December 30, 2010: Pomegranate Balsamic Tofu & Bulgar Pilaf with Caramelized Onions

It's funny, I can revolve my entire day around food and be the happiest girl in town :)

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, and lots of snacking in between; God, I love to eat. 
Hours spent cooking feel like minutes (that is, when I'm not rushed).

 

I am lucky.  I flew home to Atlanta for Christmas, and because of the flight cancellations due to the monster storm in New York I'm stuck in Atlanta until January 2nd.  It sounds unreal, my trip has been extended 5 days! However, I'm not complaining.  I've had such a beautiful time at home, and Christmas day I was actually regretting not planning a longer trip. Ha!

Since I've been home I've only wanted to cook cook cook and bake.  The kitchen is like my stage, my canvas, my block of stone.  I create, experiment, taste, smell, laugh, bleed, burn, achieve, fail, nourish; all in this small space.

Today I went to 3 grocery stores for the joy of it.  I returned home with Bulgar, Parsley, Onions, and a few other items, ready to put together a unique Bulgar Pilaf and experiment with a Pomegranate Balsamic marinade on tofu.  I also wanted to try my hand at Caramelized Onions.

Being "stuck" at home is such a blessing.  I have the freedom to explore my soul food all day long, and I have the pleasure of seeing my family's joy when they return home from work to a delicious and healthy meal.  The only downside of staying in Atlanta is that I won't be bringing in the New Year with my boyfriend.  A good bottle of Champagne should ease the pain : )


For the following recipe I recommend marinating the tofu before you begin to work on the rest of the meal.  Tofu should marinate at least one hour.  Also, roast the carrots at 400 degrees while making the caramelized onions, or caramelize the onions ahead of time.  I caramelized two onions, but they cook down a lot, so feel free to use more, just double the amount of oil and sugar. Bulgar is extremely easy to cook, and can be made while blending the Tofu Marinade. There's a lot going on in this recipe, so I recommend reading it through before trying it out.
The three attractions look good on their own but taste best when tossed together on your plate. Yum!

 

Pomegranate Balsamic Marinated Tofu 

&

Portobello Carrot Bulgar Pilaf

with Caramelized Onions

Serves three

(The tofu marinade was adapted from  Pink Parsley's recipe)

Pomegranate Balsamic Marinated Tofu

One Package of Extra Firm Tofu, drained and pressed

1/4 cup Pomegranate Juice

1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar

1 tbsp Soy Sauce

1tbsp Maple Syrup

1 tsp Dijon Mustard

1 tbsp Olive Oil

In a medium sized bowl whisk together all of the ingredients, minus the tofu.  Slice pressed tofu into three equally sized rectangles, then cut into 6 wedges.  Place the wedges in a baking pan wide enough to fit the tofu and coat with marinade.  Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to marinate for at least one hour. 

...meanwhile, make the rest of the meal.

Caramelized Onions

2 Yellow Onions, cut lengthwise in thin strips

2 tbsp Olive Oil

1 tsp Sugar

Salt to taste

1 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar

In a large skillet heat the Olive Oil on high heat and tilt pan to make sure the entire bottom is coated with oil. 

Add the onion, and with a spatula stir to coat.  Reduce fire to medium-low.  Add sugar and a few pinches of salt, stir, and cover the onions for about 3 minutes to speed the cooking process.  Remove lid and stir a bit. Do not cover the onions.  Stir the onions lightly every 10 minutes. 

After about 30 minutes you'll have a pan of golden brown onions reduced significantly.  Move the onions to one side in the skillet.  Pour a bit of Balsamic Vinegar onto the pan and scrape with the spatula to deglaze, then stir the onions into the glaze. 

Remove from skillet and set aside to be used shortly.

Portobello Carrot Bulgar Pilaf

3 cups Bulgar, cooked (about 1 1/2 cups uncooked)

1 large Portobello Mushroom, diced

3 Carrots, sliced and roasted

1 tbsp Olive Oil

Sea Salt to taste

Chopped Parsley for Garnish

If it isn't already hot from roasting the Carrots, preheat oven to 400 degrees.  On a sheet pan lined with aluminum foil, place the marinated tofu wedges. Bake tofu for about 15 minutes. 

Heat the same skillet you used for the Caramelized Onions and pour in the remaining tofu marinade.  When the marinade is hot, add the diced Portobellos.  Cook for about 10 minutes, or until soft. 

In a large bowl mix Bulgar, Roasted Carrots, and Mushrooms with remaining sauce, Olive Oil, and about 1 tsp of Sea Salt, plus more to taste. 

Flip Tofu and bake for 5 more minutes. When tofu is finished add a few pinches of salt.

To Serve: Place a 1/2 cup to a cup of Bulgar onto a plate.  Add a tofu wedge and a spoonful of caramelized onions. Garnish with fresh chopped Parsley. 

Dig In!