Thursday, June 12, 2014

Quinoa and Tofu One-Pan dinner

So - no excuses - just haven't been here in a while. But - I have a recipe request, and this is the best place for me to share it. This is one of my original recipes, though I'm sure you can find similar ones elsewhere on the internet. This one is customized for my families preference. So - here goes:

Quinoa and Tofu One-Pan dinner

3 T coconut oil or olive oil (most recipes call for 2 T, but that is never quite enough for me when I'm cooking)
2 cloves garlic, chopped or put through a garlic press
1 med/lg onion, chopped
1 lb firm tofu, drained and cubed
2 C Quinoa (if you don't buy clean quinoa, make sure you clean it before using. The brand I buy comes already cleaned)
1 whole tomato, chopped
1 T curry powder
1 t ground coriander
1/2 t cumin
1/4 t garlic powder or granulated garlic
Sea salt and pepper, to taste
4 C chicken broth or water, or a combination of the 2 (I used 3 cups home-made chicken broth and 1 cup water)
2 C fresh spinach, stems removed and chopped

Using medium high heat and an extra deep 12-inch frying pan, heat the oil and saute the garlic and onion until the onion turns translucent. Add the tofu and seasonings. Continue frying until the tofu just starts to turn brown. Add the quinoa, broth, and tomato. When the broth starts to bubble, turn the heat under the pan down to medium low and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the spinach, and simmer 5 minutes more. Serve! This recipe lends itself to all sorts of variations, especially changing the seasonings. If you're not a fan of curry, but like italian, use oregano and sweet basil in place of the curry powder, coriander, and cumin. If Mexican is more your style, leave out the curry powder and coriander. Increase the cumin to 1 teaspoon and add a quarter teaspoon chili powder. At the end of the cooking time, stir in 1/2 to 1 cup of chopped cilantro and 1 tablespoon of lime juice. Have fun coming up with your own combinations. Enjoy!

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