Make a light dinner that packs a powerful punch of flavor from fresh grated ginger and soy sauce. A spicy kick of chili flakes and the crunch of sesame seeds. Make a marinade to amp up local veggies and tofu for the grill. Skewers mean easy grilling!

Grilling is one of the highlights of summer, and with the weather continuing its believably mild streak, it’s your duty to take advantage.  I had some extra firm tofu burning a hole in my fridge and a bunch of fresh produce from the farmers market, so I decided to do some marinated vegetables.  One of my favorite simple and low maintenance grilling techniques is making kabobs.  The word kabob (or kebab, kebab, etc.) actually refers to skewered meats and the dish originated in the Middle East.  Now kebabs exist around the world and with a myriad of interpretations.  I took an Asian-inspired route and marinated the veggies and tofu in a sesame oil-soy sauce-ginger marinade.

MARINADE:

½    cup of soy sauce

4    tablespoons toasted sesame oil

4    tablespoons freshly-squeezed lime juice

2    tablespoons grated fresh ginger

1    teaspoon crushed red pepper

This marinade is a bit salty, so try adding a tablespoon of maple syrup or honey to sweeten it up.  Also, mince one or two cloves of garlic to amp up the flavor.  I also added a few shakes of toasted sesame seeds.

Chop one zucchini, one yellow squash, and one sweet pepper.  Slice a white onion and cut a container of extra firm tofu (I cut it into quarters and then cut the block in half parallel to the cutting board).  Oh and either halve or leave whole some cremini/crimini mushrooms because roasted mushrooms have the best flavor.  Add all of these to a big ziplock freezer bag (if you can) and pour in the marinade.  Shake and allow to marinate for a few hours, shaking occasionally.  Then fire up the grill and cook for about twenty minutes, until golden, rotating every once in a while.  Serve with some rice and maybe some grilled corn.  For a nice side, consider making a skewer of just onions to grill until golden and slightly caramelized.

The above is taken from this site: http://www.keyingredient.com/recipes/1705/grilled-tofu-skewers-with-summer-vegetables/.  The directions also include a recipe for a dipping sauce that my family did not find necessary, but if you want to reuse the leftovers it might be smart to whip some up because the tofu gets a little dry when reheated.