Grilled Tofu and Sautéed Asian Greens & Grilled Eggplant

I think it's pretty awesome that I have a boyfriend who likes tofu... and eggplant for that matter. Let's rewind to sunny July for a moment, shall we?

One of B.'s goals this year was to get a few more uses out of his BBQ after we only used it maybe once or twice last year. I would say we didn't use it as much as we liked (partly due to a less-than-optimal summer), but we did cook quite a few things this year - Korean short ribs, sausages (mostly Missing Link and those tasty Thai sausages from Kingsland Farmers' Market, burgers... B. even made Bobby Flay's Grilled Potato Salad, minus the blue cheese (because I think it's disgusting).

B. and I have made other tofu dishes before, and he likes it partly because it's a protein that doesn't spoil as easily as meat. Eggplant, on the other hand, was something that we hadn't tackled, but we love ordering it at Asian restaurants - our favourite in the city is probably the sweet, spicy, garlicky Eggplant with Ground Pork in Sweet and Spicy Chili Sauce from Szechuan Restaurant, and we had a dreamy braised eggplant at Da Dong Peking Duck Restaurant in Beijing during our trip to China earlier this year.

Anyway...

B. found the recipe for Grilled Tofu and Sautéed Asian Greens on Epicurious, while I found the Grilled Eggplant recipe from local food blogger Bonnie's website, Scrumptiously Fit Food. Both have Asian, soy sauce-based marinades and are total sodium bombs, offering 51% and 89% of the recommended daily upper level of intake of sodium, respectively. So they are best if saved as "sometimes" foods, and I would suggest using any remaining marinade as a sauce sparingly. Both recipes would work well on grill pans on medium-high on the stove, or George Foremans during these cooler climes.

B. did all the cooking.


    
The tofu was my favourite of the two dishes. I love the texture of grilled tofu, and I liked the nutty flavour of sesame oil, plus the hint of spiciness from the chili flakes. For our "Asian greens" we chose pea leaves (豆苗), another vegetable that I love at restaurants, but haven't prepared at home. I'm not sure if they were out of season or if we didn't prep them properly, but they came out a little tough and stringy. Next time we'll just stick to the spinach, I think.


Compared to the tofu, the eggplant had a saltier, fishier flavour thanks to the addition of fish sauce and oyster sauce. We didn't use the lime wedges and it was still very flavourful. However, we undercooked the eggplant a little bit - it still had a bite instead of the melty softness I'm used to at restaurants. I think I'll give it a little more time on the grill next time, or maybe just stick to having someone else make it!

Grilled Tofu & Sautéed Asian Greens
Adapted from Epicurious
Makes 2 servings

• 14 oz (397 g) firm tofu, drained
  
• ¼ cup (60 mL) low-sodium soy sauce
  
• 1 tsp (5 mL) sesame oil
  
• 1½ tsp (7 mL) brown sugar, packed
  
• 1½ tsp (7 mL) ginger, peeled, finely grated
  
• 1 small garlic clove, minced
  
• ¼ tsp (1 mL) Tabasco sauce, or red pepper flakes
  
• 1 tbsp plus 1 tsp (20 mL) vegetable oil, divided
  
• 10 oz (283 g) Asian greens or baby spinach

1. Cut tofu crosswise into 6 slices. Arrange in 1 layer on a triple layer of paper towels and top with another triple layer of towels. Weight with a shallow baking pan or baking sheet and let stand 2 minutes. Repeat weighting with dry paper towels 2 more times.
   
2. Stir together soy sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, Tabasco, and 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a glass pie plate. Add tofu slices in 1 layer and marinate, turning over every couple of minutes, 8 minutes total.
   
3. Turn grill on to medium-high heat and brush with oil. Lift tofu from marinade with tongs or slotted spatula (reserve marinade) and grill, turning over once carefully, until grill marks appear and tofu is heated through, 4 to 6 minutes total.
   
4. While tofu grills, heat remaining teaspoon vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté greens, tossing with tongs, until beginning to wilt. Add reserved marinade and sauté, tossing, until greens are just wilted, about 1 minute. Lift greens from skillet with tongs, letting excess marinade drip off, and divide between 2 plates. Serve greens with tofu slices.

Nutrition Info (per serving): 327 calories, 21 g fat (2 g saturated, 0 g trans), 0 mg cholesterol, 12 g carbohydrate (3 g fibre, 5 g sugar), 25 g protein, 1177 mg sodium. An excellent source of vitamin A, folate (vitamin B₄), vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, iron, magnesium, potassium and manganese. A good source of riboflavin (vitamin B₂) and vitamin B₆.

Grilled Eggplant

Adapted from Scrumptiously Fit Food

Makes 4 servings

• ¼ cup (60 mL) light soy sauce
  
• ¼ cup (60 mL) oyster sauce
  
• 2 tbsp (30 mL) dark soy sauce
  
• 2 tbsp (30 mL) fish sauce
  
• 1 tbsp (15 mL) brown sugar
  
• 8 cloves garlic, minced (less if you’re not a big garlic fan)
  
• 2 tbsp (30 mL) cooking wine
  
• 2-3 tablespoons (30-45 mL) Sriracha sauce, or other chili sauce, to taste
  
• 1 eggplant, sliced lengthwise
  
• Lime wedges (optional)

1. Make marinade by combining all ingredients except eggplant and lime wedges in a baking dish or zipper storage bag.
   
2. Place eggplant slices in marinade, ensuring that they are well-coated. Let marinade for 30-60 minutes.
   
3. Turn grill on to medium-high heat and brush with oil. Place eggplant slices on grill, reserving marinade. Turn slices over after 5 minutes and baste with remaining sauce. Cook for another 5 minutes, or until eggplant is soft and cooked through.
   
4. Serve with lime wedges, if desired.

Nutrition Info (per serving): 87 calories, 0.4 g fat (0.1 g saturated, 0 g trans), 19 g carbohydrate (5 g fibre, 8 g sugar), 4 g protein, 2053 mg sodium. An excellent source of potassium and manganese. A good source of folate (vitamin B₄) and magnesium.