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The first months of the year — at least where I’ve lived my whole life, in the Northern Hemisphere — tend toward gloom. After autumn’s generous harvests and end-of-year festivities, January drags. February is a bridge, a hopeful promise that there’s only one month between me and the first day of spring. Still, for the most part, the earth, trees and markets are bare. On the day I’m writing this, the light coming through the window is wan; the sky is covered with clouds, threatening a drizzle or downpour.
When the dark days of winter start to influence my mood, I do two things: First, I turn on some music — something like Goldfrapp, the Bee Gees, the Weeknd or Beyoncé. Next, I reach for something colorful to eat. On an especially gray day, I dreamed up these Quinoa Bowls With Roasted Vegetables and Tofu. They’re vibrant in color and flavor, with a turmeric-tahini sauce that’s sunny and warming — a way to tie a bow around all of winter’s rain (and snow).
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Get the recipe: Quinoa Bowls With Roasted Vegetables and Tofu
As with many of the recipes I develop, this one is designed to be a template. The base of the bowl is a pile of quinoa cooked with raisins and vinegar, giving it an agrodolce flair. But if you don’t like raisins, you could substitute chopped dried apricots or dates — or you could skip the fruit entirely. In place of quinoa, try this with brown rice, millet, barley, bulgur, farro or freekeh, adjusting the cooking time as needed.
Share this articleShareWhile the quinoa steams, toss some sweet potato cubes and broccoli florets with olive oil and salt on a sheet pan. Add a package of marinated tofu, cut into bite-size pieces. Roast it all until the sweet potatoes are tender, the broccoli gets crisp around the edges, and the tofu browns.
Not into sweet potatoes? How about winter squash, plantains, yams or carrots? In place of broccoli, you could use any other green vegetable, including chopped kale, green beans or Brussels sprouts. Finally, if you’re not a tofu person, that’s all right. Substitute your favorite cooked protein: leftover rotisserie chicken, stewed chickpeas, cooked and sliced sausage, or hard-boiled eggs.
I suggest adding a few fresh vegetables for additional color and texture. Cherry tomatoes and baby bell peppers, grown in greenhouses in the winter, are generally easy to find year-round. But if you want to use only what’s in season near you, consider shredded red cabbage and slices of green apple. Other options: sun-dried tomatoes, jarred roasted red peppers or any kind of pickled pepper.
A note about the tofu: I really like the marinated tofu I can get at most of the grocery stores near me. I love how easy it is to unwrap, cut up and roast or pan-fry. If you’d rather make your own teriyaki-style tofu, I’ve included instructions at the bottom of the recipe.
Finally, don’t skip the sauce! Turmeric, bloomed in olive oil, adds a warming flavor and golden color to a silky mix of tahini and citrus juice. It’s an easy move that wakes up the flavor of the spice, but you could skip it to save a step.
When it’s time to eat, turn up the music and taste the rainbow.
Get the recipe: Quinoa Bowls With Roasted Vegetables and Tofu
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