IN THE ROTATION: BBQ Tofu
And large-format grain bowls: It’s not just for vegetarians
In my last book, Veg Forward, I shared a recipe for Warm-Weather Farro Bowls with Grilled Tofu, but I’m afraid the star of that show, the grilled tofu, may have gotten lost in the shuffle. When you look at that recipe you might be daunted, because yes, there are a lot of moving parts and a bit of prep involved. Grain bowls are deceiving that way! The great thing about them, though, is you can do your own thing, substituting leftovers or using up whatever you already have in the fridge.
Last month, we were visiting my brother and his family in Massachusetts for the weekend ahead of a big housewarming party they were giving to officially welcome people to their beautiful (not that new) home. The night before, there was a small crowd expected for dinner including my niece and some of her friends. There was one vegan and one vegetarian, and I got a text asking what they could make from my book for such a group. I made a few suggestions, including the Farro Bowl recipe.
When we arrived, we pitched in on the dinner, which also included the Charred Eggplant with Tahini-Yogurt Sauce and the Cold Cucumber and Avocado Soup. I volunteered to make the tofu, since I knew my brother was not really a tofu person, and he had his hands full with the rest of the dinner. Steve was on eggplant duty, and it was fun to watch everyone cooking out of my book all at once (including myself).
As usual, I riffed on my own recipe. The recipe called for BBQ sauce, which I feel like most people have in their fridge, but my brother didn’t. No problem. I just mixed together some ketchup, soy sauce, gochujang (which he did have) … and I can’t remember what else. You can’t mess this up! I didn't measure the dry spices—I just sprinkled the garlic powder, smoked paprika, and salt all over the tofu once it was slathered with the sauce. I also drizzled it with oil (although the original didn’t call for oil) to help keep it from sticking to the grill. I was christening a brand new wood-burning grill, and I didn't want to take any chances. It didn't stick at all, which was a blessing!
Everyone clamored for this tofu—even the non-vegetarians. It looks so appealing, and the crunchy edges add some nice texture as well as that charred flavor we all love.
A few weeks later, we were hosting a lunch for seven people and I decided to go tofu again. A bold choice, perhaps, but I knew this crowd would likely not be tofu-averse, and in fact there was one shy vegetarian in the group who didn’t let me know of his preferences in advance. Normally I ask if anyone has dietary restrictions, but this meal was vegan and almost gluten-free too (I added some farro to the rice), so I didn't even ask. Everyone loved this lunch. I served it, as we did at my brother’s a few weeks earlier, as kind of a large-format grain bowl, meaning everything was on a big platter. Each guest could take a bit of what they fancied, kind of like my other summer lunch go-to, Salade Niçoise.
If you haven’t worked tofu into your weekly meal rotation, perhaps now is the time! I always keep a couple of packages in the fridge since it keeps so well, and can be pressed into service when there’s nothing in the house for dinner. It’s a great way to enjoy meatless meals and still get your protein in.
Some tweaks I made to the recipe:
The recipe below calls for extra-firm tofu, but I think I prefer firm.
Instead of dipping the tofu pieces individually in the spice mixture, just sprinkle the spices evenly over the tofu on both sides.
Drizzle some oil on the tofu after seasoning it.
Use a grill platter if you have one so you don’t have to stress about sticking.
I used a wing-it version of the tahini sauce from my Za’atar Tofu Bowl recipe from Open Kitchen. Basically miso, tahini, soy sauce, and lemon juice to taste. You can add some yogurt if you want, a dash of sriracha for heat, and some maple for sweetness. Plenty of water to thin. Delicious!
After grilling, return the tofu to the plate you coated it on (an advantage of tofu over meat) and coat it with whatever residue was on the plate to give it a little sheen. You can even add a bit more sauce at this point so it looks moist.
