Thursday, 10 February 2011

Totally baked


photos by me

I have a love hate relationship with stir-fry. I love the savoury flavours and the endless variety of veggie choices, but I hate looming over the stove to keep a watchful eye on the food while my clothing absorbs the umami-infused odours and I wind up smelling more like Asian food than my dinner does. So yesterday, as I was scrambling to put together a quick (and portable) dinner using whatever ingredients I could find (our fridge is pretty empty at the moment), I came up with this random little dish- citrus glazed veggies and tofu baked in the oven and served over couscous. Turns out it was delicious, and so much easier than stir-fry! Just coat the veggies and tofu in the sauce and leave them alone to bake for about 20 minutes while you prep the couscous. Easy, flavourful and no frying-required.

No-fry stir-fry
Makes 2 dinner-sized portions

1 head broccoli florets
3 carrots, cut on the diagonal
1/2 a red onion, sliced
1/2 package extra firm tofu, patted dry and cut into cubes
1/3 cup almonds, coarsely chopped
about 2 cups prepared couscous (quinoa or brown rice would work equally well)

Citrus sauce

juice of 2 clementines (if you're using oranges, it's about 1/3 cup)
zest of 2 clementines
1 clove garlic, grated
1/2 tsp ginger, grated
4 tsp soy sauce
3 tsp brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp rice vinegar
1 tsp cornstarch (to thicken)
1/4 tsp chili flakes
freshly cracked black pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Whisk together sauce ingredients and coat the veggies and tofu (reserving almonds for later). Spread mixture onto a shallow baking tray and bake for 15 minutes. Add almonds and bake for another 5 to 10 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the couscous (or rice or quinoa). Serve the vegetable and tofu mixture over the couscous and drizzle everything with a bit of soy sauce. Enjoy!

P.S. I now have my very own Hungry Birdie email (fancy, I know), so if you have questions about recipes or anything at all, don't hesitate to contact me: thehungrybirdie@gmail.com


6 comments:

  1. I like how you used clementines, so good! :) I also am not a fan of stirfrys, especially considering all the extra oil that you have to use. Great recipe!

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  2. Gorgeous! I'm trying to convince my husband that he likes tofu. So far I haven't had much luck, but maybe this recipe could convert him! If not, more for me! Looks delicious. I like the idea of using clementine juice.

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  3. Thanks guys, yes, the clementines add a nice sweetness and I always have a ton of them on hand during the winter months so it's nice to have another use for them!

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  4. yumm! sounds like something I would make. I love stir-frys though. I think I'm going to be more self conscious about my smell after reading your post! hahahha!

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  5. Gorgeous pictures!! I love your site :) -L

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  6. Beautiful presentation, makes me want to make something healthy right away (I have a batch of muffins baking in the oven at the moment, hmm). Broccoli and tofu must be a delicious combination... and that citrus glaze... I'm definitely going to try this someday, bookmarked! Thank you!

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