ok, so this was one of those "bare cupboard challenges" again... i mean, it's Monday and all, right? i wasn't in the mood to go to the grocery store, so i dug through what i had and whipped this little sucker together. it turned out pretty good, and most certainly not something i would normally make, but hey, you do what you gotta do.
oh, and my friend Todd supplied us with this amazing "fresh from the ol tap" maple syrup...the flavor was outstanding!
2 tbsp tamari
2 cloves garlic - minced or use microplane for a paste
10 cutlets of super firm tofu - sliced 1/2 in. thick
6 long stemmed fresh carrots
2 cups water
1 tbsp no-chicken bouillon paste
1 1/4 cup quinoa
1/2 yellow onion -minced
2 tbsp canola oil
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup white wine
2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
3 green onions - sliced
salt and pepper to taste
in a medium pot, bring 2 cups water to a boil. add your bouillon paste, quinoa and yellow onion. let come to a boil and then simmer with lid slightly off for 15-20 minutes, or until fluffy. in a small skillet, add your sliced almonds to a medium heat and toast. once they infuse the air with their scent, they are ready. add to the quinoa and set aside.
in a non-stick skillet heat your canola oil to 350. add your tofu cutlets, a dash of salt and let brown on each side. in a separate mixing bowl mix together your maple syrup, tamari and garlic. add this mixture to your cutlets once they have browned a bit on each side. let the syrup mixture reduce to a medium thickness, turning the cutlets over every so often to coat. turn heat off and sprickle each cutlet with the toasted sesame seeds (you can buy them already toasted or you can toast them on your own).
in a medium sized skillet add 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup white wine and a pinch of salt. bring to a boil. add your carrots, laying them side by side. cover with parchment paper and let steam for 8-10 minutes, depending upon the thickness of your carrots. remove from heat as soon as you can easily pierce with a fork (you want to try and keep the color so you get the nutrients!)
top the tofu and quinoa with the chopped green onion, warm carrots on the side.
serve with a chilled chardonnay.
enjoy!



Hello. John here. I am new to the community. First of all, I want to thank those that have put this together. It is a great place to learn and get more information. I just wanted to make an introductory post to introduce myself. Thanks for the help.
Posted by: johnlongslinger | March 15, 2010 at 10:53 AM
Oh my..I think I'm drooling..and that was before I even saw your photos! I must try this immediately!!
Posted by: Amanda | April 08, 2009 at 04:34 PM