Sheet Pan BBQ Tofu, Vegetable and Quinoa Bowls

In general, most of my recipes are no fuss, because it’s mostly how I eat and feed my family, but also because I believe that good food should be whole, delicious and simple and because I want to encourage as many people as possible to reduce their reliance on packaged and processed foods and get back in the kitchen; and the best way to do that is to show just how easy it can be to create a delicious and nutritious meal without the fuss.

I’ve been relying heavily on these types of recipes lately because they’re easy to make and I can get Amal involved in the kitchen with me. It keeps her out of trouble (and away from the TV), feeds her curiosity, and teaches her valuable life skills and habits, not to mention increases her interest and likelihood of eating the foods that we are preparing togehter.

These Sheet Pan BBQ Tofu, Vegetable and Quinoa Bowls with homemade smokey BBQ sauce, come together in minutes, and while it takes some hands off oven time before you can get it on the table, the active prep time is fast and simple with minimal steps and ingredients involved.

Boil the tofu.
Make the BBQ sauce by stirring a few ingredients together (or just use your favourite storebought BBQ sauce to save time). Amal loves to do this, and eats spoonfuls of it in the process.
Wash and chop the vegetables (adults or older kids only for the chopping).
Get the kids to help you toss them in the prepared BBQ sauce and transfer them onto a parchment paper lined baking tray. It may get messy, but that’s half the fun of cooking isn’t it?
Get the kids to help you rinse the quinoa (if you’re both patient enough, because those grains get everywhere!!!)
Toast and cook the quinoa while the tofu and vegetables bake (adults or older kids only for handling the heat).

It’s all ready in under an hour, which makes for a great weeknight meal or when the kids are home from school and you need to get food on the table quickly in between puzzle making, tower building and arts and crafts.

Sheet Pan BBQ Tofu, Vegetable & Quinoa Bowls

Author Nissrine Boufawaz @ HolisticNiss.com

Time 60 minutes
Difficulty Easy
Servings 2
Diet vegan, gluten free
Category Main Course

Ingredients:

For the Sheet Pan BBQ Tofu & Vegetables

1 Block Tofu (200g)
1 Large Carrot, Sliced
1/2 Small Head of Cauliflower (about 2 cups of florets)
BBQ Sauce Marinade: 1/4 Cup BBQ Sauce (recipe below) + 1 tbsp Filtered Water + 1/2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil (adjust as needed)

For the Quinoa

1/3 Cup of Quinoa, soaked overnight with a drop of apple cider vinegar or lemon juice if possible
1/2 Cup of Filtered Water
Pinch of fine sea salt

For the BBQ Sauce:

200g Double Concentrated Tomato Paste
8 tbsp Filtered Water
4 tbsp Maple Syrup
1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
4 tsp Smoked Paprika
1 tsp Onion Flakes/Powder
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1 tsp Fine Sea Salt
Fresh Ground Black Pepper

Method:

Preheat oven to 200 C and line a sheet pan or oven tray with parchment paper
Add the tofu to a small pot and cover in water. Bring to a boil then simmer on low heat for about 10 minutes. Remove from water, pat dry and let cool, then chop into cubes/chunks.
Make the BBQ sauce by stirring all ingredients together in a small bowl or jar. You'll have way more than you need for this recipe, which you can save in the refrigerator for up tp 5 days.
the make the BBQ sauce marindate, whisk together about 1/4 cup of the BBQ sauce with 1 tablespoon of water and half a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil.
Wash and chop the vegetables and coat them in half the BBQ sauce marinade, then place them on a parchment paper lined baking tray or sheetpan
Coat the tofu in the remaining BBQ sauce mixture and place it on top of the vegetables in the sheet pan
Bake the tofu and vegetables on the center rack until golden and caramelized about 40 minutes, stirring them at about the 20 minute mark to get an even bake on all sides.
While the tofu and vegetables are baking, make the quinoa.
If you've soaked your quinoa overnight, then rinse it really well before starting to remove any vinegar or lemon residue. If you haven't soaked it, it still needs a good rinse to remove the saponins. Basically rinse it until the water becomes clear and stops foaming.
Let the quinao drain in a mesh colander to remove all water then add it to a dry pot or pan and toast it on medium heat, stirring often until it's dry and fragrant, being careful not to burn it.
Add filtered water. Most packages I've seen call for a ration of 1:2, so 2 cups of water for every cup of quinoa but I find that to be too much water and to result in mushy quinoa. I use a ratio is 1:1.5.
Add a pinch of fine sea salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes. Uncover and let all the water dry out, fluff with a fork, then transfer to a tray or flat dish to let it cool and stop the cooking process.
Plate and serve with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil on the quinoa and a squeeze of lemon juice over everything if you like things extra tangy.