu, drained and pressed, 6 slices
3 tbl dark agave
2 tbl tamari
1 tbl safflower oil

Combine the scallions, mango, garlic, red chili, ginger, tamari, water, brown sugar and sesame oil in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour over the tofu and marinate at least 1 hour to overnight.
Combine the agave, tamari and safflower oil in a small bowl.
Prepare a grill top to medium-high heat. Shake off excess marinade and grill for 10 minutes on each side. Baste the tofu with the agave mixture every 3 minutes on each side.

Spring Peas with Walnuts & Dates
1 cup snow peas, thinly sliced
1 cup sugar snap peas
1 cup frozen english peas
2 tbl extra virgin olive oi, divided
1 shallot, thinly sliced
1/2 cup raw walnuts, roughly chopped
8 dates, thinly sliced
salt and pepper

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the snow peas, snap peas and English peas. Boil for 5 minutes then drain and set aside.
In a saute pan, heat 1 tbl of oil and saute the shallots over medium heat until soft and slightly caramelized, 7 minutes. Add the walnuts and dates. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until the walnuts have toasted, 4-5 minutes. Toss with the peas and drizzle with 1 tbl oil. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Grilled Tofu, Asparagus and Apricot Kebobs with Orzo

Firm tofu marinated in tamari, ginger and garlic, grilled and served kebob style with sweet red onion, crisp asparagus and bright seasonal fresh apricots. Served over a light orzo salad with cucumbers, tomatoes and herbs.

Grilled Tofu, Asparagus and Apricot Kebobs
tofu marinade-
1/4 cup tamari
1/4 cup canola oil
2 garlic cloves, grated
2 tbl molasses
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tbl dijon mustard
1 tsp salt
2 tbl pineapple juice (you will need crushed pineapple for the orzo, so just drain the juice out of the can)
1 lb extra firm fresh tofu**
1 large red onion, cut into wedges
4 fresh apricots, halved
1 bunch asparagus, ends trimmed
extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
wooden or metal skewers

Combine all of the marinade ingredients together and add the tofu. Marinate for at least 2 hours.
Preheat a grill to medium high. Brush with oil and grill tofu, 5 minutes on each side, the red onions, 7-8 minute each side, apricots -4 minutes total, asparagus- 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Place ingredients alternatively on skewers and serve.
**If you can't get fresh tofu at a local Asian market then make sure to thoroughly drain and press your prepackaged tofu for at least an hour to get out all of the water.


Orzo Salad
2 cups orzo
3 cups water
1 cup crushed pineapple
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, medium dice
1 hothouse tomato, seeded, medium dice
2 tbl extra virgin olive oil
3 tbl fresh chopped cilantro
salt and pepper

Bring a large pot of salted water and pineapple to a boil. Add the orzo and cook for 8-10 minutes until tender. Drain and toss with the remaining ingredients.

Summer Squash Etouffee, Louisiana Style Grilled Tofu, Russian Bananas

It's Fat Tuesday and that means everyone should be eating delicious food native to the home of Mardi Gras, Louisiana. Here I make a vegan version of traditional Etouffee (usually served with crawfish or shrimp, yuck!) with summer squash and zucchini. Etouffee means "smothered" and both vegetables soak up all these the great flavors in no time at all. Great served over rice or potatoes, I used Russian Banana potatoes, a kind of fingerling potato to use as a bed for this dish.
If you have grilled tofu in the past, and found that it sticks pretty bad, that is because your grill isn't hot enough! When searing hot, lay the tofu on the grill and let the grill tell you when to flip the tofu. After 7 minutes, my tofu lifted beautifully and had great grill marks.

Large chunks of summer squash and zucchini smothered in a rich tomato, red pepper and celery stew, served over roasted russian banana potatoes tossed in fresh and dried herbs. Serve with a side of grilled tofu rubbed in traditional Louisianan rub.

