Parmesan Pecan Pesto & Grilled Tofu - 2g

Words cannot express how much my tongue enjoyed this meal. 

I printed this recipe a good while ago, but hadn't had an opportunity to make it. Part of that was due to my novice herb gardening skills. Unbeknownst to me, you have to prune the flowering part of the basil! Now that I picked up on that fine gardening trick, my basil has finally begun to grow leaves, instead of a sturdy, long stem.

This recipe originally called for asiago cheese and walnuts. I'm sure both would be a fine substitute for the parmesan and pecans, but I used the ingredients I had at my disposal, and I loved every bite of this tasty creation!

Ingredients:
Tofu -
1 extra firm block of Tofu
Balsamic vinegar

Pesto -
1 cup of spinach leaves (a packed cup, stems removed)
1 gentle handful of basil leaves (mine were wilted from the heat, so I can't be as exact about measurements)
5 sage leaves
Oregano (as much or as little as you'd like)
1 tsp garlic
2 1/2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 C pecan halves
1/4 grated Parmesan cheese

For the tofu, cut it into 1/4 in thick slices (I made mine triangles) and drizzle balsamic vinegar over the top.  Spread the balsamic evenly, and repeat on the other side of the tofu. Set aside while you prepare the pesto. Heat up your grill. 

Combine all of the pesto ingredients in a food processor. Blend until a smooth consistency. Easy as that!

Now that your pesto is made, it's time to grill your marinating tofu.

*If you're using a George Foreman kitchen grill (like me), you shouldn't need any olive oil to prevent it from sticking. If you're using a real backyard grill, you may want to test the first two pieces - brush some olive oil on one, and not the other.*

Each side will need at least 2 minutes, but when using a George Foreman grill, it only took 3 minutes, total.

Remove from the grill and top with the pesto. I used about 1 tsp of pesto on top of each wedge of tofu.

If you have leftover pesto, and some mushrooms & cheese laying around, check out my Pesto Stuffed mushroom recipe! (It's what I created with my leftovers)