Several weeks ago I was doing something I really enjoy doing…experimenting with food. In a box of recipes that belonged to my mother was a recipe for Pasta Primavera. But I wanted to make it without the pasta and use something that was lower in carbs. Tofu came to mind, as it has about 2g of carbs per serving, which is a ton less than pasta. But the tofu by itself was terrible – so I decided I needed to marinate the tofu first. So I was experimenting with devising my own recipe based on the original Pasta Primavera. Here’s what I came up with and it tastes friggin’ amazing!
KEVIN’S TOFU PRIMAVERA
== INGREDIENTS ==
1 pkg Firm Tofu
1 bottle Mrs. Dash Garlic-Herb Marinade
3 Tbsp Olive Oil
3 cloves Garlic, minced
1 Lemon, juiced
1 medium Yellow Squash, halved and cut into 1″ pieces
1 medium Orange Bell Pepper, cut into 1″ pieces
3 cups Broccoli Florets
2 cups halved Grape Tomatoes
8 Green Onions, chopped
1 Tbsp Dried Basil
2 Tbsp Sea Salt
1/3 cup shaved Parmesan Cheese, for garnish
== DIRECTIONS ==
-Marinating the Tofu-
1. Slice Tofu into 1″ x 1″ thin squares (about 1/4th of an inch thick).
2. Place slices of Tofu onto several paper towels, then cover with several more pieces of paper towel. Gently press out the moisture.
3. Place tofu squares into a ziploc bag and pour marinade inside. Seal bag and gently massage the bag to insure coverage on all the tofu pieces.
4. Refrigerate for 3 hours.
WHEN TOFU HAS BEEN PROPERLY MARINATED…
1. Remove Tofu pieces from marinade, gently removing excess marinade. Discard marinade and set Tofu aside.
2. Combine Olive Oil, Garlic, Lemon Juice and Basil in a small bowl. Set aside.
3. Add sea salt to a medium pot filled with water, bring to a boil.
4. Reduce heat to medium. Add squash and bell pepper. Cook for 4 minutes.
5. Two minutes before end of cook time, add Broccoli.
6. Drain vegetables, reserve 1/2 cup of the water.
7. Return vegetables to pot, stir in the tomatoes, green onions, oil mixture, reserved cooking water and tofu.
8. Cook over medium-low heat until tomatoes and tofu are heated.
Garnish with shaved Parmesan on top, serve immediately.
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