Sesame Quinoa with Tofu

This easy quinoa recipe is the last in a series made with my homemade vegetable stock.  I probably don't have to tell you by now that quinoa is a "complete" protein, and packed with vitamins, including manganese and folate.  I still remember the first time I cooked with it (about a decade ago), when I walked far out of my way in the D.C. area to find it in a bulk bin at Whole Foods, and asked a salesperson for kwin-oh-ah.  Luckily by now I've learned how to pronounce it, and it's also far more readily available in most supermarkets. If you haven't made the vegetable stock, go ahead and use water instead.

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces extra-firm tofu
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
• 1 cup uncooked quinoa
• 1 and 1/2 cups Vegetable Stock
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions
• 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1. Place the tofu on several layers of paper towels and let stand for 20 minutes.  Cut into 1/2-inch cubes.

2. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat.  Add the tofu and sesame seeds; saute for 3 minutes.  Remove the tofu mixture from the pan.

3. Add the quinoa to the pan and cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently.  Add the stock and salt; bring to a boil.  Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes.  Place the quinoa in a large bowl and add the tofu mixture, green onions, soy sauce, and black pepper, tossing to coat.

To continue with the Asian flavors of this dish, I served with miso soup. You can try packaged miso soup from the store, or make the Miso Soup with Spring Greens on this blog.

Nutrition Info:
4 servings (1 cup), Calories 274 

Tasting Notes:
A very simple, weeknight preparation of quinoa, nothing fancy.  I would play up the sesame factor by sauteeing in sesame oil next time, and drizzling with a little bit of additional oil just before serving.  1 tablespoon soy sauce was very light-handed; I'd go ahead and increase that, too.  The dish also was just crying out for some veggie additions - fresh peas and thinly sliced carrot kept springing to mind.  Play around and let me know what fun variations you come up with.

Rating:
3