teriyaki grilled tofu with grilled pineapple + coconut rice

It’s grilling season.

I’m so very excited!!

Not only does this mean a cooler house [from turning the oven on less] it usually means less to clean.  Usually.

If meat isn’t your thing, fear not.  The grill is used at least 4 times a week at our house for a wide variety of foods.  And if meat is your thing, maybe I can show you a few new foods to try throwing on your grill this summer.

You can grill practically anything.  Except sauce.  Unless you have one of those fancy grills with a burner on the side where you can cook things in a pot or pan.  Then you can really do away with your oven in the summer.  And then I’m very jealous of you.

I’ve had this meal on my mind for some time now and it finally came into fruition this weekend.  We shared the meal with friends, some of who love tofu + some who are on the fence about it.  Reason being, a too-soft texture and oftentimes flavorless.

Enter this recipe.

• using extra firm tofu and pressing it for at least 20min is crucial for the texture
• grilling helps tremendously with the texture and flavor
• marinating tofu gives a boost of flavor

While at the store I checked out the back of a teriyaki sauce bottle, noted the ingredients, and then whipped up a batch at home.  I also made a dressing to pour overtop, which I’ve now made 3 days in a row.  Obsessed.

There is no need to feel intimidated about grilling tofu.  If you follow one simple step you shouldn’t have any problems.  I learned this after a major fail the last summer when the outer layer fully stuck to the grill. 

Tip!Grease the grates after the grill is fully heated!  I had absolutely no issue with the tofu sticking at all and have tried multiple times.  I greased with a high heat safe oil [safflower] and a silicone sauce brush.

I suppose you want the recipe now?

Fair enough.

Print this!

Teriyaki Grilled Tofu with a Sweet + Spicy Vinaigrette

vegan, gluten-free // serves 6-8

• 2-3 – 8oz blocks extra firm tofu
• 6 Tablespoons cup tamari/soy sauce
• 3 Tablespoons water
• 2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons honey/maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon garlic, chopped
• 1 teaspoon ginger, minced

1. Drain the liquid from the tofu and slice evenly into 8 slices.  About 1/4 inch wide.  Detailed tofu pressing tutorial + tofu grilling instructions.
2. Double up a kitchen towel and lay the slices flat on the towel.  Double up another towel and place overtop.  Place a large cutting board on top and stack a few large, heavy books.  Press for 20-30 minutes.
3. Put all of the ingredients [except the tofu] into a blender and blend until combined.  If using a hand-whisk, make sure your garlic is minced.
4. In 1-2 large plastic bags place the tofu inside in 1-2 even layers.  Pour half or all [depending on how many bags] of the marinade inside, press the air out, and refrigerate for 1-4 hours.  Flip the bag once or twice while marinating.
5. After marinating, heat your grill to about 350-375*. 
6. Once hot, grease the grates thoroughly with a grill brush and oil or with a misto spray can.  Do not use an aerosol grease can, as it can cause large flames.  Any oil can cause flames but the misto can or brush/oil method is much safer.  If using a misto can, you may want to spread the oil with a brush as well.
7. Place the tofu in a single layer on the grill, leaving about 1-2 inches between each piece.
8. Grill for 5-8 minutes, depending on how well done you like your tofu.  The grill marks will show up pretty quickly, but the tofu is not burnt. 
9. Flip the tofu with a sturdy metal spatula and cook on the other side for another 5-8 minutes, until it’s done to your liking.  I usually cook about 1/2 well done and 1/2 a little softer because of the hot spots on my grill.

Sweet + Spicy Vinaigrette

• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 5 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 Tablespoons raw honey/maple syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon grain mustard
• 3/4 teaspoon ginger, minced
• 3/4 teaspoon garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne [optional]

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
2. Store in the fridge in a sealed container for up to 5-6 days.  Shake/stir before using.
3. Pour overtop the tofu + pineapple to serve.

Grilled Pineapple

• 1 pineapple

1. Make 1/2-inch thick slices of pineapple and cut the center core out of each slice.
2. Grill at 350-375* [on a pre-heated grill] for about 2-4min per side.  *If your pineapple seems slightly dry you may want to coat it lightly with balsamic vinegar and a little oil before grilling.

Creamy Coconut Brown Rice [serves 6-8]

• 2 cup short grain brown rice
• 1, 15oz can low-fat coconut milk [1.5 cups]
• 2.5 cup water
• 2 Tablespoons unrefined coconut oil

1. Combine all ingredients in a pot.
2. Bring to a boil.
3. Reduce heat, cover + simmer for about 50min until liquid is absorbed.  Do not stir.
4. Turn heat off and let the pot sit, covered, for 10min.
5. Fluff with fork.

notes: If only making 1 block of tofu, use 1/2 of the teriyaki sauce to marinade and use the other half for dipping, if desired.  Sub maple syrup in both recipes to make this a vegan meal.  I cooked the rice beforehand, let cool for awhile, and stored in the fridge.  To reheat, I added 1T coconut oil to a large pan and stirred the rice until hot.

