Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Tofu and Sweet Potatoes over Cajun Quinoa

When the weather outside is frightful you have to turn to food to warm up. This dish makes use of Cajun flavours to transport you to the Bajou in the middle of the winter weather. You can serve this over rice, but I went with quinoa if only because it's fun to say "Cajun quinoa." To make it I cooked 1 cup of quinoa in 2 cups of water. When done, I added 1/4 cup of chopped fresh parsely and a few dashes of hot sauce.

INGREDIENTS
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 large sweet onion, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 1 green pepper, diced
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 cups diced sweet potato
- 1 pkg extra firm tofu, diced
- 1/3 cup of water, plus more as needed
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp thyme
- 1 tsp seasoned salt
- cayenne pepper to taste
- freshly ground pepper
- 1 can coconut milk

METHOD
1. Heat oil in a large pan over medium heat. Saute onion, celery, green pepper, and bay leaves for 5-7 mins, until onion is soft and translucent. Add potatoes and fry for 2 mins. Add tofu, water, and spices. Cook uncovered for about 10 mins, until potatoes are beginning to soften. Add a few splashes of water to keep everything from sticking.
2. Add coconut milk to the pan and bring to bubbling. Simmer for 10 more mins, until veggies are cooked through. Season to taste and serve.

Here is the view out the back door these days.