Colorful veggies and a golden sauce brighten these tofu grain bowls
The first months of the year — at least where I’ve lived my whole life, in the Northern Hemisphere — tend toward gloom. After autumn’s generous harvests and end-of-year festivities, January drags. February is a bridge, a hopeful promise that there’s only one month between me and the first day of spring. Still, for the most part, the earth, trees and markets are bare. On the day I’m writing this, the light coming through the window is wan; the sky is covered with clouds, threatening a drizzle or downpour.
When the dark days of winter start to influence my mood, I do two things: First, I turn on some music — something like Goldfrapp, the Bee Gees, the Weeknd or Beyoncé. Next, I reach for something colorful to eat. On an especially gray day, I dreamed up these Quinoa Bowls With Roasted Vegetables and Tofu. They’re vibrant in color and flavor, with a turmeric-tahini sauce that’s sunny and warming — a way to tie a bow around all of winter’s rain (and snow).
As with many of the recipes I develop, this one is designed to be a template. The base of the bowl is a pile of quinoa cooked with raisins and vinegar, giving it an agrodolce
flair. But if you don’t like raisins, you could substitute chopped dried apricots or dates — or you could skip the fruit entirely. In place of quinoa, try this with brown rice, millet, barley, bulgur, farro or freekeh, adjusting the cooking time as needed.
While the quinoa steams, toss some sweet potato cubes and broccoli florets
with olive oil and salt on a sheet pan. Add a package of marinated tofu, cut into bite-size pieces. Roast it all until the sweet potatoes are tender, the broccoli gets crisp around the edges, and the tofu browns.
Not into sweet potatoes? How about winter squash, plantains, yams or carrots? In place of broccoli, you could use any other green vegetable, including chopped kale, green beans or Brussels sprouts. Finally, if you’re not a tofu person, that’s all right. Substitute your favorite cooked protein: leftover rotisserie chicken, stewed chickpeas, cooked and sliced sausage, or hard-boiled eggs.
I suggest adding a few fresh vegetables for additional color and texture. Cherry tomatoes and baby bell peppers, grown in greenhouses in the winter, are generally easy to find year-round. But if you want to use only what’s in season near you, consider shredded red cabbage and slices of green apple. Other options: sun-dried tomatoes, jarred roasted red peppers or any kind of pickled pepper.
A note about the tofu: I really like the marinated tofu I can get at most of the grocery stores near me. I love how easy it is to unwrap, cut up and roast or pan-fry. If you’d rather make your own teriyaki-style tofu, I’ve included instructions at the bottom of the recipe.
Finally, don’t skip the sauce! Turmeric, bloomed in olive oil, adds a warming flavor and golden color to a silky mix of tahini and citrus juice. It’s an easy move that wakes up the flavor of the spice, but you could skip it to save a step.
When it’s time to eat, turn up the music and taste the rainbow.
Quinoa Bowls with Roasted Vegetables and Tofu
Active time: 30minutes. Total time: 45minutes
Serves 2to 4
Make ahead: The turmeric-tahini sauce can be made up to 3 days in advance.
Storage: Refrigerate the vegetables with tofu, the quinoa and the sauce separately for up to 4 days.
INGREDIENTS For the quinoa:
1 1/4 cups water
3/4 cup quinoa, preferably tri-color, rinsed if desired
1/3 cup (2 ounces) raisins, preferably golden
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
For the vegetables and tofu:
1sweet potato (12ounces), peeled and diced into 1/2-inch cubes
1 head broccoli (12 ounces), cut into bite-size florets 3 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon fine salt, plus more as needed
1(7-ounce) package teriyaki-marinated extra-firm tofu, such as Nasoya’s Plantspired brand, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (see Substitutions for instructions on making your own) 10to 12cherry tomatoes, halved
1 small bell pepper (3 ounces), preferably orange or yellow, stemmed, seeded and sliced
For the sauce and serving:
1/3 cup well-stirred tahini
1/3 cup fresh citrus juice, preferably orange 1 tablespoon honey
1or 2cloves garlic, minced or finely grated 1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
Cold water, as needed
Fine salt (optional)
Freshly ground black pepper (optional) 4sprigs fresh cilantro (optional)
DIRECTIONS Make the quinoa:
In a small saucepan, stir together the water, quinoa, raisins, vinegar and salt to combine, and set over high heat. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce the heat to the lowest setting. Cook until the quinoa is tender, 18 to 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside, covered, so the quinoa stays warm and becomes plush in the residual heat.
Make the vegetables and tofu: While the quinoa cooks, position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees. Line a large sheet pan with foil or parchment, if desired.
• On the sheet pan, toss together the sweet potato cubes and broccoli with the oil until evenly coated. Season with the salt, then spread the vegetables evenly over roughly two-thirds of the pan. Add the tofu cubes to the other third, spacing them out evenly. Roast for 15minutes, then use tongs to toss the vegetables and tofu so that they cook evenly. Continue roasting for another 10to 15minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are tender, the broccoli has crisped and the tofu has browned.
Make the sauce: While the vegetables are roasting, in a small bowl, whisk together the tahini, citrus juice, honey and garlic.
• In a 6-inch skillet or saucepan over high heat, heat the olive oil until it shimmers. Remove from the heat and add the turmeric, giving it 30 seconds to bloom in the warm oil. Scrape and stir the turmeric oil into the tahini mixture. If the sauce seems too thick to drizzle, whisk in 1to 2tablespoons of cold water. Taste, and season with salt and/or pepper, if desired.
• To serve, divide the quinoa between bowls. Top with the tomatoes, bell pepper, sweet potatoes, broccoli and tofu. Drizzle each bowl with 2 to 4 tablespoons of the sauce. Garnish with torn cilantro, if desired, and serve, with extra sauce on the side.
Substitutions:
• Use any variety of seasonal vegetables, raw or cooked.
• Instead of quinoa, try barley, millet or brown rice.
• In place of tahini, try any other smooth nut or seed butter.
• Vegan? Use agave instead of honey.
• Not into tofu? Add cooked chickpeas, lentils or chicken. To make teriyaki-style marinated tofu: In a medium bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup soy sauce, 2 tablespoons honey, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, 1 clove garlic, minced or finely grated, and one (1-inch) piece of fresh ginger, grated. Add 7to 8ounces of extra-firm tofu, cut into cubes, and toss to coat. Marinate at room temperature for 30minutes or up to 12hours in the refrigerator before roasting.
• Nutritional facts per serving | per serving (about 2/3 cup quinoa, 3/4 cup vegetables and tofu and about 3 tablespoons sauce, based on 4) Calories: 620; Fat: 31 g: Saturated Fat: 5g; Carbohydrates: 71g; Sodium: 655mg; Cholesterol: 0mg; Protein: 20g; Fiber: 12g; Sugar: 22g. This analysis is an estimate based on available ingredients and this preparation. It should not substitute for a dietitian’s or nutritionist’s advice.