Quinoa Tofu and Veggies

    2011 and I am going to start the year off with something other than soup for lunch!  I wanted to try something new, so I bought some tofu at the store and then searched for a recipe.  I found a recipe for Quinoa Tofu and Veggies at savvyvegetarian.com.  I adapted the recipe a bit based on what I had in the kitchen.  It was pretty easy to make and I took a bite to taste test it and it was good!  There is a lot of texture and I think it will be really filling.

Quinoa Tofu and Veggies

Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa
• 1/2 lb extra firm tofu
• 1/4 cup cashew pieces-The recipe never mentioned where these came in, I just tossed them in with the tofu
• 1 Tbsp peeled minced fresh ginger
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 six inch zucchini
• 1 medium carrot
• 2 stalks celery
• 1/4 tsp dried rosemary leaf
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp gr coriander
• 2 - 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp garlic salt
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 3/4 cup water
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup minced parsley or cilantro

Method

1. Soak quinoa 15 - 20 minutes, rinse, drain and set aside
2. Cut tofu in bite sized cubes, place in a small bowl, sprinkle with garlic salt and soy sauce and shake or stir to coat with marinade. Set aside
3. Heat 1 -2 Tbsp olive oil on low in a large pan
4. Mince ginger and garlic
5. Chop celery, carrots, and zucchini into small pieces.
6. Turn the heat up to medium, and stir fry ginger, garlic, celery, carrots for 5 minutes
7. Add zucchini and stir fry another five minutes
8. Stir in dry spices, herbs
9. Add the drained quinoa and stir until coated with spices
10. Add 1 3/4 cup water, and salt, then bring to a boil, cover and cook 15 minutes on low
11. Meanwhile, fry the tofu cubes on medium, stirring and turning, until browned
12. Stir tofu and parsley into the quinoa and vegetables
13. Heat on low for another few minutes and serve

The Taste Test
     This dish had a lot of flavor and texture.  The combination of ginger and soy sauce along with the cashews made this a really tasty lunch.  The tofu had a good consistency, not too mushy.  I've found a good method for getting all of the excess water out of my tofu, although it looks a bit strange.  I remove the tofu from the package and pat it dry with paper towel.  I then place the tofu between several layers of paper towel and underneath my heaviest cutting board.  I then place canisters of sugar and grains on top and let it sit for about 45 minutes.  It's amazing how much water gets removed through this process.  I bought another package of tofu at the store this week.  I'm excited to try and find something new to try.  Stay tuned...