Recipe | Peanutty Quinoa Bowls for Two + How To Make Your Own Baked Tofu

Packaged baked tofu is the vegetarian equivalent of rotisserie chicken. You can buy it and do about a gazillion different things with it. Yes, a gazillion. I’ve counted. Throw a slab of it on a bun and top it with slaw, cube it and put it in salad, add it to a veggie stir fry, eat it as-is–it’s so versatile! Back in the day, before this whole food blogging thing, I used to always keep a package or two in the fridge for quick dinners when I didn’t feel like cooking.

I had the idea to do this Peanutty Quinoa Bowl recipe with store-bought baked tofu, but then I forgot to buy it. It actually wasn’t my fault–Whole Foods keeps moving things around and the baked tofu wasn’t where it used to be and when it wasn’t in its usual place, I was totally thrown off and forgot about it. Oops! Driving all the way back to Whole Foods for a package of tofu seemed silly, so I thought, hey, I’ll make my own baked tofu!

This recipe is similar to my Baked Barbecue Tofu, but the whole barbecue sauce thing can be a little bit limiting. Do you want barbecue sauce in your stir fry or salad? Maybe not. If you’re still skeptical about tofu, try it baked–really, I think you’ll change your mind. It’s marinated so it’s flavorful, not bland. Using a tofu press helps the tofu absorb as much of the marinade as possible. Baking it makes it chewy, not mushy. Barbecue tofu is awesome, but this baked tofu recipe has a savory Asian-inspired flavor that makes it work in a variety of dishes–stir fries, salads, and especially Peanutty Quinoa Bowls.

Peanutty Quinoa Bowls? Yes! These are so easy. You toss some quinoa and some veggies with peanut sauce and serve it with a few slices of baked tofu (either homemade or store-bought). You can do this! This recipe makes two servings; if you’re not sharing, throw the second bowl in the fridge and eat it tomorrow.

Peanutty Quinoa Bowls

September 26, 2013

by Kiersten

Category vegan recipes vegetarian recipes

Quinoa and veggies tossed with homemade peanut sauce and topped with baked tofu.

Persons

2

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup quinoa
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 small red bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 1 small broccoli crown, broken into florets
• 2 tablespoons peanut butter
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 teaspoon tamari (or soy sauce)
• 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar or coconut sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 4 slices baked tofu
• 2 tablespoons chopped roasted peanuts

Instructions

1. Cook the quinoa in water or vegetable broth according to package directions. While the quinoa is cooking, heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the red pepper and cook for about 3 minutes, until softened. Transfer to a large bowl. Add the broccoli to the skillet with 2 tablespoons of water. Cover and steam for about 2 minutes, or until the broccoli is tender. Transfer the broccoli to the bowl with the pepper.
2. Whisk the peanut butter, lime juice, water, tamari, sugar, and ginger in a small bowl. When the quinoa is done, transfer it to the bowl with the veggies and toss everything with the peanut sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide the quinoa into 2 bowls, then top each with 2 slices of tofu and a tablespoon of chopped peanuts.

Tags

30 minutes or less,

gluten-free,

main dishes,

popular,

quinoa,

tofu

Baked Tofu

This marinated baked tofu is the perfect addition to stir fries, salads, and veggie bowls.

Persons

8

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons tamari (or soy sauce)
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• A pinch or two of freshly ground pepper
• 1 (15-ounce) package extra-firm tofu, drained, pressed for 30 minutes, and cut into 8 slices (use a tofu press for best results)

Instructions

1. Whisk together the tamari, maple syrup, olive oil, garlic, and pepper in a small baking dish. Place the tofu in the dish and let it marinate for about 30 minutes, flipping the tofu over after about 15 minutes. The tofu should soak up almost all of the marinade.
2. Preheat oven to 400ºF. Spray a baking sheet with oil or cooking spray or line it with parchment paper; place the tofu on the baking sheet and bake for about 40 minutes, or until edges are dark and tofu is chewy, turning tofu over halfway through cooking time.