Recipe of the Week: Teriyaki Tofu with Veggies
Good morning! It's time for the recipe of the week! I would have done this Monday, my chosen day for this series, but that was Halloween so I figured I should stick with an October-themed post. Anyway, I actually have two recipes for you. They went together for this meal, and they're both pretty easy. Let's get started.
I like tofu, I absolutely do, but it has to be cooked a certain way. For me that means pressing it, then getting it nice and crispy on the outside. This usually involves a fair amount of frying, which is not only tedious, but takes up a fair amount of oil in the process. I really wanted to do a stir-fry with tofu, but after a long day, the last thing I wanted to do was spend a ridiculous amount of time in the kitchen. I wondered, then, was there an easier (and healthier) way to get crispy tofu?
The answer is yes. I cut up my tofu into bite-sized pieces--without pressing--then sprayed a cookie sheet with cooking spray, spread out the tofu on it, then sprayed the tops of the tofu with more cooking spray. I then baked it at 350 degrees while I prepped all the other ingredients. I turned the pieces once so they'd brown on both sides, but I cooked them around 25 minutes. They came out perfectly! Nice and crisp outside, and the moisture baked out. I just added it to my veggies and sauce, and it was done.
Teriyaki Tofu and Veggies over Rice with Hibiscus Tea
Ingredients
1 block of tofu, cut into bite-sized pieces
cooking spray
1 lb of brussel sprouts, cleaned and cut into halves (quarters if it's a particularly large one)
1/2 bag of California Mix
Teriyaki Sauce (I used half a bottle of Soyaki's Hawaiian Island Teriyaki)
1 c jasmine rice (you can use your favorite, but if it's a brown rice, cook it according to package instructions)
2 c water
Instructions
1. Marinate the vegetables in 1 to 1 1/2 cups of teriyaki sauce.
2. Bake the tofu as I described above, or fry it if you prefer. If you fry it, drain it on paper towels and set aside.
3. Bring the rice and water to a boil in a sauce pan, then cover and reduce heat. Cook until water is absorbed, about 15 minutes.
4. Put the vegetables, including sauce, in a dutch oven or large pan, and cook over medium-high heat until the vegetables are tender-crisp.
5. Add the cooked tofu to the veggies, and mix well to coat the tofu.
6. Serve over the cooked rice.
Hibiscus Tea
Hibiscus tea is something I have been wanting to make for quite some time. I found some, for a good price, in the bulk section of Natural Grocers, but you can find this in Hispanic Markets as well. It came out delicious, and it makes quite a lot. This is easy to make but involves some prep time, so don't wait until right before you want it to make it.
Ingredients
1/2 c of dehydrated hibiscus flower
10 c boiling water
Sugar, agave, or other sweetener
Water
Instructions
1. Add the hibiscus flower to the boiling water, and steep until the water is a deep, dark, reddish-purple color. I would say wait at least an hour, but I put it in the fridge overnight.
2. Strain the hibiscus leaves and throw away.
3. The remaining liquid is condensed, and half of it, combined with enough water to make one gallon, makes the perfect tea. I have a two gallon pitcher so I mixed all of it with enough water to make two gallons. If you make one gallon, put the rest of the mix in the fridge where I would use within a week.
4. Add sweetener to taste. I had sugar, so I added a cup and a half for two gallons of liquid, and I thought it was perfect. Sweetness is a preference though, so start small then add more if needed...your preference!
5. Enjoy.
A few things to point out are: you can use whatever veggies you want; you can sub in whatever protein you prefer for the tofu, or add more veggies!; oven times vary, so keep an eye on things; and if you add sugar to the tea, let it rest a bit so the sugar dissolves, then stir again.
So, there you have it. Two easy and delicious recipes. I served them together and it was a winning combination. I hope you try this.
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