Lemon Basil Tofu with Quinoa

I love tofu and eat it all. of. the. time. Probably four times a week minimum (and this was even before becoming a vegan). And over the past month I've grown quite a collection of vegan and flexitarian cookbooks to help me expand my knowledge and find new dishes and ingredients that work with a vegan diet. I found the Lemon Basil Tofu recipe in The Part-Time Vegan and could not wait to make, because I usually just salt, pepper, and cayenne my tofu and pan sear it. It just seemed so perfect for the beginning of summer since it's light, tangy, and fresh and a new twist on my fav protein.

The recipe only covers the tofu marinade, but I figured this tofu would be great over some quinoa and fresh summer squash. You also need to set aside significant time to let your tofu marinate, somewhere between 2-3 hours.

Ingredients

• 1 block of extra-firm tofu
• 3 T lemon juice
• 1 T soy sauce
• 1 T dijon mustard
• 3 T olive oil
• 2 T chopped fresh basil
• 2 t apple cider vinegar
• 3/4 t sugar

Marinade ingredients

1. Mix all ingredients minus the tofu in a bowl and whisk until combined.

Pre-whisked 

Whisked

2. Drain water from the tofu and cut into fourths.

3. Wrap in paper towel to soak up the excess water for about 5 minutes.

Tofu burrito

4. Once completely drained. Place in a deep enough dish (I'm using a Thai take-out container) and cover with the marinade. Cover and place in the fridge to soak for 2-3 hours. Halfway through, I flipped the tofu to make sure it was completely soaked.

So lemony!

5. Once the tofu is done marinating, preheat the oven to 350° F and line a baking sheet with tin foil. Place the tofu on the baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Flip the tofu, and bake for an additional 12 minutes. The tofu will begin to caramelize because of the sugar and soy sauce.

Cya in 30!

While the tofu is baking away. You can begin the quinoa and summer squash preparation.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup of quinoa
• 6 mini zucchini
• 6 mini patty-pan squash

All from fresh&easy

6. In a sauce pan, add 1 cup water and the quinoa. Bring to a boil then lower the heat until the quinoa is a simmer. The quinoa can take anywhere between 15-20 minutes. Mine only took 15 minutes. You know it's done with the quinoa is translucent and there is no excess water.

Do yo thang quinoa

7. While the quinoa is simmering away - I cut the patty-pans into quarters and the mini zucchini into bite sized pieces.

I love squash so much

8. In order to time everything finishing at the same time. I wait until there was about six minutes left on the quinoa before sautéing the squash. I quickly salt and peppered them once in the pan. I like my squash to still have a bite to it, so six minutes is perfect.

Slight char on the squash is perfect

9. Once the tofu is out of the oven, you'll notice the caramelization around the edges and the tofu is warmed all of the way through. Place the tofu a cutting board and cut into cube size of your liking.

Yeah, you look good ;-)

10. Combine the quinoa, summer squash, and tofu in a large mixing bowl and toss until everything is combined evenly. Spoon into a bowl and freaking enjoy!

The perfect bowl for the third day of summer

To say I hovered this dish is a slight understatement. I was on par with a speed eating competition. I wish I had leftovers to take to work tomorrow. But to be honest, if it sat in my fridge I probably would have dug it out 30 minute and ate the leftovers until I was licking the plate clean.

Side note - I already declared the BEST WEEK OF MY LIFE! On Tuesday my best friend flies into LA. Wednesday I turn 25. On Thursday we head to Las Vegas to spend the entire weekend with our other best friend. And oh yeah, we're seeing Beyonce on Saturday night! I cannot wait!!

Cheers,

Kate