Baked Tofu Quinoa With Chickpeas And Spinach Recipe 5

CRISPY BAKED TOFU

Steps:

• Start by pressing the tofu. Drain the water from the package. Place a paper towel on a plate, then place the towel on top of the paper towel. Put another layer of paper towel on top of the tofu, then place something heavy on top of the tofu. I like to do a few cookbooks or my tea kettle. Let sit for at least 15 minutes, longer if possible.
• Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray and set it aside.
• Remove the tofu from your press and cut the block into cubes. I usually do about 1" cubes.
• Place the cubes in a bowl. Spray with cooking spray and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Transfer the cubes onto the baking sheet. Make sure each cube is laying flat and has space on all four sides.
• Bake on the center rack for 20 minutes. Flip the tofu and bake for another 15 - 20 minutes until the tofu is crispy.*
• Serve immediately with your favorite dish.

QUINOA WITH CHICKPEAS AND SPINACH

Steps:

• Rinse the quinoa well and drain in a fine-mesh sieve. Combine water and orange juice to equal 1 3/4 cups, and bring to a boil in a 2-quart saucepan. Add the sea salt, orange zest, and rinsed quinoa. Return to boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, or until all the liquid has been absorbed. Remove from heat and let sit, covered, for 10 minutes to fluff up.
• While the quinoa is cooking, heat the oil in a large skillet that has a tight-fitting lid. Add the onions and saute over medium-high heat for 10 minutes, until they have softened and started to brown a bit. Add garlic and saute until golden.
• Add raisins, chickpeas, and chopped spinach. Cover and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, or just until the spinach has wilted. Adjust heat if necessary. Drain any excess water after cooking the spinach. Season to taste with sea salt.
• To serve, fold the vegetables into the hot, cooked quinoa. Stir in cinnamon. Garnish with the toasted pine nuts (or walnuts) and orange wedges for a final squeeze of juice.

CHICKPEAS WITH BABY SPINACH

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat and add the onion. Cook, stirring, until tender, about five minutes. Add the garlic, cumin, tomato paste and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring for one to two minutes, until fragrant and the tomato paste has turned a darker color. Add the chickpeas, the stock or water, and the cayenne, and bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce the heat, and simmer 10 minutes.
• Stir in the spinach, a handful at a time, stirring until each addition of spinach wilts. Add salt to taste and simmer uncovered, stirring often, for five minutes. Add lots of freshly ground pepper, taste and adjust salt and cayenne, and serve.