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

Drain the liquid from the tofu and slice evenly into 8 slices. About 1/4 inch wide. Detailed tofu pressing tutorial + tofu grilling instructions.
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.
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.
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.
After marinating, heat your grill to about 350-375*.
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.
Place the tofu in a single layer on the grill, leaving about 1-2 inches between each piece.
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.
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]

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

Grilled Pineapple

1 pineapple

Make 1/2-inch thick slices of pineapple and cut the center core out of each slice.
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

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

Quinoa Broccoli Casserole

gluten-free // serves 6-8 generous portions

2 cups dry quinoa, rinsed well

4 cups veggie stock, no-sodium

5 cups broccoli, chopped

3 cups spinach, chopped

2 medium tomatoes, sliced thinly

1.5 cups chickpeas, rinsed

1 large egg

1, 8oz block of sharp cheddar or pepperjack cheese, grated

1 medium onion, chopped

3 large cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped

2 Tablespoons sunflower oil

2 teaspoons dried oregano

1/4 – 1/2 teaspoons red pepper flakes [opt]

1/2 - 1 teaspoon salt [adjust if using stock with sodium]

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Breadcrumb Topping

4 slices of gluten free bread or 2 slices non-gf bread, ground

1/2 cup grated cheese [from the 8oz block above]

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

black pepper

Prep all vegetables and then preheat your oven to 400* F.

Rinse + drain the quinoa and add to large pot over medium heat, then pour in the veggie stock and bring to a boil.

Once boiling, stir 1-2 times, cover with a lid and let cook 15-20min until the liquid is absorbed. Turn the heat off and keep covered for 10min then fluff with a fork. Do not stir or uncover while it’s cooking.

While the quinoa is cooking, toss 2 Tbsp of oil with the broccoli, chickpeas, onion, garlic, 1/4 tsp salt, and black pepper on a large baking sheet.

Roast for about 25min until just starting to brown. Stir once halfway through.

In a large bowl mix together the roasted veggie mixture, fluffed quinoa, spinach, parsley, oregano, red pepper flakes [if using], 1/2t salt [if using no-sodium stock] and black pepper.

In a small bowl whisk the egg and mix in the grated cheese, reserving 1/2 cup of the cheese for the breadcrumb topping. *Grating cheese fresh is worth your time!

Mix the cheese + egg mixture with the quinoa mixture and spread in a 9x13 baking dish, then lightly pat down and top with a single layer of sliced tomatoes.

Bake uncovered for 25-30min, until the top is starting to brown and tomatoes are just wilting.

For the breadcrumb topping, make sure your GF bread is fully thawed. If it’s frozen, toast lightly to defrost. Grind into crumbs in a food processor, blender, etc. then mix with all remaining topping ingredients in a bowl.

Set your oven to broil with a rack in the top position, sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture on top of the casserole, and broil for 2-4 minutes [watching closely!] until golden brown.

Remove and serve.