Recipes

FALL RECIPES: Quinoa and Butternut Squash with a Peanut Tofu Topper

This is one of my favorite fall dishes.  I have pleased even my most carnivorous friends with this dish.  Quinoa is a high protein South American grain.  When roasted quinoa has a wonderful nutty aroma.

            2 ½ cups quinoa
            1      onion, diced
             ¼    stick butter (or any oil)
            2 T. olive oil
            1      butternut squash, diced raw
            4      stalks celery
            3+    cups stock 

Wash the quinoa until the water runs clean.  Spread out on a cookie sheet and roast at 325° until dry and toasted, stir occasionally.  In a soup pot, heat butter and oil . Sautee diced onion, diced celery until soft.  Add roasted quinoa and squash until coated.  Add boiling stock and bay leaf.  Simmer about 25 minutes until all liquid is absorbed.

For the tofu and peanut sauce:

            4 T.   soy sauce
            4 T.   cooking sherry
            2       minced garlic
            2  T.  rice wine vinegar
            1  package extra firm tofu cubed

Marinade the tofu cubes for at least 2 hours, overnight if possible.  Bake tofu at 350°  for 10 - 12 minutes flip and 10 minutes more. 

For the sauce:
             ½ c. boiling water
             1 T. minced garlic
             2 T. soy sauce
             2 heaping T. natural peanut butter
             1 T. coconut cream
Heat the water, soy sauce and garlic. Stir in the peanut butter.  Turn off the heat and add the cream of coconut.  Pour over tofu and top on the quinoa.