Grilled Tofu and Vegetables

Marinade: This makes enough marinade for about 15-20 servings of grilled tofu and vegetables.  I make a big batch in the blender and it keeps for a month in the refrig.

Mix in a blender so that garlic and ginger are pulverized:
1 cup balsamic vinegar
1 cup light olive oil
1 cup good quality soy sauce (low salt tamari is great)
3 cloves garlic
1 inch fresh ginger
1/4 cup hot sauce (optional)

Tofu and Vegetables:

I make enough for 9 or 10 sandwiches at once, since the leftovers are so terrific.  For this amount:

I use Nasoya lite tofu and cut one 15 ounce square into 7 or 8 slices (about 3/4" thick).  I also slice sweet onions in thick slabs, thick slices of zucchini this time of year, and quarter red peppers.  If you like eggplant, that's great, too.  Spread a thin layer of marinade on the bottom of a large baking dish and place the tofu slices on top of the marinade (since the tofu is fragile and breaks apart easily when uncooked).  Coat the top of each piece of tofu with the marinade, about 1 teaspoon per slice.  Dip the veggies in the marinade and lay the onions on top of the tofu for added flavor.  Cover and let it sit for 4-8 hours.

Grill the peppers and onions first, since they need the lowest flame.  Use a vegetable grill pan for the onions to keep them from falling apart.  Let the marinade sit in the pepper quarters while the bottoms brown, flip them for a little more cooking, and then put them on a holding tray in the grill (if you have one) to continue to soften while other things are grilled.  Grill the zucchini at a higher flame along with the tofu which can take a medium flame on my grill, again using the vegetable grill tray for the tofu. Baste each piece of tofu, onion, or zuch as you go.  Brown the tofu on one side (takes about 5 minutes), baste, flip it, and brown the other.  The only place tofu has a tendency to fall apart is when it's uncooked, so I handle it carefully with my fingers at this point.  A spatula works fine after tofu is browned on one side.

I make grilled tofu and vegetables into incredible sandwiches.  I use toasted homemade whole wheat poppy seed rolls.  It's also great with whole wheat pita, English muffins, or any rice dish.  I use 2 slices of tofu per bun, a big slice of onion, and a grilled pepper.  To heat leftovers, place them in a stainless skillet with a little water and the juice of the cooked vegetables and steam for about 10 minutes.