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CRISPY BLACKENED TOFU WITH KALE + QUINOA

top down view of a black bowl with blackened tofu, sauteed kale and quinoa.

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5 from 7 reviews

Blackened Tofu with savory sauteed kale and quinoa makes a quick & easy weeknight or weekend meal!

Ingredients

Units Scale

Quinoa

  • 1 cup dried quinoa (I used tri-color from Trader Joe’s)
  • 1 3/4 cups water
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • salt, to taste

Blackened Tofu

  • 1 block (14-16 oz) organic tofu, super firm (pref) or extra firm
  • 2 tablespoons tamari, coconut amino’s or light soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

Spice Blend

  • 2 teaspoons paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch, optional
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon oregano
  • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Sauteed Kale

  • chopped kale, I used 10oz organic package from Trader Joe’s
  • 2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil or 1/4 cup water or veg broth
  • salt, to taste

Instructions

Quinoa:

  • Rinse your quinoa under cool running water to remove dust (if you forego this step your quinoa may have a bitter taste).
  • In medium pot add quinoa, garlic powder pinch of salt and water, bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 min.
  • Once done, uncover, stir and let set for 10 minutes to cool and soak up any excess water.
  • Fluff before serving. It will be a perfect quinoa, fluffy and sprouted.

Tofu prep:

  • Open and drain tofu.
  • Slice tofu into 4 large slabs, or whatever size you prefer.
  • Press tofu between paper towels or kitchen cloth to remove excess moisture.
  • In a shallow dish place tofu and tamari and let set while mixing the blackening seasoning, turn after a few minutes to let the other side soak.

Blackened Seasoning:

  • In a flat bottomed medium size bowl, combine all spice blend ingredients and mix until blended. This is fairly spicy so you may consider using less black pepper and/or cayenne.
  • Place tofu pieces in spice blend, press gently to get a good coating, turn and repeat on all sides.

Cook tofu:

  • In saute pan, heat oil over medium-high heat, add coated tofu and cook 5 minutes on each side.

Sauteed Kale:

  • In large wok or saute pan heat oil over medium heat, add kale and saute for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
  • Sprinkle nutritional yeast and garlic powder over top, turning and moving the kale around to get all the spices mixed well throughout the kale.
  • Continue stir frying for another four to 5 minutes, or until bright green and just wilted. You may leave a cover on for a minute here and there in between stir frying to help soften the kale. When kale turns bright green it’s about ready to be removed from heat. Test a piece and see if it’s too your liking, if not saute a little longer. Some may like it crisp and some may like it softer.

Serves 4

For a change, the blackened tofu would also be great with classic sides like this Vegan Macaroni Salad, Vegan Potato Salad or Vegan Cornbread.

Store: Leftovers can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, in a covered container.

Notes

Cornstarch is optional. It helps to keep the spices from clumping, and also works to help build up a crust on the surface of the tofu. But I’ve made this several times without it with great results.

Nutrition information is calculated using 1 tablespoon oil.