Asian BBQ Marinade

I found this one on another food blog and have LOVED it! It has been delectable on pork, chicken, and tofu (more on that later). Here's the original recipe and link.


Asian BBQ Chicken
Adapted from Cooking Light

1/4 C packed brown sugar
1/4 C soy sauce
2 T lime juice (about 1 lime)
1/4 t cayenne pepper
1/4 t curry powder
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
1 t grated fresh ginger
8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

Combine everything but the chicken in a small bowl. Whisk to dissolve brown sugar. Place marinade and chicken in a zip-lock bag. Pop that bag in the fridge for a minimum of 4 hours, or longer if you have it (even overnight)
 

Preheat a grill (or an indoor grill pan or broiler). Spray cooking surface with cooking spray and place chicken on it to cook. Cook for 5-10 minutes on each side depending on the thickness.  Optional:  garnish with sliced green onions

*Tip:  When I make this I usually make 1 1/2 times the marinade.  I reserve some of the marinade before adding the chicken and then use it in the last few minutes of grilling, or just brush it on after for extra flavor.

http://www.ourbestbites.com/2011/05/asian-bbq-chicken/

Now, as I promised, here is more on the tofu. We are a tofu eating family. We haven't always been, but I've been trying to incorporate it for some time. At first, it just wasn't coming out well. But my techniques have improved and now the results are turning out fantastic. Tonight I made up two 14-oz packages of extra firm tofu and there was barely enough left for hubby's lunch. My 3-year-old loved it as much as the adults did. The 9-month-old can't give much of an opinion on the grilled tofu but she did have some silken tofu which she thoroughly enjoyed.

Why tofu? Tofu is inexpensive and good for you! It's also very versatile. It can be used as a meat alternative; just don't expect it to have the exact same taste and texture any more than you'd expect an egg (another meat alternative) to have the same taste and texture as meat. Silken tofu is great for smoothies, desserts, and more. So don't let all of the bad tofu-based meat substitute products put you off. When you take tofu on its own merits, it can be wonderful!

For great tofu "steaks", buy extra firm tofu. Drain the water from the tofu (most tofu is water-packed) and freeze. Freezing helps give the tofu a meatier texture. When you thaw the tofu, wrap it in a clean towel (tea towels are best) and place between two plates or cutting boards with weights on top. This presses out excess liquid so that the tofu is ready to take on the marinade flavors and, again, have a meatier texture. Once thawed and pressed, slice tofu into desired size and shape of steaks (I first cut mine in half to make it thinner kind of like you would a layered cake then cut in half width-wise to give 4 steaks per 14 oz package). Place steaks in an airtight bag with the marinade and let sit in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes; the longer the better.  Grill for 5-6 minutes over medium heat. Enjoy!

Rosemary