Tofu and Pilaf...It's been awhile...

I am lame and have had this blog entry in storage for a week....But here it is. And I promise you will hear more from me.

What is to come

Still loving on the v'con, I made this awhile ago, but as said, I'm lazy and it takes a while for me to get some posts up sometimes. This is dish that was a big hit amongst my housemates, but not me, unfortunately. I liked the tofu a great deal, but it 'caramelized' (read:burned and did not make a syrupy sauce as I was hoping) probably because I cut the tofu differently than the recipe called for and didn't use a shallow enough pan (I was dying to use my new pyrex casserole dishes).



So, a word to the wise, unless you like gummy-burn-sauce, be sure to use a shallow dish and WATCH THE TOFU like, check on it more than you deem necessary.

As for the Quiona, I will say that it is an EXTREMELY easy grain to cook. It's hard to overcook, it cooks quickly with a nice chewiness-but-not-too-chewiness, and it seems like, because of it's versatility, that it could easily become a breakfast-grain, salad grain, etc. I disliked this dish only because...I think I really don't like beans larger than black beans unless they are smushed (ie: Hummus, Kidney bean spread). I also might of sort of skimped on the bean-price, or bean-work, as I bought discount store (but they were organic!) 'salad' bean mix when the recipe called for chickpeas. They sort of were surrounded by that bean-y soup that canned beans get, and it was a little creepy altogether. As said, my housemates loved it, so maybe I was just freaked out by the bean-goo.



Without further ado, here's the recipes, tell me what you think, and how you would make them better!

Tangerine Baked Tofu
From Veganomicon ( pg. 126)

I used clementines for this recipe, cause I had a ton. Either would work.

Ingredients

-1 pound extra-firm tofu, pressed and sliced width-wise into eights.
-1 heaping teaspoon tangerine zest
-3 tablespoons lime juice
-2 tablespoons soy sauce
-1 tablespoon agave nectar or pure maple syrup
-1 tablespoon peanut oil
-1/4 teaspoon cumin
-1/8 teaspoon allspice
-Freshly ground pepper
-2 tablespoons dark rum

1.) Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. *I suggest lowering this to 400 or 350 and cooking a bit longer. Maybe you won't end up with no sauce that way.

2.) In a shallow glass baking dish whisk together all your marinade ingredients.

3.) Place the tofu cutlets in marinade. Using a fork, carefully poke a few holes into the cutlets. Flip them over and do the same on the other side.

4.) Bake the tofu for 45 minutes, flipping several times, about every 15 minutes or so. The tofu is ready when most of the marinade has reduced. Spoon any remaining marinade over the cutlets before serving.


Chickpea-Quinoa Pilaf
Veganomicon (pg. 115).

Ingredients:

-2 tablespoons olive oil
-1 small yellow onion, chopped
-2 cloves garlic, minced
-1/2 teaspoon cumin
-1 tablespoon coriander seeds
-Several pinches of freshly ground pepper
-1/2 teaspoon salt
-1 tablespoon tomato paste
-1 cup quinoa
-2 cups cooked or 1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed.
-2 cups vegetable broth or reconstituted bouillon

1.) In a small stock-pot over medium heat, saute the onions in olive oil for about 7 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for 2 more minutes.

2.) Add the tomato paste, coriander, cumin, black pepper, and salt. Saute for another minute.

3.) Add the quinoa and saute for 2 minutes

4.) Add the chickpeas and broth, cover and bring to a boil. Once the mixture is boiling, lower the heat to very low, cover, and cook for about 18 minutes, or until the quinoa mixture has completely absorbed the liquid. Stir occasionally. Fluff with fork and serve.


I know I may not have made this sound too appetizing, but hopefully you'll find ways to make this your own and improve it! (Or maybe it's wicked good like everyone else says and I was really picky that night?) Good luck!