So I’ll be honest and say this is not last nights dinner but dinner from last week for Cinco de Mayo. Mexican is by far my favorite food- I can’t get enough! I decided to try out something new that night because we had recently had burritos for dinner. So I ended up making a lime marinade for my tofu and chicken for Kev, a Banana salsa and refried “beer” beans. I will say I was a little scared of the banana salsa- I wasn’t sure if it was something either of us were going to like but the sweet of the banana and the tart of the lime was excellent. It was an awesome cinco de mayo feast that we will def. be having again soon.
So first you will make the marinade for the chicken and tofu. I marinaded the tofu all day and the chicken when I got home from work.
Marinade:
1 Package of Extra Firm Tofu- sliced and drained. (I used the already cubed pack)
3 Tbsp Olive Oil
1.5 Tbsp of Lime Juice
1 Tsp Honey
1 Clove Garlic
1 Tsp Ground Coriander
Pinch of Salt
Pinch of Cayenne Pepper
2 to 3 Tbsp of chopped Cilantro
Whisk together everything but the tofu and cilantro until combined. Stir in cilantro and pour mixture over tofu. Marinate in fridge for at least 3 hours. Take out and allow to come to room temperature before cooking.
Beans:
2 Tbsp of Olive Oil
1 small Red Onion finely chopped (1/3 cup)
1 Tsp of Mexican Oregano
1/2 Tsp of Cumin
1 25oz can of Pinto Beans
Approx. 2/3 bottle of beer (I used Dos Equis)
1 Chipotle Pepper ( I used a japenlo though because that is what I had)
Salt if needed.
Rinse beans. Sautee onion in oil until it has softened. Add oregano, cumin, stir and sautee for another min. Add beans, chipotle pepper, and beer. Allow everything to come to a boil, then lower heat and simmer beans for another 20 mins or so, stirring every so often. They’ll start to disintegrate a bit and that’s ok. I even mashed mine a little at the end. Add salt if needed.
While beans are simmering heat a grill pan over medium-high heat until its hot. Lift tofu out of marinade and shake a bit so its not dripping. Don’t throw away left over marinade- you can heat it up and pour over tofu or chicken when done. Cook tofu 4 mins each side. Same for chicken just adjusting time to cook chicken thru.
Banana Salsa:
1.5 Tbsp of Olive Oil
Juice of 1 Lime
Pinch of Ground Cumin ( I added a little more than a pinch)
Pinch of salt
2 very ripe bananas (not brown but ripe) Cut into pieces
2 Tbsp of finely chopped Red Onion
1/4 cup of chopped Cilantro
Whisk together Olive Oil, Lime juice, Cumin and Salt. Stir in other ingredients. All done!
Spoon everything on to a plate and garnish with a few leaves of cilantro.
ENJOY!!!!
(drink some Mexican beer with dinner as well!!)
