Yesterday evening, I gave cooking tofu another try.
In the first attempt at cooking with tofu, although it tasted great, it looked like a total pratfall.
On the contrary, yesterday’s attempt was a total success.
I made Chili Lime Tofu & Quinoa.
The best part about this dish is that it actually tastes even better the next day. The longer the quinoa “marinates” in the sauce, the more saturated the flavors become.  It is definitely the type of dish that you could make a big batch of and then enjoying eating it all week long.
As far as quinoa dishes go, this one is extremely colorful, and frankly, I think it looks a bit festive.
Maybe I could bring it to Christmas dinner. (My family would never let me serve tofu at Xmas, but perhaps yours is a tad more gutsy.)

Chili Lime Tofu Quinoa

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

For the quinoa:

• 1 cup quinoa
• 1 tbsp sesame seed oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 bag frozen corn
• 1 yellow onion, minced
• 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
• 1 bag frozen peas
• 4 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce

For the tofu:

• 14 oz firm tofu
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• Juice of 1 lime
• 4 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp Sriracha

Garnish:
green onion & Sriracha sauce

Preparation

1. Drain liquid from tofu. Gently slice the block of tofu into thin (1/2 inch) slices pieces
2. Place the slices of tofu between a large dishtowel. Carefully press on the tofu to remove as much of the moisture as possible. Be gentle, as to not break the tofu, but you do want to press firmly to really dry your tofu out.  I let mine “dry out” for over an hour. From experience, if it is too moist, it will crumble apart when it’s cooking and be really mushy. (remember the total pratfall I referenced earlier)
3. Cube dried tofu into 1-inch squares.
4. Cook your quinoa according to the package directions.
5. Heat a non-stick pan on medium heat. Allow it to cook for about 3 minutes or until browned on each side.
6. In a mixing bowl, combine the garlic, lime juice, soy sauce, oyster sauce, Sriracha. Add the tofu to the bowl and coat with the sauce. Let marinate for at least 15 minutes.
7. While your tofu is marinating, heat 1 tbsp sesame seed oil in a large sauté pan and add onions. Cook until soft, then add garlic, bell peppers, drizzle with soy sauce and sauté until cooked. Add the frozen peas and corn and sauté for ~5 minutes until they are tender. Add cooked quinoa and stir throughly.
8. Reheat the non-stick pan on medium heat. Remove the tofu from the marinade and add it to the pan. Cook for about 3 minutes until heated through. Pour the remaining marinade over the quinoa & veggie mixture and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Add tofu and stir your heart out.
9. Serve and top with diced scallions and a few squirts of Sriracha.

I am happy that all of these new vegetarian meals are turning out so splendidly.

I am even more happy that I have such a great new space to photograph all of my food creations.

If you decide to make this, please comment below about what you thought.

Food Photography || Studio 29 Photography