"Work With What You've Got" Quinoa and Tofu Mash Up

Since it was a solo dinner again tonight, I only had to work with my particular cravings. And tonight, that craving was quinoa. Mmmmm the lovely, good for you grain that pretty much takes on the flavour of whatever you eat or cook it with.

Now, what goes good with quinoa? Well, everything. But what did I have that I could work with and eat with my quinoa? I had the perfect item in my fridge in the form of firm tofu. So with that, I had two versatile items that could take on whatever flavour I wanted. That flavour? A mix of veggies and a nice soy based marinade!! It's like a full grain tofu stir fry!

 This was probably one of the easiest meals that I've made. The ingredients that you use can be changed depending on whatever you have in your fridge. It's actually an awesome thing to put together when you have those vegetables that are on the "must use soon or throw out" list. For me, that was mushrooms and broccoli.

First off, cook the quinoa so that it's ready when everything else is done. Before cooking quinoa, be sure to place it in a strainer and rinse the grain a bit. Then place it in a small pot with double the amount of water (I used 1 cup of quinoa and 2 cups of water, since I wanted some leftovers for a yummy lunch tomorrow). Once the water and quinoa mixture comes to a boil, cover it and let it simmer for about 10-15 minutes (the grain seems "clear" once it's done).

While the quinoa is cooking, marinate the tofu. Before using it, dry it off on a paper towel. Cut the tofu up into cubes and place in a bowl. You can marinate it with anything you'd like. I used a mixture of 1tsp sesame oil, 1 tsp rice vinegar, and 2 Tbsp soy sauce. Let that sit for about 15 minutes or so.

Place 2 Tbsp olive or grapeseed oil into a pan and let it heat. Saute some chopped onion for a couple of minutes. Throw in the marinated tofu so that it can brown a little before adding the veggies.

Once the tofu seems to be browned, add in whatever veggies you had on hand. For me, that was broccoli, zucchini, mushrooms, and green pepper. Saute that mixture for about 4-5 minutes, until the veggies have cooked but they don't totally lose their form. Once done, add some quinoa (I added about 1 1/2 cups) and throw in a handful of raisins for a touch of sweetness. Mix it all together and done! Bon appetite!