Tofu and Sweet Pepper Shish Kebabs

Ingredients

BBQ Sauce

• 1 cup organic ketchup
• 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon tamari
• 1/3 cup molasses
• 2 teaspoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/16 to 1/8 teaspoon cayenne

Kabobs

• 10 metal or bamboo skewers
• 1 ½ blocks firm or extra firm tofu, pressed and drained (see note in Tips/Techniques)
• 3 sweet peppers, seeded and cut in 1 ½ inch pieces (orange, red and/or yellow are nice)
• 2 medium sweet onions, cut into chunks
• 2 medium zucchini, cut into ½ inch thick slices
• 16 ounces crimini mushrooms, cleaned and stems removed
• 10 cherry tomatoes

Instructions

1. 1
   Place the barbecue sauce ingredients into a medium bowl and whisk until the sauce is smooth.
2. 2
   Place the drained tofu onto a cutting board and carefully slice it into 36 uniform size cubes. Spoon the tofu into a large bowl and top it with ¼ cup of the barbecue sauce. Carefully toss the tofu to coat each cube with some of the sauce. Toss carefully, as to not break the tofu cubes. Cover and chill at least 1 hour, or up to 2 hours, to marry the flavors.
3. 3
   Place the peppers, sweet onions, zucchini, mushrooms and tomatoes into a large bowl. Top with ¾ cup of the sauce (leaving about ½ cup in reserve) and toss to coat each veggie piece with the sauce. Cover and chill at least 1 hour, or up to 2 hours, to marry the flavors.
4. 4
   Prepare two metal or bamboo skewers for each person. If you are using bamboo skewers, place them in a pan and cover them with filtered or spring water. Let the skewers soak in the water for at least 30 minutes prior to assembling the kebabs, in order to prevent them from burning.
5. 5
   Cover two medium or one extra large baking sheet with foil or un-bleached parchment paper.
6. 6
   One to two hours before cooking the shish kebabs, take the ingredients out of the refrigerator and carefully thread the veggies and tofu onto your skewers in the following order: pepper, tofu, zucchini, mushroom, onion, pepper, tomato, onion, tofu, zucchini, onion, mushroom, and pepper
7. 7
   Place the kabobs on the prepared baking sheets. If you are not baking or grilling them immediately, place the sheets back into the refrigerator until cooking.
8. 8
   If grilling: place the kabobs on the grill. Grill the kebabs over medium heat for about 20 minutes, or until the veggies are crisp-tender and the tofu is slightly crisp and golden in color.
9. 9
   If using an oven: preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Leave the kabobs on the baking sheets and place into the preheated oven. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until the veggies are crisp-tender and the tofu is slightly crisp and golden in color.
10. 10
    Serve immediately over quinoa or brown rice.