Tofu Marinade and Potatoes

Last month I shared a Tofu Marinade recipe, that has turned out to be quite popular.  However, some people that don't often prepare tofu have asked, "what should I serve with this dish, or what should I prepare with it?"

One easy way to serve the Tofu Marinade, is to add potatoes to the tofu, fry together and serve as a breakfast dish.  The two are a great compliment to one another, it's a great first meal of the day.


Potato-Tofu Breakfast Fries

• Prepare tofu marinade. This can also be made the day before.
• Par-bake 4 to 5 medium potatoes so that they are almost fully baked, but still have some firmness. At 350 this should take about 25-30 minutes.
• Cool the potatoes on a cookie rack for 10-15 minutes.
• Cut the potatoes into 1/2" slices.
• Heat up a skillet or iron wok on medium-high hear with canola oil coating the pan.  The tofu already has garlic, but at this time, you may dice and add another clove if you want extra.  Fry the potatoes stirring frequently (and extra garlic if added) for about 8 minutes, or until lightly browned.
• Add the tofu and more oil and fry for another 5-7 minutes or until the tofu and potatoes are browned.

Enjoy!

Tomato Dijon-Rosemary Shish Kabobs

Tomato Shish Kabobs are a delicious way to prepare small tomatoes and other foods on the grill. 
Let’s get started by making a simple Dijon-Rosemary marinade.

Dijon-Rosemary Marinade

1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon dried or cracked rosemary
1/2 teaspoon salt

Grilling Steps
1.     You can use stainless steel skewers like the ones we sell in our General Store, or if you use bamboo or wooden skewers, be sure to soak in water ahead of time so they won’t burn on the grill.

2.     Use whole, small tomatoes.  Pieces of large tomatoes will likely fall apart.

3.     Make your kabobs with tomatoes and other ingredients, and place on a pan or casserole dish that they barely fit on.  We used tofu to go with the tomatoes.  Large sweet onion pieces, or prebaked potatoes would also be a nice addition. 

4.     Marinate your ingredients, by pouring the marinade over the top, then ladle or brush over the surface again until covered.  If the marinade does not stick to the food, you may add up to 2 teaspoons of flour, and cover again

5.     Note: If using a marinade with a lot of oil, there will be a bit of flare up when the kabobs first hit the grill.  This will sear the outside of the food.

6.     Do not walk away from the food on the grill; kabobs need to be turned frequently, about every minute or two depending on the heat.

Tomato Marinade for Tofu

I created this delicious marinade today and used it to bake and fry tofu.  Even non-vegetarians enjoyed it a lot, but it would likely work well with other foods as well.  Start by putting the following ingredients into a blender and blending until smooth:

3 cups loose fresh tomatoes cut in half  (will puree into 2 cups)

1 teaspoon Penzey’s Salad Elegant

1 teaspoon paprika

½ teaspoon Penzey’s Cajun seasoning

1 ½ teaspoon Penzey’s 4/5 seasoned salt

3 large pealed cloves of garlic

1 Tablespoon soy sauce (may need a dash later)

2 Tablespoons olive oil (will need 1 tablespoon later)

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

2.      Preheat oven to 425 degrees

3.      Cut 2 pounds of tofu into approximately ½” slabs and lay into a large Pyrex or ceramic baking dish.  We have some great lasagne pans for sale in our General Store under baking.  A basic Pyrex one and Bodum's which comes with a silicone lid that can also be used as a trivet!

4.      Spread marinade over the top of the tofu and bake for 60 minutes

5.      Remove from oven and spread 1 tablespoon olive oil over the top of the tofu, and then turn each piece over in the pan

6.      Continue to bake 20-25 more minutes until browned

7.      The dish may be served as is or fried in additional olive oil and a bit more soy sauce for about 3 minutes on a high heat; be careful not to burn the tomato paste that covers the tofu

8.      This made a wonderful compliment to fried potatoes with onions, scallions and sweet bell peppers  at breakfast.  It would also go quite well with sautéed asparagus.