Blackened tofu with cheesy grits
Cajun-spiced tofu seared until dark and crusty, laid over creamy cheddar grits with a scatter of green onions, a vegetarian spin on shrimp and grits.
- 35 min total
- 25 min hands-on
- Follow-a-recipe easy
- Serves 2
- About $2.28 a serving
- 760 calories
- Vegetarian
- Gluten-free
Dolly says: Read the steps once before you start. Everything goes smoother after that.
Ingredients
For 2 servings.
- 1 package extra-firm tofu, drained
- 1 cup milk
- ¾ cup quick grits
- ½ cup shredded cheddar
- 1 tbsp butter
- 2 tsp Cajun seasoning
- 2 stalks green onions, thinly sliced
- 1 tsp hot sauce (optional)
From your pantry
- 2 cups water
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- 1½ tbsp vegetable oil
Each serving has about 760 calories, 40 g protein, 60 g carbs and 41 g fat, and costs about $2.28 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No extra-firm tofu? Firm tofu works.
- No milk? Half-and-half works.
- No shredded cheddar? Cheddar cheese or Mexican blend cheese or Monterey Jack cheese works.
- No butter? Ghee works.
- No green onions? Chives work.
- No hot sauce? Sriracha works.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
Wrap the tofu in a clean towel and press it under something heavy while you start the grits, about 10 minutes.
Timer: 10 min
Bring the water, milk and salt in a medium over medium-high heat, watching so the milk doesn’t boil over.
Bring to a boil. It means heating a liquid on high until it’s fully boiling before you move on. A lid on the pot gets it there faster, which makes it a good moment to chop something.
How you’ll know: Big bubbles break all over the surface, and they keep coming when you lift the lid.
Saucepan. A saucepan is a pot with tall, straight sides and one long handle. It’s for things that need depth, like rice, sauces or a few boiled eggs.
How you’ll know: The food fills it about halfway, leaving room to bubble without spilling over.
Medium-high heat
Slowly whisk in the grits, turn the heat to low, cover, and cook 5 to 7 minutes, every couple of minutes, until thick and creamy.
Whisk. Whisking means beating quickly with a whisk or a fork to blend things together. It smooths out lumps and mixes eggs, oil or sauces evenly.
How you’ll know: It all looks one even color and texture, with no streaks or lumps.
Low heatTimer: 6 min
Dolly’s tip: Pour the grits in a thin stream while you whisk and they won’t clump.Take the pan off the heat and stir in the cheddar and butter. Cover to keep warm.
Cut the tofu into 4 slabs about ¾ inch thick, them dry, and rub all over with the Cajun seasoning and smoked paprika.
Lengthwise. Lengthwise means cutting along the long side, from stem to tip, which gives long pieces. Crosswise is the other way, straight across the middle, which gives short, round ones.
How you’ll know: Lengthwise halves of a zucchini look like two little canoes; crosswise pieces look like coins.
Pat dry. Patting dry means pressing paper towels onto food to soak up the moisture on its surface. Wet food steams instead of browning, so this is how you get a good sear and crisp skin.
How you’ll know: The surface feels tacky, not wet, and the last paper towel comes away barely damp.
Heat the oil in a large , cast iron if you have one, over medium-high heat until it . Cook the slabs 3 to 4 minutes a side, until dark and crusty.
Skillet. A skillet is a frying pan: wide and flat with low, sloped sides. The shape lets steam escape, so food browns instead of stewing.
How you’ll know: It’s the pan you’d fry an egg in, and a 10 or 12 inch one handles most recipes.
Shimmering oil. Oil shimmers when it’s hot enough to cook: its surface looks rippled and wavy, like heat over a road. That’s your cue to add the food, just before the oil would start to smoke.
How you’ll know: The oil looks wavy and runs thin like water when you tilt the pan, with no smoke yet.
Medium-high heatTimer: 7 min
Dolly’s tip: Blackened means very dark brown from the spices, not burnt. If it smokes hard, turn the heat down a notch.Food safety: Tofu is safe to eat straight from the package; cooking is only for texture and flavor.
Stir the grits, adding of hot water if they’ve stiffened, and spoon them into bowls.
Splash. A splash is a small, quick pour, about a teaspoon to a tablespoon. It’s there to loosen or brighten a dish, so the exact amount doesn’t matter.
How you’ll know: The dish looks a little looser or tastes a little brighter, not soupy.
Top with the tofu, scatter the green onions over, and pass the hot sauce.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