If you have leftovers throw them on a salad, top with your new favorite dressing, and call it a day.

More grill action coming soon.

Ashley

quick cooked greens + more

First the greens.  Then the more.

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Chris and I typically eat a side salad with dinner every single night.

It’s vary basic and goes a little something like this:

• greens + carrots + cucumber + sunflower seeds + almond oil + balsamic + apple cider vinegar

If I happen to have goat cheese or goat/sheep feta that gets tossed on too.  It’s easy to throw together while the rest of dinner cooks.  I simply pour on the oil, balsamic, and vinegar from their respective bottles directly to each salad.

However.

Sometimes we like to change things up.

It still baffles me that something of THIS color can grow from the ground! 

Food is just wondrous.

So on those nights where we want something a little different, I make this.  It’s just as quick to cook as tossing together a salad and you end up eating at least double the greens.  They’re so much easier to eat in large quantity when cooked!

Print this!

Quick Cooked Greens

vegan, gluten-free // serves 2

• 1 large bunch fresh, sturdy greens [collards/chard/kale]
• 2 teaspoons tamari or soy sauce
• 1/2 Tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1/2 Tablespoon unrefined coconut oil
• *4oz mushrooms + 1 teaspoon coconut oil [opt]

1. Wash the greens, pat to dry, tear the greens away from the stem, and give a coarse chop.  If you don’t pat them dry, they will become soggy when cooked.
2. *If cooking mushrooms, wash, pat dry, and chop however you like.  Heat a large skillet over medium heat with 1t coconut oil.  Once hot, place the mushrooms in the pan.  Stir frequently and cook for 4-6 minutes until just softening and starting to brown.  Remove from the pan and set aside.
3. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat 1/2 Tablespoons coconut oil in the pan.
4. Once hot, add the greens and cook for 4-6min, stirring frequently.  It’s really up to you how cooked you want the greens. 
5. After they are cooked to your liking, add in the tamari [or soy], rice vinegar, and mushrooms [if using].
6. Stir for 20-30sec until well combined.

notes: You can definitely chop up the stems and eat them too.  I would cook those in the pan first, for 4-6min and then add the greens.  I usually keep the stems out as they are a bit woody for my taste.

Now, on to the more!

Oprah?

Yes, Oprah!!

What about Oprah?

I have a RECIPE in the APRIL issue!!

Can you figure out which recipe belongs to me?

Most definitely the peanut butter!

I was contacted by a food editor at O Magazine back in January.  She asked if I would be interested in writing a recipe on how to make homemade peanut butter. 

Let me think about that…

YES!

3 1/2 months later, there it is!  Homemade Peanut Butter, which can be found on page 200 of the April issue.  My first magazine publication.

I’m still in a bit of shock + disbelief.

Oh yeah.  And excitement!!!

Next up we have the dogs.

They haven’t made an appearance in awhile.

Nose focus.

Left eye focus.

Sad little thing.

Granted, these were taken right after our walk and she was wiped out.  I don’t think she usually looks quite so sad.

Aaaand, she’s asleep.  Sitting up.

Let’s not forget about Kenna.  aka: Beans

Focused on her eye.

50mm : f/1.4 : ISO 400 : ss 1/60

Next!

I recently mentioned Chris was building us a raised garden bed.

Well here it is!

I cannot tell you how excited [and nervous] this makes me.  Hopefully I will be able to keep something alive.  This is my very first go at growing food [besides herbs].

Chris used the tutorial from Sunset Magazine online.  I feel like this is the go-to guide for building a raised garden bed, as I’ve seen it all over Pinterest and other blogs.

We used:

• untreated cedar wood [~$75 total - expensive, but important to use untreated wood for this purpose]
• galvanized screws [~$30 total - best to prevent rusting + deterioration]

We did not use:

• 1/4 inch metal wire mesh [expensive and we’re not too concerned about animals burrowing from underneath the bed]
• pvc pipes + galvanized tube straps [these are used so the plants can be covered, which we’re not planning on doing]

Now we just need to fill it up!

I will keep you posted on our progress.

The bed is 4x8. 

I used Dakota as a scale figure.  This is the only time she will be allowed in the garden bed!

I think that’s a wrap!

Thanks for hanging with me as I try to get the new site up to speed.  Slowly but surely all of the links will work and photos will be back in place [about 15-20 posts have missing photos from the past few months].

Ashley