Summertime

By: Betsy Bearden

Summertime and the tofu is grillin’, so hush little baby, don’t you …  I know what you’re thinking, but yes, vegetarians have cook outs. I can flat-out grill some tofu, especially during summer. Ah, summertime. Catfish are jumpin’, birds are singin’, people are walking around asking, “Hot enough for ya?” And it’s the perfect time for cleaning up the outdoor grill for a little BBQ action.

If you’re like me, then I know you’re all excited about the prospect of grilling tofu but try and calm yourself for just a minute and read this because it’s really important.

Words of wisdom: A big slab of fresh tofu+ an ungreased grill=one big honkin’ mess!

Before you crank up the heat, spray on cooking oil or liberally grease the grill with a paper towel soaked in vegetable oil. You will be glad you did. It is also my recommendation, but not totally necessary, to freeze the tofu ahead of time. Just remove it from the little white tub and drain the water from it. You can either place the whole slab in a storage bag or cut it into five slices (kind of like slicing Spam).

If you want to seal the tofu in a marinade before you freeze it, that would be all right, but I recommend waiting until after you have frozen and thawed the tofu. It will still drain a lot, even after it has been frozen. Also, freezing changes the texture of tofu by making it a little more “chewy” and more resilient. Freezing may also change the color of tofu, which is perfectly normal unless it turns purple; then you really have a problem.  But seriously, it will turn amber or maybe a little brown, and this is perfectly normal.

So, either way, fresh or frozen, you have a lot of exciting options. You can also cube the tofu, place it on skewers along with some bell peppers, onions, mushrooms, pineapple chunks, and then grill it.

When grilling, it is always best to use extra firm tofu, and freeze it first. But it will work just fine fresh from the tub. Just be sure to let it drain. A quick and easy method I use to drain fresh tofu or thaw frozen tofu, is to remove it from the package, place it in a colander and cover it with a salad plate. Then I place my mortar and pestle on the salad plate and place it all in the sink to drain for about thirty minutes. This works quite well to express the water from the tofu. A heavy can of beans will also work in place of the mortar and pestle.

One of my favorite *marinades for tofu is: ¼ cup honey, one teaspoon crushed red pepper, ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, and ¼ cup Teriyaki sauce. Just place this all in a gallon size baggie and add the sliced or cubed tofu. It’s best to let it marinate overnight, but a few hours will do in a pinch. Just remove it from the baggie and slap it on the grill.

OK! Are you ready to put the spurs to it? Let’s get grillin’!

BBQ Tofu

1 to 2 containers of extra firm tofu (there are usually five servings per container of tofu)

Your favorite barbecue sauce or my recommended *marinade (above)

Slice tofu into 4-5 slices per block, and place on a grill that has been coated with non-stick oil prior to lighting the fire or tuning on the gas. Brush the tofu with barbecue sauce or remaining marinade, and cook 5 to 10 minutes, turning once, coating the other side and continue cooking for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, depending on whether you want it rare, medium, or well done. Just let it cook, as it’s best to let it caramelize before turning. It’s never a good idea to over-flip tofu.

As long as we’re grilling, how about some side dishes?

Grilled Okra Pods

20 whole okra pods- this will serve four people, at five pods a piece.

Place pods on skewers or individually on the grill. Brush with vegetable oil, and dust with kosher salt. Grill them until the juices start bubbling from them. This will take about 10-15 minutes. Remember to rotate them so they will cook evenly. Remove from skewers and serve whole. You won’t believe how delicious this is!

How about a nice, refreshing salad?

Strawberry Vinaigrette

• 1 lb.- frozen strawberries *(thawed)
• 1/4-cup honey
• 2- Tbs. balsamic Vinegar
• 1/2-cup olive oil
• 1/4 -cup Vidalia, Texas Sweet, or sweet onion
• clove garlic

            Place all ingredients into a blender and place setting on “liquefy” for about 30 seconds. Pour over fresh, crunchy Romaine lettuce or iceberg lettuce. This compliments any salad. You can add chopped walnuts or pecans and crispy croutons to make the salad more special. And another tip for serving this salad in the summertime is to not completely thaw the strawberries. Put them in the blender semi-thawed. When you pour the dressing over the lettuce, it will crisp it up something fierce, and cool you down on a hot day!

So, who says vegetarians can’t be grill master’s to be reckoned with? We don’t need no stinking meat!

Happy summer! 

Betsy Bearden is a professional, published writer and cookbook author. She has worked as a volunteer chef, and cooking class instructor at Kroger’s School of Cooking in Alpharetta, Georgia, and as a reporter for The Paulding Neighbor Newspaper. You can reach her at betsybearden@bellsouth.net or visit her website at www.creativewrites.net