Quinoa with Herbed Tofu, Chickpeas, Pine Nuts, Kale, and Dried Cherries, Grape Tomatoes RECIPE

Photo Credit: Jessie Wardarski/Post-Gazette

For the Quinoa:

Prep time: 10 min; Cook time: 15 – 20 min

Makes: 4 servings

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup dry quinoa
  • 2 cups water or low sodium veggie broth with no oil added
  • 1 tsp. dried oregano (OPTIONAL)
  • 1 tsp. dried thyme (OPTIONAL)
  • 4 loosely packed cups (about 4 big leaves) kale, washed, dried and chopped into small pieces
  • ¼ cup pine nuts, raw; or toasted or slivered almonds (or leave out if you don’t want nuts!)
  • 1 can chickpeas, rinsed & drained
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • Splash of low sodium Tamari or Bragg’s Liquid Aminos (if needed)
  • 2 TBSP dried cherries (OPTIONAL)
  • ¼ cup grape or cherry tomatoes, halved (OPTIONAL)

Directions:

  1. Rinse the quinoa through a fine sieve under running water for about a minute.
  2. Add the quinoa and water (or veggie broth) to a small saucepan or pot over medium heat. IF USING THE OREGANO & THYME, add it to the pot of liquid now.
  3. Bring the liquid and quinoa to a boil; then reduce to a simmer. Cover the quinoa and simmer on the lowest heat setting for 15 minutes, or until all the water has been absorbed & the quinoa “sprouts” and doubles in size and is translucent.
  4. While the quinoa cooks, prep and cook the Herbed Tofu (recipe below) – if you are adding the tofu; otherwise, see the serving suggestions below!
  5. Remove the quinoa from the heat after the 15 minutes or when fully cooked. Fluff it with a fork and add the chopped kale on top of the quinoa. Stir. Cover for 2 – 3 minutes to allow the kale to steam.
  6. Add pine nuts, drained chickpeas, lemon juice, and pepper to the cooked quinoa. Mix all ingredients thoroughly, toss with tofu, add a splash of tamari or Bragg’s Liquid Aminos (if desired) and serve warm or cold.
  7. If adding, now is the time to add the dried cherries and halved grape tomatoes.
  8. Leftovers will keep overnight in an airtight container in the fridge for about 3 – 4 days.
  9. Serving Suggestion: (1) Serve with the herbed tofu shown below (2) cook with water (instead of broth) and add 100% pure maple syrup and fresh fruit for a breakfast bowl, (3) add a scoop to a green salad, (4) serve as a side dish with your favorite veggies, or (5) add to your favorite stir fry.

 Herbed Tofu

For the Tofu:

Prep time: 10 min; Cook time: 15 – 20 min

Makes: 4 servings

Ingredients:

  • One 14 or 15-ounce extra firm block of tofu (make sure it is organic)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, for cooking (OPTIONAL)
  • ¼ cup Low Sodium Tamari or Bragg’s Liquid Aminos
  • ¼ cup lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 1 – 1 ½ teaspoon dried thyme

Directions:

  1. Open and drain tofu and press it gently between a few layers of paper towels between 2 pans or cutting boards (something solid) to help remove excess moisture. If you have a tofu press, use that! If you have time, continue adding pressure over about 30 minutes to get the tofu as dry as possible. The drier the tofu, the more it will absorb your flavors and the more “dense” and firm it will be when you cook it. The texture is dependent on how much water is pressed from the tofu.
    1. Note that different brands of tofu have different water content too. For example, Twin Oaks brand that is in a vacuum sealed package has less overall water content and even when pressing it in a tofu press for 30 minutes, will still retain almost ½ of its original height. Whereas the 365 Brand of Whole Foods has much more water content and when you put it in a tofu press, it will shrink more. If using a higher water content tofu you may want to press it for a longer time. Don’t squeeze it so hard that it crumbles!
  2. Cut the tofu into ½” – ¾” cubes.
  3. In a large mixing bowl or shallow pan for marinating, whisk together the Tamari (or Bragg’s), lemon juice, oregano and thyme.
  4. Add the tofu cubes to the marinade and stir gently to get all of the tofu coated. If you have time, you can marinade this for a couple of hours or even overnight – put the covered dish in the refrigerator if marinating for more than 15 minutes. If not, try to at least let it marinade for 15 minutes.
  5. **Heat the olive oil in a medium-size cast-iron (or stainless steel or chemical free non-stick pan) over medium heat. Remove the tofu from the marinade (don’t discard the marinade if there is any left!) and put the tofu in the pan. Cook the tofu for about 3 – 5 minutes and then flip it gently when a side has turned golden brown (about 12 – 15 minutes total). If the tofu starts to stick to the pan, add a splash of the reserved marinade. Serve tofu cubes with the prepared quinoa. It can also be used as a snack, on a salad, or on pasta. This tofu can go with just about anything!
  6. **ALTERNATIVE: IF YOU WANT YOUR TOFU TO BE CRISPY, follow this recipe:
    1. After marinating is done, coat each of the tofu pieces by dredging in a shallow dish that contains about ¼ cup of Arrowroot powder (can also use a Gluten Free Flour or Organic Corn Starch).
    2. Add the coated tofu to a skillet that has olive oil covering the bottom of the pan. (Heat up the olive oil first so that when you add your first piece of tofu it will spit oil – BE CAREFUL – THE OIL IS VERY HOT!!!!!!!)
    3. Let the first side get browned before starting to flip the tofu to get the other sides browned.
    4. Once browned on all sides (~ 12-15 min), remove tofu and put on a plate that is lined with paper towels.
  7. Leftover tofu cubes will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for about 3 – 4 days.
  8. Serving Suggestion: (1) Eat the cubes as a snack, (2) on a salad, (3) with the quinoa recipe shown above, (4) or as a side dish with your favorite veggies.