Balsamic Tofu Saute with Couscous
1 medium zucchini, cut 1/2 inch thick, then slices halved
3/4 cup medium sized yellow onion, sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 large red bell pepper, sliced thin
8 oz. hard tofu
4-5 tablespoons balsamic vinaigrette
2/3 cup uncooked whole wheat couscous
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup water
cooking spray
First, freeze tofu a few days before. This gives the tofu a chewier texture. The night before making this dish, put the tofu in the fridge to thaw.
When ready to make dish, drain all the liquid out of the tofu. Then, to press the tofu: cover a cutting board or plate with paper towels or towels. Place the tofu on the cutting board. Place another paper towel on top of the tofu, then a heavy weight, such as a book or bowl. Drain the tofu for 15 minutes.
While the tofu is being pressed, cut up the vegetables.
Then, drain excess liquid from the tofu and take away the paper towels or towels. Cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes or any desired size. Pour the vinaigrette over the tofu and marinate for about 5 or 10 minutes.
Start cooking the couscous: Read the box's directions, but we made enough to make 2 cups cooked. Add 1 cup of water and 2 teaspoon olive oil to a medium sized pot. Boil; then once it starts boiling, add 2/3 cup dry couscous, cover, and remove from heat. Let it sit while the rest of the dish gets cooked.
While the tofu is marinating and couscous covered, saute the onion with a little cooking spray at med to med high heat. Once the onion is sauteed, add the rest of the vegetables. Put the temperature on medium or medium-low and saute till tender. Place the sauteed vegetables into a bowl and cover while the tofu gets sauteed.
Drain the marinade from the tofu. Add the tofu to the skillet and saute at medium-high heat till brown on both sides.
Plate the tofu, and serve with the side of sauteed vegetables and couscous. Drizzle some more vinaigrette over the tofu and the vegetables for a great flavor!
SO HOW'D IT GO?
I loved this, absolutely delicious and light!
I boiled the couscous in vegetarian soup base, with some s & p.
I didn't freeze the tofu, but drained it and marinated it in a concoction I made of Red Wine Vinegar, soya sauce, garlic, oregano, cumin, basil, salt and pepper, hot sauce, honey mustard and olive oil.
I sauteed some onion, garlic and red peppers then cooked the tofu and laid it on a bed of couscous and then topped it all with pieces of fresh tomato, cucumber and chives.....then drizzled the rest of the marinade on top. Wow!
Wish my camera had some batteries cause it's a pretty dish.
This was good and I added some mushrooms but otherwise we liked the subtleness of the flavors. My DH usually likes everything super spicy but he ate this without adding Tabasco sauce. I rated it 4 stars!
i rated it 2 stars and that's pretty nice considering i had to add a lot to it to make it tasteful to my liking... i added sun-dried tomato pesto, salt, pepper and many spices to make it more edible... i served it with a tomato-marinara rice mix and substituted the zucchini for eggplant.
i don't think i'll make this again. :(
This was really yummy. I used quinoa instead of couscous (just because I love it so much) cooked in vegetable broth. I also didn't freeze the tofu as I didn't want to wait. Will definitely make this again! :)