Red Chard with Quinoa and Spicy Tofu

The other week, my friend Ange said she only wanted to eat kale and quinoa. The other, other week, Ange and I ate tofu with a spicy sauce at the delicious, feels-like-home-ish Dragonlady Lounge.

This week, I combined the two previously othered dishes. I had already expected them to go together nicely, but helped ensure this bind by repeating many of the ingredients from the tofu sauce in the quinoa dish.

The result was perfect. A vegan version of the starch+greens+protein I've been fawning over all Winter. If you've never tried quinoa, I urge you to. It's nutty, with a crispy-ish, springy texture. It's hearty and healthy, though light to the taste. It's beautiful.

Tofu
1 shallot, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoons red pepper flakes, or to taste
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon grapeseed (or other neutral) oil, plus more for frying the tofu
2 teaspoons honey
1 tablespoon water
2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds
about 6 ounces tofu, cut into four thin pads

Chard-Quinoa
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
2 shallots, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 bunch red chard, tough stems cut away and leaves chopped
3/4 cup quinoa
a little salt or soy sauce
1 1/2 cups low sodium vegetable broth

For the tofu
Whisk together all ingredients except the tofu in a small bowl. In a few tablespoons of oil heated over medium-high, fry the tofu. When the tofu has browned to your satisfaction, set it aside on some paper towels to drain.

For the chard-quinoa
In a large pot over a medium-low flame, heat the oil. Toss in the shallots, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Stir to combine and cook for 30 seconds or so. Stir in the chard. Continue cooking and stirring for a couple minutes.

Move the chard to one side of your pot and add the quinoa to the empty space. Sprinkle with a little salt or a few drops of soy sauce. Stir and cook for a few minutes, then add the vegetable broth and stir everything back together. Bring the broth to a boil, then turn the heat down to low and simmer, covered, for about 15 minutes. At this point, test the quinoa. It should be a bit hard in the middle, but not dry and crunchy. If it's still crunchy, add a bit more broth and continue cooking for another few minutes.

Spoon the finished chard-quinoa mixture into the bottom of a wide bowl. Place a tofu slice on top, then pour some sauce over all.

Serves 4.