Jerk Spiced Tofu with West Indian Butternut Squash

I was so excited to make this recipe! My good friend, who happens to be a Vegetarian told me that some of the best Tofu she has ever gotten was from Walmart, and on her last trip she got me a block of Extra Firm Tofu and gave me this great recipe to have, and as I don't have much experience with Tofu and she joined me tonight to make sure I do it right. So rest assured, if this is your first tofu experience you and I are both Tofu Newbies, so if I can make it - so can you!  This whole recipes serves 3-4.

Jerk Spiced Tofu

12oz (1)Block Extra Firm Tofu
3TB Soy Sauce
2TB Vegetable Oil
1/4C Brown Sugar
2 Cloves Garlic
1 Medium Vidalia Onion (approx 6oz)
1tsp Ground Ginger
1tsp Dried Thyme
1/2tsp Ground Allspice
1/4tsp Pepper
1/4tsp Salt
1tsp Hot Sauce

Place the block of tofu on a stack of paper towels on top of a plate, place a few paper towels on top of the tofu and then put a small pan on top of the block of tofu/paper towels then place a few cans in the pan to weigh it down. This will help to remove excess liquid from the tofu.

Chop garlic and onion and toss all remaining ingredients together in a blender or food processor. Blend until pretty smooth - approximately 1-2 minutes depending how small you diced the garlic and onion. Set 1/4C of the marinade to the side for use with the Butternut Squash.

Remove the tofu from the paper towels and cut into 1/2" cubes and place in a bowl with the remainder of the marinade. Gently toss to coat. I made this in the morning and put in the fridge, the one piece of advice I have found to really be true with tofu is that it only gets better with longer marinading time. At a minimum let it sit for 15-20 minutes before cooking.

When you are ready to cook the tofu, heat your oven to 425º and place the tofu on a greased sheet pan and bake for 10-15 minutes.

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WW: 6 Points Plus / serving @ 4 servings

West Indian Butternut Squash

1TB Vegetable Oil
1C Vidalia Onion Chopped
1 Green Pepper Chopped
15oz Canned Diced Tomatoes, do not drain
1/2C Water
1/4C Reserved Tofu Marinade
1-2TB Curry Powder
1/4tsp Cinnamon
1/4tsp Ground Cloves
1/2tsp Salt
2-1/2lbs Butternut Squash, peeled and chopped into 3/4" Cubes

While the tofu is marinating, prepare the curried squash: Heat the oil in a large, heavy saucepan. Cook the onion and green pepper over medium heat, stirring frequently, until softened, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Add half of the water and then all remaining ingredients except the squash, let cook for a minute or two until incorporated then stir in the squash. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the squash is fork tender, approximately 30 to 40 minutes.

While the squash is simmering you can taste test the sauce and adjust seasonings to suit your tastes. If the sauce starts to get really thick you can add some more water.

We served this great meal with whole wheat pita's but you could also serve over brown rice or by itself.

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WW: 1 Points Plus / serving