Roasted Tofu & Brussels Sprouts with Ginger Vinaigrette

Makes: 4 servings

Total carbohydrates: 16 grams per serving

Hands-on time: 15 minutes

Total time: 40 minutes

Tofu is a perfect candidate for co-roasting, since it bakes beautifully and it’s not fussy, timing-wise. Plus, it soaks up whatever seasoning you give it, like a docile sponge, offering no flavor push-back of its own. Here, a quick dip in a gingery vinaigrette gives it the perfect sparkle, and a batch of Brussels sprouts roasts alongside to crispy perfection. Of course, if Brussels sprouts aren’t your thing, feel free to swap in broccoli or cauliflower florets, which you can treat identically. This is one of my family’s go-to meals, and it’s an excellent investment of the 15 minutes it will take you to prepare it.

Ingredients

1 (14-ounce) container extra-firm tofu

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

¼ cup soy sauce

1 tablespoon or so of grated or finely minced ginger (peel it first)

2 tablespoons or so of slivered scallions

4 tablespoons vegetable oil

½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil (just leave it out if you don’t have it)

1 heaping teaspoon finely chopped pickled jalapenos or sriracha or minced fresh hot peppers or something else spicy that you like

1 pound Brussels sprouts

Slivered cilantro leaves for garnish (only if you like cilantro, obviously)

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 425° F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or nonstick foil.

2. Drain the tofu, wrap it in a clean dish towel (or a couple of layers of paper towel) and put something heavy on it, such as a large can, then leave it to drain while you prepare the vinaigrette.

3. Make the vinaigrette: In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, scallions, two tablespoons of the vegetable oil, the sesame oil, and the jalapenos.

4. Cut the tofu into 10 slices, arrange these in a dish in a single layer, and pour the vinaigrette over it. Leave the tofu to marinate while you prepare the Brussels sprouts.

5. Trim the bottoms off of the Brussels sprouts, remove any dinged-up leaves, and cut the sprouts in half (you can leave tiny ones whole). Put the sprouts in a bowl and toss with the remaining two tablespoons of vegetable oil. 

6. Pull each tofu slice out of the vinaigrette, and arrange them in a single layer on one half of the baking sheet. Set aside the remaining marinade for later. Arrange the Brussels sprouts, and any of their stray leaves, cut-side down on the other side (or as much cut-side down as you can manage without it being a total trial). Put the pan in the oven and set a timer for 20 minutes. It will probably be optimally baked at 25 minutes, but peek at it a little early: when the sprouts are tender and everything is deeply browned and crisping, it’s done.

7. Drizzle everything with the leftover vinaigrette, toss the sprouts around a bit, garnish the tofu with cilantro, and serve.

About Catherine

Catherine loves to write about food and feeding people. In addition to her recipe and parenting blog Ben & Birdy (which has about 15,000 weekly readers), she edits the ChopChop series of mission-driven cooking magazines. This kids’ cooking magazine won the James Beard Publication of the Year award in 2013 – the first non-profit ever to win it – and a Parents’ Choice Gold Award. She also helped develop Sprout, a WIC version of the magazine for families enrolled in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), as well as Seasoned, their senior version. They distribute over a million magazines annually, through paid subscriptions, doctor’s offices, schools, and hospitals. Their mission started with obesity as its explicit focus – and has shifted, over the years, to a more holistic one, with health, happiness, and real food at its core. That’s the same vibe Catherine brings to the diaTribe column.

[Photo Credit: Catherine Newman]