i heart wednesday :: tofu recipe

Wednesdays are good days!

There's a new little routine forming since the downtown mid-week farmer's market opened back up earlier this spring. The market takes place from 11-2 in a park that's two blocks from my office. So around lunchtime, I stroll down there, catch up with friends and colleagues and make my purchases, always the same: lunch, flowers and berries.

Since the CSA delivery is Tuesday night, I don't ever need veggies on Wednesday, but no amount of berries from the CSA could really ever be enough, so I always buy some more on Wednesday. The flowers are for my desk at work. Here's this week's bouquet:



And Wednesday night is yoga night! What a great way to get through the middle of the week: stock up on beautiful, tasty things, catch up with friends, and then stretch and bend all the tension out in yoga class.

: : :

I mentioned tofu subs last week and a few folks were interested in tofu recipes. I love making marinated tofu and using it for all kinds of stuff, including lately subs. Here's the recipe:

marinated & grilled tofu

1 block extra-firm tofu
1 glass baking dish

marinade of your choice (here's a suggestion):
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp tamari sauce (it's just fancy soy sauce)
1 Tbsp honey
1 tsp thyme (dried)
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
4 cloves garlic, smashed
Mix the marinade ingredients in a jar & shake to blend thoroughly.

Start by pressing the tofu to remove excess water: Stick the tofu on a plate, put another plate on top, and then put something else on top of that to add a little weight without crushing it (usually a small cookbook does the trick). After 20 minutes or so, pour off the water that has been pressed out of the tofu and then cut it up into whatever shape & size pieces you like. For subs, I cut it into thick strips.

Put the tofu into the baking dish and pour on the marinade. Gently mix to make sure it all gets covered. Cover the dish with plastic wrap or something and stick it in the fridge for an hour or more to soak up the sauce. This is a great thing to do in the morning before you leave for work, to eat for dinner that night.

To cook, turn on the broiler in your oven. Pour off some of the liquid (back into the jar - you can use it again as dressing), leaving a small amount in the pan so that the tofu doesn't dry out. Uncover the dish and stick it in there to broil. You can also add chopped veggies to the pan, like thick slices of red onion, bell pepper, or tomato, to roast with the tofu. Broil for about ten minutes per side, and you're done!

You can also do these outside on the grill, but I'd still use a baking pan -- tofu tends to stick to the grill and fall to pieces. Close the cover to make sure it gets browned on top.

To make subs, be sure to roast some onions & peppers along with the tofu. Pile everything onto a toasted sub roll, add a little of that leftover marinade to juice it up, top with havarti or muenster cheese and broil for a minute or two to melt the cheese. YUM! Invite some friends over and have it tonight - it's very easy and very kid-friendly.