Char-grilled pineapple and balsamic glazed tofu salad

I'm so enthusiastic about my new Le Creuset griddle pan and now pretty much everything I eat is char-grilled, all vegetables are marked! What a lovely smoky taste it gives to vegetables and also a great stripy look. It's certain that this won't be the last grilled dish in this blog.

Today I'm making a salad with char-grilled pineapple slices and balsamic glazed tofu bits and playing with the juxtaposition of warm and cold and savoury and fresh.

Ingredients

Tofu

Pineapple slices

Wild rocket

Pine nuts

Chili flakes

Balsamic vinegar

Soy sauce

Garlic

Oil

Preparations

First marinate the tofu and pineapple slices. Press the excess fluid out of the tofu, then slice it and put the slices into a sealable container. Make the marinade by mixing balsamic vinegar, soy sauce and chopped garlic and pour the marinade to the tofu. Seal the container and shake it a little bit to make sure that the marinade gets everywhere around the tofu. Let it marinate for at least one hour in the fridge, but the longer the better. You could marinate the tofu overnight if you're planning this salad ahead. Take another container where to place the pineapples. Pour soy sauce in and let them marinate in the fridge as well.

When tofu and pineapple have marinated long enough heat a griddle pan. When the pan is hot brush groundnut or vegetable oil on it with a heat resistant silicone brush. Grill the tofu first as it needs longer time to grill and quite a patient grill user. You would want it to be tough on the outside and soft in the inside. While turning the tofu pieces over you can brush more marinade on them. Once the tofu pieces are almost done add the pineapple slices to the pan. If they don't fit onto the pan at the same time put the tofu into the oven to keep warm. Pineapple is a more rewarding grilling fruit as it should get the stripes quite quickly.

While grilling you can prepare the rest of the salad: Wash the wild rocket and place it on a plate. Sprinkle chili flakes and pine nuts onto the plate. When tofu and pineapple are done, place them on the top when they're still warm and garnish the salad with balsamic vinegar.

Done!

The VegHog