Rhubarb BBQ Tofu with Roasted Asparagus and Green Garlic Quinoa

Tis the season for BBQ!  Just because I am a vegetarian doesn't mean that I can't enjoy it as much as the people slathering it on chicken, pork and beef!  I love BBQ tofu, especially of the fruit based variety, so when I had a large amount of tofu last weekend, I knew what to do with it...make BBQ sauce for some tofu!  The rhubarb contriubuted a nice tangyness that doesn't come from other fruit or veggies I normally inculde in sauce. 

I decided to serve the BBQ tofu with roasted asparagus quinoa since I had bought some delicious tender locally grown asparagus.  I laced the salad with green garlic, and lots of lemon for a pop of flavor.  It was a nice accompaniment to the sweet and tangy tofu!  As a whole it screamed SPRING without being a salad.  I suppose it is nearly summer and the rhubarb and asparagus are nearly gone, so might as well enjoy them while they are available!  Here is the recipe if you would like to try some for yourself!

Tofu in Rhubarb BBQ Sauce

Serves 2

1 10 oz block firm tofu, diced

peanut oil

1 Tbsp peanut oil

2 cups organic rhubarb, diced

1/2 cup shallots, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
2 Tbsp agave nectar
1 Tbsp tamari
2 tsp mustard of your choice
2 Tbsp mirin
sea salt to taste

Preheat oven to 475 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with foil, and toss tofu with just enough peanut oil to coat.  Place on baking sheet, and bake until starting to brown at edges.  Remove from oven.  Meanwhile, Add 1 Tbsp peanut oil to a large saucepan over medium heat.  Add shallots, and saute until soft, about 5 minutes.  Add rhubarb and garlic, and saute until fragrant, 1 minute, then add orange juice, agave nectar, tamari, mustard, and mirin, along with sea salt to taste and let simmer for about 15-20 minutes until the rhubarb is soft and starting to break up.  Remove from heat and puree until smooth.  Serve sauce over tofu! 

Roasted Asparagus and Green Garlic Quinoa

Serves 2

1 cup water
1/2 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
1 cup asparagus, cut into 2 inch pieces
1 Tbsp lemon zest
juice of 2 lemons
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp fresh rosemary, minced
1 Tsp fresh thyme leaves
2 green garlic, thinly sliced
3/4 tsp sea salt or to taste
freshly ground black pepper

Place quinoa and water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until all the water is absorbed about 15 minutes, or when all the grains have turned from white to transparent, and the spiral-like germ has separated. Drain, and let cool. Preheat oven to 475.  Line a baking sheet with foil, and spray with non-stick spray.  Toss asparagus with just enough olive oil to coat, and spread out on sheet.  Roast until starting to brown and tender, about 10-15 min.  Let cool to room temp.  When quinoa is cool, combine with asparagus, lemon juice and zest, olive oil, rosemary, thyme, green garlic, and sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Amy's Buccatini All' Amatriciana

A few years back, for my Mom's Birthday we went to an Italian restaurant in the Twin Cities that was supposed to be the best.  The food was expensive, but I was not impressed.  I ordered the vegetarian special, and it was as if the person who made it did not know what they were doing, or how to cook vegetarian food.  It was flavorless...that is except for the garlic powder they had sprinkled on top of it before broiling it.  I wasn't going to say anything, but my Mom complained and we got it for free.  She loved her food on the other hand.  She had ordered a dish called Bucatini all' amatriciana, a spicy pasta with a red sauce laced with red pepper flakes and guanciale (bacon).  She kept begging me to go back to the restaurant with her so she could order this dish, but I would never go back there after my bad experience with their food.  Afterall, if you mess up vegetarian food, you really don't know how to cook in my opinion.  So, I felt bad, and I told her I would try and recreate the dish.  I nailed it spot on, and I never had to go back to the restaurant with her since she liked my version better.  It has been a few years, and I have made her the dish quite a few times, since she likes to request it.  I decided I wanted to try it...minus the guanciale of course.  I wanted to see what all the fuss was about!  So I made it exactly the same with tempeh bacon.  I have to admit, it was pretty darn good for a simple pasta dish!  The light spicyness in the bright tomato sauce, the smokyness of the bacon and textural bite to the bucatini that you don't get from other pasta, it was delicious! It was funny, she told me it was even better with the tempeh bacon than the real stuff!  I will be making this often now for myself now that I know how delcious it is, and easy to make!  Here is the recipe if you would like some!

Amy's Bucatini All' Amatriciana 

Serves 3-4

Sauce:
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 8 oz pkg tempeh bacon
2 shallots, minced
2 tsp (or more if desired) crushed red pepper flakes
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp red wine (good quality, what you drink) or balsamic vinegar
1 15 oz can crushed organic tomatoes
2 Tbsp tomato paste
2 tsp dried basil
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp fennel seeds
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

Pasta:
sea salt
water
8 oz dried bucatini pasta

vegan parmesan to serve, optional


Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. 
To make sauce, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a large non-stick pan.  Place tempeh bacon in pan, and brown, about 3-4 minutes on each side.  Remove from pan, and let cool slightly, then cut into small pieces.  Add shallots to the pan and saute until soft, about 5 minutes.  Add red pepper flakes and garlic and saute until fragrant 1 minute.  Add wine to deglaze, then tomatoes, paste, herbs, and sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.  Let simmer about 15 minutes to let flavor develop.  Meanwhile, add pasta to salted water and cook according to package directions. When pasta is finished cooking, add it to the sauce, along with tempeh bacon and cook a few minutes until bacon is heated through and pasta is coated in sauce.  Serve, along with some vegan parmesan!