Cait's Plate: Pineapple Fried Quinoa

Caitlin Grams of Caitlin Lives Well, brings us delicious recipes inspired by her New Year’s Resolution “to make one new recipe a week”.  This week, Caitlin takes on makes her favorite Thai dish a healthy dish! We are huge fans of quinoa and can't wait to try out this recipe.

My favorite Thai dish is Pineapple Fried Rice, but there's a reason why I rarely order it - huge portions, white rice, fried tofu...nothing about it is healthy. So I decided to try to make my own healthy version, using my favorite grain, and it turned out surprisingly well! This dish is light yet hearty and full of protein, carbs and healthy fats. 

Pineapple Fried Quinoa with Tofu - adapted from this recipe

Ingredients:

1 cup quinoa, prepared according to package directions

1 head broccoli, roasted 

1 block extra firm tofu

2 tablespoons soy sauce

3 eggs

1 tbsp peanut oil

2 shallots, chopped 

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup pineapple, diced

1 tablespoon sesame seed oil 

1/4 cup cashews

While quinoa is cooking and broccoli is roasting, heat oil in pan and add shallots and garlic until heated through. Add eggs, cook and stir until scrambled. Remove  from heat. 

Press tofu to remove excess water and cut once crosswise, then into 1 inch squares lengthwise. Dip each piece into soy sauce to evenly coat and spread onto baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until edges begin to brown.

Toast cashews in small saucepan over high heat for 2-3 minutes until shiny. 

In a large serving bowl, toss quinoa, tofu, broccoli, pineapple and sesame seed oil. Top with cashews and enjoy! 

Cait's Plate: Tofu and Quinoa Stir Fry

Every other week, Caitlin Grams of Caitlin Lives Well, is bringing us delicious recipes inspired from her New Year’s Resolution “to make one new recipe a week”.  This week we learn about how to make a protein packed stir fry!

Tofu and Quinoa Stir Fry

So it's probably pretty clear by now that I love quinoa. It's super versatile and is so quick to make. In this dish I use it as a substitute for brown rice - it cooks faster than brown rice, plus the higher protein and fiber content and amino acids aren't too shabby. I'm a big fan of meals I can just throw together, and stir fry veggies are so easy. To up the veggie content of this dish I add roasted broccoli. 

Ingredients:

1 block tofu, extra firm, chopped into small squares

1 package stir fry vegetables

1 head broccoli, chopped

2 tbsp olive oil

1-2 tbsp vegetable oil

Salt and pepper to taste

1 cup quinoa

For the tofu dredge:

1/2 cup peanut flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp salt

For the vegetables:

2 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp garlic

1 tbsp Sriracha

Coat the broccoli in the olive oil, salt and pepper and roast at 425 degrees for 10-15 minutes until it starts to brown. Remove from oven.

While the broccoli is roasting, prepare quinoa according to package directions. 

While quinoa is cooking, combine ingredients for tofu dredge in a ziplock bag. Toss tofu squares in dredge until coated. Heat 1/2 inch of vegetable oil over medium high heat (test how hot the oil is by sprinkling a pinch of the flour mixture into it to see if it sizzles). Add tofu to oil, being careful not to overcrowd the pan, and cook for 1-2 minutes per side, flipping halfway through. When browned remove from pan and set on a paper towel lined plate. 

Add a tablespoon of vegetable oil to a wo k or large pan over high heat. Add the stir fry vegetables and cook for about 4 minutes. When the veggies are almost done add the broccoli, soy sauce, garlic and sriracha and ginger powder. Toss and cook for an additional minute, then remove from heat.

Combine the quinoa, veggies and tofu and boom - deliciousness, in a bowl.