When I was thinking about what would pair well with our Cucumber Peanut Salad for the Week 8 Meal Plan, grilling seemed like a great option. I made tofu AND chicken satay, they both turned out really good. If you have vegetarian guests this is a great item to grill, and if vegetarians and omnivores are around it’s really easy to make both at the same time. The marinade is made in one large batch, and then divided in two portions. The larger portion goes over the tofu, and the remainder is mixed with peanut butter and curry paste to make a thicker sauce. If you can’t stand too much heat, omit or reduce the curry paste.
When you mix together the marinade ingredients, the quantity should be just shy of 2 cups. Marinate the tofu in about 1 cup of marinade for at least an hour and up to four. If using wooden skewers, soak them in water while the tofu is marinating. While the tofu is marinating use an immersion blender to combine the rest of the coconut milk mixture with peanut butter and red curry paste. Reserve the sauce. Thread the tofu onto wooden or metal skewers and discard the marinade.
Grill the tofu on high heat, turning so all sides are cooked about 3 minutes per side or until tofu is cooked through with nice grill marks. Serve with peanut sauce and lime wedges.
Tofu Satay
1 lb tofu cut into one inch cubes
Marinade and Sauce Base:
3/4 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup soy sauce (gluten free if necessary)
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1/4 cup lime juice
2 tablespoons grated ginger
1 small shallot, minced
For the peanut sauce:
1/2 cup peanut butter or more if necessary
1 teaspoon red curry paste or crushed red pepper, optional
Mix together marinade and sauce base. Soak skewers if necessary. Pour one cup of marinade over tofu, and marinate in the refrigerator for one hour. Use an immersion blender or blender to combine the remaining marinade and peanut butter. Add curry paste or crushed red pepper if desired.
Preheat grill to high heat. Thread tofu onto skewers, and discard marinade. Cook tofu about 3 minutes per side or more until cooked through. Serve with peanut sauce and lime wedges. Save an remaining peanut sauce for dipping grilled vegetables, or adding to noodle dishes.
