I did not grow up eating tofu at home, but now I find myself cooking with it more often. With the right marinade and sauce mixture, this protein-heavy meat substitute will absorb whatever flavors you give it, and can really stand out as the star of a dish. This particular recipe is slightly spicy, which can be toned down if you prefer food with less heat.
Marinated Tofu with Fall Vegetables & Spicy Peanut Coconut Sauce
I did not grow up eating tofu at home, but now I find myself cooking with it more often. With the right marinade and sauce mixture, this protein-heavy meat substitute will absorb whatever flavors you give it, and can really stand out as the star of a dish. This particular recipe is slightly spicy, which can be toned down if you prefer food with less heat.
Ingredients
For the Tofu Marinade:
- 16 oz (1 package) extra-firm tofu, lightly pressed & drained on paper towels
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
- 2 Tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 Tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 Tbsp Sichuan peppercorns, (finely ground)
- 1 Tbsp fresh ginger, ( grated)
- 2 cloves garlic, ( grated)
- 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
For the Spicy Peanut Coconut Sauce:
- ½ cup smooth natural peanut butter
- ½ cup coconut milk
- 3 Tbsp warm water
- 1 Tbsp prepared red curry paste
- 2 Tbsp white granulated sugar
- 3 Tbsp tofu marinade that you prepared earlier
- Zest from 1 fresh lime
- 1.5 Tbsp fresh lime juice
- 1 Tbsp Sambal Oelek ( (amazing spicy red chili pepper sauce))
- 1 clove garlic, (grated)
For the Fall Vegetables:
- 16 oz cooked, marinated firm tofu, cooked earlier
- ½ butternut squash, peeled, seedy core removed, (cut into bite-sized chunks)
- parsnips, (cut into bite-sized chunks)
- 8 oz brussels sprouts, (end trimmed and cut in half)
- ¼ head of cauliflower, (cut into uniform florets)
- 3 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 4 scallions, (finely sliced, as garnish)
Instructions
For the Tofu Marinade:
- Gently press the firm tofu under a weighted plate on paper towels, absorbing as much liquid from the tofu as possible without crushing the tofu itself.
- Combine the remaining tofu marinade ingredients in a mixing bowl and whisk to thoroughly combine.
- After the tofu has had time to drain on the paper towels, cut the tofu into uniform bite-sized chunks, or into cubes that are about ¾”.
- Gently combine the tofu with the marinade and allow to sit for 8 hours or overnight.
- When you are ready to cook your tofu, simply drain the tofu from the marinade and saute it carefully in a hot pan with some vegetable oil until lightly browned on all sides.
- Save 3-4 Tbsp of the tofu marinade for use in your Spicy Peanut Coconut Sauce.
For the Spicy Peanut Coconut Sauce:
- Place all of the Spicy Peanut Coconut Sauce ingredients in a small sauce pot on the stove, and whisk to combine.
- Turn on heat and cook until sauce has been heated throughout.
- Taste and adjust the amount of lime juice, sugar, and salt to your preference.
- Allow sauce to cool at room temperature.
For the Fall Vegetables:
- Preheat oven to 425F.
- Coat the cut squash and cut parsnips in vegetable oil and place on a piece of parchment paper on a sheet tray.
- Lightly salt the squash and parsnips.
- Coat the brussels sprouts and cauliflower in vegetable oil and place on a piece of parchment paper on a sheet tray.
- Lightly salt the brussels sprouts and cauliflower.
- Bake both trays of vegetables at 425F until vegetables are golden-brown and completely tender.
- *Note that the different items may take slightly different amounts of time to cook, for instance the squash and parsnips will take a bit more time than the brussels sprouts and cauliflower.
- When the vegetables are done roasting, assemble cooked tofu and roasted vegetables on a large serving tray, and drizzle everything with the spicy peanut coconut sauce.
- Garnish everything with the finely sliced scallions.
Notes
This dish tastes great reheated as leftovers.
Make some extra Spicy Peanut Coconut Sauce, and use it throughout the week served over whatever vegetables you happen to have roasted up for that evening’s dinner.