Veggie Satay with Cucumber Quinoa Salad
Here, vegetables and tofu step in for the traditional meat and get a soak in a spicy coconut marinade before a quick skewerless grill. (Don't fret - no fire pit required!)
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Nutritional Bonus: Thanks to tofu coupled with quinoa, this entirely vegetarian meal provides nearly as much protein as a 4-oz serving of chicken or turkey _ 22 g and 26 g, respectively. The grain-like seed is considered a complete protein thanks to its perfect balance of essential amino acids often missing from plant foods.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt, divided
- 1/2 cup light coconut milk
- 1 tbsp minced ginger root
- 1 large clove garlic, minced and pressed into a paste with flat side of a knife
- 2 tsp curry powder
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
- 3 large scallions, white parts minced and green parts thinly sliced, divided
- 2 medium zucchini, quartered and sliced into 1-inch chunks
- 1 12-oz block firm tofu, pressed and cut into 1-inch cubes (about 2 cups)
- 1 bunch asparagus, trimmed and sliced into 2-inch pieces
- 1 tbsp natural unsalted peanut butter
Quinoa salad
- 1 cup quinoa
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
- 1 large cucumber, halved, seeds scraped out and diced small (about 2 cups)
- 1/4 lb sugar snap peas, sliced diagonally into 1/4-inch pieces (about 1 cup)
Preparation
- In a large mixing bowl, combine 1/4 cup yogurt with coconut milk, ginger, garlic, curry powder, cayenne, salt, black pepper and minced scallions (white parts). Add zucchini and tofu and toss gently to coat. Marinate for 30 minutes at room temperature (refrigerate if marinating for longer).
- Meanwhile, prepare quinoa salad: In a medium saucepan on medium-high, bring 1 2/3 cups water to a boil. Stir in quinoa, cover, reduce heat to low and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and keep quinoa covered for 10 more minutes.
- Transfer cooked quinoa to a large, wide serving bowl and let cool to room temperature. Stir in salt, black pepper, sliced scallions (green parts), cucumber and sugar snap peas. Set aside at room temperature until ready to serve (refrigerate if making ahead of time).
- Heat a large grill pan on high until very hot. Grill asparagus for 3 to 5 minutes, until just tender. Transfer to a bowl and keep covered. Grill zucchini until just tender, about 2 minutes per side. Add to bowl with asparagus. Grill tofu cubes on 2 sides until grill marks are visible, about 2 minutes per side. Add to bowl with vegetables and keep covered. Reserve marinade.
- Whisk remaining 1/4 cup yogurt and peanut butter into leftover marinade. Place grilled vegetables over top of quinoa salad, drizzle with marinade sauce and serve.
Nutrition Information
- Serving Size 2 c quinoa salad, 2 c veggie satay, 3 T sauce
- Calories 368
- Carbohydrate Content 43 g
- Cholesterol Content 0 mg
- Fat Content 13 g
- Fiber Content 8 g
- Protein Content 22 g
- Saturated Fat Content 3 g
- Sodium Content 278 mg
- Sugar Content 6 g
- Monounsaturated Fat Content 0 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat Content 4 g