Greek bowls with lemon tofu

We are on the fifth heatwave of this summer so I am staying away from the stove as much as possible. So rather than experiment with new ideas, I am rehashing an old favourite of mine into very convenient and nutritious Greek bowls with lemon tofu, Opa!!

I have been very protein obsessed for some time now as I lift weights and try my hardest to win the ongoing fight with perimenopausal bulge and eating sufficient amount of protein is instrumental in this endeavor. Increased protein intake is also key for healthy aging and who doesn’t want age well. These Greek bowls have therefore two sources of protein. The first is baked tofu and the second chickpeas and you could also add a third – cooked quinoa instead of orzo – to increase the amount of protein even more and to make these Greek bowls without any gluten.

These Greek bowls are tasty and nutritious yet don’t require much effort. The tofu needs some marination in a simple olive oil, lemon and herb marinade that also doubles up as the dressing and chickpeas are as easy as opening a jar and draining (you may want to save the brine for one of very many fantastic things that it can be used for, for example).

Other than the tofu and chickpeas, these simple Greek bowls feature cooked orzo, ripe cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, olives, spinach and fresh herbs. The whole thing is brought together by a zippy olive oil and lemon dressing. Easy, simple and nutritious!

zest of 2 lemons + approx. 120 ml / ½ cup lemon juice*
18 g / 6 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried dill
salt and pepper
90 ml / 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
450 g / 15.8 g well pressed tofu*
200 g/ 7 oz orzo, cooked (or quinoa or rice for GF version)
200 g / 7 oz ripe cherry tomatoes, halves
200 g / 7 oz cucumber, diced
12 Kalamata olives, chopped
120 g / 4.2 oz baby spinach
400 g / 14 oz drained chickpeas
2 small spring onions/scallions, finely sliced
fresh dill, to serve (optional)

METHOD

In a bowl combine zest of two lemons, approx. 6 tbsp of lemon juice, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, dried oregano and dill, pepper and about 1 scant teaspoon of fine salt. Put half of this marinade (keep the rest for the dressing) into a flat baking dish, whisk in 1½ tbsp (20 ml) of olive oil and an additional tbsp of lemon juice.
Cut pressed tofu into uniform bite size cubes and coat in the prepared marinade. Allow to marinate for at least 60 minutes, stirring from time to time.
Add 4½ tbsp (65 ml) of extra virgin olive oil to the rest of the marinade, whisk well and set aside. Taste and add another tablespoon of lemon juice if you like things sharp, or don’t if you don’t.
Cook orzo to your liking. If making this gluten-free, cook quinoa or even rice.
Divide baked tofu between four bowls, add drained chickpeas, orzo, chopped tomatoes, cucumber, olives, spinach and finely chopped spring onions. Drizzle each bowl with the dressing and garnish with fresh dill if using. Enjoy!

NOTES

*LEMON: Lemons do vary in the level of acidity so that’s why I recommend starting off with less lemon juice and adding more if your palate desires more. I have made this before half a cup of lemon juice in total and it came out too sour even for me (and I like quite a bit of tang), at other times half a cup was exactly right. Taste and adjust to your liking.

*TOFU: I used an already pressed tofu (Tofoo), but you can make the same dish with regular firm or extra firm tofu. Drain it and press really well before cutting and marinating. You will need about 600 g / 21 oz (2 standard packs) of unpressed tofu.

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Greek bowls with lemon tofu

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