Summer Squash Etouffee
3 tbl extra virgin olive oil
1/2 small red onion, medium dice
1/2 small spanish onion, medium dice
2 celery stalks, small dice
1 red bell pepper, medium dice
1 cup shiitake mushrooms, rough chop
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbl ap flour
1 cup vegetable broth
1-15oz can diced tomatoes
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 large zucchini, large rounds
1 large summer squash, large rounds
1 tbl salt, divided
pepper
1 tsp-1 tbl hot sauce, to taste
3 tbl freshly chopped parsley
2 tbl freshly chopped basil

Heat the oil in a dutch oven or large saute pan. Add the onions, celery, red pepper and 1 tsp of salt. Saute over medium-high heat until the onions are translucent and the other vegetables are soft. Add the mushrooms and garlic and saute 4 minutes more until they start to brown. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and mix to coat and cook out the raw flour flavor, 2 minutes. Add the vegetable broth, tomatoes, bay leaf, cayenne, remaining 2 tsp of salt and pepper to taste and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 15 minutes. Add the zucchini, summer squash and hot sauce to taste and continue to simmer, covered for 10 more minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings and toss in parsley and basil off the heat.

Russian Bananas
10 fingerlings, halved lengthwise
3 tbl extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp dried rosemary
salt and pepper
2 garlic cloves, grated
3 tbl freshly chopped parsley

Preheat the oven to 425.
Bring a large pot of salted water and the fingerlings to a boil. Boil until the potatoes just start to get tender but are not cooked completely. Drain and pat dry.
While still warm, toss the potatoes with oil, dried rosemary, salt and pepper to taste and grated garlic.
Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast for 15 minutes until they start to brown and have cooked through fully. Toss with fresh parsley and serve.

Louisiana Style Grilled Tofu
16 oz extra firm tofu, drained, pressed and cut into large cubes
1 tbl salt, paprika, black pepper each
1/2 tsp cayenne, garlic powder, onion powder each
1/4 tsp dried oregano, dried thyme each
1 tbl vegan worcestershire sauce
3-4 dashes hot sauce, more or less to taste
2 tbl canola oil or canola spray
1 scallion, sliced for garnish

Toss the cubes of tofu with all the spices to coat completely. Then drizzle with hot sauce and worcestershire and rub to coat. Store in a plastic bag and marinate for at least 30 minutes, 2 hours is great, overnight is best.
Preheat a grill or grill pan over high heat. Brush the grill pan with oil and add the tofu. Cook, turning on each side for 20 minutes total or until the tofu is firm and has grill marks. Garnish with scallions

For the love of Rosemary

When rosemary comes into play, one can do no wrong. I love it fresh, dried, infused, fried anyway you can get it into my meal I will be pleased. Bonus points for getting it into chocolate!
Today I bought some fresh rosemary and made good use of it in tonight's dinner.

Rosemary Grilled Tofu with Pomegranate Reduction
5 Herb Potatoes
Roasted Green beans with Hazelnut butter

Grilled rosemary tofu-
1 block of extra firm tofu
1 large sprig of rosemary, picked from stem and minced
salt and pepper
Arugula for garnish

Pomegranate reduction-
2c pomegranate juice
1/4c brown sugar
2 tbl balsamic vinegar

Cut tofu in 1/2 inch triangles.
Sprinkle tofu generously with coarsely ground peppercorn, salt and rosemary.
Cook on a super hot grill for 10 minutes on each side. After 5 min rotate 90 degrees to obtain sweet grill marks. Set aside on a plate.
In a small sauce pan add pomegranate juice, brown sugar, and balsamic vinegar. Boil until reduced to about 1/4 cup, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.
Toss arugula with 1 tsp olive oil and 1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar.
Season to taste with salt.

Roasted green beans
1/2 lb green beans, ends picked off
2 Tbl Extra Virgin Olive Oil
salt and pepper

Hazelnut Butter
1/4c earth balance, softened
2 tbl shallot, finely chopped
1 tbl lemon zest
juice from 1/2 of a lemon
1/4c hazelnuts, toasted and chopped
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a sheet pan with foil and lay green beans on an even layer. Drizzle olive oil, salt and pepper on beans and toss. Roast in oven for 10 min or until slightly browned.

For Hazelnut butter- Combine all ingredients and refrigerate to firm back up

5 Herb Potatoes
1 shallot, chopped
1 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
1 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme
1 Tbsp chopped fresh sage
1 Tbsp chopped fresh oregano
1 large garlic clove, chopped
1 bay leaf, finely crumbled
1/2 cup olive oil
16 red new potatoes, scrubbed and patted dry

Half potatoes and drop in a large pot of cold, salted water. Bring to boil and boil until tender and ready to eat.
In a food processor, combine shallot, thyme, sage, oregano, garlic,
bay leaf, 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. Add the olive oil
and blend just until the shallot is finely chopped.
Drain potatoes and toss hot potatoes in herb and oil mixture.