This is a really simple yet elegant dish. If you are a beet hater, this will completely change your mind. Roasting beets introduces a caramelized, chewy texture that resembles nothing of the cold-sliced beets in every salad bar everywhere. To make this, you’ll need a ring mold — it will create a perfect circle shape as well as aid in assembly of all the components. In addition to balancing out the tartness of the balsamic, the agave will help give the tofu a nice glazey sear.
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BALSAMIC-AGAVE TOFU WITH BEET INFUSED COUSCOUS
- Yield: 2 servings
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds of firm tofu, sliced into 6 thin slabs and pressed for at least an hour
- 12 spears of fresh asparagus
- 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 TB soy sauce
- 1 TB agave nectar
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, crushed between your fingers
- 5 cloves of garlic, grated on a mircoplane grater
- 2 TB olive oil
- salt and pepper
for the beets and couscous
- 1 cup of fresh beets, skinned and cubed into 1/2 inch pieces
- 1/2 cup red onion, finely diced
- 3 TB olive oil
- salt and pepper
- 1/2 cup large pearl couscous
- 1 cup water
- white pepper
Instructions
- Using your circular ring mold, carefully cut out circles in the four pieces of pressed tofu. Set aside.
- In a large pyrex dish, combine all of the ingredients for the marinade. Place the tofu into the marinade, flipping over once to ensure its well coated. Place in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, flipping again halfway through the marinade time.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Boil 1 1/4 cups water in a small saucepan. Place the cubed beets in the boiling water for about 5 minutes. Transfer the beets with a slotted spoon to a well-greased baking pan, adding 2 TB of the oil to coat. Bake for 25 minutes.
- Add the diced red onion to the beet mixture with the remaining 1 TB oil and place back into the oven for 25 minutes more, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching. Sprinkle with the white pepper.
- Once you’ve added the red onion to the beets, make your couscous by placing the couscous into the beet infused water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and cover. Simmer over low heat for about 30 minutes.
- Once your beets and couscous are done, remove the tofu from the refrigerator and saute over medium high heat in a large skillet until well-browned, about 5-7 minutes on each side.
- Remove from the heat and add the asparagus to the pan. Saute until bright green, about 6 minutes.
- Place the remainder of the marinade into a small saucepan over medium high heat until it slightly thickens and reduces. Remove from heat and let it cool slightly while you plate.
- To assemble the tower, place a ring mold onto a plate and add a slice of the tofu. Spoon some of the beet mixture over that, lightly but firmly packing it into place. Add another slice of tofu and then add a layer of the couscous on that, packing it lightly but firmly. Top with another slice of tofu and carefully remove the ring.
- Serve with the sauteed asparagus and spoon some of the reduced balsamic marinade over the top.
Love this! It's so beautiful and sound really good too.
Beautiful!
Gorgeous!!!!
beets and tofu?! two of my favorite things together – this looks delicious and so elegant!
Love beets. So spring-y.
This sounds divine!
beautiful presentation! And everything sound so amazing and delicious. I'm not a raw beet fan, unless juiced, but roasted? Yes, please!
This sounds wonderful! Roasted beets are delicious on a salad too. Thanks for sharing your recipe!
The tofu marinade sounds amazing
i wonder if you read your comments. i hope you do cos we're making it and i have a question. where does the white pepper (that we spent forever looking for) fit into the recipe?
Chesney, the white pepper can be sprinkled over the roasted beets, to taste. I updated the directions to include that. I hope you enjoy it!
and the other thing is that one should probably use extra firm tofu, if you're a tofu idiot like me you used soft.
I updated that as well in the recipe. I always use firm, so never really specify, but I guess I should. Thanks Chesney!
So tonight, I decided to make one of my old favorites of yours and remembered this little gem which I have made on a few occasions. So strange, that I just realized that I never left my little footprint here. I logged it in on Pinterest the first time I made it in 11/3/12! Too funny. Obviously, I really enjoy this one since I have come back to it more than once. :::planting my "I was here" sign;)