Grilled Chili Tofu Steaks with Quinoa
Treat yourself to a steak dinner, using tofu instead of meat. The tangy chili-spiked marinade does double-duty as a finishing sauce and transforms otherwise bland tofu into an exciting dish.
Ingredients
- 2 12oz packages extra-firm tofu
- 1 shallot chopped
- 2 large garlic cloves minced
- ¼ cup minced fresh ginger root
- 1 habanero chili minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1 cup orange juice
- 1 cup quinoa
Instructions
- Line cutting board with a couple sheets of paper towel. Top with tofu and a couple more sheets of paper towel. Place another cutting board or other flat object on top and press gently to extract excess liquid from tofu. Turn tofu blocks on their sides and slice in half lengthwise.
- In large shallow container, whisk together shallot, garlic, ginger root, habanero, thyme, salt, allspice, pepper, olive oil, maple syrup, lemon zest, and orange juice. Add tofu, and chill for at least 2 hours, or up to overnight, flipping once.
- Into medium saucepan, place quinoa, a couple pinches of salt, and 1 3/4 cups water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to maintain a light simmer, and cook, covered, until quinoa is tender and water has absorbed, about 12 minutes. Remove from heat and let pot sit, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff quinoa with fork.
- In charcoal grill, build a medium-hot fire, or heat gas grill to medium-high and grease grill grates. Remove tofu from marinade and reserve marinade. Grill tofu slabs until golden and grill marks appear, about 4 minutes per side. Giving tofu a 90-degree turn halfway through cooking each side will produce a nice cross-hatch pattern. Slice each grilled tofu piece into 2 triangles. Alternatively, in large skillet over medium-high, heat 1 Tbsp oil. Add tofu to pan and sear until golden and crispy, about 3 minutes. Flip and heat until golden and crispy on other side.
- Into small saucepan, place marinade and bring to a gentle simmer and heat for 2 minutes.
- Divide quinoa among serving plates and top with tofu pieces. Drizzle on habanero sauce.
- Enjoy!