My delicious, spicy tangerine marinade can turn most foods into something very special — especially grilled tofu recipes. The combination of the sweetness of the citrus with the heat of the chiles in marinade, is absolutely delicious.
Shortly after I got married, I awoke one morning to the wonderful aroma of what I thought might be bacon. Since my husband’s a vegetarian, I thought it couldn’t be.
And I was right.
When I went to the kitchen I found him eating what looked like long, rectangular, pinkish crackers. Um . . . fake bacon? I should have said, “I caught him!”
If you try to cook Tofurky or any sort of “fake” bacon in my house I might step out onto the patio. I mean, eat what you’d like, but not that stuff, please!
I have an aversion to representing foods as things they’re not. If you like tofu – and I like it a lot — just eat tofu! It doesn’t have to be shaped into a chicken or any other bird, for goodness sake!
One thing I love about tofu is that it’s quite porous and therefore able to easily absorb any flavors added to it. The spicy tangerine marinade I’m sharing in this recipe today, is ideal to flavor tofu.
And I love grilled tofu recipes because the char flavor from the grill adds a smokiness that’s fabulous.
When I got a bag of Melissa’s spectacular Ojai Pixie tangerines, I knew exactly how I wanted to use them!
These tangerines are seedless, incredibly juicy, super delicious, and simply stunning to look at! (Their season is March through late May.)
Tofu should not be thought of as a food just for vegetarians — everyone can enjoy it!
I love Grilled Tofu with Spicy Tangerine Marinade on its own as an appetizer or side dish, but tomorrow I’m making a yummy Asian dish that you can also toss it into. So stay tuned and you’ll have a great meal for the weekend!
P.S. If you love “Morning Strips,” please don’t break up with me! My aversion to Tofurky and similar products is just one of my (many) food quirks! 😉
Timeline:
1 hour and 10 minutes ahead: Make the marinade and add the tofu to it.
About 5 minutes ahead: Grill or sauté the tofu and heat the sauce.
My delicious, spicy tangerine marinade can turn most foods into something very special -- especially grilled tofu recipes. The combination of the sweetness of the citrus with the heat of the chiles in marinade, is absolutely delicious.
- 1/2 cup tangerine juice
- 1 tablespoon Mirin (sweet rice wine)
- 1 tablespoon tamari
- 1 teaspoon chili paste (I like Sambal Oelek)
- 12 ounces extra firm tofu
- grapeseed oil
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In a shallow baking dish (8 X 8-inch is perfect), combine the tangerine juice, Mirin, Tamari and chili paste. Set aside.
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Drain the tofu and cut in into 2-inch squares, about 1/2-inch thick. Place them in the marinade, turning them to quickly coat both sides. Cover with plastic and marinate for 30 minutes at room temperature. Then flip each tofu square over and marinate for another 30 minutes.
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Preheat a stove-top grill, remove the tofu from the marinade, place it on a large plate and drizzle or brush it lightly with grape seed oil. (Save the marinade!)
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Once the grill is hot, put the tofu squares on, at least an inch apart. If you don't hear the sizzling sound, wait until you do, or your tofu will not brown and caramelize. Cook each side until nicely marked, about 2 minutes each.
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In a small sauté pan, bring the marinade to a boil and then reduce it to a simmer for about 5 minutes. Pour this over the tofu when it's done.
If you don't have a stove-top grill, you can sauté the marinated tofu.
Tamari is a type of Japanese soy sauce. It's a slightly deeper brown and thicker than regular soy sauce.
This is not a sponsored post -- I just love Ojai Pixie tangerines!
Gorgeous! I’m making this.
Hope you enjoy it, Dorothy! Thank you!
How much tangerine juice do you use. It’s nit on the list of ingredients
Hi Alice, I’m SO happy you pointed this out. THANK YOU! I’ve been reformatting my recipe cards over the past few months and editing accordingly, and in the process things like this sometimes happen. I’ve put back the tangerine juice into the ingredient list. (It’s 1/2 cup.) And — if it’s of importance to you — the calorie count is slightly higher with the addition of the juice. I hope you try the recipe and thank you so much again! 🙂
I love the flavors you feature in this recipe; this time a year I can’t get enough of fresh citrus – the grill marks on the tofu are beautiful!
Thanks so much, Heather! Yes, citrus is divine! 🙂
I love bacon, but will have to try this– hey, maybe the little square could be wrapped in bacon for those carnivores out there!
I love it, Emily! Perfect — bacon wrapped tofu! 🙂
I’m back to tell you I made this and it was divine! I made the slightest changes to reflect what I had on hand — 16 ounces firm tofu, pressed between paper towels for 30 minutes to remove some water and soy sauce instead of tamari. I zested 2 of the Pixies and threw the zest into the marinade, because I really love those Pixies! And instead of grilling I threw the tofu “steaks” into my hot skillet for 4 minutes per side, then removed them and reduced the glaze in the same skillet. Oh my! This made a delicious dinner alongside some bok choy and day-old rice that I quickly stir-fried together. What a feast! Thank you!
Yay! So happy you liked it, Dorothy! 😀
jumped over here from Flickr. This is most def on my list!
pretty!! i love your very honest tofu cheer. and those grill marks are perfect!