Cauliflower and couscous salad with portobello mushrooms and barbecue tofu.

This was a perfect dinner.  I can't write capital letters in this font.  Oh fuck that.

warm cauliflower & israeli couscous salad

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Yield: 4

A warm couscous salad made with roasted cauliflower and kalamata olives.

ingredients

• olive oil mister or cooking spray
• 1 medium head cauliflower, broken into florets
• 1/2 c. pitted and halved kalamata olives
• 1 c. Israeli (pearl) couscous
• 1/4 c. chopped parsley
• 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• salt + pepper to taste

instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Spray rimmed baking sheet with olive oil or cooking spray. Place cauliflower florets on baking sheet; spray with additional cooking spray and sprinkle with salt to taste. Bake for 20 minutes, then stir in kalamata olives. Cook for 15-20 minutes more or until cauliflower is beginning to turn golden brown and olives have started to shrivel.
3. While cauliflower is roasting, bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Stir in Israeli couscous; return to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes, or until water is absorbed. (Keep an eye on the couscous as it cooks--if you overcook it, it will stick to the bottom of the saucepan!)
4. Combine cauliflower and olives, couscous, and parsley in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil and lemon juice. Pour dressing over salad and stir to coat. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm.

1.  portobello mushrooms, stems removed
   For the marinade:
   1/2 cup dry white wine
   2 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
   2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
   1 tablespoon olive oil
   4 cloves garlic, minced
   For the sandwich:
   4 nice sized pieces foccacia bread
   A few handfuls baby arugula
   Slices of sweet onion (like walla walla or vidalia)
   Slices of tomato
   A little vegan mayo
   Place the portobellos gills up in a rimmed baking sheet.
   Mix all the marinade ingredients together and spoon over the portobellos. Let marinate for at least half an hour, spooning marinade back onto the mushrooms every ten minutes or so.
   
   Grease up your grill with olive oil and preheat over medium/high. It’s important to keep some oil nearby for brushing the grill through out the cooking process. You can use a grill brush for it, or a paper towel wadded up and grasped in your tongs. You can also use a spray bottle of oil.
   Place the mushrooms gill side up on the grill. Close lid and let mushrooms cook for about 5 minutes, lifting the lid to baste shrooms with marinade every few minutes. Use tongs to turn the mushrooms 90 degrees to make cross hatched grill marks; cook for about 3 more minutes. Flip mushrooms over and cook for about 3 more minutes. Your cooking time may vary depending on the size of your portobellos and the temperature of your grill. You know the mushrooms are done when you press on the center with tongs (where the stem used to be) and it’s very soft and juicy.

BAKED BARBECUE TOFU

Serves 4

1 pound (450g) tofu, drained and pressed, cut widthwise into eighths
2 tablespoons peanut oil or your favorite cooking oil
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 recipe backyard barbecue sauce(or use store-bought barbecue sauce)

Preheat the oven to 350 F (175 C).

In a 9 x 18-inch (23cm x 45cm) (preferably glass or ceramic) baking pan, dredge the tofu in the peanut oil and tamari to coat on both sides. Bake for 15 minutes, then flip the slices and bake for 15 more minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the barbecue sauce.

When the tofu is done baking, pour the sauce over it, smothering it all over. Return the pan to the oven and bake for 15 more minutes. Remove from the oven and serve.